I came to Tab because of a Seattle Intentionalist/BECU prepaid tab highlighting queer owned…read morebusinesses during Pride month. I was so delighted by the friendliness of the owner. They were so kind and made it feel like we were pals. The tea was rich and I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they made everything dairy free (my tummy likes to play roulette whether I'll get an upset tummy or not when drinking dairy) and the drinks were HUGE! 24oz was their "small" and was more than enough for me to enjoy both the night I got it and the next day. The boba was so perfectly soft and chewy and actually kept overnight! :o Finally, the location was a little confusing as I didn't know it was part of a food hall, but I'm excited to come back and try some of the restaurants running out of this space when I come back for tea! The location

Prepare for an adventure because this is part of a shared kitchen where you find the 'front door'…read moreand order with a QR code (or online) and they message you when your order is ready. You then ring a doorbell that's on the sign for their business in the front area of the shared kitchen. I ordered through the qr code site and they asked me to come to the front and tell them what sweetness I wanted. They said default is 70%, if you like things unsweetened go for 20% (is that not still sweetened?). I said I don't like my drinks sweet just sweet enough to be balanced and they recommended 60%. I got a thai tea and jasmine milk tea to try and oh man both were waaaay too sweet and tasted like these were powder drinks with super chalky overly vanilla flavor. If you like things sweet I would say 60% is good but would probably do 20-30% myself if I ever came back. But did not find the drinks good enough to really come back. The jasmine tea as well had very little in the way of jasmine flavor as the powdery vanilla sweetness and milk was most of what you tasted with a non-descript floral note going on.

Clean and consistent taste. Love this place! Always cutely decorated for different seasons…read more They must have a new management. Service is very nice. Quick and easy. Can't complain ;)

Hot Oolong. Taro Oreo. Classic Thai…read more All great. Friendly and Clean. It's all you can ask

Delicious tea, made in a timely manner, love the interior decor, it's so cute, and the…read moreself-ordering pad makes it easy for you to choose a drink without pressure. I love how consistent their tea taste is, and their boba is cooked very well. Their fruit drinks are also refreshing and have a great variety for those who prefer no milk in their treats :) perfect stop for a walk through the little streets of Burien!

S Level is a serviceable milk tea spot, if on the middling end of what's available in the city. I…read moreordered the Hokkaido Oolong milk tea, and while nice and milky, there wasn't a substantial tea flavor. My guess is this place probably excels with more flavored drinks, so if I end up here I again I'll try one of those. Service was fast!

I had a really positive experience here this week. My toddler is just figuring out he can pick out…read morehis own treats and he had a bit of a meltdown when he couldn't communicate what he wanted to me. The staff was so kind and watched our stuff while we went outside to calm down. Then when we came back in they changed his order so he could get the item that he wanted. On top of that, the ice cream and puffs were 10/10. Will definitely be back!

Made a stop here during our time in Seattle, and it was so cute and so yummy! The space was small,…read morebut the interior was well decorated and lived up to the panda theme. The staff was friendly, and the service was quick. We ordered the pandan and the white rabbit candy, and they were not overly sweet with great texture and flavor! It definitely hit the spot for a sweet treat. I will definitely be back if I'm ever in the area!

This CHICHA San Chen has a leg up on the other locations as it offers tea tastings at select days…read moreand hours on a walk in basis. There are five different levels of roasts (light, medium light, medium, medium-heavy, and heavy) of the same base Taiwanese Lishan oolong tea to showcase how a master roaster can draw out different flavors by varying the heat applied to the leaves. Each person selects their roast level, and watches as 3 grams of tea leaves is combined with 95 degree water for a 6 minute brew time. There is a small presentation associated with the tasting, so the total experience takes about half an hour. Best of all, it's free! Note that this tea is different from the tea used in their drinks. I got the bubble milk tea with cream, perfect sweet and less ice. The boba is perfectly chewy and, the cream gives the drink a thicker, more velvety mouthfeel. The sweetness and cream perfectly balance the tea. Yum!

Summer's here; calls for some refreshers!…read more Been a minute since I visited. This time they gave two new drink series ( asked if they are seasonal; they dont know if they will be perm or seasonal yet) As usual they give you a small cup of "drink of the day" for you to taste. Definitely appreciate it so you get to try before committing to a whole cup of it.

As a lifelong banh mi eater, I don't say this lightly... this might just be the best banh mi in ALL…read moreof Seattle. I've heard a lot about this newer Vietnamese sandwich shop but just had the chance to try it this past weekend, but I am impressed. I ordered the typical "dac biet" cold cut banh mi alongside a Vietnamese iced coffee. Now when I tell you about that first bite, it already sealed the deal. The baguette had an easy but still crispy bite that is satisfying and DOESN'T cut your mouth like other breads do. Once I reached the fillings of the banh mi, I was surprised by how packed the inside was. I was able to get everything in one bite, it was like every ingredient was dancing together to create an incredible performance. But what really shocked me was how much pate I got in this sandwich, it was like they knew I was coming - thank you!! The Vietnamese iced coffee also paired very nicely, very standard quality and not too overpowering where it typically hits you. The pricing of the banh mi is more spendy than your legacy-owned Vietnamese deli that you'd find in Little Saigon or South Seattle, but for West Seattle I get it. The guy who greeted me (presumably the owner) was friendly too, everything altogether leads me to coming back again real soon to try their other sandwiches.

