This boba spot is fairly small and limited indoor seating. Parking usually isn't an issue because they have street parking and a garage lot. There is a a good variety of fruit tea and milk teas to choose from. There is also the option to build-your-own milk tea! First, you pick a tea (~10 options) - $5.75. Second, you pick a dairy choice - milk, oat milk, soy, half&half (+$0.50). Third, you can add toppings (+$0.75) and there are 20+, such as boba, pudding, aloe vera, almond jelly, etc. I got the matcha pudding milk tea (1/2 sweet, less ice) for $7.75. The tea felt somewhat watered down and the matcha didn't have much of a flavor. I would say it's 7/10. It was decent but not mind-blowing and it was a tad pricey Service was average. It isn't too busy so wait time is reasonable (~10 min). It isn't too loud so it is a nice spot to study or hang out with friends It was a good first time experience but probably won't return! Cool concept of building your own milk tea though! read more

Formosa Aroma - Matcha pudding milk tea was underwhelming - 7/10 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Formosa aroma had been on my list to try for a long time now. I finally had a chance to try it as I was dining nearby and decided to try it out. Drinks were just ok. Order the Jasmine green milk tea. I didn't find it to be fragrant enough for me. You can barely taste a hint of Jasmine. Their menu is also confusing because the one you see in front of the store is different than the one displayed on the tvs. There's plenty of seating in here and they also have plugs to charge your phone or laptops. I imagine the students nearby come in to get work done after school or on the weekends. read more

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They have many options for teas and milk teas. They also have a variety of milk substitutes. The shop is small but does get busy in the evenings. There is not much contact with the employees because ordering is done on a kiosk. The service quality I would recommend is the employees calling out the customers name when the drink is ready. I would recommend this place if you are trying to get a tea quickly. read more

A pretty solid boba spot in the 626 area. Their teas are fragrant and really good. You can adjust the sweetness so I usually do half sweet, and it's the perfect balance. Mango Pomelo Sago (5/5): Really good, I loved the sago in combo with the mango pomelo. Jasmine milk tea with agar boba (5/5): The jasmine milk tea is solid, and their agar boba was so good! Agar boba has a similar texture as regular boba but less calories, so it's a great alternative to add into your drink. The service was good and fast. There's seating indoors but we got the drinks to go. This place is located in a plaza but has ample free parking in the back. I'd definitely come back here. They also sell snacks, but we didn't order them although they look good. Will have to try it next time. read more

Formosa Aroma - Mango Pomelo Sago (left) and Jasmine Milk Tea with Agar Boba (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

If you're looking for a more tea-forward boba shop, Formosa Aroma is the place for you. All their tea leaves are shipped from Taiwan and there are 10+ different types of tea to choose from. You can customize your drinks with any of the tea bases they have. We got the white peach iced tea and the black sesame midnight drinks. The drinks are really balanced and not too sweet. We were feeling a bit snack-y so we also ordered the black sesame umeyaki, which were cute and tasty as well. read more

Formosa Aroma - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

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Customer service was so good. We didn't have to wait in line at all on a Monday night. I came for the BOGO deal of the week! Such a good deal. I got my drink unsweetened and without ice, and it was good! I will be back. There are tables to sit and a bathroom too. read more

Plenty of street parking. Place seems busy today with the bogo deal. Service was pretty fast. We ordered 100% sugar, light ice. Made a rookie mistake and didn't shake the drink. First sip was full of sugar. Almost put me in a diabetic coma. Then the rest was bland so apparently you must shake before you poke a straw through your drink. Boba was warm so you know it's authentic, but I had to shake it afterwards so it got chewy and hard real fast. read more

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This place is so good, I came back two times in a week! Top tier oolong milk tea. The tea is brewed-to-order, which makes each tea very fragrant and fresh! The boba is also very good quality, sweet and chewy :) Here's my drink recommendations! + Golden Phoenix Oolong Milk Tea + Longan Jujube Milk Tea + Iron Buddha Oolong Milk Tea read more

Formosa Aroma - Longan Jujube Milk Tea + Iron Buddha Oolong Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

