Good news: large space, fast service, super affordable drinks. Kinda mid: the drinks themselves are completely ordinary. Lots of places out there now put extra effort into sourcing their tea, how they brew their tea, how they present your drink... None of that here. Don't let the modest rating fool you. Sometimes you just want as big a cup of milk tea as you can get for your money, and to that end, Refresh by Ekkamai, while a throwback in experience, hits the spot. read more

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This used to be a favorite place for Boba. But we just had a really bad experience. Very grumpy and unfriendly girl working there. Got our order wrong, over charged us and I think she didn't make our drink right when I asked them to remake what we ordered. Never refunded for the over charged items. It tasted weird, I was afraid to finish it and threw it out. We were polite and patient, I even gave a tip up front. Maybe she was having a bad day. But that's not our fault, no reason to treat customers like that. The phone did ring at one point, it was mostly ignored. The rudeness began well before it rang. Also we had to hear her complaints to her colleague after taking our order. The experience was depressing. Probably won't be coming back for a while. If ever read more

I was looking for a place to charge my phone and kill some time while I wait out dreadful LA traffic and I found Refresh! I parked in front at meter parking to unfortunately see the back parking lot, but it was already too late. Upon entering, I noticed that there's literally no seating inside, nor are there outlets or wifi. Just a bench. Very sadge. I ordered a lychee green tea with less ice and I feel like they gave me FULL ice but less sugar? Haha... it's fine. The cups are nice and large and the drinks aren't too crazy expensive. I think it was $4.50 for mine. I ended up chilling on the bench for an hour and half but it honestly isn't comfortable, so don't plan on staying here to hangout. They have a restroom for customers but you have to ask them to let you into the back. I'm not really a to-go drink kinda girl. I'm usually a sit down and chill at the cafe with my laptop for a couple hours kinda girlie so this spot probably isn't for me. read more

I've been here twice and it's rather bare bones and basic. Many things advertised on their menu they don't actually have. So it's rather underwhelming when trying to pick something. And also, it's not really set up to sit inside. They used to offer these delicious individual cakes. I don't know it just seems like the owners don't have a passion to invest in their business. The people who work there are pleasant though. So it's really a mixed bag. read more

Friend got a milk tea and said it was mid - the drink and the tapioca balls. Prices were better than other boba spots so I decided to drink a drink for myself. I got a strawberry black tea, and it tasted really weird. I think it was the syrup that they used. I'm not sure. I unfortunately couldn't drink more than a couple of sips to confirm I wouldn't be drinking the rest. I also got their packaged dip n dots and was sad to see the pieces were clumped together. It was a double fail for me. Also, they charge a 35 cent credit card fee. On a brighter note, service was great though! tl;dr don't recommend this place and won't be returning read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - dip n dots + strawberry black tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Visited for the first time here today and had an extremely disappointing experience. I ordered the white peach with black tea, which unfortunately tasted burnt and was far from enjoyable. The service was also subpar--when I mentioned I wanted a regular size, the cashier gave me an unwarranted look of annoyance, like I was crazy for saying that, only for me to discover that the drinks are offered in one size. Her rude behavior continued when she called my name in a condescending tone and sounded irritated towards me. I did not appreciate that. The staff's professionalism and customer service need significant improvement. Additionally, the ambiance lacks any meaningful charm or appeal. Based on this visit, I will never come back here read more

Pros * Adorable local business * Clean and modern interior design * Reasonably priced drinks Cons * The cups are not sealed, which led to all of our drinks spilling during an 8-minute bike ride home, even when carefully placed in a cooler bag. * The boba was too hard. * The black tea had a coffee-like flavor. read more

Boba here was pretty good. We got the milk tea boba and the taro milk tea boba and both had good flavor. This place is located next to the restaurant. But it's a different entrance. I was a bit confused at first when I got there but then found it. Service was fast and it's small inside with limited seating. But great for grab and go. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Just tastes like milk with a pinch of matcha. The color alone gave it away that it was going to be bad. The boba was not good either...Definitely a skip read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Matcha latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

