I walked in and was greeted very nicely , the person working walked me through some of the flavor profiles of the drinks and I appreciated her honestly and knowledge of them products I ordered the Matcha Mint iced latte and it was delicious and refreshing read more

Bopomofo Cafe is a popular boba shop that was originally founded by Philip Wong from Wong Fu Productions in January 2019. They have now expanded and opened this Hollywood location on Level 3 of Ovation Hollywood. [Parking]: They offer parking validation for purchases of $15 or more if you park at the designated Ovation Parking Garage (Hollywood & Highland). Interestingly enough, I was able to obtain parking validation despite ordering less than $15 which I actually appreciated. Parking with validation is $3 for 2 hours. The cafe closes at 9 PM Monday through Saturday and 8 PM on Sunday, so come before closing time if you are interested in getting validation here. [Ordering]: This spot is more of a grab-and-go location and has no indoor seating. Limited outdoor tables are available in Ovation Hollywood. [Menu]: For drinks, the top two highlighted items are Strawberry Corn Milk and Bala (Guava) Matcha. Unlike other locations, this location serves only limited food items such as the Egg Salad "Bolo" Bun. *** Jasmine Green Tea (Light, floral green tea blend - $6.35): A good drink, but nothing to write home about if I compare it to other tea shops in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) area. *** Happy to see an above-average tea shop in Hollywood, but please do visit other Bopomofo Cafe locations for the full experience as I think the food at Bopomofo Cafe is better than the drinks they serve. read more

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Overall: 3 stars Very excited to see the expansion of Bopomofo, especially adding some prominent Asian prescrne on Hollywood Blvd. The drinks are as high class as the original, with a bright and inviting menu. The food was a bit of a disappointment, as the menu lacked the draw of the OG and didn't taste good either. (Lychee Pear Blossom: B) - Bright and inviting drink that features a lychee forward palette with floral notes in the background. (Egg Salad Bolo Bun: F) - Unfortunately, I don't think this combo works. The bolo bun was not warm and lacked that beautiful bolo crust on most of the surface area. The flavors of the egg salad and bolo bun also seemed to not pair synergeyically. Food: E Presentation: E Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: +1 Menu: E Insta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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You order on the inside and wait for your drink at a window on the outside. The vibe I got was that the cashier and server just knows their drinks, like they knew what was good and the confidence that Bopo has quality stuff. So I was pretty excited to try. I got the dirty matcha...and it was good. It's not overly sweet and you can taste both the matchs and the coffee in the drink. My family ordered other drinks too and they liked it. It's just a solid choice for the genre of consumption in that area--Ovation Hollywood is bumpin' most of the time. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Dirty Matcha...can decide between a matcha and a coffee...just get both. - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Overheard while sipping my drink: "Boh poh moh foh. Mofo?!". There's no mofo here I assure you. It's "buh puh muh fuh," the Mandarin phonetic system mainly used in Taiwan to teach children Chinese characters. I kept that to myself though and resumed sipping my Black Sesame Matcha Latte (upgraded to L because it's never enough). The drink was smooth and full-bodied with the rich, nutty taste of black sesame paste. I was craving their famous grandma's braised pork belly rice bowl but there's no kitchen at this Bopomofo Cafe location. I guess we're not in San Gabriel anymore, Dorothy. Indeed we are at Ovation on Hollywood & Highland, worlds away from the gushing milk tea rivers and burgeoning boba trees of the valley. That you can find some legit craft boba drinks here now? Progress. Come see what it tastes like. read more

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You know as an Asian kid of immigrant parents who always had the dream of seeing someone of your race on the big screen or at least in media? I was one of them. Growing up, I was also a frequent watcher of Wong Fu Productions. Hearing Phil opening his roots for every one to enjoy in his hometown made me sad because I never make it down there... until now! Except I didn't plan it well because I should've went to the OG instead I went to West Hollywood because there was a Dave & Buster's (hahaha). SERVICE: The worker there I guess was being kind with his honesty and transparency but he kept um stating every drink was too sweet or was not good. QR code outside to be scanned for the menu. So I ended up with the PEAR AND LYCHEE FRUIT TEA per his recommendations. I personally don't like lychee in drinks so I might be biased (I like the fresh fruit but I can't stand the canned, concentrate, etc version). The boba was not good at all. It was soft, mushy and some bits still had hard inner bits. I asked for less ice and half the cup was ice. I requested 25% sweetness and the cup tasted full of sugar. AMBIENCE: hahahaha there were folks prepped and ready to order until they met the service staff in which they left without ordering and with disgusted looks on their faces. Brightly lit. Modern decor. Nobody stayed which made me not want to stay so I can't say much. Located in West Hollywood / Ovation Hollywood building. Getting from point A to point B was slightly confusing with the numerous escalators and very slow elevators. Don't know if bopomofo validates parking because I utilized 4 hours of parking for $3 thanks to D&B (must spend minimum $15). Would I come back? Definitely not to this location but certainly their OG as it seems the delicious food is there too. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Lychee pear fruit tea with boba - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Val, made me a bala marcha drink it was delicious . She's so amazing always so helpful.. Thank you Val !! read more

