This Chinatown location can get pretty packed, especially on weekends, but service is usually pretty speedy. My usual drinks are either the oolong milk tea with grass jelly or the grapefruit yogurt with lychee jelly, and this location is normally pretty spot-on with my orders. I have had an instance where they forgot to include the lychee jelly in my drink (which I didn't realize until I had already gotten on the CTA), but it's understandable considering this happens occasionally at plenty of bubble tea spots. Like most reviews do mention, this KFT is cash only no matter how much you spend, so be sure to have cash handy if you're looking for a boba run here! read more

I was really indifferent about coming here as the one in argyle isn't really something I'd rush to go to again, but I'm shocked at how delicious the bubble tea was, I had coconut and my friend had just regular and we both agreed that they tasted delicious! When I'm in China town late at night I'll make sure to swing by here again. read more

JUST. BAD. CUSTOMER. SERVICE. MANAGEMENT CHECK YOUR EMPLOYEES. My family and I had previously been regulars here, coming whenever we were in the area. However, our most recent visit wasn't pleasant. We ordered our drinks and the total came to eight dollars and some change. My dad handed the cashier a 20 and the cashier gave me the change with the receipt on top. I handed it to my dad and we stepped aside as my mother joined us and started talking. My dad didn't check until a couple min later when he proceeded to put the change back into his wallet and realized he was short ten dollars. I explained this to the cashier who said my dad had given her a ten but I myself had clearly seen him hand her a TWENTY. She argued with us saying my dad changed it last minute to a ten even though I said I had seen the whole transaction and even the receipt said he tendered a twenty. She kept arguing with us not apologizing and being just plain rude basically implying/accusing us of lying. We were so ticked off, when my mother came over to see what the fuss was about and the cashier asked another employee to come over, who cursed which upset my mother. Then they went on to talk in Chinese because they supposed we didn't understand them. And they were UPSET with me. There was one particular employee who gave me the nastiest look. They said they would check the cameras to see if we were telling the truth. Which took WAY TOO LONG. It seemed to us they didn't want to deal with the whole thing or even give our money back. They said we can come back another day if they were wrong. I mean WHO DOES THAT. First of all we do NOT Live in the city. I personally have worked in the food industry and this is NOT how you treat your customers. I even pointed out that since it was taking them too long to pull up the video which shouldn't have, (Because you just rewind to not even fifteen minutes ago. But, they couldn't figure that out.) if you count the register and have an extra ten dollars, you'd know we were telling the truth. When I mentioned this the employee who gave me a dirty look said I don't know what you're talking about and tried to dismiss me. At this my parents had already walked out and I was dealing with them on my own until I got tired of waiting because we were on a schedule. So, we are NEVER going back again. Because we spent $18 on three milk teas which is a hell of a lot of money for milk tea. There was no apology until I pointed it out later. Even then, only the cashier said it later AFTER I told her how rude they all were and should say sorry from a service industry standpoint. Anyways, the customer service IS HORRIBLE here. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. You definitely lost 3+ customers because I'm not taking my friends here as well anymore. read more

Good place for some variation of bubble tea if you want something different from joy yees. It's always really crowded but the drinks are good. I usually carry cash with me when coming here. They have board games if you come with friends. read more

I like it here because they have non-dairy options and you can adjust the amount of sugar. I'm always tempted to stop by for a smoothie when I'm in the area. read more

Get the Taro Tea ! After Chinese food, whilst walking around in China Town, be sure to stop by. Popular and tasty!

I don't normally write reviews but this place was seriously mediocre. Save your money! Two drinks was $12, OK fine. But they were bad. The half sugar was so sweet, and the yangleduo yogurt drink just tasted like sweet water. The milk tea drinks are made with milk powder, while other stores have the option to use fresh milk. The milk tea just tasted like sweet milk, no tea flavor at all. The hot drink was room temperature and was cold by the time we walked outside. I've been to other locations of this chain and had great drinks, but this store is definitely to be avoided for anyone who knows what actual good milk/bubble tea is. read more

This place is an awesome place for bubble milk teas and hanging out with friends and family. I personally think they have the best MILK TEA. It has some space for lounging and games to play. So if you want to hang around, make sure to get a table before you order lol. The place is relatively small. The only things I don't like is that they accept cash only and that they don't have smoothies. Otherwise, still a fan of this place! Oh, and try the mango cheesecake - DELICIOUS! read more

