We stopped in here after visiting the gachapon arcade upstairs and immediately noticed how clean…read moreeverything was. The whole shop is really cute, too. They have plushies sitting on the couch in the waiting area and a little floral Instagram wall that's clearly meant for photos. We also very much appreciated that they have a bathroom, which isn't always guaranteed in Chinatown spots. I got the large Fruity Party drink and loved it. It had slices of citrus floating in it plus a rainbow of fruit jellies at the bottom. It was both super refreshing and really pretty. I'd absolutely order it again. My sister got the medium kumquat lemon seasons tea. It was super strong and concentrated, which is just the way I like my tea. I learned that I liked kumquat kumquat so that's a fun bonus. We'll definitely be back next time we are in Chinatown.

DaBoba? More like DaCustard!…read more Wanting a little sweet treat, I stopped into Daboba for a Roasted Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea. I initially attempted to order at the kiosk, only to discover doing so comes with a 3% fee vs. ordering with a human. It's not about the nickels, it's the principle of the thing! I instead placed my order with the clerk - less ice, less sweet. Though it wasn't very busy at the time, the drink came out relatively fast. The service overall was friendly, too! Now, about this beverage... if I'd asked for a "surprise me," I'd be happier. This is because on its own, it was respectable and unique in its custard-like consistency. However, given that I'd ordered a milk tea, where neither the appropriate consistency nor tea notes made an appearance, my happiness and satisfaction levels go down. To give some credit, the beverage I received wasn't too sweet, and had a slight velvety mouthfeel. It was unique and interesting, unlike anything I had ever had before. Final verdict: there is no shortage of boba tea shops around, especially in Chinatown. If you're going to do something different, power to you. However, don't say you sell one thing, and sell another.

We shared the watermelon tea and it was super refreshing and not too sweet…read more Also love that they have a mini bean!

Came here on Chinese new year which was on a Tuesday. Showed up right after an early lunch right…read morearound noon. We were lucky that this was located in that Chinatown mall because we got parking and we're able to walk directly up here. When I got here, there was no line there was one other patron waiting for her order. There are a couple screens where you put your order in and then they text you because they ask you for your phone number once your order is ready then you pick it up right on the left-hand side of where they're actually is a register. The one girl who was working here that day was very nice and friendly, but I don't think she totally understood me as I was trying to explain the benefits of leaving tip in cash versus tip on the card at the kiosk where you put your order in. We did order two drinks and both drinks are absolutely delicious. However the Taro milk Boba tea was a little bit chewy. You could obviously customize your toppings, the sugar amount, the iced amount, etc. that sounds pretty standard. The flavors were delicious and super fresh so frankly, if this came out of a can or out of powder, it definitely didn't taste like it. Really top quality and great taste for the price. I believe each drink was $6.25 which puts it right at par with a lot of its competitors in Chinatown. Also, if you order some of the unique drinks that come in a unique square cup, believe it or not. The location is completely decked out in their pink. It's very cute and I assume was really put together for the purpose of social media pictures as you can see from the pictures I took. I would definitely come back here again as it is unique however, a lot of the menu is pretty similar across the Boba competitors located in this exact same mall as well.

This is easily one of the best boba tea places in the loop! The tea selections they have are…read moreabsolutely amazing, and they have enough variety to where I you can try something new everytime. The staff are some of the nicest people I've met and were very Flexible and helpful with ordering and the manager was incredibly nice! She made sure to check in on everyone and was super sweet the whole time. She even helped get me a new croffle when it accidentally fell off my table. Overall amazing place and I will be there again! P.S: students can get a discount too!

10/10. So good. The cream on the top was fresh. The dough was soft and flaky. It was an experience…read morefrom the first bite that left me wanting more. They have a cute kiosk where you can order and pay. The inside very cutesy. Light colors. Trendy decor.

A MUST TRY experience if you're visiting Chicago. Started a bit rocky as I did the reservation for…read more10am but no one was there until about 10:15am. But besides that hiccup, I did the tea tasting on a Wednesday and it was such a great learning experience and peaceful activity. Such a zen ambience. This experience encouraged me to continue learning more about tea and its beauty. Phoenix oolong Tea was my favorite! I've gone to other spots but this one was different because of their willingness to share so much knowledge. If you're thinking of drinking less coffee and switching to tea, this is a great place to start!

I think I need to come and do a tea set here for it to actually make sense. My friend and I came…read morehere to catch up and we got the oolong iced tea and the matcha latte. Both were ok. Couldn't really taste much of the oolong tea. They have a self-serve kiosk which we used. The ambiance is pretty nice and minimal and also very quiet. Loud conversations aren't recommended unless you'd also like the whole place to listen. This is definitely a spot for actual tea service vs a sweet and fun drink. I need to come back for that purpose to really get a full vibe. A wfh/study session would be great here though!

