NYC BOBA REVIEW
BY TIFFANY WANG
Being remote last semester, one of the things I was most looking forward to coming to New York was all the boba shops! As someone who was awarded the title “Biggest Boba Addict” for senior bests, here’s a non-comprehensive list of some of the boba places I’ve tried out this semester and my thoughts on them:
YIFANG
Location: 33 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
Drinks: Yifang Fruit Tea, Aiyu Jelly Lemon Green Tea, Brown Sugar Pearl Milk
Review: Yifang is a pretty big chain with locations across the world and has always been a solid choice for me even in California. The prices are definitely on the more expensive side, but both their fruit teas and milk teas are made really well. The pearls are chewy and sweet. The store I go to most frequently is on St. Marks, which has tons of amazing restaurants. Getting Yifang after a delicious meal always ends up happening.
THE ALLEY
Location: 68 Cooper Square New York NY 10003
Drink: Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, Peach Oolong Tea, Passionfruit Green Tea
Review: The Alley is on my way going from my dorm to the Stern building, so I tend to stop by. Personally, I prefer the Brown Sugar Milk over their fruit teas, as the flavoring is sometimes watered down, but generally, The Alley is a solid choice.
LAZY SUNDAES
Location: 11 Waverly Place, New York, New York 10003, 265 Canal St., New York, New York 10013
Drink: White Peach White, Jasmine Green, Lychee Green, Strawberry Matcha Latte
Review: Lazy Sundaes used to be Boba Guys, which is a pretty popular boba chain in California where I’m from. You can directly order online at all locations, which makes it really convenient. The one at Waverly Place is right next to Washington Square Park, which never fails to tempt me whenever I’m around the area. Overall, my favorites would be White Peach White and the Matcha drinks, while the Jasmine Green and Classic Black are solid choices with strong tea flavors. Lychee Green doesn’t really work for me personally as the fruity tones of the lychee are less prominent when added to milk.
DEBUTEA
Location: 217 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
Drink: Ruby Red with Salted Cheese
Review: This location is super close to Washington Square Park and their drinks are overall well made! If you haven’t tried cheese foam as a topping to your boba, you definitely should try it out! I think cheese foam usually pairs well with black tea, and Debutea’s Ruby Red did not disappoint.
MACHI MACHI
Location: 33 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001
Drink: Oolong Tea with Cream Foam
Review: This store is located near the Empire State Building and usually serves their drinks in a little bottle. However, they were all sold out when I went. Again, try cream foam if you haven’t before -- it’s so tasty! I again got black tea with my cream foam, and the sweetest was perfect. Prices are fair and you get a pretty large cup worth the amount you paid.
FIFTY LAN
Location: 32 Union Square E, New York, NY 10003
Drink: Peach Green Tea, Golden Bubble Milk Tea
Review: Fifty Lan recently replaced KOI The on the east side of Union Square, so they might not show up if you Google the store. The unique part about this chain is that their boba is orange-colored! However, this place is quite pricey considering the size you get; the drink shown in the picture below is a medium, and if you get a small with any toppings there’s probably not going to be enough tea to go along with it. Also, if you get any fruit teas I recommend keeping the sweetness down to either 25% or 0% because the fruit flavorings already come with sweeteners.
TIGER SUGAR:
Location: 197 Canal St, New York, NY 10013
Drink: Brown Sugar Boba Milk
Review: Located in Chinatown, Tiger Sugar is definitely the place to go if you are craving milk flavors! The store offers online orders, making it super convenient to pick up. I usually get cold drinks but I tried their hot Brown Sugar Boba Milk and it was so good!
