daekr

.
.

PDF Document was moved: https://bit.ly/2ulojle

.
.

Tiem Banh Thach Thao THE LITTLE DESSERT STREETCART THAT MADE ITS WAY TO AMERICA. My father would tell me stories about how kids in his neighborhood would seek out little dessert streetcarts that sold cold and refreshing treats to counteract the humid, tropical heat of Vietnam. When the Vietnamese came over with these treats, we became exposed to a wide variety of good eats. Now, Tiem Banh Thach Thao could have started out as a little streetcart, but my title is probably just an exaggeration to get your attention. Now that I have your attention, lets talk about these treats. The Desserts/Drinks: A TROPICAL VACATION IN YOUR MOUTH. Sam Bo Luong: MAKING YOUR HEALTH AND HERBAL DRINKS GREAT AGAIN. To the untrained tongue and taste bud, this is that exotic, herbal, medicinal drink that makes the average American say, “why do Asians drink medicine for dessert?” Then I let them know, “you do not know the dessert universe that you are missing.” Sam Bo Luong is the cool, refreshing herbal drink that is generously given a complex sugar syrup and a variety of goodies ranging from refreshing crunchy seaweed, longan fruit, lotus seeds, red dates, grass jellies, and more! This is the carnival in your mouth that rivals that of shaved ice and boba drinks. In addition to quenching thirst, heat, and a craving for sweets; this drink challenges you with a variety of textures, tastes, and experiences. We all get sick of licking the same vanilla ice cream only to be disappointed that the vanilla flavor recedes as your taste buds acclimate to that BASIC vanilla. With Sam Bo Luong, each bite is different from the last, but just as refreshing as the first. At the end of the day, you have the refreshing herbal drink, a gentle massage of your throat and taste buds, the feeling of a gentle breeze on your body, and a salute to making your health and herbal drinks great again. Sugarcane Juice with Tangerine and Passionfruit: VIETNAMESE AMBROSIA AND THE ELIXIR OF LIFE. I know what you are thinking. “Isn’t sugarcane juice just a load of sugar water?” “I bet it’s like sweet tea minus the tea.” Well, ladies and gentleman, this is where you need to taste this to experience it. Sugarcane juice has a refreshingly light and sharp sweetness that soothes and cools the mouth. Tangerine juice provides the citrus punch that gives the sweetness character and refinement. The passionfruit juice transforms this juice by providing the complex, tropical syrupy sweetness that turns this overall drink into Vietnamese ambrosia. The taste, sweetness, and complex accents can only be compared to fresh honey, but with accents of citrus, passionfruit, and refreshing ice. This is the drink that quenches thirst, heat, and a craving for fruity sweetness. The flavors of this drink are naturally intense and hit each taste bud to its limit. Let me tell you something: after taking a sip of this drink, you will understand what it means to experience the many faces and characters of sweetness out there. Only then will you experience what I mean when I call this Vietnamese Ambrosia and the Elixir of Life. Definitely my drink of choice on the beach or anywhere your body demands fluid resuscitation and a fruity, tropical treat. A Note Before my Verdict: I see reviews of patrons complaining that they were not serviced in a timely manner and I acknowledge there is a language barrier (even I do not speak Vietnamese), but yall need to show some respect. To the Yelpers complaining, you need to calm down because this is the sort of attitude that disrespects those who craft these masterpieces. They serve food and drink, not a side order of making your personal problems go away. The Verdict: A TRIBUTE TO ETERNAL SUMMERTIME. Tiem Banh Thach Thao is a tribute to eternal summertime with their cold, refreshing, and guilt-free drinks. From the Sam Bo Luong, the sweet herbal drink with a variety of dessert bits, to their Sugarcane Juice with Tangerine and Passionfruit, these drinks quench your thirst, heat, and craving