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We stopped by about a week ago after having lunch in the area. My sister was raving about their drinks...and I got to say my drink personally was not my favorite. But it's my fault for always getting something new and being miserable with the outcome lol so I don't blame them. I'll have to come back to give my "usual choice of drinks" a chance. The service was friendly but they were swamped! It was a very tidy & clean boba shop, pretty laid back and I can see young students coming to study. The table we were sitting at had its own personal outlet with I think 2-3 slots, which is pretty handy for a study date/group. The Umeyaki comes with 4 pieces, and it's made fresh to order. My kids loved it! Perfect amount of sweetness; there is no filling but it would be fire if there was lol...like red bean....mmMmmMmmmm Anyways, I think this place is pretty okay but again..I probably need to order something I normally get elsewhere and give them another shot...? lol thanks for reading if you made it this far! x.X read more

Formosa Aroma - Left: Iron Buddha Oolong Center: Brown Sugar Milk Tea...? Right: Golden Phoenix Pastries: Formosa Umeyaki - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Drinks: this is my go to spot for any milk tea especially if I am craving strong milk tea. I usually do the build ur own and pick the tea leaf and add milk to it. I have not yet tried a tea and been disappointed and I've tried almost all the tea options at this point. The Assam and golden phoenix is very bold and strong. They also have a couple less bold or roasted teas. Service: The workers are all super nice and helpful with the menu. I love that they have tea cards displayed showing the roast level, strength, and key notes. Makes it very easy to decide which tea to get. Plenty of free parking in the back. Ambiance: plenty of tables but can get busy. the bathroom is clean. read more

Formosa Aroma - iron buddha milk tea, assam milk tea, golden phoenix milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

One star for the aesthetic inside but if I could give zero I would. I am constantly trying to force myself to like this place but this place is not good lol. Ever since they have opened ive been here atleast over 10-15 times. Ive tried almost every single drink on their top 10 and it reality it should be the bottom 10 and none of them are tasty. The workers here are nice but they seemed overwhelmed and understaffed, is anyone looking at those job applications? Anyways back to the top 10. There is some weird quality control issue here. For example, Ive gotten the Basil Seed WinterMelon Calamansi drink at 30% sugar, and it tasted SO SWEET that I had to ask the worker if I can exchange the drink. They also put way too much basil seed syrup so it doesnt taste like they are draining or rinsing it out properly. There was also 0 calamansi taste and paired with wintermelon which is already really sweet its like diabetes in a cup. I switched it to the grapefruit orange grean tea at 30% sweet. Tea was not prominent and tastes like water, barely any grapefruit or orange taste, its like pulp water, so this drink wasnt any better. I felt bad for asking to switch the drink a third time so I decided against it and poured the drinks down the drain. Came again and tried the milk tea with creme brulee and the matcha pudding milk tea. The matcha pudding was good but the tea the milk tea is the same disappointment. The tea brand they're using is either not strong enough because one of them tasted like water, or they're brewing teas incorrectly which leaves a super burnt bitter taste which is how the other milk tea tasted. There seems to be no balance here and I can't find a drink I like which leads me to think the tea is the issue and incorrect measurements or recipes. Lastly, we tried the formosa ocean and the mango pomelo sago. Just don't get the formosa ocean, I have nothing nice to say about it. The mango pomelo sago is okay, it literally tastes better anywhere else. This place is all over social media but it constantly lets me down and I ran out of chances to give. read more

This tea store is very clean and very quiet. It is different from Ten Ren; they do not serve food. They are unique for their tea leaf drinks ( u can get it hot or cold ) . read more

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As soon as I walked in there, I felt like I was back in Taiwan. However, I'm not a tea expert and the person who helped us wasn't too helpful. He actually seemed annoyed with our questions. Anyways, the teas were good, and I'd love to try other flavors if I were to come back. The umeyaki were disappointing. Although good in flavor, I expected some sort of filling, not just plain dough. read more

Formosa Aroma - Umeyaki - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

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I tend to go to this place every time I'm in the area and I love to get their earl grey. The loose leaf tea does elevate the flavor and they know what they're doing. But let's be real, this is the 626, the best place for tea in the US. In order to be the best, you gotta hit on all cylinders and unfortunately the price is outside of the 5/5 category. The price is worth it only because I get it sometimes but it's not in the category of "omg I gotta have this every day". Solid tea, good service, sorta high price = 4/5. read more

Formosa Aroma - Earl grey - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Was in the area and decided to stop by this boba shop in Alhambra and I'm so glad I did. Apparently this is a chain from Taiwan! The menu is extensive with a lot of genuinely interesting drink options (not your standard lineup). I was craving black sesame, which worked out perfectly because they were running a Black Sesame Special that included their Black Sesame Midnight drink plus four little black sesame umeyaki cakes. Everything was so good. The drink itself was super unique: black sesame panna cotta on the bottom, topped with a rich black tea and cream. Rich, nutty, and not overly sweet...honestly one of the more memorable boba-style drinks I've had in a while. I'm definitely coming back to try some of the other drinks that caught my eye. Great find if you're looking for boba drinks that are a little different. read more