626 represent!! I've visited their OG San Gabriel and their Cerritos location, so it's pretty cool to see how they opened one up in Hollywood Ovation. I'm glad that they also VALIDATE here! They validate on orders $15+, which is like two large drinks. The shop is pretty small, it's basically just the concept of grab & go since there's not much dedicated seating around. It was pretty empty when I first ordered, which we got the Jinxuan Guave Oolong Tea, part of their Summer Menu. Luckily it didn't take too long, so service was pretty good here. Taste test, the tea overall is pretty nice! I thought it would be more of a 'cleansing' type of tea, but definitely something more fruity. Although, the guava flavor isn't' that strong, but it just kind of tasted like a sweet drink. Happy to see that there's solid boba in the Hollywood area. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Jinxuan Guave Oolong Tea - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Whoever was working 5/13 was terrible. I went in with my family who in general thought he wasn't very friendly. I had asked if the black sesame cookies and cream has caffeine and he said a little. I told him I needed something with caffeine and he suggested one of the other blends that I wasn't interested in so I asked for something with oolong since I know it's a tea with caffeine, and he said that has much less caffeine. Later I found that the black sesame milk tea, which is the same without the cookie crumbs is under caffeine free. This was my second time here and both times took a very long time to serve my drink, though it's not busy. read more

The Strawberry Lychee drink was delicious! Very friendly service as well! I was looking for a smoothie or juice and didn't realize this was in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nice location with fun decorations. read more

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Passing through town, stopped to check out Bopomofo after hearing so much about it on IG. This location in Hollywood is meant to just be a pick up spot. They only had egg salad sandwich, beef noodle soup and a chicken salad. I hoped for more options. Guess I'll have to check out the other locations for the fuller range of food choices. I originally wanted to get dinner here but ended up with just a drink. I got a Strawberry Basil Ginger Lemonade. It was too late for caffeine. I really enjoyed it! I like that they can adjust the sweetness. I asked for 0% sugar. They mentioned any sweetness is natural sweet. For me, someone who doesn't like sweet drinks, the drink was still quite sweet. I can't even imagine what it would be like at full power. It was refreshing, though. Can't wait to try other offerings at some other locations. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Bopomofo Cafe in Hollywood - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Tried the strawberry corn milk and the vineyard green tea The strawberry corn milk was an interesting drink. Got it at 75% sweet and it was still decently sweet. Very strong corn taste. If you like the corn taste you will definitely taste it here. I could taste the strawberry but it wasn't that strong. Overall I like the enjoyed the drink. Maybe less sweet for me next time. 4/5 The vineyard green tea was good. I typically like green tea drinks and this was no exception. 4/5 Would come again to try different drinks and walk around the ovation read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Strawberry corn milk vineyard green tea - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been wanting to try Bopomofo for years, so was pleasantly surprised to see one had opened up in Hollywood! I had the Matcha Jin Xuan Oolong which was good and had quite a strong tea taste. The oolong tea was a bit overpowering of the matcha so want to try the classic matcha latte next time. Also tried the Ba-La Matcha which I also enjoyed! No line when we came on a Saturday morning, drinks were made quite quickly and the cafe is located in a nice part of the mall near the view of the Hollywood sign! read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Matcha Jin Xuan Oolong - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Cute little place. It's located in a mall, so had to pay for parking in a parking garage. The inside is pretty small, no seating, more of a grab and go spot! You order inside at a small little machine and then wait outside, they have a little window where they will give you your drinks! I've had the regular matcha and guava matcha here. Cups are cute! Regular matcha w/ oat milk: 8.5 - the matcha flavor was solid! There was a good amount of matcha in there, it was a lovely green color. I got 100% sweetness and I think I should've gotten 75% instead bc it was really sweet. Guava matcha: 7/10 - it was okay but I think this is not a combo I enjoy too much. Guava overpowers the matcha imo read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've always wanted to try this place whenever I visited LA because of the good reviews. I finally got the chance on my last day in the city. We ordered the matcha latte, ba-la matcha, and taro sweet milk, but unfortunately the drinks didn't live up to the reputation. I didn't get to try the food since this location didn't seem to offer any. However, the service was great--the staff was very patient and helpful while we decided what to order. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped by Bopomofo Cafe in Los Angeles, and it turned out to be a disappointment. This location is more of a take-out spot with drinks only, no real food options. I ordered the matcha drink and it tasted oddly artificial, almost chemical-like, which totally ruined it for me. For nearly $10, I expected something fresh and well-balanced, but it just wasn't. The place is on the second floor of the Hollywood mall, so it's convenient enough to find, but the high prices don't make sense given the quality and limited menu. 2 stars mainly because the staff was polite, but I wouldn't come back or recommend it unless they seriously improve their drinks. read more

