I went here because I wanted to try their stinky tofu. This place was one of the few places in Chicago that offer it. I ordered it for pick up. Pick up was super fast and easy. If you want to try stinky tofu be prepared for the smell. It does have a very strong, intense smell. For me, this is a one and done kind of snack. Next time, I will just stick with their boba tea or normal Smelling snacks. read more

One of my favorite places to go to get homework done. A lot of seatings. They serve food, dessert, and drinks. I can sit here for hours. They also have a parking lot but get ready to do a little off-roading. They always decorate for the holidays which is super cute. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Taroball dessert #2 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance - modern, great for small & large group hangouts looking to grab dessert/a bite Service - order by the kiosks & staff will call your name to grab your food, expect 5-15 min wait depending on your order Food - love their desserts, mango pomelo sago taro ball is a must get (all the topping textures combined with a silky smooth mango coconut base) read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Mango POMELO SAGO TARO BALL/杨枝甘露芋圆 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place leveled up!! They used to have ONLY desserts and drinks. But now they have a wide variety of entrees and street food. Took some time to actually decide what to eat bc there were too many delicious options. We ended up getting the crab meat and pork soup dumplings, cabbage with vinegar sauce, and duck blood w pork intestine vermicelli casserole (more adventurous choice). All were super delicious and flavorful. overall we left really surprised that they expanded their menu outside of sweets and killed it. We love a local restaurant that can do it all. They still seem to be working out the dining process and we were offered another table's food twice. That said, our meals did arrive in a reasonable time. Highly recommend this place, it's pretty casual with good Chinese music. This area is pretty easy to commute to. They also have a parking lot but sometimes hard to find a spot there esp over the weekends. read more

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Really yummy mango pomelo shave ice dessert. Good texture and flavor, enjoyed it lots. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was PHENOMENAL! Everything we got was great! Service was awesome, food and ambiance was on point! I went with my friend Dani went and it was amazing. We started with their lychee rose drinks served in a cute donut shaped drink holder with a strap! It was cute and so tasty! Must get it if you go! Then they have a wide variety of hand made dumplings. We tried the pork and leek dumplings and the soup dumplings and they were amazing! We also had the seafood lo mein! This is another must try! It was delicious! Even though we were stuffed we still got dessert! The mango snowflake dessert was fabulous! A mountain of shaved ice, with condensed milk and fresh mango! Absolutely perfect! If you are in Chinatown, seek out Autea! It's a little off the main Chinatown square but they have a robust menu and so worth the visit. Nice big dining room too! read more

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3.5 rounded up because one of the drinks wasn't for me, but probably a user skill problem (of my order). Wanted boba and was drawn in by the gimmicky donut cups. And you bet I got one to add to the collection. Ordered delivery, going with a classic milk tea and then feeling adventurous. Ended up regretting the second drink, but the classic milk tea was solid. Boba Milk Tea Donut - had to get the classic drink in the donut bottle for the experience. Surprisingly easy to drink from a donut and the cup has a small, flat bottom. Boba was one of the best I've had in Chicago on my boba tour. It's the perfect chew with a bounce as feedback on each chew with a light sweetness. Flavor could be better with better marination, but it's already better than most other bobas. Classic black tea base with evaporated or condensed milk to be more Hong Kong style. Though I think most Hong Kong style milk teas taste the same, so it's harder to compare. Osmanthus Milk w/ Osmanthus Jelly - I was shocked by this drink because they have actual osmanthus flowers resting at the bottom. The cup label ended up saying "Wine Osmanthus" and there was definitely a wine aftertaste, not sure if alcoholic at all, could be from the flowers emitting a floral flavor. Overall, did not like this drink because the flowers were soggy and their flavor overpowered the drink. The milk and jelly were great by themselves, so I enjoyed the top half of my cup. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Osmanthus Milk w/ Osmanthus Jelly and Boba Milk Tea Donut - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Mango sago is the best!! It's very creamy and definitely worth it ! Ordered to go and it was a little bucket worth the price . Def recommend for two! read more

Been back twice already within a week. Initially came because I was craving bingsu but ended up trying their food options and was pleasantly surprised. You can order in person or via kiosk/mobile. They have self service reuseable utensils and plates and games station but they still bring food and utensils to your table if you dine in. The food is cozy and warm. They have soupy casserole dishes, crispy rice with braises, dry stir fry options, and smaller snack dishes. All are perfect for an individual to dine or friends to share. Most entrees have veggies, meat and carbs rolled into one dish. They also have some combo specials that include a free drink sometimes. I got a crispy rice entree with an osmanthus milk tea. Their milk tea and other dessert options are also great and unique. Lots of fruity and floral options. The store is gives cute cafe vibes and sometimes hosts small businesses owners to sell merch. The only downside is the parking situation. They have a lot but it's usually very full. read more