I know there's a lot of competition around the SGV this year, but this one is always the best in my heart. I love all of their fruits tea, they pair up the fruit with different tea, and you can see the real fruit in every cups. Pineapple, Lychee, and grapefruit are my all time favorites. I got white peach Yakut green tea today and it was delicious too! My new favorite now! Their house special dessert is unique and delicious, the umeyaki tastes so great with crispy skin and soft cake inside, it smells nice and not too sweet (which means wonderful in Asian style for dessert! Iykyk!) I started enjoy it when I was waiting for this order, the sweet aroma of umeyaki will fill of the whole store. Too bad I didn't get the cute anniversary magnet since it ran out. Happy anniversary to FA!! read more

Formosa Aroma - Umeyaki and Grapefruit Tea with Osmanthus Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Came by after Dim sum and got the drink with a lavender foam cap. At first it was a bit weird but the KEY is to fully mix the drink to get a good flavor and let the ice melt as it was a little too sweet initially. Since I didn't finish my drink until the next day, the flavor was even better after leaving in the fridge overnight. When you arrive, there's a menu to look at and since it's pretty popular there was a little line but the drinks came out pretty quick. There's parking in the back which is super convenient and seating inside if you wanted to hang out. Overall, they have a good display of many different teas that they serve and there's a large variety from regular teas to milk teas. read more

Formosa Aroma - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Solid tea spot that opened in Alhambra! There's a few free parking garages in the vicinity and street parking as well. Formosa is pretty solid as a tea shop because they have an excellent selection of teas. The teas do taste different from each other and they have a helpful chart at the register that includes the tea flavors. I've had their jinxuan mountain tea, oriental beauty oolong, and their earl grey black tea. They also had a really nice selection of toppings. I like their taro trifecta, however the last 3 times I visited, they didn't have it. Their almond jelly and aiyu jelly are pretty good. They have some seats inside, but I personally think it's way too loud to hang out inside. Sometimes there's a line but it goes by pretty quick. read more

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formosa does classic teas the best! their teas are always fragrant and have the traditional taste that is not always found at other boba shops. I typically get the golden phoenix oolong milk tea or the jasmine milk tea and they always give me the strong tea place that I'm looking for! golden phoenix oolong milk tea - 10/10: always tastes the same, even if I change up the ice levels jasmine milk tea - 8/10: has a very fragrant floral taste, but waters down pretty quickly if you get it with ice there's a parking lot behind the store that is typically pretty easy to find parking and the inside is perfect for studying and getting some work done as there are some tables with outlets. if it gets busy, the store will get a little bit loud because of the smaller space and because of how the room echoes. the staff are always very nice and accommodating, even if it's busy and hectic and have never led me wrong with their recommendations. I would definitely recommend this place for those who are looking for a boba shop with more traditional teas! read more

Formosa Aroma - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

I feel like this tea/boba spot needs to be hyped up more. This spot is definitely for the tea lovers as they offer a good variety of quality leaves. They also have all the tea's flavor profiles which is so helpful in deciding which one you want. There's a couple of outlets as well if you want to hang out and do work. read more

Was in the area and looking for some interesting Bo shoo that we can all sit and talk. This is perfect place! their new grapefruits brûlée! They cute a huge chunk of fresh grapefruit right on the ring of the cup :) well other drinks taste great too! Good tea quality! Personally I think the snack is ok, I was expecting it to have some fillings in it, but I the flour is fluffy! I think I'll be back for other signature drinks next time! read more

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The tea here is really strong and delicious! It reminds me of Orobae from Irvine (before all the *tea* went down, if you know what I mean) but the staff here is really considerate. I've had friends who thought the boba quality didn't quite meet expectations, and the staff were kind enough to give them new boba. A good amount of seating that that could potentially be a nice study spot but it gets pretty packed and rowdy. Parking is no problem because there's street parking as well as a garage. As for price, pretty comparable to other places in 626. I usually like getting the roasted oolong. read more

