This is not just any regular Boba or tea shop. This truly is a place for tea connoisseurs. I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, however, I do like a really good well-made Boba milk tea. And places that tout their tea stemming from the mountains of Taiwan, certainly do catch my attention. I remember coming across a lot of social media hype about the opening of Chicha San Chen, and it has taken me so long to finally get to experience this place. Surprisingly, while situated in Berkeley, this place located on a corner, is bright and modern on the interior. On a Sunday afternoon, it was bustling with many small groups of friends and family enjoying well handcrafted cups of tea. There is a vibe for sure! Upon entering, there are two available kiosks to place your order. You know that this is truly an authentic tea place when this boba shop is not filled with a menu of slushies and other artificially colored and sugery fruit drinks. Definitely promising! Prices are on the higher side and that doesn't even include Berkeley's plastic cup fee of $0 25! So definitely there is quite a sticker shock when each drink with toppings probably comes closer to $8 with tax. Nevertheless, I still had to experience what all the hype had been months ago. On a rather busy afternoon, it took about 10 minutes for my two drinks to be prepared. You receive a text message with the phone number provided during the ordering process, and you go up to the front counter where drinks are ordered neatly and you provide your number for the employee to hand you your drinks. The drinks are definitely fresh and you can definitely tell the quality of the tea, however, I do think that the price is partially elevated due to some of the unnecessary packaging of every drink coming with a sleeve and integrated rope handle for carrying. This really is unnecessary unless it is for to-go orders. One more thing to add is the unique tea tasting station that seems to run pretty continuously around the clock. They do have a website for you to reserve your tasting time, however, it appears that if there is space available, you are able to just walk up and join one of the tasting sessions. I didn't have a chance to try it out, but this would be definitely something I might want to experience in the future. Would I come back again? Not out of my way, but definitely will if I am in the area and I'm willing to pony up a little extra money for the experience. read more

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In awe of this boba shop in Berkeley! My friends and I stopped by after a run to campus and I was blown away by the cute interior and crafty menu. I was in the mood for something refreshing so I tried the mango osmanthus oolong tea. This was hands down one of the most refreshing and fruity teas I've had. The mango is perfectly balanced with the tea and I couldn't help but enjoy the cute cup it comes in. Definitely recommend this spot to lovers of boba! read more

Chicha San Chen - Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

The service was amazing as we were offered a free tea tasting service in along with understanding how the tea is brewed and made. The tea I got was really got for it being no sweetness and just tasted really pure and natural.. The location was bigger than the other locations I've been to and seems like a great place to get work done. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Not sure why there's a line and packed inside. My mango osmanthus tea was refreshing but it lacked the fragrance and depth. They have "espresso" machines for tea. ‍ And cute cup carriers The store was beautiful and an inviting space for students. Spacious with plenty of seats, a rare find around Berkeley campus read more

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The Chicha San Chen hype has been real for some time now! Their first Bay Area location is in Cupertino and I've been seeing it all over social media. I'm not down to wait hours in line or drive that far, so when I heard they opened in Berkeley I was excited! Companion and I came wanting to try their drinks. We came during a weekend afternoon and there was a short line. You can order online, which we did, or in person. Wait times are posted outside and inside. The tea shop is spacious with lots of seating and room for their infamous free tea tasting. It's the perfect place to chill with friends and study. The interior was clean, minimal, and aesthetic with the tea decor. Service was efficient and helpful! To drink, my companion got the Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea with Oat Milk and I got the Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea. I got mine with light sweetness, light ice, and boba. I liked my drink--it was tea-forward, light, and refreshing. I felt like something was missing--maybe a more robust mango flavor? My companion's drink was good but needed some stirring to mix the sugar. What I appreciated were the little to-go carriers for the drinks, which made it so easy to walk and sip! Chicha San Chen is one of the newer boba shops in Berkeley and one of the hottest in the Bay. It's good and worth a try, but not the best tea I'd say. Find the tea shop on the corner of Bancroft Way, easily accessible for Cal students, and street parking nearby. read more

