Got the metal goddess oolong tea. It's actually one of the best teas I ever tried in my life. I have pretty much tried all their teas and I love them all. It's healthy here and a little bit of hint of sweetness. The owner is amazing and the tea shop is just beautiful once I walk in. I feel like I'm in an ancient Rome or Greece. The SERVICES exceptional amazing. Their employees are very sweet and knowledgeable with their drinks. read more

Desouro - Healthy powerful magnificent tea of the Orange County - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I've had the opportunity to try Desouros full menu at this point, here are some subjective observations that I've had that might be helpful. -A quick and dirty menu breakdown (generalized) 1. Black tea bases are more creamy leaning 2. Oolongs are more roasty or in other words the perceived "tea" flavor. 3. Pure teas if you want the most potent individual tea flavors. 4. Tea refreshers for the people who are looking for something sweeter, but not as rich as the milk teas. 5. Matcha...if you want matcha, not much to it. 6. Slushies for a nice summer day A few side notes -Adding boba will increase sweetness, if you are typically a 25-50% sweet person, get a 2 sweetness with boba. 1 sweetness if you are looking for a stronger "tea" taste, but I wouldn't suggest this unless you are a tea enthusiast. -Ice affects the creaminess factor. If you want the strongest "tea" taste, go no ice, but you have to be okay with a lukewarm drink. Half ice is probably the best balance for most people. Full ice for people wanting a cold drink, but you need to drink it within the hour to avoid dilution. -Some teas have caramel or cacao notes, which may increase your perceived sweetness, be aware of your sugar levels when ordering these teas. I think for most people a 2 or 3 is a good starting point and increase from there if you want a sweeter drink. My suggestion would be to try the milk tea version and pure tea version in tandem (if applicable). It's pretty cool how different the same tea can taste. My explanation below as to why I, some random unqualified individual on the internet, is of the opinion that Desouro is 5 stars. At first, I had to double check if I was on r/orangecounty for a second, I thought this place was for food and drink reviews, not the IRB. If people are talking about a previous shop that closed over 3 years ago at this point, kind of impressive how much of an impact it had on people despite rumor mills and unsubstantiated claims. I mean how many tea places have so many people talking how they "know" the owner and heard about what happened even 2-3 years after closing? Naturally, the first thing to do is to compare the two shops, but realistically, can you really trust your memory from a shop that closed 2-3 years ago? Why live in past experiences when you can experience the present? Let's set some context. They are still considered "soft-opening" meaning they are still working out the kinks while in a production environment. If you polled customers, I'm fairly confident they would rather have Desouro operating in a soft-opening state rather than waiting to have a grand-opening. Having said that, they are actively taking feedback from the community and I've seen changes firsthand as a result. For example, the "yes chef" is gone, their drinks were a little inconsistent in the beginning, but I haven't had that issue for several months now, the long lines that were 1+ hours are now gone, and seating is now provided outside. I mean how many tea shops have you been to where there are tangible changes as a result of customer feedback? They also literally dedicate a workflow to the perfect cup guarantee, why complain about the taste when you can go back to them and try a different drink/sugar/ice level if you don't like it? They have an expansive menu, not every tea is going to be to your liking, but at least you have the opportunity to find a tea that will be of personal preference. Let's get some basics out of the way, they have a nice clean, interior, where customers can actually see the employees making drinks first hand. Nothing to complain about. The service at the registers goes above and beyond ensuring customers are given a full rundown of the types of teas. No comment on how long some of these customers take to decide. The wait is generally pretty short, there's been a large improvement in balancing the wait time to order and receive the drinks. You will have to wait at peak times. If you don't want to wait, weekday mid-afternoon is the best time. Overall, a much better experience compared to the previous shop and feels much less cramped for customers who want to hang around. As mentioned before, Desouro has an expansive menu. You'd be hard-pressed to find a tea that doesn't fit your personal preference. it's a double-edged sword though, you have to be willing to come back and find the right tea for you. It's funny, because while I was reading over some reviews that say the teas are too creamy, but then other's say its not creamy enough. Its a catch-22. I hope my suggestions above can provide some insight into ordering your perfect drink. I think the most impactful reason why I give Desouro 5 stars is because you as the customer have the control to make your Desouro experience what it is. Its premium teas and service at an affordable price in this world of 7-8$ drinks and non-existent service. read more