There are so many boba places to choose from, but I finally got around to trying Formosa Aroma, and I'm glad I did! The staff was super helpful, especially since the person assisting us spoke both Chinese (for my mom) and English (for me), which made the experience even better. I decided to order the Formosa Ocean, mostly because the pictures looked so pretty--and I wasn't disappointed. It's caffeine-free, which was a nice surprise, and the carbonation gave it an interesting twist. Definitely different from the usual boba drinks! Parking was a bit of a challenge. Even though there's a lot in the back of the plaza, it shares the space with Lunasia and a few other restaurants, so it was pretty packed during lunch hour. After circling the lot a few times, we ended up parking on the street, so I'd avoid coming during peak hours if possible. Overall, I wouldn't mind coming back to this location. I had a sip of the other drinks my group ordered, and I'm curious to try more of their options--just not during lunchtime! read more

Formosa Aroma - Formosa Ocean - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Super quality teas with a focus on the tea flavor! Not overly sweet and has the right balance for what a milk tea should taste like. Iron Buddha was a very roasty smoky taste and the matcha slushie was a smooth and creamy blend read more

I tried: Dancing Crane Black Milk Tea Golden Phoenix Oolong Milk Tea Both solid black and oolong milk tea. I did not taste anything particularly unique with the dancing crane drink. The golden Phoenix Oolong had a much more fragrant tea flavor. I left it to the store to decide what "dairy choice" to use for the best results. They get a lot of orders but they've got a smooth operation going. There's a few tables inside so plan to take it to go. read more

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Wish I could taste photos. Just because a cup has pretty swirls of cream and color doesn't mean it'll taste like anything, and by the time you find out, you're $7 poorer and unquantifiably sadder. Formosa Aroma on Main St. enjoys easy street parking and steady foot traffic. It's brightly lit after dark, and inviting, full but not too full of students poring over laptops. I saw pics of these Typhoon drinks online and ordered the Peach one, essentially a flavored slushy in a cup smeared with sweet cream. The ice was chunky, so much that the cream wasn't discernable til the drink was almost gone. It was icier than drinks made with a home blender. Not sure if the worker didn't blend long enough or if the shop needs to invest in a professional grade blender. If it's the latter, then I hope they take initiative to right this wrong. Black Friday is, fortuitously, right around the corner. read more

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Tea lovers, rejoice! Menu has a wonderful diversity in flavor profiles to choose from with a rotating seasonal selection. The Dancing Crane Milk Tea had me at first sip. There was a little wait, but worth it! read more

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Customer experience is not worth the drink. 1. The drink was ordered 4:12pm. I received the drink at 4:30pm. 2. The lid was leaking out using cheap seal and material, did not feel premium for the price they are charging. 2. Once the drink was ready, The cashier toss the straw onto the table. 3. I said "Thank you" but received no acknowledgment nor a greeting back. Based on my experience with the cashier lady, I experienced attitude and rudeness. Do NOT come to this place again, folks. read more

Formosa Aroma - Formosa Ocean leaking seal on top of - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alhambra, California

Located off of Main Street in Alhambra, Formosa Aroma is yet another tea place in the 626 that I found out about through Instagram. The tea quality is evident, especially if you get it without toppings or sweetener. Their menu is super extensive and maybe even a bit overwhelming. Along their counter, they have signage that clearly describes the roast levels of each of their tea offerings, as well as notes of what that specific brew will taste like. Alternative milk doesn't cost extra but any kind of milk on its own does; for what it's worth, I think the tea is great standalone without milk at all. Do be aware that options such as condensed milk already naturally come sweet, though. There are a lot of tables and outlets as well as WiFi, making it a great place to study during the week, although I've heard it can get quite busy during the weekends. read more

The wife and I brought our friend here after dim sum lunch next door. I ordered the WHITE PEACH ICED TEA with light ice and 50% sweet. It was on point for my sweet palate, especially since it had plenty of fresh cubed white peach in the bottom. White peach is always better than yellow peach in my book. This bev was a real "peach" (forgive the pun). RATING = A read more

The staff was ok. Not friendly but not rude. I asked if the pudding milk tea would be sweet at 100% sweet. They said yes. It wasn't. The saving grace was as the pudding. Without that I wouldn't drink it. The store was clean and signs were really clear. I would return and adjust the drink to ask for it to be sweeter. But then I run the risk of it being too sweet because of the "barista"...what do you call drink makers? I'd come back. Except not during Dim Sum hours. There's no parking. It's horrible. read more

I got the matcha black sweet rice yogurt smoothie and it's honestly disgusting. The black rice is sour and I got a clump of unblended matcha in my drink. I'm giving two stars because maybe it was my choice of drink but this kinda deters me from coming back. read more

