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    Chicha San Chen

    4.6 (299 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Dong ding oolong milk tea (cream)
    Alex S.

    I finally acquiesced to the hype and wasn't disappointed. I got one of their specialties, Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea (cream), and it was deliciously creamy with a hint of tea. Not the strongest tea flavor, but the drink was very well-balanced and refreshing. The price was on the higher side at above $9 with toppings, but the quality justifies it (plus most higher end boba/matcha shops now charge that price in the Bay) Be prepared for a 20+ minute wait, but it's well worth it if you have time. This location is also less busy than locations in the South Bay, which is nice

    Loren P.

    Chicha San Chen is my new favorite tea spot that brews award-winning Taiwanese tea from Lishan mountain. The UC Berkeley location is spacious, with a bright interior. There are two ordering kiosks and a good amount of seating. I've been here twice already and the staff are always friendly and efficient with orders. All of the tea is freshly-brewed, so do expect to wait a bit. At my most recent visit we had the opportunity to attend one of their complimentary tea tastings! You ask for a time slot and get little passes for the time slot you choose. It was just me and my husband for that specific slot so we basically got a private tea tasting! We each got to choose one tea to try from 5 teas, each with unique notes. It was really cool to see how the different processing procedures resulted in completely different tea leaf shapes and textures once they expanded under the hot water. If you've never done a tea tasting at Chicha San Chen, I'd highly recommend. This is honestly as close as you can get to authentic Taiwanese tea, and the quality of the leaves as well as the farmers' attention to picking the right leaves truly shines through in each cup they brew. There are so many variations you can choose from their menu, and also seasonal flavors. You'll always find something to suit your palate for the day. In addition, the price is still really affordable for such solid tea. I'll definitely keep coming back to Chicha San Chen for my high-quality tea fix, and I'd highly recommend stopping by to try their tea if you've never had legit Taiwanese tea (and book a spot for free tea tasting)!

    carrying your boba
    Alaric S.

    surprised this Boba place was open on Christmas Day so we decided to check it out. My girlfriend said it's sort of like the one that's in her area with Michelin ratings The service here was not too bad, you ordered on a kiosk. The ambience felt cozy, as it felt like a study hall in addition to a hangout place. The Boba here was actually pretty good

    passionfruit green tea
    Jade L.

    We came for boba after an early dinner at Binge Coffee House nearby. I got my usual, a passionfruit green tea with boba. I requested perfect sweetness and no ice, but after I tried the drink, I wish I only got 50% sweet. The perfect sweetness level, which I think is around 70-75% sugar tasted a bit too sweet for my preference. The boba were really chewy though. I'd come back to this location but would adjust the sugar levels until I find my perfect balance.

    Great drinks!! They have a very cute aesthetic and a large menu options! We love the silly names of the drinks

    Katie M.

    Love coming here especially because there's usually no long wait compared to other chicha in the bay area. If you love boba, this is the place for you. The bubble milk tea is always my favorite - rich, smooth with great tea flavor that you can actually taste. The boba also has the perfect soft and chewy texture. Would definitely come back again and again.

    Chia Ling C.

    I've been revisiting Chicha San Chen and really appreciate how consistent they are. On my recent visit, I ordered my usual Bubble Milk Tea with 0% sugar and normally the sweetness from the bubbles balances it perfectly. This time the drink turned out a bit sweeter than expected though. Another drink I highly recommend is the HOT Milk tea with taro ball and taro paste. It carries a nostalgic charm, instantly taking me back to those childhood cram school afternoon tea times!

    Dong Ding Oolong
    Melody L.

    Chicha San Chen is a popular Taiwanese boba tea chain that's been opening many stores in the US throughout the past few years. When I first tried Chicha, I thought their drinks were a bit overpriced due to their small cups (at almost $9 a drink w toppings), but I can't even lie: their tea quality is genuinely the best out of all the boba stores I've been to. My favorite drinks from them are their Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea and Green Milk Tea w/Taro Balls. I love how strong their teas are and the types of toppings they have! I think they've also grown on me due to them having more BOGOs and deals recently. I usually see discounts for this store on Snackpass, which I'm always tempted to take advantage of. Definitely do check out Chicha San Chen if you haven't yet!

    Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea
    Kenneth T.

    I was initially a skeptic wondering if it made sense to be drinking an almost $10 milk tea until... I finally tried one. It was definitely something different from the many other milk teas that I've had. The tea flavor was fragrant and though being added with milk, the tea flavor continued to stand out. The level of sweetness right on for my personal preference - I didn't go with their recommended perfect sweetness, but went one level lower as I generally don't like my milk teas sweet at all. Since each cup was brewed individually, it took longer than other milk tea stores, but worth the slight delay - it wasn't overly busy when I was there. The store has a cool ambiance to it and with good amount of seating. However, being that it's across the street from Cal, most tables were taken with what I presume as students working on computers or chatting with friends.