Desouro - Over-the-top box, wouldn't expect anything less - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

hits the spot like orobae once did! i dont usually get tapioca in my drinks but tried it here and it was really good! (pic was of a time i didnt get boba but i still can vouch for their boba) read more

Desouro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I loved Desouro. Genuinely one of the best tea places in Irvine. We were helped by Natalie who told us about the different types of teas and recommend ones for us to try. She even proactively offered to remake my drink if it wasn't to my liking! Here, they truly are committed to customer service. The cafe had a minimalist aesthetic and incredible tea and tapioca quality. Definitely will be returning soon! read more

It was my first time trying this spot so I wasn't sure what to get. I asked Gigi to suprise me and she was super nice about the request. Ill definitely be coming back! read more

If you liked Orobae, this is Orobae platinum plus. The inside feels like you're about to enter a museum haha. Line is always out the door, but do not be intimidated; it moves very fast! Everyone is very nice and service is quick. All the drinks are flavorful and the notes on each drink really pull through. Price is decent for the flavor quality and size of drink. If you like earthy, rich flavors, this is the spot for you! read more

First time trying Desouro since Orobae closed. Orobae was my favorite boba but Desouro did not live up to expectations. The milk tea was more diluted and the boba was old. There was a mix of fresh and old boba pieces in my drink which made the texture weird. read more

Amazing service. They explained thoroughly each drink and explained how fresh every drink was and the process. Drink itself was solid. Sweet and not too sweet. Line was long but went by fairly quickly. Lot of students seem to go there and so it was fairly loud, but it's to be expected at a busy boba restaurant read more

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Ordered number 13 oolong as I asked what was most similar to a drink I had previously at orobae. I ordered no sugar and regular ice. The girl at the register emphasized to my husband and I to try the drink at the pickup counter and that they will remake the drink to our liking if we didn't like it. Well, we DID NOT like it! There was too much milk creamer which we do not like and it overpowered the tea. We asked to have the drink remade with more tea and less milk and was told NO. They couldn't do that!! Seriously? You're going to stand there and tell me you can't remake the tea to my liking after the girl at the register just finished telling me they will remake the tea to our liking. I'm confused, if you're not willing to adjust the tea to the customers requests, then why even bother offering that as an option? U don't go and tell a customer that you have a customer satisfaction guarantee (they call it the perfect cup guarantee) and then turn around and tell me NO!! My husband was pissed and asked the girl why not? As the girl at the register said it will be remade to our liking. She just gave us a blank stare like we were crazy. Needless to say, we will not be returning. There are so many better tea places around and if they can't even adjust a simple request such as mine, then I'd hardly call them a quality tea shop. read more

Drinks are just okay. The worst is their drink carrier. It's fragile !! Just put it in a regular holder or plastic bag bro! Drinks are spilling all over my car! read more

First time after meeting and talking to owner. The customers behind me recommended Phoenix #2 or #13 for strong...caffeine? I chose #2, sugar level of 3 with boba and luke warm. Yummy! Friendly, smiling staff informed me that they can modify or corrrct the taste to our satisfaction! Just ask! Long line here, but it goes fast! Good relief after eating ramen next door! read more

Desouro - Phoenix #2, sugar level 3, lukewarm...minimal ice...yummy! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Thi is Orobae 2.0 where the previous location abused staff and ran a poorly managed shop. Their tea was good. Now I swore I would not give my money to this Orobae 2.0 when reddit investigated into the same owner starting this shop with a new name registered with the City of Irvine under the name Desouro. My wife's friend bought us two cups for tea from Desouro as a new year's gift so I might as well drink it and find out. She bought a regular green milk tea and a phoenix no 2 with boba. The green milk tea tasted watered down, which was a surprise consider the old Orobae's tea was always good and flavorful. Now the phoenix no 2 is stronger tasting but not like before and their boba actually has artifical tea flavor in them. Not surprised it is a tactic to use when cheapening out on the tea. If not for the mlik tea w/o boba I couldn't have found out that the boba has artifical tea flavor in them. read more