Their tea is brewed with espresso machines, hence the prices. The seasonal pink guava lime green tea was great. It was so refreshing on a hot day. The mango pomelo sago was good. The pomelo pulp made the drink sour, but citrus fruits don't bother me too much. Maybe it's better to get their tea drinks here. Some tables here have outlets! They really thought of people using laptops/electronics here. Bathroom is in the back. Parking is free on the street, or you can find free parking in the structures around Main Street. read more

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A pretty good spot for tea! There is a free lot directly behind it, though it can get very busy. They have a lot of standard flavors along with some seasonal options. There is a lot of seating, though it may be too loud and busy to be a good hangout spot. read more

What I find annoying is the complexity of their offerings. They have too many tea options, and they have obscure names like oriental beauty, or iron buddha, or ruby black. God damn every time I come people ask a million questions. All their teas should be at 100% compared to other spots. The boba isn't good. Parking sucks. read more

I feel like this is one of my best and favorite experiences so far. I would definitely come back here anytime when I get the chance. My friends and I came here for the first time and they all had a blast as well. The drinks here were spot on and smooth than any other places. I would highly recommend this place for you and your friends and even your family. The service here was fast and efficient and it's worth it. The ambience here was nice and cozy, it felt like paradise here. Something new. read more

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How to choose among the plethora of boba shops? I suggest you consider Formosa Aroma in Alhambra. For a change, I was not interested in my usual first-time drink (iced house milk tea with boba) when trying out a boba place. So cashier Darren had his hands full with questions in my random thought process and patiently answered: - Yes they have hot tea - Yes the Alisan mountain tea comes both hot and iced - Yes their aloe vera add-in is a gel but it has some crunch and it is stored in a sweet syrup - No he would not recommend aloe vera in the rooibos tea but I can order it if I want - Yes aloe vera in jasmine tea would work better My final order: an iced jasmine tea with aloe vera (no added sugar). It was perfect for my taste since I don't like overly sweet. The aloe added a touch of sweetness to offset the fragrant tea's astringency. As I drank it, I kept commenting to my group how good it was. They had a steady stream of customers that afternoon, but not a long line. Obviously, I held up the line a little with my questions but service was still efficient. There are several two-person tables and a couple of four-person tables to sit at. Restroom is at the back of the store. Parking is on the street or in a structure nearby. read more

TLDR: Strong tea flavor, and not too sweet. I was a bit despairing of finding a "Chinese" milk tea place here in SoCal. What I mean is one that has a strong tea flavor, and isn't too sweet. When my cousin suggested this place, we were a bit hesitant, because her other suggestion was just so-so. But as soon as we entered the store, we knew this place was going to be RIGHT UP our alley. The aroma of tea just HITS you in the face. I love that. (As an aside, Molly Tea in Sunnyvale used to have that strong jasmine smell. But now when I go in, I just smell bleach ((Blargh!))) I ALWAYS get a fruit tea, since I'm lactose intolerant (even for the powder stuff), and I HATE Oat milk. My go-tos are usually mango or peach. This place has WHITE PEACH! The sweetest of peaches! I knew I had to order it. They even put in small white peach chunks inside! SUPER YUMMY. It tasted like Peach, AND had a strong tea flavor. I usually order mine with the lowest sugar (25%.. At those ABC tea places, I usually get 0%). It was PERFECT. I loved it. No bad marks at all! My wife ALWAYS gets the Black Milk tea. They have the Iron Buddha tea, which is a strong tea. She gets hers 0% sugar, 0% ice. She also thought the tea was very strong, and had the nice creamy flavor from the cream powder. Also excellent! This is definitely a place I would recommend to serious tea drinkers. And it's DEFINITELY one we'll come back to, if we're ever in the SoCal area. read more

My daughter wants to go to Formosa Aroma to buy the Formosa Ocean, which she still remembers the flavor of from her last visit. The tea store is full, and many customers are waiting for their orders. I ordered Formosa Ocean, Mango Mojito Green Tea, and Formosa Umeyaki. The drinks are incredibly tasty and flavorful. The Formosa Umeyaki came out very hot and delicious, however there were only four pieces. Overall, the prices are a bit high. Formosa Aroma has opened another tea shop in Temple City. Next time, I'll check out the new Formosa Tea Shop. read more

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I don't think enough people realize how great this place is because there are so many quality tea places around! But Formosa Aroma really does have some amazingly smooth and flavorful teas that satisfy the most picky pallets! Try the... oh, forgot the name but has "phoenix" in it... 1/2 sweet! Just wow! read more