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The size of the shaved ice was HUGE. Great value and good for 3-4 people. I wish they were more generous with the pomelo though, they didn't give us much. Overall tasted good, nice atmosphere, and quick service. Board games and crane machines are available, and different TV shows are on display. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Almost 2 years later and this is still my favorite go to spot for shaved ice!! I also really like their drinks. They have plenty of options to choose from. Their decorations are also nice. They should be open until midnight every day read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Mango Shaved Ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came for coffee and I was pretty happy about it overall. You order at a kiosk and they have a ton of options, drinks and food. We ordered a brown sugar latte and put a note that said "less sweet" and I feel like they followed that to a T! The service was fast and they have tons of seating as well as games to play at your table. Seemed very clean and was well lit. read more

AUTEA has become one of our go-to spots in Chinatown, especially on hot summer days. Their shaved ice is refreshing and full of flavor. The shop is clean and welcoming, and the staff are friendly. I also like that they have board games available, so you can hang out and play while enjoying your shaved ice. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Whenever I'm craving for snow ice dessert, I'm glad to know there's a go-to place to get one. Plus is it has its own parking. Personally I prefer the mango over strawberry. Strawberry comes with red bean. I typically like red bean bingsoo but the red bean wasn't good. read more

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I really liked the ambiance of this shop! The ladies at the front were super nice and provided excellent customer service. The shop was beautifully decorated and even had a few fun arcade style machines at the front for the kids. We ordered the shaved ice with assorted fruits on top and even though it was quite expensive at almost $18, the portion size was huge and could have easily been split between 4 ppl in my opinion. The texture of the shaved ice was great, and the ice cream and condensed milk on top were delicious complements. You can choose whether to have a scoop of red bean in the center, which was a tasty addition in my opinion. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There are many locations in Chinatown that offers similar snowflake Ice but Autea seems to be the only one that I know of with Purple Sweet Potato Milk Snow ($18) but you can load up extra items for additional cost. This dish has the snow colored purple with boba, sago, red bean, grass jelly and other gelatin delights. The milk ice is soft and not too sweet. They offer other snow ice with other fruits like Mango but I decided to stick with something unique. You can order at the kiosk or at the counter, cash or card is the same and keep you order number receipt as the sever will walk around looking for the order ID. There are games on the counter and TV along the wall while you wait for your food items. Highly recommend as there is a small private parking lot next to the area. Cost is average for this type of dessert. read more

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Great dessert place a bit on the edge of Chinatown offering shaved ice desserts, taro ball Taiwanese style desserts and a plethora of small snacks. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 8/10 Nice little shop that is well lit with a lot of glass offerings located outside of the main hub of Chinatown so there is not as much foot traffic. SERVICE: 8/10 Good service overall, I usually order to go and everything is packaged nice and neatly in a big bucket for the dessert. FOOD: 9/10 Signature Taro Balls w/ Grass Jelly - 9/10 - A gigantic bucket of taro balls and various other small sweets in an ice bucket of coconut milk. This thing is BIG! Its really good. Those who are used to western desserts will find this strange but this is a staple for East Asian style desserts. VALUE: 6/10 It is a touch pricey, but you do get a huge bucket. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 8/10 TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Eat! OVERALL: 9/10 read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place deserves more hype! It's my favorite shaved ice place in the city and I love that they have so many unique flavors you don't see at other places. I tried the white peach shaved ice and it's sooo delicious, not artificial at all it's a very natural peach flavor. It's also super cute on the inside and plenty of seating always :) their bubble tea is good as well, lots of options. The service is very casual you go up to the counter to order and then they'll call out your order or bring it out to you, it just depends. read more

