Came across this great little tea shop. The tea was delicious with plenty of smells. The staff was…read morefriendly and helpful. It was one of the highlights of my work trip.

Cute little cafe in Albany that serves a wide variety of teas with fast, friendly and efficient…read moreservice.

Busy day running errands. Feeling hungry. No time to get home for lunch. I'm passing Taichi Bubble…read moreTea & Ramen. It's a Taiwan-Asian fusion-inspired fast food chain but I was down for this. It's been more than a year since my last meal here. I don't know if they changed their menu but I experienced a bit of a relearning curve in ordering ramen at the front counter. First, I needed to pick a broth. I chose Tonkotsu ramen, which is ramen in Japanese pork bone broth. Then, I needed to pick a protein which was shrimp and I asked for the meal to be extra spicy. It only took a few minutes. I could hear it being prepared in the kitchen. The young woman at the register was helpful and patient as I made my selection. Definitely convenient. The ramen was good. I got a lot of shrimp and I liked the little slices of fish cake with pink flower designs. The decor has undergone slight changes since I last visited. It seems there are better displays and more varieties of merch. It's still very clean, bright and cheerful. There are still plenty of young customers. Given its close proximity to SUNY Albany that should be no surprise. I liked the playlist, too. R & B and Hip Hop played in the background. Loud enough so that you could definitely hear it but low enough so that students who were dining--some in groups-- could comfortably hold conversations. I didn't plan to come here but my stomach growled. It was a nice, relaxing lunch that hit the spot.

There was a time I used to wish there were more bubble tea places in the area, well that wish came…read moretrue and Taichi is one of the many delightful options that have popped up in the capital region. The bubble teas are reasonably priced and there is a large menu of different flavors and drink varieties. Taichi also serves poke bowls, ramen and rice bowls with fried meats. I always go for the poke bowls, but I tried a bite of my husband's fried pork dish and it was really good. I may need to switch up my order next time I'm there! They also have a few types of ramen that look really tasty. Service is usually quick although once when my husband was getting our take out he told me that one of the two employees was on his phone while the other employee scrambled to do everything. He waited about 10 minutes for an order that was already ready while the phone loving employee ignored him. Sounds like a terrible coworker! Their online ordering platform is easy to use and they have a rewards program where you earn $10 off for every $100 spent. The restaurant is large with tons of seats, very clean and sells plushies and some other knickknacks.

We ordered the Tiramisu Cloud Matcha Milk Tea and a Chinese crepe with Spam, and honestly, both…read morewere really, really yummy. I'd rate both around a 4/5. Food was yummy and the matcha was on the sweeter side, which I enjoyed. If we lived nearby, we'd definitely be coming back! The interior is also super cute, they did a great job.

I love their drinks and dessert specialLu matcha drinks and tiramisu Cloud and desserts of tiramisuread more

Went to Gong cha for boba and it did not disappoint! They are top notch and good quality love it!read more

I had my first mochi bubble waffle at Gong Cha, and it was enjoyable! I decided to try the Dolce…read moreMilk Coffee Bubble Tea, which I really liked. I appreciated being able to easily choose my size, sweetness level, amount of ice, and toppings for both my drinks and waffles. They offer quite a variety of options, including seasonal items like pumpkin, peach, and Hershey. The kiosk option is super convenient, and the service was quick and friendly. In terms of ambience, it's okay; I'd treat this spot more as a grab-and-go place, but they do have a couple of tables if you want to sit down. Overall, it's a pleasant spot for bubble tea.

Wow! I waited over a week to visit this place because they were sold out of most of the desserts…read more They're so popular, and the owners take their time making new desserts. They have tea, but I wanted cheesecake. The cheesecake was excellent! You order online or at their kiosk inside. It's best to keep checking online to see if the desserts you want are in stock yet, if they aren't, they're listed as sold out. The ube cheesecake was creamy, sweet, with cream. The triple matcha cheesecake was very good, tasted like matcha, and best if you don't like dessert too sweet. Each piece of cake was around $10-11 would be nice if it was bigger, but it's great as it is because it's dense. It's so cute inside! Service is fast! Highly recommend!

Loved Eggcellent so much we visited twice on our trip in the Albany area! The options are fresh and…read moredifferent from what I am used to having when grabbing a milk or fruit tea. First up, I ordered the Jasmine Tea with Matcha foam and coconut water. This was a super refreshing drink and I am already wanting to have it again. Second we grabbed the Ube Milk Tea float which was a super pleasant taste, ordered with 0 percent sugar which kept it at a perfect level of sweetness. The ube milk tea float comes with a scoop of delicious ube ice cream on top. The service was super friendly and inviting, and the inside was really cutely designed.