All milk teas are curated with a soy based creamer!!! The staff was super friendly which we appreciated, as we didn't check the menu (see photo) beforehand and were quite overwhelmed with all the options. After going back and forth between the Wintermelon green milk tea (which tasted like cotton candy according to the cashier) and the Thai milk tea, I picked the Thai milk tea and had absolutely no regrets. 25% sweet with boba was not sweet at all, but which I initially didn't love, but since the size was quite large (one size, I believe), the barely-sweet drink turned out to be just perfect and didn't give me a sugar crash like how sometimes boba does. The boba itself too was very enjoyable. My sister ordered the green milk tea at 25% sweet, which was also barely sweet at all and embodied a strong floral flavor, just what she was looking for. The drinks also didn't come with half a cup of ice. Yes we ordered less ice, but we noticed there wasn't any ice taking up space in the cup, though the drinks were cold. AMAZING. This is hardly ever the case at popular boba chains. I would 100% come back here for the high quality and great value of these drinks! I am a huge boba fan and this place exceeded my expectations. They also have a thai restaurant next door (which is what made me go with the thai iced tea)! read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Rose milk tea was yummy perfect amount of sweetness. Staff was really nice and friendly

In the neighborhood on a chilly afternoon recently and decided to try this off-shoot from the Thai place next door. The friendly woman behind the counter answered all my questions and was not phased when I asked for only half sugar. Went with a Rose 'Milk Tea which uses Jasmine green tea as the base with rose syrup added. Wow! That rose flavor is potent, but the jasmine still shines through. And the boba is sweet & warm with a nice balance of soft yet chewy. It does start to harden as it cools so next time I'm going to order it in a hot tea drink. The menu is straight-forward without having to decipher any fancy names and the service was friendly and attentive. I'll definitely have to come again next time I'm on this side of town. Pro-tip: The parking lot next door for Ekkamai is available for patrons of this establishment, otherwise it's metered street parking. read more

Good boba! Great for those who like a light milk tea. Boba: Both firm and giving and the overall taste is excellent. Milk tea: The milk tea is bit on the lighter side almost a bit watery. It's not bad by any means but if you're looking for more of a less creamy taste, this would be for you. Definitely a must try and the portions are great. Good option to add to your westside boba catalog. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - good ole car shot - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Was craving some boba and this was one of the only spots in the area. I got passionfruit black tea with aloe & i loved how it had passionfruit seeds! The drink itself was really tasty but I was disappointed how 1/4 of my drink was foam:( I used to be a boba barista and the foam was caused because this machine was shaking the hell out of the drink haha. All in all, I would definitely come here to support a small business, but make them shake the drinks less! read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - passionfruit black tea w/ aloe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Everything was good here, mellow and chill service. Inside is a little interesting in design, but they have places to sit and enjoy. Your pearl tea. A tea itself was well made in a boba was firm the way I like it, the low sugar option is actually pretty low and sugar which is good. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - a coffee shop counter - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I go to many Boba shops and this one was just OK. The Boba balls were very chewy and tasted old. Overall drink was nothing to come back to. I will pass the next time. I am in the area. read more

Lemme say, I really appreciate Ekkamai's attention to detail on dealing with the covid situation. They had a stack of styluses to sign your electronic check. You grab a clean one and after you sign, you put it in the "used" canister. Once the canister gets a bit full, someone takes them and disinfects them. I appreciate this attention to detail. On to the boba! Two thumbs up for the boba tea. It's nice to get good boba nearby and not have to drive to Torrance or Sawtelle! read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The boboristas here are so nice and attentive. Throw any challenge at them and they gotchu. It could be nicer if there was a place to sit and eat or chat with friends. Not sure what the deal is here, but it seems like a sweet family business. read more

Paid $5 for half a drink lol, rip. The drink is pretty good but if you're not going to fill up the drink for what I paid for then charge less or have a smaller size. I made zero adjustments and this is what they gave me. ----- Update: owner reached out immediately and handled this. Thank you for a good customer experience. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Uh $5 for this ? - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Not to be confused with the Thai restaurant right next door - this boba shop is so good. I got a winter melon milk tea with soy and lychee jelly and it tasted so delicious and was also very refreshing! read more