So many options! It's actually a little overwhelming trying to choose what you want.. in a good way. It's pretty great how you can customize the amount of sugar/ice/etc you want in your drink. The bubble teas/smoothies we tried were really tasty. I opted for 1/3 sugar and "less ice" and was happy with my choice. My boyfriend had a blended version that was smooth and creamy, better than the ice chip slushie that some places make. The tapioca balls were chewy and not overly sweet. Despite how crazy busy it was we didn't have to wait long, although every second was painful given the horrendous loud music being blasted overhead. As soon as we had tea in hand we ran out of there as fast as possible to escape the auditory torture, thankfully those airtight plastic film covers kept my tea from spilling during the sprint to the door. read more

What the what?! This place only accepts cash?! A huge inconvenience if you're like me, someone who never carries any cash. I went with my sister and she got the classic Milk Tea with tapioca and it was a classic disappointment. The milk tea had a funky sweetness to it, almost a fruity milkiness. Overall not pleasant. The service here is friendly and on the verge of incompetence. You get the entire package of the Asian experience since the cashiers speak with a thick Cantonese accent and are slow to answer even the simplest questions. But please, don't mistake their service as inadequate. They are just adding to the Asian atmosphere...Right? The only reason I gave this place stars at all is because of the interior design. It's a clean, chill place with aesthetically pleasing furnishings and decor. Personally, if you're in the mood for a satisfying helping of milk tea, try Saint's Alp's, their Almond Milk Tea with tapioca tops any other place I know and it's conveniently located across the street from here. read more

The milk tea itself was tasty, sweet, not too creamy as a milk tea supposed to be. Especially the tea leaves here was premium quality. No doubt it serves the best bubble tea in Chinatown area. I tried Oolong Milk Tea, Green Milk Tea, and Coffee Milk Tea. The flavor was the same as it was in Kung Fu Tea in Tampa, FL that I used to come many times. The boba sometimes was fresh and sweet, yet sometimes it was hard to chew. However, I have never seen too busy here as I visited here three or four times last week, there were just a few customers sitting. read more

I've heard some buzz around this place as all the cool kids come here to hang out and get some kick ass bubble tea (but mostly hang out). There are some things that kick ass (like Bruce Lee for example), but I wasn't knocked out by the tea at Kung Fu Tea. Walking into a tucked away second floor shop, I was greeted by blaring radio pop music (wait enough and you'll hear ads) and painfully, brightly painted walls and furniture. It was pretty dead besides the crowd of fobs hanging out in the corner and taking up the tables. Only a few of them actually bought drinks while the others were there to talk - that should've been my first warning about this place. I was dragged here under the assumption they sold bubble tea (because Joy Yee's had a long line - as usual) and decided to give them a chance. Looking at the painfully confusing menu, I looked for the fruit options. THERE ARE BARELY IF ANY FRUIT OPTIONS FOR BUBBLE TEA. *cue screeching violins* I don't want your passionfruit slush or taro slush, just get me something with strawberries and lychees. Oh wait, there's no fruit here to be blended. Literally, NO FRUIT. I looked at the shelves and the only things I saw were bags of dried boba balls, boxes of tea bags, and straws. Everything is made from powders and disappointment. This place is practically devoid of actual options if you think about it. Wake up, sheeple! Despite having a "big" menu, the drinks are all just variations of the common bases of green tea, black tea, ice coffee, and a few other tea options. I was so, so crushed. While it is an interesting concept that they let you choose your sugar and ice levels, I don't think it really matters as long as you make consistent, amazing drinks. Kung Fu Tea seems to be a confused ripoff of Starbucks. They even offer little, overpriced snacks in a front display. They resell individual macaroons from a pre-purchased box because the opened box was also in the bottom of the display case. (Look if you don't believe me.) It's a shop selling iced drinks and a few snacks. The business isn't exactly unique, so I would hope they at least had the decency to stand out and make their own macaroons for the price they charge. Also, I dislike the staff here. I get it's supposed to be chic and appeal to younger people, but hiring teens who end up talking behind the counter while you wait to put in your order, is really poor service. I walked in and had to wave over the counter because the girls were all chatting in the back and didn't notice me. They also speak softly and communication is strained due to the music. I ended up ordering a bubble milk tea, and was irked by their inefficient system. Yeah, cool, you have special machines that shake your tea and you also have a machine that seals the top, but it doesn't do any good if your recipe is poorly made/your staff can't handle orders well. Just invest in multiple blenders and train them how to quickly work them - it's better than standing there watching them talk while a machine slowly does the work. There are way too many workers in the back hanging out and not enough machines (only two drinks being shaken at once), so it ends up being a slow chaos. I waited a bit while they called numbers past/before mine until I finally got my drink. I couldn't believe the people sitting down were waiting at least fifteen minutes to get their drinks one by one since I came in. I saw the girl making my drink put in spoonfuls of powder (ovaltine?) and at that point, I was already annoyed I paid $5 for a small milk tea and deeply regretted not waiting at Joy Yee, which probably would've gotten me a bigger, better drink and sent me off by now. Taking a sip, I taste a bland, powdery slush of milk tea. The boba are only a little chewy, but bittersweet. It wasn't horrible, but I can't say it was good either. It was also not that well blended because at some sips, I got a shot of intense sugar (like the actual taste of sweetened condensed milk) while other sips were mildly sweet, all together in a chilly cup of disappointment. There are just way too many better places to get milk tea from and still have other options (like Joy Yee's literally across from them on the ground), so I don't think I'd come back here. Final Note: They ONLY TAKE CASH. Shady, in my opinion, but also inconvenient. read more