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I ordered a boba tea and a fried chicken to go. Both were so good! Their Halloween theme was so interesting lol (scared me a little bit when I went to the bathroom). Nice staff. Will recommend it to my friends in Chicago! read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really good and beautifully prepared shaved ice The grass jelly and mashed ube are delicious. Service is quick, kind, and professional. The cafe is not crowded on a Saturday night, bright, and so cute. The Christmas lights and Santa in April added to the charm, lol. Next time I'm adding ice cream to make it a 10/10. There's a bit too many toppings in proportion to the shaved ice. It was just 2 of us and we could barely eat half. So bring 2-3 other people because this thing is huge! (But turn the plate so only you get to eat the grass jelly.) read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Purple Yam & Coconut Snowflake Ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely DELICIOUS!! The biggest bowl of Korean bingsoo I've ever seen, which also explains the $17.99 price tag. They have a bunch of different bingsoo flavors and toppings to choose from. The shaved ice was so fluffy, milky, and simply the perfect texture! It took a while for my friend to finish, but it barely melted even after a whole half hour! The toppings were generous with lots of fruits and tapioca/mochi balls. The place is big with lots of tables and some Asian board games! I highly recommend for a fun date night or just with friends. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bingsoo - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been here countless times & I love this place with all my heart. Not only are the prices affordable, the taste is so quality and amazing. I cannot begin to rave about this place enough. The menu for drinks is so vast and unique. From fruit smoothies, to yogurt drinks, to milk teas, to milkshakes, to sparkling drinks and more! They have a points system where if you go 10x, they give you a drink for free! I've redeemed over 5 of these at this point. Aside from the drinks, they have the biggest shaved ices you will ever see! The flavor profiles are unique and they don't skimp on toppings at all! If you're hungry for food, they've got a large variety of authentic Chiense food as well! A favorite of mine is their crispy and juicy fried chicken with yogurt sauce. This is a great study or hangout area. The ambience and decoration is fun, interesting, and inviting. I love being in this establishment. They've got claw and blind box machines, along with board games (you can grab and play for free!). The staff are SO SO SO sweet and caring. I've been an annoying costumer coming in a minute before close before and they didn't turn me away! They made my order without any complains and told me not to worry about the time! This place is so amazing and deserves all the hype, please please please go support them!! (Ps they've got a very interesting bathroom set up haha!) read more

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Love the desert. Seating and parking can be difficult. Worth it though. They also have hot foods which are also great! read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Mango Shaved Ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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cute interior with baekhyun event happening. they have a (busy) parking lot. osmanthus dessert was delicious. food overall was great but servers were kind of mean read more

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1. Taro Ball Fruit Iced Snowflakes w Red Bean 2. Hanging Pear Milk Tea w Boba & Watermelon Slushy w Conjac 3. Braised Beef Brisket Rice & Noodles 4. Avocado Banana Milkshake The natural comparison is to Meet Fresh who occupied the space before AuTea. Both are similar in the Asian desserts they offer but AuTea also offers hot snacks and entrees. Short answer is I definitely like AuTea more. My breakdown: The shaved snow is better - finer and softer. Hanging pear milk tea was fragrant. Watermelon slushy didn't taste very ripe/sweet. The braised beef in both the rice and noodles was delightfully tender. The rice was short grain, mushy, and disappointing. The noodle soup was excellent - both the noodles and soup flavor. Banana avocado milkshake was good. No issues with service. Employees were very friendly. read more

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Come with us to Autea Sweets and eats Although some people come here for their sweet drinks and desserts, do not miss the opportunity to try their delicious meals. They have an extensive menu with something for everyone. Time to try a healthy side of lunch. Here's our order: Spicy Lamb Chop Rice Braised Spare Ribs Rice A side of Bacon Enoki Mushroom Skewers Dragon Fruit Watermelon Slushy with Cheese Foam Mango Milkshake It was a well-balanced nutritious meal of meat, rice, and vegetables that come packed in these really cute mugs. The drinks are delicious, and the presentation can't be beat. Be sure to pick your sugar content. There was plenty of food, we had the light spice option, and there was still plenty of heat on the meals. Go for the drinks, stay for the food! read more

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If you want ice cream that actually warms your soul then look no further than Autea. The bingsoo is amazing with large portions that easily feeds more than 2 people. The atmosphere is very delightful and is the perfect place to come for a pick me up or board game night. They also have a very long menu of savory foods if you are hungry as well. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Taro Ball Fruit Iced Snowflakes - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Look no further for tasty desserts in the Chicago area! This is the perfect stop for something savory or sweet, especially this spring and summer. What I tried: Bear in bathtub Crispy Chicken w yogurt sauce Chicken Fried noodles Boba tea - Strawberry milk Shaved Ice cream - strawberry matcha Their fried chicken is wow! It's fried perfectly. The crunch and seasoning- I had to try the yogurt sauce because I was so curious about it and what I loved is that it gave a well balanced cooling effect to the spice from the chicken (which you can opt to have not spicy). I loved that the Bear in the bathtub wasn't overly sweet! It was a very nice balance of flavors that I could indulge in without a sugar rush! Stop by and grab something to eat and tell em that Bri from Planes and Plates sent you! read more