KING KONG MILKTEA AND JUICE Menu with Prices 800 N Main St, Alpharetta

Overall…pretty good! Just from being in the area we’ve noticed there wasn’t many bubble tea shops close by. I absolutely love Tea Top in Chamblee, but it is a ~20min drive from Alpharetta. So we were pleasantly surprised to find a tea shop close by. Service: pretty minimal talking since we just ordered and sat down in a booth. The two girls were very quick with making the drink orders. Drinks: I got the Royal Black Milk Tea with boba. I guess I’m a little spoiled by Tea Top since I’m used to being asked if I want to adjust my sugar or ice level. Which is fine. My drink was a little sweeter than I would’ve liked, but still good and not too watered down. The boba in my drink did have an almost toasty taste(?) that was a little different from what I’m used to. I actually liked how the boba wasn’t that saturated in syrup so it didn’t sweeten the drink anymore. We also ordered the KK signature that was actually a bit sweeter than mine and had a more floral taste to it. Not bad for our first time. I do want to come back and try the sugarcane juice since you don’t find that option choice in other tea shops. Interior: it’s a decent spot to come to get some work done. The booths have outlet plugs and cushioned seating so if you’re sitting for a while this is where you would want to be. They had board games and such so that you can hang with friends, but I didn’t see too much up at the front. 4/5 – because it was pretty good for it being so close by. Im curious about the other drinks so that makes me want to return eventually

Cents Taro Family – Menu with Prices – 9534 Lee Hwy, Fairfax

What a great addition to Fairfax! Cents Taro Family offers authentic taro ball desserts, in addition to porridges and teas, using all locally-sourced organic ingredients. The hubs and I came here to check out their cold coconut-based dessert soup, filled with sweet milk cream, mung beans, sweet red beans, herbal jelly, and silken tofu cubes – it was SO GOOD! It wasn’t overly sweet, and you can taste the care and the high quality/freshness of each of the ingredients! Just imagine a subtly-sweet ‘milk tea’ with various toppings, presented in a bowl. I was a little hesitant with the herbal jelly, but it’s not the typical cube-like ones you find in bubble tea – these were literally chunks and it was freshly made! There wasn’t much of a strong taste to each of the items – each of the beans were perfectly cooked, and there were some crushed ice towards the bottom that kept the dessert cold. We also tried one of their specials – a fresh lemon iced tea – there may have been a slight hint of honey in there, but it was pretty much unsweetened – great refreshing drink to have with your dessert bowl! Staff were super friendly! Don’t hesitate in asking them about the menu or to show them pictures of items that you’re intrigued/curious about! They’re very helpful and kind! There are seats, but limited – when we were there, we had to wait a few, but a party was generous enough to share a portion of their table! Can’t wait to come back and try out their housemade taro balls and the rest of their menu! +tasty cold desserts! +locally-sourced and organic! +friendly staff! +plenty of parking! +located next to Heat

Tsaocaa Florida – Menu with Prices – 10150 Beach Blvd unit 7, Jacksonville

To start off I just have to compliment the interior design of this cafe… so so cute and perfect for taking photos! The pretty pink walls are complimented by the cute cactus plants, adorable heart/ marble seating and tables, and also the big bubble chair (lol idk what it’s called) make every part of the cafe picture perfect. The line was quite long both times I went but it was expected since it’s the newest and cutest cafe in Jax so a lot of people of all ages are coming. – Onto the menu stuff… * Colorful Fruits Green Tea {$5.50}: Very refreshing and tastes kind of like a fruit punch drink although I tasted more of the passionfruit + orange flavor in it, overall 4/5 * Passionfruit & Lime Green Tea {$4.95}: Tastes very similar to the Colorful Fruits Green Tea except it’s slightly more sour and the passionfruit flavor is more propionate in this drink, overall 5/5 * Cocoa Bubble Milk {$4.75}: Tasted just like water mixed with some cocoa powder tbh, not sweet at all. Not really a distinctive chocolatey taste like I thought, overall 1/5 * Strawberry Green Tea with Milk Foam {$5.25}: MY FAVORITE DRINK by far, if you like sweet drinks this is the one for you! Super sweet and even though I don’t enjoy strawberries that much, I got it since it was very pretty and I’m not disappointed at all. Once you start finishing the drink, the cheese milk foam is kind of mixed together with bits of strawberries and crushed iced and it’s like a sweet crunchy whip cream flavor, definitely 5/5 * Brown Sugar Milk Tea {$4.95}: Another sugary sweet drink as well, tastes like a standard milk tea just a lot sweeter and the boba was very chewy but I liked it, overall 5/5 * Watermelon Green Tea with Crystal Foam {$5.55}: Although I love watermelon, this drink kind of wasn’t for me, tasted exactly like a watermelon except that it’s flavor was kind of washed down in a way… less sweet and texture is mushy, overall 3/5 – Like I said before you must take pics at such a cute place like this, and it would helpful if a big menu was set up somewhere instead of the paper menus at the front to help ordering go through faster though, but overall definitely coming back and checking out some more drinks!