I wanted to see what all the hype was about and I'm pretty eh about it. The fact that it was overly hyped kinda killed it for me. Nothing out of the ordinary. It just seems like another milk tea kind of place. Since this place is known for their milk tea, I guess it's exceptionally well compared to other locations. But you should stop by and check it for yourself. read more

tucked away on the 2nd floor of chinatown square, it is like climbing a mountain to see the Tea Monk. anyway, Cons first: it's bubble tea. what year is this, 2001? At this point the genre isn't particularly exciting or destination dining. Pros: It's very good bubble tea. I got a large golden oolong, 30% sugar and it was delicious. I like the customization available (really you can just pick how much ice and how sweet) but it's a nice touch. Also they have 2 sizes of straw, so if you get a large make sure you get the bigger one. In conclusion, Joy Yees has staked its turf as the king/queen of Chicago Asian fruit drinks. But Kung Fu is better for bubble tea. Also they had limited AC, hopefully that's temporary but if not, while waiting for your drink camp out by the AC machine. read more

Only went there once but will go back for more! Love the flavors! The place can get crowded but it's a nice place to sit down. We waited until the crowd cleared up a bit but you know this place is popular when you see a long line! read more

I ordered a hot drink and it was like a cold drink without of ice also the drink it taste totally different it was cold and bitter!!! Not recommended! read more

I've been here a few times and I think their milk tea is decent. It's a nice place to chill and catch up with friends. As for the milk tea, I always get the coffee milk tea. I'm not sure why I keep ordering this drink but every time I order it, I can barely taste the coffee and the drink tastes plain to me. The drink isn't sweet enough for me, which is my only complaint. However, even though I don't taste the coffee, the drink is pretty strong since I've had palpitations (lol!) and it does a good job of keeping me awake on no sleep. I also like the boba, which is soft. I'll probably try come back and order some other flavor of milk tea since the coffee one doesn't taste as sweet for me. Also, they need to get a credit card machine! I don't like that it's cash only. read more

Can I say, "high school memories?" Obviously I'm biased because I spent the bulk of my free time in high school haunting boba shops back home in southern California. This place brought back a deluge of memories, so bonus nostaligia points. The space is built for socializing. It's spacious with board games scattered about. Kids sit around as I once did, joking around with each other and just being kids in general. I got the oolong milk tea with boba and less sugar. Ordering less sugar turned out to be unnecessary since it was only slightly sweet - I guess normal sugar levels would have been just right. I couldn't really taste the punch of the oolong, but it was still a decent tea. The star was the boba: just the right amount of chewy and also lightly sweetened themselves. If I ever wanted to go to a place to just chill out or catch up with a friend, Kung Fu Tea is high on the list. read more