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Pineapple Milk Tea with pineapple bits $10.00 This is a delicious drink with the right amount of tart and pineapple bits. I opt out of the boba this time, which I didn't miss. In a previous visit, I tried the milk tea taro with tare bits. That one was perfection. I'm glad I don't live close by. This place would take most of my money. This place is spacious with an average number of seating. lots of natural light streaming in. UC Berkeley just ended their term. The place wasn't packed. Service was great. Your name shows up the screen when it's ready. You will also receive a text. If you're a boba tea connoisseur, then Chica San Chen is the right place for you. This is a rare gem as far as boba spots go. They truely care about their tea. It's freshly brewed. Tea is from Lishan Mountain in Taiwan. They've been in the game for twenty years. Check out their website to learn more about them. read more

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Wish there was a location closer to me! Ordered online and had to wait about 30 minutes for the drinks, but a local told my husband that isn't the normal wait time and they might have been short staffed during our visit. So many drink orders were fulfilled while we waited and seemed very organized despite the volume. All the drinks we ordered were great and unique compared to typical boba shop drinks. Wish I thought to order myself an extra. Highly recommend! read more

This is my second time at this location. It was less busy this time because we came right after they opened and it was dead week on campus. The interior is stunning, it's modern and has more seating than most boba places near Berkeley campus. There are outlets and tables for those who like to work at cafes. Seems like they have tea tasting sessions throughout the day at the tea tasting station. They also have free samples. (9/10) Bubble milk tea - I've gotten this a lot, I'm normally not that big of a fan of boba (especially having worked in a boba store before) but their boba is very chewy. The tea is premium and definitely more of the highlight in this drink. I'm very glad their regular sugar is less sweet than most boba places "regular". The cups come in a cute carrier made of twine. According to my Taiwanese friends, this is one of the most popular types of packaging in Taiwan, so you know this place is authentic and good! ORDER ON SNACKPASS! This way you can earn points for rewards especially since their boba is already quite pricey. Mine was $8.50. This way you can also order on your way to the location and won't need to wait to use the kiosks. Definitely will be coming here again whenever I'm in the area! read more

Chicha San Chen - Tea tasting area - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I got green and black milk tea with the taro and boba. It was really good. I got them both with 0 sugar and it was sweet from the toppings. Staff are really nice. read more

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I ordered the pineapple milk tea, no ice, since it's a seasonal flavor. They use Snackpass for ordering ahead. I noticed it was $8.50 base price, plus a mandatory $0.25 cup fee and a $0.35 service fee tacked on. The service fee is a bit more hidden since you see it only when tapping on taxes/fees toward the end of checking out. The dried pineapple bits are nice, sweet, and tart, though a lot of them get stuck at the bottom so you will have to scoop them out at the end. The drink is smooth and creamy, good if you like dairy. I took a star off because I still feel it's overpriced. I would think it is more reasonable to pay $5 something, or not more than $6 before tip/fees for this drink, as opposed to it costing $8 already and then the total cost becoming $10 or higher when factoring in the tip and fees. read more

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Has Berkeley reached its boba shop saturation point yet? Incredible as it is, Chicha San Chen is joining one of over a dozen boba shops within walking distance to campus and is still getting business like nobody's business. Even the competition between students at Cal can't hold a flame to the competition between boba shops in this town. I grabbed a mango oolong tea through Snackpass and my drink was ready within a couple of minutes despite a line of customers. Every drink comes with a little paper and twine beverage sling to make it easy (easier?) to carry your boba to go. The interior is quite spacious but mostly bar/counter seating so maybe not the best place to bring a large group. In the tight race for the best Berkeley boba, I would say Chicha San Chen can hold its own quality-wise but the price is $1-2 higher than its neighbors. However, the drinks are *very* photogenic with that branded sling. read more

Chicha San Chen - Mango oolong tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really enjoyed their rotating series. The current series is the pineapple and so you can find limited menu items that have pineapples in it! If you like pineapples, highly recommend trying the seasonal drinks. I went back this week and the pineapple series is already gone and the new series is Taro and you can choose from 5 Taro drinks: Fresh Organic Milk w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste Milk Tea w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste Green Milk Tea w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste Milk Tea w/ Bubble and Taro Paste Green Milk Tea w/ Bubble and Taro Paste If you like Taro, definitely recommend the season Taro drinks. Having tried many of the seasonal drinks, it is heavy in flavor of the seasonal item, being Taro in this case. If you do not like Taro, the season drinks might not be for you. I enjoy ordering online for pick-up, less wait time even during the busy hours of the day! read more