Lava Boba – Boba Milk Tea – Menu with Prices – 21040 Highland Knolls Dr #500, Katy

This was my first visit here! I was pretty excited to try this place because of the reviews and the BOGO deal they have when you check in. I had a bad first experience here though. It may have just been a bad day for them but when I came in they only had one employee (a trainee) working the front while there were customers in line and customers waiting on their drinks/ice cream. We waited a bit to place our order because the trainee was hustling to make drinks and ice cream orders. Once he got to us and we were trying to order, he informed us that half of the menu would be unavailable because the machines for the milk tea weren’t working. We then proceeded to order something else but couldn’t get the toppings we wanted because that too, was unavailable. So after waiting awhile to place our order, we were disappointed that we couldn’t even order the drinks we wanted. We ended up just settling for a simple passionfruit green tea and a strawberry slurp. We waited a decent amount for our drinks, as predicted. However, this time it looked like the boss/manager came out to finally help with the customers. As she was helping, she was also getting openly frustrated with the trainee. This made the environment very uncomfortable as she was chastising him for x, y, and z within hearing distance. The trainee made one of our drinks, the passionfruit green tea and seemed to forget about our BOGO drink, the strawberry slurp. We didn’t even bother to bug about our other drink at this point, knowing we’d be there for another 15-20 mins if so. We ended up leaving and won’t be coming back in the future. All in all, the drink tasted like a basic passionfruit green tea. Nothing spectacular.

Juicy Leaf Cold-Pressed Juice – Menu with Prices – 316 S Kalamazoo Mall #104, Kalamazoo

Pretty scant on the reviews here, I feel it is my duty to spread the good word. Okay so first of all, the juice is tasty. Everything I’ve had here has been good. I’ve learned what my personal preferences are, and that’s a big thing with making my juice purchase worthwhile. I seem to enjoy veggie based juices with a good hit of sweetness- like adding pineapple, lime, or apple. I don’t enjoy juices with ginger, just my taste. My favorite juice on their current menu is “Raise the Barre”, which is a green juice with some sweetness from fruit and a hint of spice from jalapenos (it’s not hot). I’ve tried some of their natural snacks as well, like the fruit rolls and dehydrated tomato pizza bites. Again, all great. I would highly recommend anyone check out Juicy Leaf! They seem pretty active on social media- facebook and instagram, so check that out for menus and even some deals/ discounts I’ve seen. Gives you an idea of price, too. While I recommend this to everyone, I always warn/ inform people about price. I’m inclined to think that many people don’t know the appropriate price point for these types of juices (Gee, a bottle of simply orange juice is $2 at meijer!). From what I’ve seen at other cold-pressed juice places, the prices here are pretty average. Remember that you’re getting a whole load of fruits and veggies! 8oz are usually $5, 16oz are $9 for most juices. They do offer cleanses, too (not my thing though). Do note that their bottles note a warning regarding that they are not heat-processed, etc. May not be a good choice for someone sensitive to allergens in food- definitely ask the employees if you’re concerned. I personally have never had an issue but just a note to keep in mind for any product of this nature, not just here! So all in all, I’m not mad at price. I do consider these juices a splurge for me personally, but I’m cheap and also consider buying coffee at a shop a splurge! Oh, they do offer coffee and warm drinks too. Employees are nice and knowledgeable. Definitely check it out!

Forever Yogurt – Menu with Prices – 1510 Monterey Rd #30, San Jose

When I first saw this place on yelp, the interior looked very aesthetic and cute but it was possibly one of the lower end places I’ve been to for tea. I went with my friend on a weekday in June in the afternoon and it was relatively empty inside. There was only two other people in the store and somehow we ended up sitting and waiting for our drinks for 15 minutes. I wonder what the workers were even doing because the cashier seemed to be just standing there for some time and was not even making the drinks? I got the mean mango machine and i definitely did not taste much jasmine tea or any of the sweetness of the mango, just very bland, watered down tea with no sweetness. If i knew it would be this flavorless I would have asked for 150% sugar because it seems like they barely put any sugar in their drinks, which is good for people who enjoy having a healthier drink but I prefer my drinks on the sweeter side so it was a con for me. The drink was about $6 for a large, which is a bit pricey considering there was no toppings either; so I basically paid for a long wait time and poor quality drink. I was pretty disappointed and I have not returned to this place since my initial visit, and probably will not. The only good thing about this place is that the interior was nice so good job on that part.