Recently tried Desouro for the first time and wasn't disappointed! Their Phoenix Oolong No. 2 is amazing, I think it's the perfect blend of that roasted flavor along with the milk, and the service is top notch, almost too perfect in fact. They ask you to try the drink on the spot in front of them and let you know how it is, so they can make any adjustments. The funny thing is I don't have the best reactionary face, even when something's really good, so the girl kept asking if I was sure the drink is okay, so hopefully I didn't make her think it wasn't up to par, because it's my go-to now.. I'll try to give a better reaction next time! read more

It was my first time coming here and the service was amazing! I was recommended the Desouro Phoenix No. 13 Oolong Tea, and I also tried the Desouro Rising Buddha Oolong Tea. Both drinks were really good. The drinks don't come with a lot of ice which I personally didn't mind at all. The boba was so good too! Since it was my first time, they even had me taste the drinks before I left to make sure I liked them. Everything was so good. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

I'm a bit sad to say that I went here two weeks ago and the Phoenix 13 is not the same anymore. The milk tea was more milky and it seemed like it diluted the tea's flavor. I think what made Desouro's milk teas so different from other boba shops was how well it balanced the milk creaminess and how the tea's flavor was still distinct in the drink. So it is disappointing to see that they may have changed the balance. I was a bit in denial and tried it again today, thinking it might have been just the way they made it the other day. But the Phoenix 13 still had a weaker tea flavor. Since they have that taste guarantee, I decided to take them up on it to modify the drink to my liking. I asked for less milk, since my issue was that the milk seemed to dilute the tea flavor and they said they couldn't do that! They could only change the drink to an entirely different drink--offered to re-make the Phoenix 13 as a pure tea with no milk or to try the Rising Buddha milk tea. Ended up trying the Rising Buddha milk tea and it was stronger in tea flavor: it has top notes of rising phoenix and bottom notes of a barley-like tea. It was better than the current Phoenix 13, but not still not the flavor I was originally looking for. Anyways, I just think it's weird that they would claim to remake the drink to your preference for a taste guarantee, and then reject the modification you ask for. I still believe Desouro has one of the best milk teas out there--it's one of my favorites--but I guess I just have to give up on looking for that flavor that made me fall in love with this tea shop in the first place. RIP Rising Phoenix. read more

Desouro - no 2 and no 13 phoenix MT - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I was able to get it line before they open and only have to wait 15 minutes (from order to getting the drink) The tea I ordered was white peach oolong but it tasted watery. I would not come back since there are better and stronger tea options available. read more

definitely come here right as they open if you do not want to wait in a long line. I came with some friends and we didn't realize that they didn't open until 5 so we were there early and good thing we were! we were about 10th in line and the line just kept continuing to grow. the workers are so nice and they were pretty quick with making our drinks. read more

I am glad I did not have to wait the hour because I went right when they opened. Would not be worth it to wait an hour. They did take a little longer making the drinks and my drink was pretty watered down. I got the Metal Goddess. My cousins got the Phoenix Oolong number #2 and 13 and the Rising Buddah and those were better. I would say the drinks are more watered down than stronger though. The workers also say Yes Chef to each other so that was pretty interesting..... I would come back but would not wait in line for it. read more

Good milk tea at a reasonable price. The boba is slightly hard rather than soft and chewy. The store is clean, and the staff is friendly read more

Desouro - Galle Ceylon Medley black milktea and Metal Godness Oolong milktea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

The Gyokuro green milk tea is my favorite drink among all the tea places in Irvine. So good. I'm also usually a tapioca hater but their pearls have the best texture and the right amount of sweetness. The complaints about the interior and flow are weird. It's as simple as it gets ... You order and then stand in line on the side of the counter to get your drink. They do a good job making sure the teas are distributed based on the timing of who ordered. Not sure why that is confusing to some of you people lol. Workers are really friendly and have been trained to provide good service. It's nice, though I've never had to send a drink back. read more

It was my first time here, and the guy who took our order was very nice and suggested several drinks for us. I ordered the Honey Red Jade Milk Tea with full sweetness (I wanted to try full sweet for my first visit), but it turned out to be too sweet for me. They kindly remade the drink with half sweetness without hesitation. I really enjoyed it afterward and was also pleasantly surprised by how fancy and clean the packaging was. read more

