In all the darkness and boredom the pandemic brought, the one thing I am so grateful to have discovered is bubble tea. As I am sure many of us did, I sat in my house, not able to go anywhere due to COVID-19. When stores, restaurants, and the world began opening back up again, I wanted to give my business to some local shops and cafes near me that may not have done so well with the lockdown. I had seen milk tea and boba on the internet occasionally and figured I would give it a go. Long story short, I became obsessed. It is now my go to. My friends and I began going to different boba shops and made it our goal to find the best ones in Raleigh. It became our thing. As it is very difficult to pick a favorite…here are my top three.
- Cha House
Where do I even begin? This is not just a place you go to, stop by for two minutes to pick up your boba, and leave. As soon as you step through the door, you immediately feel the welcoming and comforting atmosphere. The decor is beautiful, yet subtle, and as a college student, it’s an amazing place to go to if you need a quiet and calm place to study or catch up on work. The two drinks I have tried from Cha House are the Taro Milk Tea with boba and the Thai Milk Tea with boba. I would say the Taro gave more of a unique nutty taste that I had never experienced before, while the Thai gave a flavor that resembles vanilla in a way. Every time I go, I resort back to one of these two options because of how comforting and good they are. The boba itself is always perfect and a must when ordering toppings for your drinks here. While I have not yet tried the other endless possibilities of toppings such as pudding and jelly, they are next on my list. Along with their large variety of drinks, they do offer a promising food and snack menu as well. I recently tried the waffle and let me just say, it’s a must. It always comes fresh and is very worth the try.
- Bumble Tea
Bumble Tea is a boba shop located in a small shopping center right near N.C. State campus. I am quite obsessed with the theme and the vibrant summery colors displayed throughout the cafe. It has such a positive and uplifting environment. I have tried many different drinks from Bumble Tea that always leave me pleased and wanting more! Taro and Brown Sugar are the two milk teas I have tried from there. The one thing about the Brown Sugar is that it is very sweet but that’s no problem because you’re able to adjust the sweetness, as many other boba shops do! Recently I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone and try the Lychee smoothie and the Lychee fruit tea with black tea. I had never tried lychee and it’s now a go-to. These lychee drinks give off a subtle floral taste and are great when you don’t want something that tastes too sugary. While they do offer waffles with ice cream, they also sell macaroons and taiyaki which is a cake like pastry in the shape of a fish. They originate from Japan and are often filled with different fillings such as nutella and red bean.
- Budacai
Another favorite of mine in Raleigh is Budacai because of all they have to offer! Their classic black milk tea is one of the best drinks they have and that says a lot since that tends to be the standard milk tea most people like to get. Taro is probably the next best in my opinion and as you can probably tell, Taro is one of my all-time favorites. (It’s probably because it was the first flavor I fell in love with so now it’s a must at every boba location!) Budacai offers appetizer snack dishes while they also offer bowls that are great and filling enough for a meal. Some personal favorites are the Vegetable Spring Rolls, Crab Rangoons, and the Bulgogi Bowl.
Long story short, if you’re ever in Raleigh, these are the three boba cafes that must go on your list of places to try. In addition to getting a quick treat, you are getting so much more. You also get to experience learning about another culture through the drinks and food which is honestly the best part of it all.