    Olivia H.

    I came here on 11/10/2025. I would say this place has the best tea. The flavor is very fragrant, incredibly smooth, and has no bitterness at all. The toppings like boba, lychee jelly, etc... are also really good. I tried konjac topping for the first time here, and it was interesting (sorry forgot to take a picture of it). I didn't hate it, but I'm still not sure if I like it yet. It's a bit chewy but also kind of firm. Overall, this place is amazing! So why did I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Mainly because it's quite expensive. (easily $8-$9 per drink). The shop itself is very pretty and clean. They also offer tea tastings, but I didn't get the chance to try that this time. Maybe next time!

    Tea Experience
    Taleah T.

    Quality was on point. Tea Experience is a must. Service and Ambience were amazing also. Great place to meet friends for books or board games.

    Inside area
    Felinn A.

    This was delicious. Ordered the black milk tea with cream and it was much more flavor than I expected, which was perfect. Definitely a little sweeter than I thought with the perfect sweetness but it complimented the drink very well. Also felt very caffeinated after drinking it. My partner got the dong ding oolong with boba and that was also very tasty. Nicely cooked boba, creamy milk tea with a milder oolong flavor. Inside very cool spot, modern open area with ample amount of seating, and high tech screens that show you the estimated time of your order and pick up. Line wasn't long at all, two order screens and availability to order with a staff member. Price wise, is a bit steep at almost $9 a drink. But it is a nice treat and would come back for the flavor and taste.

    Qian L.

    Had the taro milk tea with taro paste and taro ball, it was the best tasting drink I've had in a while. $10 bc they charge you for the carrier, but is it awful to say I would pay that $10 again? Drink itself has good balance, I can actually taste the taro, unlike my favorite quicklys that gives me the artificial taro flavor which I also love lol. The paste and taro balls had a different texture compared to other add-ins I've tried, very very very good. Pricey but what can I say, americas the king of unnecessary luxuries and this tea shop is no different. 10/10, no pun intended.

    Taro milk!!! Taro mochi and taro paste  Sooooo good

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    Chicha San Chen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chicha San Chen

    Are there dairy-alternative milks?

    Per the menu photos already available here, oat milk is a substitution option! However, it might not be an available substitute for every dairy recipe.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea - Strawberry Fruit Tea ($6.75) - Yifang mountain tea with strawberries and oranges and apple slices, slightly sweetened

    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    4.0(448 reviews)
    0.1 miTelegraph Ave
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    Tried a few more drinks at Yi Fang:…read more Multi-floral honey mountain tea, 50 sweet no ice, large: The drink was done in about half the time that was estimated (Snackpass estimated 15 minutes, but it was done in 7). It was barely sweet, 50% is the lowest sweetness you can set for this drink. I was disappointed by this one as I felt the tea and floral flavors could've been stronger, it really just tasted of honey. Large chocoberry bliss, warm, 50 sweet (which was the recommended sweetness): It's a non caffeinated drink and can only be hot or warm. It tastes of dark chocolate with strawberry. It reminded me of hot chocolate but with a strawberry milk flavor, I liked it and would recommend trying it when it's in season if you enjoy sweets and chocolate in particular. Cheese creamer black tea, no ice, 0% sweetness, large cold: The tea is truly bitter when at 0% sweetness, which is what I intended. A generous thick amount of creamer on top. It doesn't mix easily with the tea. Note that on Snackpass, they add another $0.25 onto the price of your drink for "city cup fee" - referring to City of Berkeley's fee charged for plastic drink cups. I have found they're usually pretty fast at making the drinks and they may be done earlier than what Snackpass estimates. Sometimes you may need to get the attention of one of the workers as they can be occupied working and aren't always at the counter looking at you.

    We found this spot by accident because we were looking for a store nearby. I LOVED IT! Cutest place…read morewith the nicest employees. I had a lot of questions and they sweetly answered them before I did my order. You order online or on the screens in the store. Pretty self explanatory and easy. There are just a few places to sit inside, so probably want to get it to go. I ordered this heavenly mango/grapefruit concoction with pearls. 15/10. It was so hard to choose what to order because everything looked so delicious and refreshing. My drink was ready in less than 10 minutes. I definitely want to come back and try some different drinks!

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    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea - Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats

    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats

    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea - Mango Pomelo Sago

    Mango Pomelo Sago

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    Hui Lau Shan - Pomelo and Mango with Sago

    Hui Lau Shan

    4.5(399 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown Berkeley
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    I absolutely, truly love this place. I got their mango sago drink and mango mochi, and both were…read moresuper high-quality, they did not skimp with any of the mango pulp or mango fruit pieces in the drink and it was so absolutely delicious. It tasted super fresh and was made with care and attention. The mango mochi were soft pillowy pieces of thin crepe skin filled with cream with a little bit of mango in the center. It was barely sweet, which is the Chinese way and I absolutely love that. I think its super rare to find a quality drink shop where the drink and snacks quality are so high when it comes to mango. I think a lot of boba places in the Bay Area use still raw, unripe mango pieces and also dilute their mango drinks with tons of ice and still charge premium prices for them for little pieces of mango, but here they do not skimp on quality or quantity, while maintaining affordable prices. The quality is so high and the prices are so affordable for what they provide. So absolutely delicious, I will be back here as often as I can.