Been a fan of Philip Wang through his social media platforms, and knew about his boba business and what better way to support local business then to pay this branch a visit. The Boba shop located on the 3rd floor inside Ovation Hollywood shopping center~is fairly small and has no seating. Ordering was fast and wait time for the drinks wasn't too long. Counter staff recommended the Iced passion-fruit tea with Lychee jelly- drink tasted okay. Though, my friend's strawberry slush tasted better. Overall, a good boba experience. read more

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I'm a fan of their San Gabriel location and this is a mini quick stop one if you want boba and you're in the area. Because of this, I wouldn't say this is somewhere you want to travel out of your way for. There 3 food options here. My boyfriend got his favorite drink, the Diet Sprola which is an espresso with diet Coke. Easy to make, he loves it, I think it tastes like gasoline, but it did the job. Very efficient and quick order to pick up timing. There's a painted boba photo op next to it. The cafe itself is super narrow and I feel like it's more to serve crowds for pick up than anything. There is a small pick up window to the side. read more

The matcha WAS AMAZING, it wasn't too earthy for those that want to try matcha. It blended so well with the blueberry purée. This place is small and located in the shopping center, there's no place inside for you to sit so make sure you know that! read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Blueberry matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Visited 12/20/25 I loved this drink - the Black Sesame Matcha!! What I did not love was the time I had to wait - I was told like 5-10 mins and waited closer to 15. Small kiosk type store with seating around the Ovation. They do offer 2hr parking validation for $3 I believe. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - black sesame matcha - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My husband and I stopped by Bopomofo Hollywood for a quick snack before our show at the Dolby Theatre. This location is more of a small shop/order window setup--no full café vibes like their San Gabriel spot, but still convenient for a quick stop. If you're new to Bopomofo, you should know: this is not your typical boba shop. You won't find Thai tea or generic milk tea here. Instead, their menu features unique, house-crafted drinks that might seem intimidating at first--but are definitely worth trying. While we waited, we saw a few people look at the menu confused, ask if they had Thai tea boba, and walk away. Others asked for recommendations and gave the creative drinks a chance (which we always recommend!). We're frequent customers of the San Gabriel location and have our go-to orders. This Hollywood spot made our drinks just as well as we've come to expect. My husband got the Hojicha Latte (his usual fave), and I got the Jin Xuan Oolong Milk Tea. Both were excellent and brewed to perfection. We also tried the egg salad bun--cold and clearly straight from the fridge. It was tasty, but we both wished the bread was warm or lightly toasted to balance the cold filling. Still enjoyable, but a small detail that would elevate the experience. Overall: great stop if you're in the area and looking for something different from the typical boba chain offerings. Unique drinks, consistent quality, and friendly service--just wish they had more food options like their San Gabriel spot! read more

I think taro swweet milk is my favorite. It's look estetic and sweet. We also order carrot matcha latte. It's pretty good Price with tax 7,5$. It's inside the hollwood plaza and you can get stample for parking. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The drinks here are solid, and I think the same quality and taste as the OG location in SGV. However, during more peak hours their service can get a little slow as their orders get backed up. Personally I wouldn't come back for the food though. We tried their Hollywood exclusives. The beef noodles was a really small portion for the price and just didn't hit the spot compared to other restaurants. Their egg salad bolo bun was unique and I liked it, but it still felt underwhelming. I wish the bun had been toasted like the HK style. read more

I was visiting LA for a week in February and was excited to see that a Bopomofo Cafe had just opened up! The girl at the cash register was so nice in describing the drinks and giving me recommendations. There is no seating area inside since it's a small place but no worries as there are a lot of seating all over the mall. I got the BALA Matcha and the Orange Wang. They were both delicious and unique in their own way. The guava flavor surprisingly pairs really well with matcha in the BALA and the orange in the Orange Wang was creamy and refreshing. I highly recommend you to give their drinks a try! read more