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Just a block and a half away from the outskirts of Chinatown sits this gem of a dessert shop. Food options are aplenty as well as the boba drink options. Between 4 people who just went through a food crawl, one plate of shaved ice was just right. The ice cream is a nice touch. We added Mango and watermelon for a couple more dollars. The fruits were sweet and cut nicely into small cubes. The taro balls and mochi were soft and chewy. The shaved ice was fluffy and soft like powdered snow. Drizzled condensed milk gave just the right amount of sweetness. Ice cream also provided another touch to balance the mild flavors of the mochi, taro balls, and beans. For Chicago, the price seemed quite reasonable. The service was quick, and the restaurant was clean. The claw machines bring back fond memories of my recent trip to Japan. They've got quite a few items on the menu. Their intestines were tasty and well seasoned but not crunchy. Hopefully, I can come back when I revisit Chicago! read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Intestines on a stick. Flavorful, but not as crunchy as I'd like. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Can't believe I haven't written a review for this place. We pretty much go to this place almost twice a week, maybe more if you count my husband's trip by himself What I love about this place is that they have food! We can actually eat there without getting our clothes smell and their food is to die for. I love their chicken. Oo, their noodle is good, too. Their drinks. I feel like their tea is strong. They don't add water too much. You can tell if a place is being cheap my kids love the milkshake here. They said it's fancy looking. The place is super clean and big. I do hope they get more business and people come by. Because this is the only place that offers a free drink with a stamp With the amount of boba we purchase, I swear, this place is a life saver read more

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The peach snowflake ice was absolutely fantastic! The portions are extremely generous and the flavor combinations of their shaved ice desserts are so good! Also tried the mango pomelo shaved ice which was also very very good! This place is an absolute gem! read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Durian shake with milk foam (plus some chicken wings from next door) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good and quick service... picked up some Bobas to Gian's was very impressed by the quality of spill proof cups . Place is clean , the staff are friendly and free parking lot nothing to beat that. We will be back! read more

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We were big fans of the old meetfresh (despite the consistently bad service) and were super excited to see it reopen under the Autea brand with much better service and a refreshed interior. The menu items are a pared down version of meetfresh and now includes savory foods as well as the old hot and cold desserts (and popular taro balls). The interior now is much cleaner than the old meetfresh and a lot more lively. There are board games and ample seating, and a lot of tables tend to hang here for a while. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was on the hunt for shaved ice and decided to try out Autea- our only regret was not bringing more people to share the dessert with! Between three of us we got the mango pomelo sago shaved ice which was super refreshing and not too sweet, but as you can see it was massive and ended up being too much for us to finish. The inside was decorated nicely and eccentrically and there are board games for guests to enjoy as well. Will definitely be back to try more flavors and to explore the food menu as well! Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 (self order kiosk) Price: 5/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 read more

Great dessert spot to wrap up your food-ventures in Chinatown. If you've ever had meetfresh, it is very similar. (RIP to the meetfresh that used to be in this very location.) They use real taro in their desserts, and we love that. So many other dessert places use powdered taro, and most people can't tell. You can't go wrong with any of their taro ball series. I also love how the place looks and all of the effort that went into their Christmas decor. It feels very clean, and there is a positive ambiance. The servers are all nice and helpful. I can't wait to try more of their items in the future. read more

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I was sad when MeetFresh closed and happy to see AuTea open because I love these type of desserts and I don't feel like there are many other places in Chicago, if any, who serve food like this. Last time I went here, we got the purple sweet potato shaved ice, which was a delightful flavor and texture and such a massive portion. Between two people, we could not finish it. I guess that's my only feedback - I would prefer they do smaller portions and lower the prices, but that might not be as profitable for them. I think that's the only thing that stops me from coming here more often, because I feel like it may only make sense if you have like 2-4 people. read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Purple sweet potato shaved ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very very cute interior, lots of decoration, even has some card/board games. I really appreciate how incredibly decked out it was for halloween lol i was too spooked to go to the bathroom read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Raw coconut ice&Mochi/生椰麻薯芋圆挫冰 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got excited because I haven't had bingsoo for awhile. We ordered a mango pomelo bingsoo. It was way too sweet for me and my mom. It wasn't the refreshing sweet comes from fruit but from the overtly sugary syrup. There was like 1 tablespoon worth of pomelo. Decent mango. Sago and the taro ball were undercooked. In general, such a waste of money read more

Autea Sweets & Eats - Mango Pomelo Sago Taro Ball - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here with some friends after eating in Chinatown nearby. I didn't realize Autea had food so will keep that in mind for the future. We shared a mango taro ball shaved ice (taro balls, small glutinous rice balls, tapioca pearls, mango, and shaved ice). I was expecting it to be super sweet but was pleasantly surprised that it was only mildly sweet. All of the ingredients were delicious but my only complaint is that it could have had more shaved ice. We will be back to try other menu items! read more

One of the best coconut coffee we have had ever. The density of the coconut cream and the coffee was just different enough that it doesn't mix immediately, required a few swirls. The coconut cream is light and just the right Asian sweet level. And the coffee is not too acidic but just the right amount of bitter for me. Super surprised how good this drink was, as it was a totally random order! read more

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