One of the only boba places around this area, it's a very simple establishment with basic choices, so don't expect an atmosphere. You can find milk teas and fruit teas but no blended or elaborate flavors. It's good for what it is but I wish they would enhance the menu options with more interesting choices. The service is good, with easy and simple ordering system. Ask for a stamp card to collect rewards. read more

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Most incredible boba shop. There are thousands of Boba shops in LA. This is the best. It is a quiet little shop in the corner on Washington street. Not a lot of advertising. But it's clear the work goes into making the most incredible boba teas ever. I am so glad I live close by to Ekkamai. Regardless of the damage to my arteries, I have probably bought at least 100 boba drinks from them and not once have I been disappointed :) read more

Ladies were craving boba. Yelp led us here. Wife was happy with her Taro boba drink. My sister was pleased with her order as well. They both agreed that the boba tasted good. I liked the Chocolate Chip cookie. Large and affordable. Good place to stop at if you are craving Boba in Culver City. It is a large place and service is polite, fast, and efficient. read more

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Any boba spot that allows you to adjust the sweetness is legit. Refresh allows you to choose below 100% and even up to 200% if you want it extra sweet. We got the taro boba with 20% sweetness and it was just the perfect amount. Not ridiculously sweet. I did feel like they added too much ice, but it was my fault for not asking for less. This is a bit confusing, it's not the Ekkamai Thai restaurant, it is right next door in the white building with their parking lot in the middle. Plenty of parking available which I love. Chill spot, not a sit down type of place. It's a grab and go. Plenty of options. read more

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As one of the only boba options of in the area, the drinks are actually decent. Could do with less ice but the sweetness is good and adjustable and the tea might've been brewed too long. Service was quick, we waited at a bench inside but just be aware, the owner's (??) kid was playing throughout the space, he was even crawling on the floor and came really close to us. Not sure if this is part of the experience but...could do without it. I mean, there's a whole corner for his toys and we're here for boba, not to entertain the kid. It was a bit confusing to find this place. Originally went to Ekkamai but they told us their boba shop is a couple of doors down so we walked for a couple of seconds. Parking was a bit tough but expected. Would come again if craving and/or it's a late night. read more

Been coming here since they first opened and the boba is always the perfect texture and consistency. The tea is also perfect and not too sweet. Highly Recommend the Wintermelon Green Milk Tea or Rose Black Milk Tea. This is REAL authentic boba and is the real deal. Much needed on this side of town since there is such a lack of good boba shops! read more

I got the Taro milk tea with boba- but they said they only had day-old boba for free?! Why does a boba shop only have day-old boba? I tried tf anyway and of course, I could tell the boba was old. Ended up tossing the whole thing after two sips :( read more

I wanted to get boba with some of my friends and decided on Refresh by Ekkamai after seeing all the great reviews. They have a private parking lot off to the side so we found parking there easily. It was not super busy when we arrived, but there was a family ordering inside. We waited for about five minutes for them to finish ordering and get inside. Their menu is pretty limited. I went with a Lychee Black Tea with Boba. After ordering you wait outside. They have a TV screen that shows the orders in progress and tells you when yours is ready. Our order never showed up on the screen so we just watched the pick up counter instead. We waited for around 10 minutes for our two drinks to be ready. I did think that the wait was a bit excessive, especially since it wasn't busy. The tea itself was good, but it wasn't anything special. The boba had a great texture but the ratio of boba to tea was off. I hardly had any boba in my cup. Overall, my experience was subpar. My drink wasn't anything I would want to get again, and the wait was definitely not worth it. read more

Shop is so cute, great and fast service, but the drink was just not good. I got the rose milk tea: the boba was stale and the rose flavor was so strong it tasted like perfume. Would come again to try a different flavor! read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Rose milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Nothing out of the ordinary for myself personally, not bad nor something to write home about. I ordered a thai milk tea with lychee jelly for reference. My friends ordered a salted caramel milk tea (a bit too heavy but still delicious!), a brown sugar milk tea with grass jelly (a tad too sweet for his tastes and weird to consume because the grass jelly was square shaped and not circular for the straw), and a winter melon tea (average). Parking is available next door or across the street and they have all non dairy soy based creamers! I appreciate the social distancing (3 customers max indoors) and mask enforcement. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Store front - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love the passion fruit green tea and chocolate chip cookies here. The boba is nice and chewy. While I was in college, this was one of my go to boba spots. read more