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Tea tasting experience, free at 1:30pm but I think it's every hour or so. The line comes and goes, so be patient because it moves quickly so here goes.... Pineapple cream tart with pineapple and cream is light and refreshing. Mix it because all the pineapple is t the bottom. 10/10 fruit tea and their mango osmanthus oolong tea. Both had really sweet tea flavor with no added sugar and great fruit taste from the mango. Really high quality tea and beverages. Long wait times, but a really good tea shop. read more

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One of my favorite tea shops has finally come to the Bay! I am really happy that this location is really open and spacious, and also has plenty of seating option. I really do love the quality of the tea - and really appreciate the fact that it is always made fresh to order (via their patented "teapresso" machine). This time around, I also had to snag the Taro balls , which are a wonderful QQ texture and with a slight taro aftertaste. I still prefer the "less sugar" option, but my friend got the full sugar experience and she still enjoyed her drink. One star off, because $8+ for one boba is a little crazy... read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I think this place lives up the hype I've been hearing about! First of all the interior is so nice and feels really comforting. They've got 2 self order screens and a cashier. We got the Bubble Volcano and Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea. My favorite was definitely the Bubble Volcano! The boba added a nice sweetness to the milk they used for this drink. It's probably my favorite brown sugar milk tea so far. The mango oolong tea was also really good! Both refreshing and soothing. Definitely coming back here when I'm in Berkeley again. So worth it! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Volcano (left) and Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered my drink via Snackpass which is really convenient given how busy it can be since it's still one of the newer boba shops in Berkeley. I got the Ding Dong Oolong Milk Tea. You can pick up your drink at the front counter. It comes with a cardboard cup sleeve with twine attached to it for convenient carrying. It tasted like the White Rabbit candy that I used to eat a lot of in my childhood, so drinking it was almost nostalgic. From the brief moment I was in there, it looked very spacious in there. It has a large customer capacity as well as lots of seating space. The last screen on the right displays all the Snackpass orders while the other ones show the menu items. I will say that drinks here cost about a dollar more compared to other places. There are other oolong drinks that I'd like to try here though, so I'll definitely be back! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Located right across the Berkeley campus, this tea shop serves both milk tea and fruit tea with boba with non caffeinated options as well. I tried the lemon condensed milk drink and it's got the loveliest hint of lemon. The boba is also just right. There's ample of natural lighting inside and seats to enjoy your drink and do some work. They have a little nook in the far back where they hosts tea sampling. Kinda bummed out that they weren't hosting it at the moment but can't wait to return when they do have it running. They have two self serve kiosks and the staff confirms order receipt before handing out drinks. read more

Chicha San Chen - Lemon green tea, lemon condensed milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My favorite tea place. The staff are always very nice, there are often samples. It's usually pretty crowded but the tea is so high quality!

Quality is spot on and always consistent, but dang this is an expensive cup of boba! I can't help but to treat myself to a cup though. I always get the green tea with mousse topping. Simple, but refreshing and hits the spot. The interior is also spacious and has plenty of seating. They also have samples for you to try other flavors. read more

Chicha San Chen - green tea with mousse - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Visit Details: Date and Time: 02/16/25 Mid Afternoon Wait Time in Line: 5 Mins Wait Time after Order: 20 Mins Capacity: Standing Room Only Crowd: Mainly College Students I'm so glad that the newest branch of Chicha San Chen has now opened up in Berkeley! Although not necessarily closer to me than the Cupertino location, the fact that there is another shop to spread out the crowds will hopefully make the wait more manageable for would be patrons. I never took the opportunity to visit the Cupertino store because I'm not too patient when it comes to queueing in line. However, when I saw the post about this Berkeley shop setting up, to quote the great Beavis and Butthead... "We're THERE, dude!" Soft opening weekend, lines were not bad at all! However, you and I both know that being right at the UC campus, this place will soon be PACKED once the word gets out! Great ambiance, friendly service, and oh, before I forget to mention... amazing drinks to boot! Every drink is made fresh to order, and you can see them prepare it in front of your very eyes. Their level of meticulousness and pride in their work takes me back to the streets of Taiwan. I highly recommend adding taro balls as a topping to any drink. This isn't offered at many places, and I definitely prefer it over the "smash" or "tornado" style taro elsewhere. Due to the high amount of foot traffic, Chicha San Chen isn't necessarily the best spot for laptop camping, but it's certainly doable if you don't mind prying eyes hovering over you. Just be careful what type of content you are consuming! Fortunately, this might also prevent customers from sitting for hours on end, hogging up precious tablespace. For now, since it is still "soft opening," take advantage of it while you can before the line stretches around the campus! read more

