A Tea Moment

Best for: ordering on a tablet, boba drinks, and of course a sweet treat.

Price: $

After trying I love Teriyaki, I needed a pick me up to get through the homework I had. I was craving something sweet and knew there was a boba shop nearby that sold Korean shaved ice or Bingsu. This dessert is made from a milk based block that is shaved and then flavored with syrup, sweetener, condensed milk, various fruits and other toppings. 

A Tea Moment boba shop is right next door to Japonica and just across the street from Brewport Taphouse. I had an idea going in of what I wanted to order and was disappointed to find out they no longer serve the shaved ice. They did have a sign mentioning their shaved ice is now sold at Toast Cafe, which is conveniently located just a couple steps away. I will be reviewing Toast Cafe at a later time but will be dining in for breakfast. 

Walking into the shop was an interesting and unsettling experience. The setup of the place makes you feel closed off from the workers who work behind a pick up kiosk. None of the workers greeted me or acknowledged me. As a first timer it would have been nice to at least been told the concept of ordering via tablet. 

I ordered at the tablet and decided on a matcha strawberry milk tea since there was no shaved ice. The $5.75 matcha comes with strawberry puree and a decent splash of heavy cream I believe. The online ordering will ask for your desired drink sweetness and if you want to add boba for $0.75. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of boba but do love the drinks shops serve. So I never opt to add boba to my drink. I ordered my drink less sweet because I figured the strawberry would already be sweet enough. 

I retrieved my drink from the kiosk and was on my way. In hindsight I should’ve shaken my drink before taking the first sip so all the flavors could be combined. My first sip was not the best as it was just matcha, which I am also not of a fan of. That part is my fault because I am an avid coffee drinker. After mixing up the strawberries and cream, my drink was perfect! The strawberries added a refreshing sweetness to the mellow, earthy taste of matcha. 

Unfortunately, I would not come back to this location because of the service experience. My favorite thing about trying new coffee shops or boba places is asking for the servers favorite drink. I always end up with the best drinks because of it.