LOVE their bobba tea!! If youae in the area I recommend you try any of their bobba tea they're amazing. One of my favorites is the winter melon green tea. During the summers the seating space can become limited as it tends to attract a crowed, but you can always take a walk around the area! read more

First time I tried it, I was brought back to my childhood when bubble tea was first invented overseas. The more I come, the more plain the drinks get. One of the girl who does cashier have an attitude out the world. Also, what the hell is Kung Fu this and that? Get a picture or list some ingredients so people can understand what they're ordering besides plastic cup, straw and tapioca. What's irritating is this cash only policy. It's freaking 2014! Are you owned by some triad as a front for a business by making this place cash only? Get this fixed or get Kung Fu throat chopped by your customers! read more

This is the first time I went here and boy was I impressed! You get to choose toppings, SUGAR LEVEL, and the list goes on. The biggest difference from this boba tea place vs. other is that you could choose how sweet you want it. The place is located upstairs of Chinatown. Decor is cute! Great place to hang out with your friends or rest your feet after a long day in Chinatown. read more

Been here a couple times. I liked the drink I had, the hot milk tea could be a bit hotter instead of lukewarm. Taro is good, the coffee is good... I love the design of the place. I just wish they accepted credit card/debit cause it's more convenient. But other than that it's great :) read more

Kung Fu Tea is my second favorite bubble tea place in Chicago, but I think that says more about the quality of bubble tea in Chicago than the quality of this shop in particular. There are a few things that really brought the rating down for me: cash-only, service and ambiance. The tea itself is pretty decent though I sometimes question if they make the milk teas out of powder (mentioned in another review as well). Bubbles are usually pretty good quality, although I have had some harder less chewy bubbles. Would recommend coconut milk bubble tea, anything taro and matcha milk tea slush. The generic drinks aren't fantastic and some of the fruit slushes might be better if ordered from Joyee or St. Alps to be honest. Being cash-only as a franchise really hurts Kung Fu. I hate having to carry cash around to pay for a bubble tea and there really isn't any reason I can see (given that most people generally do buy bulk orders here) for the franchise to remain cash-only. Service is also something that needs to be improved, because I've often waited over 15 min for a single drink. Even on busy nights, I think this return rate could be improved on. I think the store could be cleaner if people were better about throwing their straws and cups away. The ambiance is always really loud and energetic and can get overwhelming, although this can be avoided by stepping out to the square. read more

Came in here because the line to Joyee was too long. The flavors are very limited and the drinks are obviously made with powder or syrup. I asked for 30% sweet but it was still overdone. Super rude staff especially the young girl at the counter. I don't remember her name but she was standing next to a young boy with glasses and she had extremely oily skin and acne. I asked her if they did peach green tea and she rudely states no and starts speaking Mandarin to the boy next to her and they start giggling. Sigh, I can't stand teenagers. Lots of seating, but it's usually crowded during peak hours. Might be good for a quick fix. All in all, crappy service and drinks. I can see why this place is popular among high school students, but stay away. read more

I've been here twice and it's packed everytime. The grapefruit tea drink was sub-optimal but the taro milk tea was delicious. Stick to the basics here. read more

By far the worst customer service experience of the decade. Absolutely rude for a less than mediocre drink.Never again !

KF oolong milk tea iced with less ice, bubbles... On point today. Bubbles sweet, chewy and taste good. Strong tea taste and milkyness is delicious. Wi-fi is working and music level is good. :) read more

I absolutely love Kung fu tea, they have one of the best bubble milk teas out of all the ones I love. Make sure you try out their passion fruit slush cause it's crazily amazing. Adding bubbles into the slush would also be a perfect match. I was alerted when I saw that they sold bottled water and small cake snacks. There are also small games like Jenga and Connect four to play while you spend your afternoon sitting in one of their various amount of chairs with your friend. read more

I was so suprised with the staff who did get my orders at Kung Fu tea. Her attitude was not professional with customers and she did get orders like she didn't want to do that. Me and friend didn't feel we were very welcome here. read more

