8.22.15 Oolong Milk Tea w/ Boba, 50% Sugar, regular ice.
We compared 3 boba places (admittedly this was unintentional at first, but went ahead and did it after realizing that we could and because YOLO) and ordered the exact same thing at 1) Kung Fu Tea, 2) Gong Cha, and 3) Sharetea. These are the thoughts that came from our research.
1) Kung Fu Tea - Golden Oolong Milk Tea, 50% sugar, with boba, size large. - The boba was quite soft and practically melted in your mouth once you sucked up a straw full of this drink. Not something boba should do. The tea however, had a very identifiable taste of freshly brewed oolong tea (in my opinion) throughout the course of the comparisons.
2) Gong Cha - Oolong Milk Tea, 50% sugar, with boba, size regular. - The boba was chewy and firm, as good boba should be! The tea here was a little bit too sweet and tasted a little more like it came from a powder flavoring rather than brewed tea/tea leaves. It was also too sweet for our taste.
At this point, I had stated that if KFTea’s tea and GongCha’s boba were put into one drink, it would be most ideal!
3) Sharetea - Oolong Milk Tea, 50% sugar, with boba, and there’s only the large size available here. - The boba was also chewy but slightly less firm than Gong Cha (here’s where your own personal preference comes in as to how firm you think boba should be. I preferred the consistency of Sharetea’s boba while S preferred the consistency of Gong Cha’s). Initially, the tea at Sharetea also seemed to be a perfect balance of oolong, milk, and added sweetness. HOWEVER (note, all caps) after neglecting the drinks to chat with friends for a bit, this tea started to get very watered down and taste more artificial.
RESULTS: Overall, Gong Cha ended up winning with 2.5 out of 3 votes. Boba was ideal and the tea was still okay (justified by the fact that you can ask for a lower percentage of sugar). Kung Fu Tea ended up with a half vote because, while Gong Cha won for the entirety of the drink, I felt as though Kung Fu Tea’s tea was superior to both Gong Cha and Sharetea. The boba itself was so disappointing that KFT was not deserving of more points.
Stay tuned for more #jiracc boba chronicles!