Desouro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Came on a Friday evening - it was a bit rainy so there was no wait at all! Ordered the Phoenix oolong milk tea #2 with level 3 sweetness. Tea had a delicious floral flavor that was refreshing and perfect level of sweetness. The boba was sweet, soft, and chewy! Solid milk tea location. read more

The line wasn't too bad but the wait was a bit longer than I expected. I assumed it was premade but they "brew" it on the spot? I got the #13 and it was underwhelming. I had high expectations but it was so watery from the hot tea. It left a weird artificial perfume after taste in my mouth. I don't think I'll come back. It was too watery to call it a milk tea. read more

I've come here a few times because the drinks are good and it tastes just like Orobae. The Phoenix #2 milk tea is my favorite because of the deep tea flavor! Also this place has very good tapioca balls that are soft and chewy. I went today and they definitely improved their customer service where it's more relaxed and causal! Worth checking out at least once! read more

I waited a very long time for my order, and the staff made mistakes on all three of my drinks. I didn't add boba, but they added boba to all three cups. Two of the drinks were also not what I ordered. I didn't have time to check everything or go back to the shop. The milk tea was extremely sweet even though I asked for 50% sweetness. I understand the shop was busy, but they should still be more careful and attentive. With such a long wait time, customers can't always stand there and check every drink. read more

Desouro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I was not much of an Orobae fan since I never wanted to wait in those ridiculous lines. Honestly, I have been avoiding trying Desouro too for that exact reason. I was at Kitakata and after we finished our meal, we saw no line so decided to give it a try. The cashier was really welcoming and educated us on the menu. I asked for a sweet black milk tea, and she recommended me their 2 top drinks, which were the Red Jade and the Aged Crescent Personally, I did enjoy the Red Jade more, as it was sweeter and more flavorful. Both were so delicious that I had to bring my boyfriend back to give it a try the next day. He gave the mango slush a try, which was perfectly sweet and tasted like real mango, not just the syrupy tasting mango. Because they make all their drinks on the spot including brewing the tea to order, it does take a bit longer than other boba spots. We waited for about 30 minutes to order and get our drinks. It was not too bad compared to the 2-3 hour waits people have been speaking on. I did want to give a shout out to their employee, Brianna, who was very sweet and seemed like she actually cared about giving great service to customers. Although our conversation was short, it seemed like she genuinely cared if we enjoyed our drinks (and this goes for both times I visited). I will definitely need to return to give their other drinks a try! read more

Desouro - Red Jade with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I love love the drinks here the menu isn't overwhelming and the service was fantastic. They are very dedicated to customer experience especially with drink selection which Mimi helped me with. The lines can be long but they do move quick so fret not! read more

Orobae pt 2 is here!! My friends and I went on a Sunday around 4:45 and the line was already past the cbb bank. We thankfully had a friend who was earlier in line who got the drinks for us, but I'd estimate waiting on average an hour. I got the rising phoenix #13 with level 2 sweetness because I like my drinks only slightly sweetened. Overall, I wish the tea flavor was stronger, but it was fragrant. I feel like it's too milky, but each drink is made individually which is a plus. I did like the rising phoenix #13 better than the #2 as I prefer a richer and fuller tea flavor. They are still in the soft opening phase so still smoothing out the creation process I'm sure. read more

Hi Ya'll! I'm not sure why Desouro only gets a 3.9 star ratings. They deserve much higher rate for sure. The drink tastes the same as Orobae, and I'm not too sure what made others to say the drinks are disappointing . Desouro's pure & flavorful tea is really distinctive compared to all the other tea places. They recently made a new menu for matcha. Wow! No bitter taste, just smooth matcha taste! So so good! I've never had matcha taste this amazing before! Their signature Drink that can never go wrong: Phoenix no.2 Oolong milk tea Try Desouro Matcha Blend with Milk! Thank you for having this tea place in Irvine!!! I've been keep coming again and again! read more