FIX & REPEAT Menu with Prices 555 NW Arizona Ave suite 50, Bend

I had meant to go to another vegan place but somehow ended up going here. Glad I did! I had the BEST orange juice ever. It tasted so refreshing, sweet and just as an orange juice should taste. I also loved and enjoyed their quinoa with coconut milk and cinnamon and bananas and blueberries. The best tasting quinoa dish ever. I actually came back a few hours later to get one of the green juices and it too was wonderfully, delightfully delicious and refreshing. It has just the right amount of spicy kick to it, subtle but still there. I felt so comfortable there, the ambience of the café is uplifting, it is bright and airy, modern and so chill. The staff are very friendly and eager to help you. I would go there everyday just to taste all the items on the menu! The best vegan/juice café I have been to. The long travel to Bend just for the fresh organic taste is worth it.

Queen Tea New Orleans Seafood – Menu with Prices – 6404 Horsepen Rd, Richmond

I’m thrilled there’s finally a bubble tea option outside of Richmond! I love the combination of NOLA style seafood and bubble tea. The place itself is rather small and has limited parking. It can easily get crowded inside as customers line up to order and wait for their food and drinks. As for parking, there are more spots behind the store if the spots in the front are taken up. Overall, the service was not bad. I ordered a large oolong milk tea with herbal jelly and it tasted really good but was definitely on the sweeter side. Although I asked for the less ice option, there was still a lot of ice. I would definitely emphasize that next time because it came out with more ice than a normal drink should have had. The wait took a bit longer, but they’re still new so I’m sure they’re still figuring things out. One of my biggest concerns was the cleanliness–from my own experience working as a barista, I couldn’t help but notice some of the workers did not have their hair up nor were they wearing a cap/hat. Hopefully, that will taken care of soon since I’m sure hair is never welcomed in anyone’s food lol UPDATE: I came back to try the tropical lychee drink and it tasted really good. They were actual lychee and orange slices inside so it tasted really refreshing and citrusy. Again, it was too sweet. After getting my drink, I realized my cup was ripped and had leaked all over the place. Thankfully, the barista offered to replace my drink. I was hoping it wouldn’t be as sweet; however this time around it was still sweet and had even more ice inside. It was literally packed to the brim with ice. I was a little annoyed that I basically paid for a cup of ice.

Unplugg-D Cafe – Menu with Prices – 12085 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove

This is entirely based on the drinks, not food or service wise as a heads up! BLACK MILK TEA: For the BMT, I feel like this is generally a very bland tasting milk tea. Other places make it better, but others also make it worse, so this falls right in the middle: average. The BMT is more on the milky side than the actual black tea itself which I believe should have an equal tasting milk to tea ratio. RATE: 5/10 TROPICAL NIGHT: This is suppose to taste like a strawberry lemonade kind of fruit tea, but really lacks that strawberry flavor I was looking for. The TN has more of a prominent grapefruit flavor, but has no grapefruit in it, which is very confusing as to where that taste comes from. RATE: 4/10 PEACHY GIRL: The PG drink is very very bland. I don’t really taste a distinct peach flavor in the drink like it probably should. It’s more on the watery side than the tea side, so it basically feels like I’m just drinking straight up water with a hint of peach juice. RATE: 3/10 TRA BUOI: The TB tea is the best of the 4 drinks I ordered. This tea actually tastes like guava and the tea base complements the guava. It has a little sour taste to it which isn’t necessarily bad. RATE: 7/10 OVERALL: 4.7/10 would recommend coming here.