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I had such a great time at this location, especially during the tea tasting with Jessica! She was very thorough, knowledgeable, and super friendly. It was super interesting to learn more about the tea harvesting and brewing process. It was a unique experience and I recommend sticking around to try it if you have a chance. Before the tasting, I got the green tea with mango. I chose "perfect sweet" and it really was perfectly sweet! Such a refreshing drink and great start to my day in Berkeley. I also liked the overall ambiance and how spacious and clean this location was. So jealous of all the Berkeley students who get to swing by after classes! read more

Chicha San Chen - Green tea with mango (left) and creamy pineapple tart (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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15 minute free tea tastings throughout the day. My friend and I made a reservation the night before though I don't think it's necessary. The tasting was for the Lishan oolong tea. You'll choose which concentration of tea you want labeled levels 1-5. You can only try one. I recommend you come with a friend so they can order a different level so you guys can try 2. You'll also smell and touch the different tea leaves from Lishan. read more

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Best boba ever! I got the Dong Ding Oolong Milk tea and the tea is incredibly strong and fragrant giving it an authentic flavor that stands out from other places. Ordering is easy with a self-serve tablet, and there's a screen that lets you track your order in real time. Would definitely come back! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came on the third day of soft opening and it seems like the staff has got the system down! The place is well-organized and well-staffed. The staff are hustling while brewing fresh teas and cleaning the place. I avoided the line (not that there was a long one when I went around 2pm) and ordered on snackpass. There is a tv display that shows the live snackpass orders and which orders are ready. This was quite nice since they were running a couple minutes behind and customers don't have to keep bothering the staff on whether their order is ready. Overall, it was a well-organized system. This drink was quite expensive. It might be the most expensive boba I've ordered. The size of the drink isn't as large as some of the nearby popular boba shops either. I got the classic bubble milk tea (black tea) with light sweetness. This was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. I'm usually a 30-50% sugar person. The boba was warm, chewy, and sweetened which added sugar to the drink. The quality of both tea and boba is top-tier and worth the occasional splurge in my opinion. I usually don't like boba itself, but would get boba here! read more

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The drinks I tried so far are all very good. They're known for high quality tea and I can taste the difference in their teas. I got their seasonal peach green tea and it's a nice refreshing drink with real peaches bits inside. I also tried their popular ding dong oolong tea with boba and that's a good standard milk tea with boba. A more unique drink I tried is their lemon condensed milk. This tastes like a lemon tart dessert and is really tasty. It's also caffeine free in case you're having it later in the day! I did see they have a creamy lemon tart drink on their menu which I might try next time to see if that's an even more decadent drink. There might be a bit of a wait since they're usually preparing so many drink orders at once but there are nice seating areas. The tree in the store has real peaches hanging off them for decoration during the summer. read more

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Exceptional. I was so impressed at the first sip. Their level of detail, care, and attention to each order is beautiful. The shop itself is beautiful, lovely to see the staff at work! I ordered their seasonal Peach green tea with mousse and their mango tart green tea. Both were perfect! As a tea fan, I can taste the exceptional quality immediately. Definitely the best milk tea (and tea in general) I have had. Go and try it already! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Soft opening review (2/15-2/21@ 12-6pm)! So excited Chicha San Chen finally opened in North Bay and no longer just in Cupertino. I got here at 3pm and was surprised to see the line so short. It took about 10 minutes to order at the kiosk and 30 minutes for my drinks (iykyk the Cupertino one was a few hours wait when it opened). This location is just across from campus so I anticipate it to be very popular. This is hands down my favorite boba spot. I love the quality of tea and the boba here is just unmatched, it is the perfect QQ-ness. My go to order here is the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea (with cream). It is perfectly sweetened, creamy, with smooth roasted oolong. However, prices here are a bit on the pricer side at around $7-8 a drink (+$1 for toppings). The tea here earned several iTi Crystal Taste Awards, which are comparable to Michelin stars. They also offer the tea tastings here, but you'll need to grab a time slot in advance. Overall, I love this place. The service is great, and you're getting freshly brewed made-to-order tea. Since each drink is made fresh to order, be prepared for a bit of a wait! read more

