Seattle-Area Boba Shop Review #108 Nuttea is another boba chain coming from Taiwan, this time settling in the old Redmond Meetea location. It's known for specializing in nut milk (or mylk as they call it) based drinks, which is perfect for people with lactose intolerance like me - I always have issues with the mainland Chinese chains in Bellevue since most of them use full dairy milk! Nuttea is currently in their soft opening phase so expect some slower service while they ramp things up for their full Grand Opening next week. They do currently offer their full menu and are happy to answer any questions. Ordering is either done via kiosk or in person at the front counter. While we were sitting inside, sipping on our drinks, some customers who seem to be ardent fans of this chain walked in. Apparently they visit the Vancouver location often and they buy entire cups of nut cream to bring home to freeze. According to them, it's just like eating ice cream when frozen! Very interesting. Four Seasons Tea w/ Nut Cream, 30% Sugar, 30% Ice w/ Boba ($6.75) - I love how they include instructions on a sticker adhered to the cap to illustrate the best way to savor the drink. First, take a wooden spoon and try some of the nut cream by itself. It's luscious and thick with a full bodied macadamia nut flavor, a bit of hazelnut in the background, and added salt to boost the nuttiness even further. It's a great alternative to salted cheese foam toppings - in fact, I'd say I like this far more. Afterwards, sip at the drink at a 45 degree angle, to get a bit of the tea and cream together, but not mixed. The tea itself it quite fragrant, full of grassy notes and isn't steeped too far so there isn't too much astringency or bitterness. At 30% sweet, it's at the perfect level for me - there's additional sweetness from the cream top and the boba, so there's no need for more than 30% sweet in my opinion. Finally, mix the tea and cream together and take a sip. When mixed, the concoction first starts off with an overwhelming nutty flavor, completely overpowering the tea. After a minute or two, though, some of the cream starts separating out again and floats to the top, leaving the bottom a perfect harmony of cream and tea flavor. I added boba to the drink which I unfortunately have to say is not very good. Cooked way too firm, barely any bounce or chew. Meh. I wouldn't get boba again. Milk Tea Rating: 5/5 Boba Rating: 3/5 Ruby Black Nut Mylk Tea, 30% Sugar, 30% Ice ($6.75) - We were impressed enough with the other drink above that we decided to order a second one. This drink is totally different in flavor and mouthfeel. While the nut cream tea drink is creamy and smooth, this one is gritty and gloopy. The taste and texture feels like they mixed western almond milk with cashew and almond butter, giving it a sandy character from almond skin and pulverized nuts. In addition, the liquid has that kind of cornstarch-slurry consistency, indicative of the use of gums or other agents as thickeners (think western supermarket soy milk vs. Asian soy milk). The taste is heavily cashew mixed with some almond. Unfortunately the nut mylk also completely overpowers the tea; even with the heavier black tea, all the flavor and nuance is lost to the nuttiness. I'd definitely stick with the nut creams in the future. (3/5) Nuttea isn't really my jam (or cup of tea, perhaps), but it's definitely a unique addition to the Eastside bobasphere. It's a place that requires at least one visit just for the novelty! Bathrooms - One unisex room read more