Bopomofo Cafe - BA-LA Matcha and Orange Wang - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

You can make a day trip coming here using the Metro B line from 7th Street Transit Center in DTLA. BTW... I combined my work research with a stop at Bopomofo coming from Long Beach :) It's location is perfect! It's part of the Hollywood Ovation, which the "mall" section of the new Hollywood & Highland scene. Once you take the escalators up to Hollywood Blvd. make a right and take the escalators to the 2nd floor. You'll find Bopomofo to the left of you. Service is friendly and their recommendations will satisfy anyone! It's a cozy atmosphere for sure. Once pay, you'll be guided to wait outside and they will call your name out through their window. I enjoyed my Matcha Peach with Boba DELICIOUS! Thank you TJ! My first experience was excellent! Waiting for my next :) read more

Bopomofo Cafe - My Matcha + Peach with Boba - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Newish location in the Ovation Hollywood. Been to so many other locations and this one seemed a bit smaller than the rest. They had a few food options and your standard drinks. Note, it's a bit pricey so you'll run up about $8-9 for a large drink. We got the Hoji-corn drink with 50% sweetness and the corn taste was mild, almost non existent. Loved the drink nonetheless but I liked their other locations a tad more! read more

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The staff is informative and lovely and welcoming! I loved my Black Sesame Iced Matcha Latte - with oat milk. Don't forget to mix it when you get it. I don't want to go to that weird mall again, but I can't wait to find another Bopomofo to get the same latte again! read more

Finally got to try this iconic spot! I got the Ba-La Matcha, which was the first time I've had guava with matcha. It paired pretty nicely--the sweetness/tartness of the guava complemented the earthy/bitter matcha...it felt like I was sipping a drink on a Japanese beach somewhere. Definitely could taste the quality of the matcha as it was quite concentrated. Great drink on a hot day! read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Ba-la matcha - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I was walking around Ovation Mall when I spotted Bopomofo Cafe on the second floor. I got so excited because I was researching Bopomofo Cafe locations and both were both far away from central LA. Upon going in, the lady recommended a few of the top drinks they served. Apparently, they are known for matcha. I was very thirsty so I was not looking into a milky drink nor a strong bitter drink, but BA-LA Matcha hit the spot. The matcha is strong, but not too strong as it's well balanced with the milk and guava flavor. I wanted to try another drink and was recommended the taro or the orange. I got the Orange Wang and it tasted like an orange creamsicle. Creamy but not too milky where my lactose intolerant will kick in. Both drinks were very refreshing. We finished both in one sitting right outside of the shop and wanted to order another! Beautiful view of the mall with chairs and tables outside. Can't wait to come back to try the jasmine or taro milk tea with their bubbles! Glad there's a location on Hollywood Boulevard now. read more

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Took a risk and got the carrot matcha! It was really good but the carrot flavor isn't too pronounced but no worries whatsoever, was delicious and very unsweetened which made me happy. Will be back to try their other small snacks (looking at the Hainan Chicken Tacos!) read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Carrot Matcha - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I wasn't able to try the food because it is only done Thursday to Sunday. Service was neutral. As I was here in the evening, I don't recall there is dining inside. After I ordered the boba drink, I was told to go outside pick up window. read more

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My sister is obsessed with this cafe so we made the trek through an hour of traffic to get to this location for the oolong matcha drink she wanted. For this location, you order at the counter and pick up at the window. I got the ba la matcha like I usually do and it was spectacular (no surprise). My brother got boba in his guava oolong and it was sweet and chewy. Service was good and very quick! Will definitely be visiting a bopomofo again, just probably not this location bc it was a bit out of the way for us. read more

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The guava matcha was some of the best matcha i've ever had. The blueberry was good as well just a tiny bit overpowering but would order it any day of the week as well. The workers were very nice and were ready with recommendations. The shop itself is small but there's a pick up window that you can wait for. The Hollywood sign is right by the cafe and can easily be seen nearby. Such a good place to visit. read more

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Excited to see Bopomofo when I was at Ovation! This was my first time trying it, was hoping to try the corn drink but they told me they don't have it yet. The staff was so helpful on other recommendations, I tried the Summer Blossom Green Tea which was perfectly refreshing for a summer day with lychee and pear. They have a limited food menu, just an egg foldover, beef noodle soup, and chicken salad. I was tempted to try the egg salad foldover, will have to come back to get it! Beef noodle soup portion my friend ordered was pretty small but I tasted the broth and it was pretty good with a kick. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Summer Blossom Green Tea - Lychee and pear green tea - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Wow! I got one of their seasonal specials and it was so so good. The tea tastes so fresh and delicious and the boba was perfect. My friend's was also so good. I had no idea what this was, we were just in the area. I think it's cool that it's a tiny place where you just get your drink at a window. Perfect for this kind of spot. They made my drink quickly and we had no issues. Would 100% go back and try other drinks!! read more