Go with their recommendation on sweetness levels and such. They know what they are doing! In particular I was going to get the winter melon milk tea less sweet but they let me know if would not be good and it wasn't very sweet to begin with. So I took their advice and they were right! It's asian sweet and not american sweetness levels if that means anything to you. A legit boba shop on this side of town. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Winter melon milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I was honestly taken aback by how unwelcoming the space felt. It feels vaccuous and large without any welcoming seating for customers to enjoy the golden california sun streaming in through the ceiling to floor street-facing windows. And as for my wintermelon green milk tea, it used powdered milk that was disappointing but on the whole a rather wan preparation. The boba held their own, they were indeed tasty and soft. I have to find a cafe I'd like to sit at and enjoy a drink, but here I got the distinct impression they didn't have space for me to sit and relax. The couches in back seemed rather disheveled and unhygienic and surrounded by what seemed like "day care" toys, a whole pile of children's toys. read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Nowhere to sit n relax inspite of large space - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Did you know they have Banh mi? It's almost impossible to find a good one on the westside and it was actually really good. The bread was super crispy and so perfect. The milk tea had the best quality of tea on the westside outside of Westwood. I was bummed they don't have boba before noon so beware! Totally going back for both soon! read more

Refresh by Ekkamai - Banh Mi- I totally ate half before I thought this is worthy of a review so people know about this place. So excuse the bite marks. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've been wanting to update my review - this place has been consistent for a good boba fix. Their drinks are large and always comes out on point! The tea is pretty strong so if you are sensitive to caffeine don't get their drinks too late at night, and I really appreciate they don't load on the sugar so the drinks are always well balanced. Only thing is it would be great if they could add a little bit more boba than they do now. Other than that, definitely recommend it! read more

Took 10 minutes to get 1 cold brew. 3 workers, 5 customers w/ 1 drink each... wayyyy too long of a wait Coffee was decent but not worth the wait read more

I love the Milk Tea Boba at Refresh! It's also the best boba deal in town at less than $4 for a beverage. There's a parking lot round the corner and a couple of table to relax in, but most importantly, it's very good. I've been here four or five times now and I'm thrilled to say that the quality of the beverage has been great every time. The Jasmine Milk Tea is what I would specifically recommend. There's a smallish amount of seating and a couple of benches for people waiting on an order. The decor is simple and clean, but not the reason I keep coming back. I come back for Milk Tea with boba and I leave smiling. There's a Thai restaurant with the same name (Ekkami) next door. That's where you park. Look for Thai tea beverages on the menu as well. Enjoy you're beverage and please buy an extra one for me when you go! I would be very appreciative! read more

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I've been trying different boba and tea places because there are so many different options here in LA. This spot looked promising but my husband and I both thought it was average at best. Not much to write home about.. read more

This is an updated review: When I initially tried the drink my issues were that it was not sweet enough. After posting my review the owner had reached out to me and offered for me to try the drink again free of charge. He's told me that they make their Thai tea on the less sweeter side and must be adjusted when ordering if you want it sweeter. After trying Thai tea again with my desired sweetness, it has reach my expectations. Also, my initial review is somewhat unreasonable and written on the heat of the moment after I had already driven all the way home. I do not wish to make a business suffer(especially during covid) but I appreciate the willingness to fix something that displeases a customer. read more

Yes! They are open during these times- so please go support! Be aware that you need to have a mask to go inside. If you don't have one- knock on the door and they will come help you (there's a sign posted on their door). I was craving boba but I wasn't sure if there was a place near me that was open for pick up. I drove by here and thankfully, they were open! When you order & pay, they have individual stylus pens for you to sign the tablet and they ask you to put the used stylus into another cup- they sanitize the stylus pens after every use!) The staff was friendly & we got our drinks pretty quick. We both enjoyed our drinks! I liked the consistency of the boba- it wasn't too chewy, and it wasn't too hard. I didn't know this shop was here before, but I'll definitely come back soon :) They deliver via delivery apps (like UberEats, GrubHub &Postmates as well!) read more

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