This was one of many banh mi sandwich places that Infatuation on IG has listed as one of the best…read morein Seattle through extensive taste testing by staff, so I threw this on my list about a century ago and then came here on a Saturday noon around 1pm. The place is tight and compact, with the interior literally being just their kitchen and a small area for standing and/or using any of two kiosks to place your order. Parking around the area is also relatively tight as it is in West Seattle, as is the seating situation; there's only two two-tops and a bench bordering the left-hand window of this place, and you'll get sun-kissed really hard on the bench during a summer afternoon since it's all outdoor seating. There was a constant stream of patrons placing orders for the whole duration of my stay here, even as I was just waiting for my order to be made. Staff are very attentive to everyone and call your name once your order's ready. Mines took about 10 or so minutes to come since many others were also waiting on theirs. For this visit, I got the following: - Grilled pork banh mi: this banh mi is loaded!!! I had a hard time grasping it between my hands, and the condiments were falling off as I took each bite. The baguette isn't crispy but that was all right with me. There is a near-perfect ratio of homemade mayo and French pate for the volume of the banh mi, and there wasn't too much of any one component. The grilled pork was just all right, though; it had rich flavor and an even texture to go along with the rest of the banh mi but was dry on its own. The secret sauce wasn't my favorite either as its slightly sweet taste didn't fit with the rest of the banh mi in my opinion. - Special lychee iced tea: this really hit the spot for the hot day this writing is based off of! It starts off really sweet but when you let the ice melt then it's very refreshing. The cup is pretty big too! I'm still in search of Seattle's best banh mi even after this visit, but I still enjoyed what I got and would give their other banh mi and perhaps their Vietnamese coffee a try! This place does provide combo options when you get their banh mi, but that was not the case for my particular order.

We had a little family day out at Alki Beach on a Friday evening, and after walking around, we…read moreneeded a snack. Decided to stop by Natalie's Sugarcane. First of all, I didn't realize they have TWO locations! one in Tukwila, which I go to pretty often, and this one right by Alki. But y'all, WHAT IN THE TARNATIONS?! The Alki location is such a VIBE! It was a beautiful sunny day, and sitting there with the warm weather, Vietnamese music playing, and the food coming out... I swear I felt like I was back in Southeast Asia for a minute. I do wish they decorated the outdoor seating area a little more to really lean into that tropical Southeast Asian vibe because the location has SO much potential, but honestly, the atmosphere was already giving. And here's what surprised me: I didn't realize Natalie's at Alki serves REAL FOOD! We got: Crab & Shrimp Fried Rice SO GOOD. Flavorful, packed with seafood, and definitely hit the spot. Mango Salad , Y'ALL!! THIS ONE?! The combination of fresh mango and avocado on a sunny day was PERFECT. Sweet, fresh, creamy, refreshing. I could've eaten the whole bowl myself! Literally almost did had to share LOL! we got Fries because honestly, you can never go wrong with fries. And of course, you already know we had to get the drinks! Their kumquat sugarcane drink is always a good choice. They also have gelato at this location, which I didn't even know! So now I already have another excuse to come back and try more of their menu. Tukwila location does have food but menus are a little different, so now I definitely need to go back and compare! Overall, Natalie's Alki is definitely worth checking out, especially if you're spending the day at Alki Beach. Grab some food, get yourself a sugarcane drink, sit outside, listen to some Vietnamese music, and pretend you're on vacation in Southeast Asia for an hour.

Natalie's on Alki delivered the goods and made summertime in Seattle really feel like summer. From…read moremy Traditional Sugarcane Juice (using REAL sugarcane) to my Vermicelli Bowl with Grilled Pork and Eggroll that I ordered for lunch, the food and drinks we enjoyed were all very delicious and tasted fresh! They have a nice view from across the street of Alki Beach from their pretty roomy outdoor patio seating and it's a prime location for people-watching. We had an overall wonderful first dining experience at Natalie's. We look forward to many more visits and making this one of our regular spots. I can't wait to check out their other locations soon, such as their Tukwila location since I frequent that area often.

CHICHA San Chen delivers a premium tea experience, but it comes with a premium price tag! It's…read morebasically $10 for a drink, and they only offer one size, which is the smaller size of a usual tea place's volume. BUT they are remarkably consistent, with perfectly chewy pearls and high quality teas. So, even though I'm paying a lot, I know it's going to be good. I got the Dong Ding Oolong with cream, perfect sweet and less ice with boba. The Dong Ding oolong is a high mountain oolong with a strong malty, nutty, roasty taste. It perfectly complements the cream. I prefer cream as opposed to milk since I think the cream gives the drink a thicker, more velvety mouthfeel if you mix it into the tea, plus before mixing you can sip on the cream and the tea separately, so it's like you can enjoy two drinks in one cup!