Bopomofo Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ordered a Matcha Milk Tea and a Brown Sugar Pudding Milk Tea -- total around $20. Adding boba costs an extra $0.75. Don't forget to ask for a parking voucher; it gets you 2 hours of underground parking for just $3. Slightly better than average in taste. read more

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TLDR: It's ok. We are milk tea fiends and we KNOW what we like. We ALWAYS order the same things, which makes it very easy to compare and contrast. My wife always gets Milk Tea with Black tea, 0 sugar, no ice. She feels that they use whole milk, which is actually less creamy than powdered cream. I don't drink milk tea, so it's strange, but I trust her. She says it has a strong tea flavor which she likes. But the cream was too weak. I usually order a type of fruit tea, because... well I'm lactose intolerant. I usually get Mango or peach, I just love those flavors. I ordered a Mango iced tea.. The mango... tasted strange. Definitely not a syrup, but I cant really identify whether they are using real mango fruit or just some odd mango powder. Either way, I didn't like it. Also, the odd mango flavor completely overrode any tea flavor. Honestly, it was a struggle for me to finish it. But I'm a trooper! read more

Absolutely this has to be their worst location... The location alone, on the second floor of a mall that is already struggling already makes it unenjoyable. When my friend and I walked around, the majority of the mall was empty-- not just no people walking around, but most of the stores weren't stores, they're just empty spaces. The parking situation is horrendous. I honestly don't know how we even found the bopomofo store... we literally had to park underground level, walked up 6 (yes, 6) flights of either stairs or broken escalators until we actually got to level "2" ...what is this place? Our drinks were the worst we have ever had from any boba place anywhere. I don't even consider it boba. Their recipes have gotten horrible. Both of us got no adjustments and they both were so bitter we could not drink them; they were both thrown away. The store itself is kind of small, i know it doesn't need to be a large shop as they do have some shared outdoor seating. But it's so small we weren't even able to stay inside, too cramped. But the absolute worst part of our visit by FAR was the fact that parking in this mall's structure costs money and bopomofo doesn't even fully validate... They force you to spend at least $15 to even qualify for "validation" and after that, it's still $3 to park, even if you're only there for 15 min. This location is such a miss; it's embarrassing to have even opened here. Edit after owner response (and it never fails to make me cringe when business owners publicly respond rather than privately message, it's so performative and weird):: -The parking situation was in your control as in you chose this mall to rent... it baffles me when business owners say this as if they were forced to be in this exact location. It was absolutely in your control to pick a plaza that has a better layout/ is more conducive for actual foot traffic (and it seems to explain why you don't have much). -It's kinda weird to act as if parking prices/validation have nothing to do with you when you could easily *fully* validate people with a single drink spending minimum...? It just seems very stingy. The spending minimum is completely up to the individual store...not the mall. -Truthfully, the drinks were so bad, there wasn't anything to "fix," they were just really bad. This just isn't a good location, for multiple reasons. Everything in my review is completely factual and honest and based on a visit to this location. read more

Bopomofo Cafe - So cheap omg... this is literally the best they can do? After we hiked for 30 miles just to get to the store? - Cafes Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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It took almost 30 minutes for us to get our drinks. A shaken expresso and a black sesame matcha latte. If we knew it would take this long just to get drinks we would have went somewhere else. There are plenty of places to go. Very upset as out whole group was waiting for us thinking it would be 10 minutes 15 tops. read more

First off, everyone at this location seemed pretty chill and friendly. It was a quiet evening, so my order was taken quickly. I got a large Black milk tea, 25% sugar and light ice, no boba. Also ordered the Taiwanese style braised beef noodle soup. Given that nothing is being cooked fresh, just assembled, it took a bit long to get the meal. Not terrible, but I can see it backing up if there is any sort of line. Milk tea was good. There seemed to be a bit of confusion as to how to prep it in the kitchen area. Maybe a new crew person? We all start somewhere. The noodle soup could use some improvement. It's not terrible, but it's lacking in robust flavor. Price is pretty standard for the area, which is to say it's pricey compared to other areas like SGV, but it is in line with other Hollywood fast foods. All in all, not bad if you're craving milk tea. Personally, I'll skip the soup next time. read more