First things first is the hospitality here is top notch. The owner and staff exude ecstatic energy, showing genuine care about your day and interest to crafting the perfect drink, right down to confirmation of its quality at the end when it's received in hand. So if something is not to your liking, definitely speak up and they will gladly help. My absolute go-tos are the Metal Goddess Oolong and the Black Formosan Milk Tea. You can distinctly taste the robust, authentic tea notes flawlessly blended with rich milk. It's a uniquely satisfying flavor that easily beats the competition. Price point is great, around 6$. And boba is top tier in my opinion. Me and my co workers come too much and we'll definitely keep that up! read more

came here around 20 minutes before opening and got in line. before opening they made a designated area for us to enter and exit. staff was very nice as they welcomed each of us and thanked us for waiting :) they really make sure that you like your drink and you can let them know if you need any changes. inside is clean and an open concept. you can see them making the drinks i tried a few drinks and i liked them all! they have a nice tea flavor and were milky as well. i wish my drink had a littttle more ice but it was great still. the drink was a little too sweet for me. i got level 5 but because the cashier said it wasn't too sweet. but i'll definitely get like level 2-3 next time :) read more

Great service, super friendly owner, and some of the yummiest tasting tea around! You can tell they take pride in their process and every tea I've tried is delicious! read more

Wonderful, kind, and amazing team. The owner is really sweet and knowledgeable, and recommended the best drink there for me to have! Highly Recommend the METAL GODDESS OOLONG MILK TEA. The flavor was strong and delicious. It definitely is a creamy drink, I can tell from the rich after taste so I probably won't come here all the time unless I try a pure tea instead. The staff is so kind and remade my drink to 0% sweet from level 2 sweetness. Thanks! read more

Got the Phoenix no 2 milk tea & mango oolong - both drinks highlight the quality of the tea & are adjustable in sugar / ice levels - I got level 3 for both & it was perfect. Service is friendly but the wait is long - I waited probably an hour on a Sunday afternoon. Personally don't think it's worth the long wait, but the drinks are very good! read more

It was my first time going to Desouro and I didn't know what to get. Ava's recommendation was delicious! I am still thinking about how I need to come back. read more

Great quality tea and friendly customer service. I love a good black milk tea so my favorite is the Aged Crescent Black milk tea with a level 4 sweetness. I do tend to like my drinks strong and sweet and the level 5 sweetness changed the flavor more than I liked. So level 4 sweet is good. The tapioca is also good and consistent with a nice chew. There's usually a line but they manage the traffic pretty well. When your drink is ready, they'll call your name and ask you to try your drink to make sure you like it. They will gladly make adjustments if you don't like it. I think it's great customer service but the line could move quicker if everyone didn't try their drinks at pickup. A sign saying they'll remake drinks and a reminder at the register could work. The inside is nice clean and modern but there's nowhere to sit inside. For some reason the right side of the store is also empty and space is wasted. Maybe some small tables and chairs would help utilize the space. The parking lot sucks and is always full but what can you do. read more

This has become my new favorite place to get teas and boba! I love how floral the milk teas are, especially the Galle Ceylon Medley, and the energy here is great. Elise is always so friendly and on top of things, you can tell she's in the zone and gets everything done. Giselle was super friendly getting me my drink tonight, and honestly there's a few others whose names I don't know, but the people are just great. I go here more often than I should, and a few people remember me by name. I recommend Desouro to anyone! read more

Gigi was super helpful and really funny 10/10 service I hope anyone who comes through the store gets help from her

The best black milk tea in Orange County! I appreciate that Desouro is a true specialty tea place rather than a sugary boba dessert place. Their tea is high quality and very flavorful. The staff were incredibly friendly and even remind you to taste your drink before leaving to ensure that it's exactly to your liking. read more

My sister in law stood in line for a while to get us some drinks for after we arrived in Orange County. They were able to give the boba on the side to maintain the texture, which was nice. For our milk teas, the Red Jade was a black tea base, and the Phoenix No 2 was an oolong base. The red jade almost reminded me of cereal milk due to the natural honey sweetness of it. Both drinks were 3/5 sweet, which was on the sweeter side for me, so I would go with 1 or 2 out of 5 next time. As a bonus, they had a nice to-go carrying case to keep the drinks in place! read more