Sharetea Fullerton – Menu with Prices – 2445 E Chapman Ave, Fullerton

I’m rather picky with my teas and milk teas, but when I’m craving a drink, Sharetea is one of the top choices on my list. The quality and service is amazing. I also love how they are consistent. Of the many times I have gone, only once did an order taste different than usual, but all other times I’ve gone, the drinks almost always taste the same, which I love. Lots of other places can be very inconsistent, so even if you order the same drink every time, you’ll be surprised every time. Not Sharetea — if you have drink favorites, you will know what you’re getting 98% of the time (in my experience). No funky tastes, weird sweetness levels, inconsistent ratios and tastes, etc. This place is located in a plaza relatively close to CSUF and Troy H.S., so this place (especially towards the evening) is always swarming with students. Parking can be a bit difficult when it’sa busier time since the lot is shared with other businesses. As for the store itself, it’s pretty small, a few spots for 2 people, one larger table for 4, a small bar-like table towards the back, and a couple seats against the wall where people wait for drinks. If you’re looking for a place to sit and study, this isn’t the best spot to do so, it can get quite noisy. During peak hours, the line is always out the door, BUT the service is pretty quick! It’s amazing how quickly they make the drinks despite the amount of orders. For drinks, I have a set list of drinks I get when I go here: -Strawberry black tea (80% or 50% sweetness) -Mango green tea (80% sweetness) -Mango milk tea (80% sweetness) -QQ Happy Family Milk Tea (80% or 50% sweetness) These never fail me and I just switch drinks depending on my mood. I love that with their milk teas, it isn’t overly milky or an overload of tea. The ratio is really good. I believe they use non-dairy milk (not powder, woohoo!) for their milk teas, but it’s best to ask in case. For their fruit teas, I always love how refreshing they are and aren’t head achingly sweet. The boba pearls are also great, not overly mushy/soft and also not super hard. I think I’ve only gotten a couple drinks where the boba was too hard, but very few times. It has been solid all the other times. Prices aren’t that bad! It’s about $5, give or take depending on what drink and the toppings. Their drinks all come in one size so the price does justify the amount you’re getting. Overall, Sharetea has great drinks that are consistent, with great quality and service! They also have stamp cards, so make sure to grab one if you’re a frequent boba drinker!

One Stop Nutrition – Menu with Prices – 6171 N Decatur Blvd Ste. 130, Las Vegas

Simply the best! So,from the name you may not think this is a option for a fresh smoothie or juice,but that is so wrong. When ever I first walk in to this place,I am ALWAYS greeted with a warm smile and a “hello,welcome,how is your day going”. The walls are lines w all new age,cutting edge and old trusted favorite supplements vitamins,diet supplements,pre and post work out sups,and even herbal sleep remedies! There’s so many different kinds,if you have ANY questions,don’t hesitate to ask as the staff is super educated on how each one works. If your understanding sure if something is right for you they offer samples as well. As you walk towards the back,also near the cash register you will start to notice the smell of fresh fruits and veggies…this my friends,means you just entered the pearly Gates of juice bar smoothie heaven. On the other side of the counters a glass guard over it is the days FRESH cut fruits and veggies. It’s like screaming “eat me” “make me a juice” w all the bright vibrant colors,and delightful smells. Something super important important to me at a juice bar is the lack of fruit flies. Nothing is more off putting to me then little evil gnat like fruit flies infesting and ruining my desire for a fresh smoothie or juice. I have NEVER EVER SEEN NOT ONE OF THEE TINY SUCKERS AT ONE STOP NUTRITION!!!!! KUDOS TO THEM. They have several pre thought juice and smoothie options which you can customize till your heart is content,or you can build your own juice or smoothie…the sky is the limit. This place puts big chain places like Jamba and tropical to shame. One stop has a life long customer in me!

Vivi Bubble Tea – Menu with Prices – 325 Coneflower Dr, Garland

Boba/bubble tea fans will know that Vivi is competing in a saturated market. These days, there’s a bubble tea spot on practically every street corner, so to stand out, you have to offer something special or provide great customer service. Vivi Bubble Tea does both of those things. Their basic milk tea flavors are done very well, but they also have the most refreshing citrusy drink known as the Blue Galaxy, which looks and sounds as good as it tastes. This and their other unique drinks will make you drive right past more convenient bubble tea locations just to have it. Their tiny little shop is sometimes understaffed, but the staff who does work there are very polite. Plus, their drinks have more authentic flavor to them than Kung Fu tea (which despite its name does not even offer jasmine tea. What’s up with that?). Another comparison to Kung Fu tea, and the only reason they get 4 stars, is this place doesn’t offer the option to customize the sweetness of your drink (unlike Kung Fu tea). Their default sweetness level is ok-IMO, they do not over-sweeten their drinks- but if you’re one of those people who is sensitive to sugar, you may find this lack of control disappointing.