Since Chicha San Chen opened its Bellevue Square location, I have stopped by a couple times. While…read morethey serve some of the best boba, the tea flavor tastes a bit diluted compared to what I noted in my previous review. Because they brew each cup on order, I expected the tea to be more apparent, but in every drink I've tried it takes a backseat to other flavors. + DONG DING OOLONG TEA LATTE: I opted for light sugar and light ice. Despite being one of the most popular drinks, the tea flavor was weak and the cream dominated. It had a smooth consistency with subtle caramel notes, so it still tasted good, but I would have loved for the tea to shine more. At least the $1 addition of boba is pretty generous and I had enough for every sip! It was perfectly cooked with that nice chewy bounce. Since the boba itself is sweetened, going to 0% sweetness would probably be just sweet enough for me. + OSMANTHUS TEA w/ PASSIONFRUIT: Again, this leaned heavily toward the passionfruit rather than delivering a distinct tea flavor. (Side note: At the register, I received a sample of the High Mountain Pouchong Tea with Mango. This was sweet, super fruity and reminded me of mango nectar. It's really delicious, but only had a tiny hint of green tea.) + OSMANTHUS OOLONG HONEY TEA: I selected light sugar and light ice without toppings, hoping to taste the pure tea. I picked up the floral notes of the Osmanthus and the tea flavor came through a wee bit more than the other drinks, though still wasn't the dominant flavor. The amount of honey was on the verge of being too sweet, but the drink overall was refreshing and crisp. The new location in Bellevue Square is very clean with a few tables for two along the wall. It is consistently busy, so just be prepared for a wait. However, there are multiple employees preparing the drinks, so while the line appears long, they churn out orders pretty quickly without getting flustered. It's impressive! Given the steep pricing for the cup size and the weak tea flavor, Chicha San Chen wouldn't be my go-to spot considering all the other boba tea options in Bellevue.

I came across this TP Tea store in Seattle Chinatown, my first time trying their drinks. This store…read morewas spectacular inside, with high ceilings, modern furnishings and sitting space. It was so clean and slick. The menu had milk tea, tea latte, flavored tea, pink salt cheese crema, alongside 10 different toppings. Sugar and ice level were customizable. I ordered the crema mango tea and the signature milk tea. The baristas were helpful. They took the ordered and prepared the drinks in few minutes. The mango crema was so delicious. The bobas were sweet, soft and chewy. I loved the flavor so much, finished the whole drink in 10 minutes.

After dinner nearby, we decided on TP Tea for dessert. It wasn't too crowded a couple Fridays ago,…read moreand we were able to sit at one of the comfortable sofas while enjoying our drinks. TP MILK TEA + grass jelly, 30% sugar This is their oolong milk tea made Tieguanyin leaves. The ratio of tea and milk was perfect, but I didn't like that the milk left a bit of residue at the back of my throat. My friends got the Fresh Fruit Tea with Chia Seed and a seasonal drink with strawberries. I personally enjoyed the fruit teas more and would try one of these on a future visit.

I've previously had HeyTea in their Bellevue location, so I expected more or less the same when I…read moregot to this one on a hot, sweaty Tuesday evening around 5:40pm. Because it was hot and sweaty, a big sea of people were waiting both outside and inside this place, and I saw only about 5 or so staff members making all the drinks. There's only two tables and two benches to sit at on the right-hand side of the place; otherwise, the rest of the space is behind the counter where all the drinks are made and the strong aromatic aroma of tea fills the interior. From my visit here, I think you can only place orders either through their lone kiosk to the left-hand side of the entrance near a corner, or by scanning the QR code at the front of the entrance and following prompts on your phone. Staff was too busy making drinks to take orders at the front counter when I was inside. Either way, you have to use the HeyTea app to scan a QR code (on the receipt you get after placing your order) if you want to see an estimate on when your drink(s) will be ready. By the time I signed up for an account and downloaded the app using the slow 5G, my estimated time was 25 minutes; however, the wait for my triple supreme matcha latte (with extra matcha, less sugar and all other things in their recommended settings) ended up being more than 45 minutes as I walked around the perimeter and waited inside and outside this location as well. It was really chaotic trying to get my drink once it was ready; people were cutting in front of me and others to show staff their receipt and pick up their orders even though I was in front of the line. Taste wise though, the matcha is a strong ceremonial blend with grassy tones that actually caught me by surprise. That's because they have a matcha cheese cloud which I thought would have dulled the matcha taste but it didn't! There's also matcha mochi and what tasted like matcha jelly on the bottom which further strengthened the earthy tones. Probably because it was really hot as of this writing, the ice melted much fasted than usual so that's out of this place's control and therefor doesn't detract from my experience itself. Wait here was really long for just one drink but I'm thankful there's something you can use to see when your drinks are ready - in this case, their HeyTea app. I would probably only come back if I was around the area, though wait times for drinks might deter me from doing so altogether.

I visited twice and tried two different drinks on separate days: the Mango Coconut Tea and the…read morePistachio Tea. Unfortunately, neither one was for me, but I can definitely see why they're popular with younger customers. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and very fast with preparing the drinks. The shop itself is quite small, so I wouldn't plan on staying to sit for long.