Love the canned drink so you can walk with it. I stopped in for tanghulu fruits. Everything was…read morefast and delicious despite them being busy.

Located on the 4th floor of a mall in the small food court, Te'Amo seem barely staffed and raggedly…read moremanaged when I swung by. The tea came out quick but didn't stand out in any particular way. Enough to scratch an itch but overall not very convenient to get to, and a bit of a drab spot.

Honestly wayy better than I expected. We need more of these places and learn from Asia!! It was…read morebetter than some of the boba stores I visited on my trip. No boba, but jellies and it's basically a giant refrigerator. Great service and chill price

After purchasing one of your teas from the ATM, I was thoroughly disappointed. First, product came…read moreoff as healthy. Frutose, corn syrup and colorings are toxic and cause diseases. Then, attempting to open in order to drink this concoction was next to impossible. NEVER AGAIN! Couldn't give a 0!

At the Taiwanese, I was very excited to try this restaurant since there aren't many Taiwanese…read moreplaces in Chicago. Taipei Cafe is a small restaurant in Lakeview. There aren't many seats available so it feels like a semi boba shop as well. To sum it up, I would say it is ~70 to 80% authentic, which is not bad in my opinion. Braised Pork Over Rice 招牌滷肉飯: The presentation was beautiful and the flavor was actually pretty good. In Taiwan, this dish is usually more on the sweeter side, due to the sugar and shallots added. Here, it is more peppery and savory, and the flavor was actually really good. The beans and the mustard greens were very delicious as well. Even though the flavor profile is slightly different, this was well made and something I would come back for. Noodles with black pepper sauce 胡椒鐵板麵: traditionally this dish is called蘑菇鐵板麵, which uses mushrooms, black pepper and other sauces as a base. The flavor was good, but I wish that there were more mushroom and sauce to balance the black pepper. In my opinion, this dish tasted very different from what I used to eat, but it is not bad on its own. 2/4 Fried pork chops: the meat was fried very well, and it was pretty peppery and crispy. However, I think there are different spices and flavor missing, including white pepper, msg, garlic, Thai basil, cayenne pepper, and more. I wished that the savoriness and spiciness popped up more, and I thought the spice blend and the marinade could definitely use some improvement. 3/4 Beef noodle soup 牛肉麵: I thought the bone broth was pretty good, but I believe the flavor profile should be wider, like tomatoes, five spice, 豆瓣醬, soy sauce, and more. It was a stripped down version, and I wished that is reflected in the name of the item (renaming it "clear soup" etc). Also, the amount of meat they gave us was a little bit pitiful (there were like four pieces), and there were two pieces of bok choy. When Taiwanese people eat beef noodle soup, we definitely expect more. 2/4 Additionally, I wish the drinks were made with some fresh ingredients (not just syrup or creamer), as standard/good quality boba shops from Taiwan try to make drinks as fresh as possible. That is high ask, but I just wanted to note that as a suggestion for improvement. Overall, I thought the food was pretty decent. Would I say it is the most representative Taiwanese restaurant in Chicago? No. The staff was actually Chinese loll. But I do think it reminds me of some flavors and food I grew up eating in Taiwan. If you like popcorn chicken and pork, it is likely a good place for you.

Solid, tasty taiwanese food!…read more We enjoyed a mix of dishes (chicken bento box for me, beef noodle soup for my boyfriend, as well as fries with Thai seasoning and a boba tea for me). The green beans came as a side with my bento box and were amazing. The ordering system is a little clunky and annoying but we got through it. Vibes in the space are fine, it's an efficient little cafe The biggest thing is that there's really an opportunity for more sauces! For the fries, for the popcorn chicken, for example, a sauce would make a big difference to dip it in. I like this place and expect to be back

Delicious. The kind of place where there's always a kid doing homework or playing with legos at one…read moreof the tables in the back. Built on consistency and neighborhood loyalty. Basically two places in one: * Boba Tea - Grab a drink and walk the park across the street. Fantastic boba texture and flavor. * Restaurant - Focus on the Popcorn Chicken and the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup A easy place to make a regular haunt.

Love their popcorn chicken, and the beef donburi with kimchi, and salt & pepper tofu were also very…read moregood. Just ok were the stir fried noodle with shitake mushroom and pork was ok (these are very thin rice noodles) and the spicy beef noodle soup (tasted seasoned/salty but lacking in depth of flavor). It's a casual place good for eating alone or with a larger group, service is good, and there's a small parking lot that gets full quickly, but has high turnover. I really liked this place but unfortunately the bathrooms were not clean, hence the 4 stars instead of 5.