This is one of my favorite treats, and they stay open until midnight for those of you with late munchies. They take cash only, so go to the ATM beforehand. You can ask for any level of sweetness you prefer. I usually ask for 1/3 sugar and it's still very sweet to me and delicious. They usually serve most drinks on the rocks unless you order a slushy or ask for blended. I love both their dairy based milk teas and their clear drinks, like the mango green tea which goes great with grass jelly. Their honey green tea is fantastic as well, a good choice for days I want to go dairy free or want a thirst quencher I can knock back quickly instead of sip. Their taro milk tea and jasmine, almond, and coconut milk teas are great. Orders come out quickly even on busy days and I haven't had an order screwed up in the years I've been going. Their choices for chewies include grass jelly, nata (coconut) jelly which is similar to tapioca, and of course regular tapioca balls. There might be some other additives I'm unaware of. Their menu is really big and when I get over my rotation of favorites mentioned above, I will drink it all one day. The decor is nice and it's a good place to sit for a while and relax. read more

KFT is prob your best bet for boba in Chinatown Chicago. It's a chain, so nothing too too special there, but as far as drinks go, the menu is standard and quality here is consistent. They're located upstairs in an older building and compared to other KFT locations, even though it's not that old, it has a dingier vibe. I didn't see a lot of people lingering to hang out or study the day I visited, but if you want a quiet place to hide out and get work done, this could be a good bet! read more

Best boba place in Chicago! It has a great variety of tea such as milk tea, jasmine green milk tea, oolong milk tea , etc. my favorite tea is oolong milk tea. You can customize your drink with different toppings such as boba, herbal jelly, red beans, green beans, etc. What I like about this place is it's tea... Authentic Chinese tea...the tea smells really good and I could tell the tea come out brewed tea not from powder... And It's boba is really chewy. I come here every time I visit chicago and it is comparable to boba tea I get from LA or Taiwan The only thing I don't like like about this place is long wait...I have to wait in line for 35 mins for a drink read more

I crave the oolong milk tea almost every other night so I think that says enough about how much I adore this place.

Enjoyed the bubble tea with boba. I had a Carmel macchiato and it was tasty and not overly sweet. It does get crowded to wait on line but I was there on a nice day in China Town - the wait was with the tasty treat read more

Average tea with below average boba. This is probably the best that I've had in Chicago, but that's not saying much, since it was overpriced and, as stated before, bordering below average. Coming from California where boba is plentiful (and they have KungFu Teas), this was just alright. It was nice to drink boba teas again, but I wouldn't go all the way to China Town just for this. read more

The bubble tea here is delicious and I may come back at some point. However, it's way crowded and kind of pricey here, which I found kind of annoying. It's really big inside with lots of seating, which again, was completely filled up. read more

I used to come here all the time for the regular milk tea with tapioca and it was delicious. I took my friend here one day and decided to try something new I got an Passion Fruit tea and I drank it half way and got sick from the drink or tapioca. I was literally in the bathroom every 20 minutes. I wouldn't drink that again. And by the way my friends works here and the milk teas aren't authentic, they use powder instead of transitional tea leaves. You should go to Saint Alps for better milk tea, only a few steps away. read more

I feel like I'm a quasi-self-proclaimed-bubble-tea-connoisseur and this place is just average if not subpar to me. I really really wish they had more variety and options to choose from. Judging from the few drinks I've tried... they weren't really anything special with the most recent being the pina colada slush, which I was really excited for. I unfortunately found my tapioca bubbles to be frozen and hard rather than soft and chewy. Another issue I have is that it is cash only and a bit pricey considering their "medium" size is more like a small. There are plenty of other options available around especially in Chinatown. I would recommend giving other places a shot, unless you're particularly loyal to the Kung fu tea franchise! read more

Kung Fu Tea is the newest addition to the Chinatown shopping center on Archer Avenue. I came here with a craving for a nice, cold milk tea yet left unsatisfied. First off, I did not understand the Kung Fu theme or the menu. It's confusing and needs some type of explanation. Unfortunately, the staff were not very helpful as they were too busy messing around behind the counter. The place was way too loud and the product was not worth it. read more

Cash only. Limited boba add-ins. Basic selection of milk and fruit teas. Indoor and outdoor seating. FREE WiFi.