I've been drinking boba tea for more than a decade. I don't remember when it first arrived in Southern California, but I was on it pretty much right away. An early adopter, if you will.
My first experience with it was at Ten Ren in Rowland Heights. My wife's aunt took us out to lunch and then told us to stop by this tea place. Now that I think about it, I think it was 14 years ago. Don't know why that number popped in my head, but it did.
Anyway, she ordered us Boba Milk Tea. We were hooked instantly.
Since that day, I've had boba more and more frequently. At present, I have tea at least once a day. For boba specifically, maybe once a week or every two weeks. Now, I say that I have boba every single day, but when I say that, I mean I have tea from my favorite boba place, Ten Ren, daily. It may or may not include boba.
But let's return to history.
When I first had boba, it was interesting, new, and had no comparable context. I guess you could say I adopted it as a fad. That was before it actually turned into a fad in the US 8 or 9 years after its arrival. But, for me, the fad was that I couldn't really see having this drink be a normal part of my daily sustenance for the next 14 years. Instead, I latched on just like most people did when Krispy Kreme first arrived in the neighborhood. Now, 5 or 8 years after Krispy Kreme arrived in Orange County and everyone was talking about it, no one talks about it. It's like they were a carnival and just came and left.
And that's what's happened with boba in this country, to some extent.
Maybe around 2001 or so, boba places were popping up everywhere. But they were still pretty Chinese-authenticity heavy. By maybe 2005, you had regular coffee places adding boba to the menu, and people outside of the Chinese community jumping on the boba bananza. In fact, over the past five years, I've seen boba places owned by white, Latino, Middle Eastern and other people. Boba rose to the level of opportunity - gold mine! You had people lining up outside boba places. It was a crazy time for us boba aficienados.
But the last few years has seen a decline in boba places. The general population never really latched on. Sure, there were pockets of excitement that sprang up around the country, and over the course of years, it seemed like the boba craze was going for years. In reality, though, the craze itself hasn't lasted more than 2 years in any place where it wasn't meant to last in the first place.
And so the loser boba places - those people only interested in seizing an opportunity - shut down. But others remained, and remain, in business, some doing quite well. Why?
Because they were in it for other reasons, not pure "boba craze" opportunity.
I think it's relevant to point out some of the groups of reasoning some boba places stayed in business, and even flourished, while others closed shop for good.
Group A: They took advantage of a broader opportunity to reach out to people craving an alternative to coffee shops and bars. Not everyone drinks alcohol or is old enough to do so. And, not everyone likes Starbucks or Peets. More importantly, many people treat hanging out at places like Starbucks like a visit to the library - no loud music, no shouting and laughing, no fun. Just study time, newspapers, moms getting a break from the kids, etc. The boba places I see as successful that fall into this category have created a 'hangout' environment with music, life and a variety of drinks (and usually good snacks as well). With that, you can hit most age groups, and the late hours make it a perfect alternative to the bar and coffee standards.
Group B: They took advantage of a broader opportunity to reach Asians and those interested in the Asian community and/or Asian taste. Everyone wants to feel like they're part of a community. No one feels that Starbucks was made for them - it was supposed to be made for everyone. But, certain coffee shops have a regular crowd. Well, there are communities of Asians all over this country, and they - like anyone else - may not like to hang out at a coffee shop. Group B owners saw a niche market and went after it. Sure, they hope to get all ages and all races, but they start with an Asian theme - boba. They build around it with Asian snacks.
Group C: They took advantage of the fad when it was a fad, but kept pace to add variety to the menu and now boba is just an item on the menu. These are people that saw the well drying up and didn't go gangbusters until it was parched. They kept ahead of the decline by moving onto new fads; smart business move nonetheless.
Group D: This group is my favorite - the boba purists. To them, making boba or any other tea drink is an art. It must be made to perfection. It must taste right. It must please the customer. And so, Ten Ren rules the pack, in my opinion. This group didn't view boba as a passing fad or opportunity, they saw it as an investment in a long-term business.
Now across the groups, each has something to offer. Not that I frequent places from all groups, but I do visit each from time to time. Here are the ones I dig, and why-
1. Ten Ren: It rules. The best tea, the best preparation, clean, quick, great staff...all around best of the best. (Note: They need some work on the website. Everyone else has a great website, but for such a great tea place, their website sucks.) Anyway, know this, I don't mean all Ten Ren locations. I've had some Ten Ren boba that's absolutely disgusting. Like the one that use to be on Euclid in Anaheim by the 99 Ranch Market. Or, the one in Chinatown in Los Angeles - disgusting as well. The best? Ten Ren on Colima near Fullerton Road. Second best? Off Fullerton Road immediately off the 60 freeway in Rowland Heights. With the Colima location, you get the best drinks, but only small snacks and not a lot of space for hanging out. The staff is great though. The Fullerton Road location has plenty of space, lots of food choices - most of which are great - but the drinks are a little sweet. Check em both out. Boba itself - perfectly cooked, flavored and perfect proportions in the drinks.
2. Cha For Tea: This place is in Irvine and a part of the UC Irvine campus community. Always popping, plenty of food choices. Tea is a little on the sweeter side, but all around decent drinks. Boba - cooked and flavored great, but sometime a little firm. If you're there on Saturday mornings, you have the Farmer's Market nearby, which is awesome. Check it out.
3. Boba Loca: When I say #3, I mean like I left #2 in California and went driving to #3 in Texas...it's a long road. It's not that great, the tea is too sweet - more on the juice side than the tea side. Boba is usually undercooked and underflavored, but other than that, it's great for a nearby quick fix.
4. Guppy House: Truthfully, I think Guppy House is better than Boba Loca, but my wife prefers boba loca, so I end up going there more often (between the two - she's with me on #1 and #2). Anyway, Guppy House is that club vibe with banging music, lots of kids, plenty of food choices (you must try the spicy rice cake and kimchi stew). The location - Anaheim Hills at Imperial Highway and La Palma.
5. Lollicup or Tapioca Express: These brands are fairly consistent across locations. Sweet drinks. So-so boba. But they both have egg pudding you can add to your milk tea and it's awesome. There's also this coconut flavor in the milk tea and it's a nice surprise. If I do visit one, it's the one in the Hong Kong Supermarket area on Colima near Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights.
Wow, this was a long post. Watching Whip It while I'm writing it...you must watch that movie, pretty good.
Enjoy your boba!
~ Brock
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