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Overpriced boba :( this boba milk tea was almost $10. I had high expectations, but it was disappointing. Not worth the price, and the cup is quite small too. I've had better milk tea elsewhere for cheaper. The drink does come with a holder though. The inside is nice though, seems like a good place to hangout and study. read more

Chicha San Chen - Boba milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been here twice, same experience each drink is handcrafted and brewed as ordered so you get a high-quality tea product. Order kiosk and in person available for drink purchase they usually take 7 to 10 minutes apiece. I guess crafting your drink takes time. Just be prepared to throw down about 10 bucks a drink with topping. Starving college students be prepared or crack the piggy bank. You get what you pay for. read more

I have always wanted to check out a boba place with a michelin star. I came on a Saturday and it was decently busy. Once ordered it took around 20 minutes for it to come out, which is understandable seeing how packed it was. There was a free sample of the black tea, which was pretty good. I ordered the black tea with oatmilk and the dong ding oolong milk tea with cream. After tasting them, I can't say I quite understand the hype? The black tea especially was watered down and not sweet at all. The oolong was more enjoyable, it was decently sweet, and I can taste the roasted oolong. I cant really justify the price nor the wait for this especially with so many other boba places in the area. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

ANOTHER Berkeley boba place? I hear you, but hear me out. Chicha is serving quali-tea and a whole experience at their new Berkeley location. Milk teas, fruit teas, and a bunch of seasonal flavors that focus on the tea aspect. They have 3 kiosks and a cashier taking order after order, but look ahead at the wait time if you're in a rush. The staff has always been super friendly and help answer any questions to find the right option for you. They also do complimentary tea tastings that you can reserve online or grab a physical ticket for in-person. Tried their Li Shan Oolong twice (prefer the lighter levels), Eileen & Georgia facilitated the experience perfectly. A lot of boba shops lean into the stark modern white atmosphere, but this place is nice and welcoming with warm lighting, wood furniture, and a solid amount of seating. Taste is individual so it's honestly personal preference, but I was recommended their osmanthus oolong mango tea and loved it. Their drinks cost a pretty penny, but I think it's worth treating yourself to every so often. read more

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The store was packed during the soft opening. College students everywhere inside doing work. I don't this there was a place to stand. While we waited less than a minute to order at the iPads, the drink took almost 15 minutes to arrive. We were told it's because the drink making is automated by a machine to ensure the same quality drink each time but that's still quite long to wait for boba. Luckily, while waiting in line we were offered the chance to do the tea tasting. The tea tasting took about 25 minutes and we got to taste one tea at one roast level. The tea had five roast levels ranging from light (most caffeine) to dark (least caffeine). The barista was knowledge and a good guide. The tea was good but not out of this world. The boba was good but I would say on par with some of the other boba shops in the area. read more

Chicha San Chen - Tea tasting - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had high expectations but found the boba to be overrated. My passionfruit tea was super sweet despite ordering lower sugar. The packaging is super cute though and reminiscent of how they serve boba in Taiwan with the handles included. The plainer oolong milk tea with boba was much better and not as sickeningly sweet. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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After church, we made a trip to this 3 star Michelin Boba shop! The initial challenge was parking!!! It was on the corner of Dana and Channing! That was our former stomping grounds when we use to attend First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Getting to Dana and Bancroft, we circled around for about about 20 minutes until we found parking and then walked down to the shop. Chicha San Chen was pretty spacious and busy!! The shop clerks were friendly and we ordered our drinks on one of three computerized ordering stations! As we waited in line, a woman gave us samples of a drink called Black Milk Tea with Cream and the options was limited to one addition. I chose coconut jelly with no sugar or ice and my partner had his Black Milk Tea with Cream with boba. His option was called The Perfect ( supposedly just the right amount of sugar and ice). As we waited we noticed the shop had a tea tasting area which required reservations if you wanted to try some of their tea blends made with their speciality tea leaves . It appeared to be pretty popular. The tea leaves were hand picked and people trying the teas looked pretty happy. So once you order the shop had a sign with the order numbers. and a text was sent to your phone to let you know when your drink was ready. Each drink took about 15 minutes. So would we go back? Probably not, but if we happened to be in the area and found a parking space close by, we would. It was worth the trip from Contra Costa County to Alameda County at least once . I hope the owners of Chicha San Chen would consider opening a shop in Central Contra Costa County. Their drinks are different enough to make people switch their allegiance to Chicha. If I was a Cal student , not dependent on cars and having to find parking , I'd be there every week. As long as Chicha San Chen keeps up the quality of their drinks, they will hold a place in the hearts of boba connoisseurs! read more