    The durian boba was pretty good. I could smell the durian from the cup. The durian is not super…read morestrong, to be expected from a boba that isn't like really expensive. But I liked the taste and mix of textures. I ordered on the ipad and sat at the table inside which is nice. Though I guess they're probably filled up quickly when the place is more busy.

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    Hui Lau Shan - A8. Mango Sago

    A8. Mango Sago

    Hui Lau Shan - F3. Pomelo and Mango with Sago

    F3. Pomelo and Mango with Sago

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    Boba Ninja - 105. Popcorn Chicken

    Boba Ninja

    4.0(227 reviews)
    0.2 miTelegraph Ave
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    Picture this. It's a Friday night. You and your friends have just left SNU. You're in your party…read moreboots, mini skirt, living your life. Its a 40 degree night in Berkeley, but you have had enough Costco seltzers the cold isn't bothering you. You hit your friends stiizzy pod, but truly you are high on life. You wander towards the beautiful paradise of the Asian Ghetto. That is where you find Boba Ninja. Nothing is more comforting and pleasurable on this kind of night than a popcorn chicken and a boba. You rip apart the tender friend chicken pieces, dipping them into the complementary sauce and your truly, TRULY, reach flow state. You pick up your regular thai tea with boba and rainbow jelly and take a sip to cool the flavorful spice of the chicken and you are transported, I'm not sure where, but somewhere nice. That is the kind of experience Boba Ninja provides EVERYTIME. When I visited Cal on Cal Day my friend brought me here and my life changed. The service at Boba Ninja is IMMACULATE. The man working there (he gives major BOSS energy) remembers me and always gives me a free sauce. I love him. Thank you boba ninja. you are the heart of berkeley southside, keep your spirit living FOREVER.

    Standard boba. Not bad, not great…read more You order from a kiosk and your drinks are ready in under 5 minutes. I ordered the taro milk tea with soy milk + boba and my bf ordered the tiger milk tea. I'm sad to report the tiger milk tea had no stripes. It was just a regular brown sugar milk tea and did not deliver on the "tiger" aesthetics. The boba was fresh but it's the kind you can buy from the supermarket to make at home yourself. Nothing crave-worthy. For what it's worth, it was well-made. For the area, there are certainly other places you can go for boba. At least the non-dairy milk swap only had a $0.50 adder, a bit less expensive compared to other places.

    Photos
    Boba Ninja - Inside order counter also has a separate electronic order kiosk too.

    Inside order counter also has a separate electronic order kiosk too.

    Boba Ninja - 105. Popcorn Chicken

    105. Popcorn Chicken

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    Cha Thai Tea - Thai Coffee

    Cha Thai Tea

    4.6(118 reviews)
    0.6 miGourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley
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    Was trying to avoid Thai food since it's everywhere BUT DON'T EVER MISS OUT ON THAI DESSERTS!!!…read moreWanted to try out this place before and SO GLAD I DID because it didn't disappoint! The store was lovely (love the decor, many cute/photogenic corner & plenty of space/high ceiling) and the server that day was really nice (actually speaks Thai!). The orders were just... fantastic! Double float was actually not sweet (ice cream paired really well with the toast. Pangcha could be a bit too sweet but mixing it well might work with the included toast. The actual pandan toast was well-portioned. They sell plenty of Thai snack too! But overall it's actually Cha Thai (Thai tea) because the flavor was distinctive and properly made, not just industrial or too sweet like the common Thai tea you may find out there!

    We love Thai Tea, and it's great to see there are varieties of that here. They can do different…read moretype of milk which is really great to those that are lactose intolerant and to those that prefer nondairy as well. I've tried their original types of Thai tea as well as their sesame Thai tea. There was one with Thai tea ice cream on top of Thai tea that was really tempting, so I'll probably get that next time. There are also fruit ones too, so maybe I'll try that next next time. The space here is pretty nice. Several tables so people can sit and chat or study. Those I spoke with here were friendly. I asked how sweet the drinks are, and was told there wasn't much of a difference between half sweet and default sweetness, but they can do adjustments such as 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% or something, but there really wasn't much of a difference. It was still just a tad too sweet for me, but others said it was really great for them.

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    Cha Thai Tea - Seating area

    Seating area

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    Lychee Thai Black Tea

    Chicha San Chen - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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