I love getting the beef noodle soup. So good. Have eaten in the restaurant once and the restaurant…read moreis clean and the service is great.

The stewed beef chuck, which is really beef noodle soup, was ok. Good portion size, good amount of…read morebeef and bok choy. If you get it to go, they put the noodles and stuff on a tray that sits on top of the broth, which is really cool. The broth was lacking in flavor, very bland. Their lo mein looks like it would be good, but it tasted really strange. Broccoli and beef were good though. The beef was very tender and flavorful.

Nice little gem of a restaurant, fast and efficient service , and really good quality sushi for the…read moreprice. I love the Japanese aesthetic. Pictures attached.

I'm on a business trip in Albany and saw that Ruby City was just a few miles from my hotel. So, I…read moredecided to venture out the day before my conference to check it out by myself. They had a small parking lot in the back which is a plus. I got there close to 4p, the open at 3, so not busy. The owner/hostess greets me and seats me towards the front and explains the menu is online, awesome. Just scan the QR code and add anything that starts with AYCE. It was simple and with just a little guidance I get my first order out. I asked her if Ramen was included and the first thing she tells me is not to waste food. I shouldn't order too much. Ok, I don't disagree with that but to start off the experience being judged? Anyway, I wait on the ramen. I ordered the calamari and rock shrimp appetizer. Now most AYCE sushi I've been to gives you a few pieces of calamari and a few pieces of shrimp. Not here. Be careful. The portions are pretty big. They also add a lot of rice to the nigiri pieces. But the quality of the fish was pretty good. The mackerel was a little tough and dry but it was ok. There were a ton of choices on the AYCE menu. But in the end I didn't make a second order because the portion size and the amount of rice got me. $28.99 for the dinner AYCE. Not a bad price at all. I went alone and had to eat my entire appetizer by myself. Next time I will bring someone to share.

We stopped in for BOBO Thai Milk Tea and Mango. As always they made right away and are always…read moredelicious! They are always friendly, fast and professional. As usual the restaurant and rest rooms are always clean. We will be back the next time we're in your area!

This is one of those places I waited too long to visit and am glad I finally got there. I like this…read moretwist on crepes. It's quaint, quiet, and pleasant inside, and I was greeted by the aroma of crepe better cooking. While it wasn't busy inside, there was a steady stream of orders to go. The chicken in my chicken teriyaki crepe was cooked perfectly and still moist, and the combination of the chicken, greens, and sauce really hit the spot. The teas are quite flavorful but a bit sweeter than I would normally prefer. With so many food options along Route 9, T-Swirl stands out as a unique and delicious option.

I had a regular size lavender milk tea with boba. It was delicious and had plenty of boba in it…read more The shop was pretty busy but my order was ready quickly, and the cashier was pleasant. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm at the mall.

Pretty good bubble tea! I was in the area for a meeting and planned to grab a cup of coffee...but…read moregot sidelined by a place to get me some boba! I refrained from the milk tea and kept it simple with green tea with raspberry tapioca. Yum! Service was quick and friendly. Will definitely try something else next time I'm passing by.

I love this local restaurant! The baked goods are delicious and their tacos are sooooo tasty,…read morefilling and reasonably priced. The employees are really nice and service is quick and attentive. It's a cute small store, there are a few spots for eating but it's more of a bakery vibe than a restaurant. I can't wait to go back and try out more of their menu!

Daisie's has grown. I was the first to write a Yelp review for this business more than 2 years ago…read morewhen it was solely a bakery featuring Daisie's awesome tres leches (3 dairy) cakes. Months later, Daisie began offering occasional meals. I know that it has become a full fledged eatery. What a nice menu! It wasn't very busy when my friend and I stopped in for an early dinner just before 5pm. The business is still very cute and clean. Daisie has added a lot of Mexican candy and snacks to her inventory. We came primarily for tacos. My friend had chicken tacos. I had chorizo tacos. They were on small soft corn tortillas and were as delicious as they were authentic. I also had an order of flautas. They were three crispy rolled tortillas filled with shredded chicken and topped with shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream. They were good, too. So was the slice of tres leches which we shared. Daisie wasn't in but there was a very friendly and efficient young woman behind the counter who took our orders and served the meals. The dishes came out of the kitchen in a timely manner. It appeared to be well run whatever hiccups previously existed were gone. We enjoyed the meal and stayed so long that we almost ran late to catch a show. I left in such a hurry that I forgot my bag on a seat. I didn't get very far before I noticed my mistake. I called ahead and when I returned, the young woman welcomed me. There were no customers at the time, but she put my bag behind the counter for safe keeping which was reassuring. I was so grateful and she was so gracious, I insisted on giving her a second tip / reward as a gesture of appreciation. It was a great experience all around and I look forward to returning to eat my way through the menu. Thanks so much.