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I came on grand opening day! The line was long! I waited 1 hour in line to order and 1 hour for the drinks! Sadly, they ran out of the pin I wanted but both pins are super cute! I got the Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea with coconut jelly and mango, and also the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with boba. Both were delicious but I love the Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea more because it tasted refreshing! I love the little cup holder they give with the drink! It makes it easy to carry! The drinks are a little pricey but they're definitely worth a try! read more

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One of my favorite boba spots! I really like all the teas and the boba pearls. My favorite was the green grape tea. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

4.5 stars Honestly, at first, I was taken aback that 2 drinks came out to ~$18, but I still decided to give it a try since my friends have spoken highly about it, and they're clearly popular for a reason. So my boyfriend and I went two times in five days, and ordered a total of four different drinks. The first day we made the mistake of getting drinks that had no tea in them...yeah it's a little embarrassing. After we got our drinks, we did the tea tasting with Jessica, which is what made the whole experience worth it. Jessica clearly has a passion for tea, and we ourselves got pretty involved in it. The shop can get very busy and loud, but the tea tasting was a nice calming touch that got us grounded. And it was complimentary! We decided to go again after the first time to try out their tea drinks, which are their specialty. Day 1: Volcano bubble - 8/10: solid brown sugar boba in taste, rivals other places such as HeyTea. Fresh milk with taro paste and taro balls - 7.5/10: this was good, but as I've lived in Asia and have gotten to try other taro drinks, this one is just alright in comparison as I would have preferred more taro paste. The milk was kind of overpowering (I did like the taro balls though). Day 2: Green milk tea with taro paste and boba - 9/10: the green milk tea was simply excellent (but again, would prefer more taro paste). Passion fruit green tea - 8/10: refreshing and simple. CONCLUSION: Quality-wise, Chicha is the place to go. My only reason for docking points off is the size of the drink, which is small given the price you are paying, and the lack of taro paste (but this is more of a personal preference). Either way, I think everyone should check this place out at least once! read more

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Omg is this the Michelin Boba place? Well, no, kind'a, sorta yes? There is no Michelin boba (despite what some influencers may be telling you) but Chicha did win many awards, including the Highest International Authority iTQi certification for quality which I guess is where this catchy phrase came from since people falsely equate it to Michelin stars. So now that we got that out of the way, let's actually talk about the tea. Chicha San Chen finally opened a second location in the Bay Area but they've had others in North America and are originally from Taiwan with decades of experience. The other location in the Bay is in Cupertino and is extremely popular. Their focus on freshly brewed tea for each order, using their super fancy machines (and what l've noticed as a bottleneck of their production capacity and speed, leading to the long lines). They try to redefine the experience by focusing on elevating every step of the tea making progress, both from an execution standpoint and their brewing, as well as, the quality of the ingredients. It's all very artisanal and aesthetically pleasing. Because they focus so much on sourcing and quality of the tea leaves, they do have somewhat limited options. It's quality over quantity here. But trust me, the options they do have are worth it. Everything down to the cute handles for the cups is focused on providing with a curated experience that differentiates itself from most tea spore, including many of the premium boba places around. Depending on when you go, there may be long lines or no lines at all. Bottom line, even if you remove the ridiculous Michelin claim, Chicha delivers on highly elevated yet easily approachable high quality and hand crafted tea experience. It's pricey. It takes a long time. But for many, it's totally worth it. PS - they do have a tea tasting experience as well if you want to check it out read more

We were excited to try another boba shop. After our lunch, we walked 5 minutes towards this shop which is so conveniently located across from CAL campus! What I noticed right away, is the bright interior and many golden tea dispensers! Minus star because they don't offer matcha Sweetness level and alternative dairy is available depending on type of drink. Expect a longer wait due to many CAL students hanging around this local spot. Feedback from others was not enough to warrant perfect ratings. We do give for innovative carry out packaging! read more

Chicha San Chen - Signage upon entering establishment - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

10/10. Pricy but for a special occasion it's worth it. I always recommend less ice and less sugar. The staff and environment are both amazing. Try out their free tea tasting too. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California