bubble tea discovery
When I lived full-time in New York I got introduced to the concept of “bubble tea,” which is sweetened, flavored tea, served hot or cold, with tapioca pearls about a quarter-inch in diameter at the bottom of the glass. You can find bubble tea shops all over Chinatown, and a particularly nice one just south of St Mark’s, in the East Village . . . and, it turns out, all over Atlanta, too.
The only bubble tea place I can personally vouch for so far is Phoenix Noodle CafĂ, which will be a sweet surprise for all you northern OTPers who haven’t found it yet. Behind a nondescript storefront in a shopping center at Peachtree Parkway and Spalding Drive is a nicely decorated (with its sharp lines and white space, it looks more like Watershed than like your stereotypical Asian restaurant) Vietnamese restaurant with a very delicious menu. Their bubble tea menu isn’t extensive, and the drinks are cold only, but I had a red bean bubble tea and was quite happy.
There are, apparently, more bubble tea places: one on 5th Street near Georgia Tech, one in Decatur next to the Atlanta Bread Company at the corner of East Ponce and Church, and one in Little Five Points — that would be Teaspace, tucked off of Euclid. And obviously there’s great bubble tea potential on Buford Highway. Clearly this is a subject I’ll have to research thoroughly.
I highly recommend Teaspace in Little Five Points
Bubble tea? You mean pearl tea.
Well that’s what it’s called in sf anyway.
I’ve only heard it referred to as “bubble tea,” but since we’re all working with English translations of the original names anyway, it’s not surprising there will be variations.
Maybe one day bubble tea vs. pearl tea will be featured on silly Internet quizzes like soda vs. pop vs. cola is now.
But Jess (and others)..what does it taste like? I’m afraid the pictures on that website don’t exactly yell “try me” … looks kinda a cup of flavored milk with soggy oreo remnants at the bottom…. yet it’s tea… I’m always down to try new things ..but, um, “chewy” tea frightens me!
I don’t know if this helps but here’s another picture. Also, y’know that Liquid Ice commercials with Jessica and Ashlee Simpson where Jessica’s confused by the description of whether it’s ice or water and then she finally tries it and is like “Wow”. It’s like that; just try it.
Phoenix Noodle Cafe starts offering hot bubble tea. The coconut hot bubble tea is pretty good thought. The hot ones doesnt have as much selection as the cold ones but some of them like the jujube (red date) honey tea is pretty unique.
there’s a bubble tea shop/Grocery store in Newnan GA. its in the Oriental Marketplace across the Yamaha PLant. They got some Great Flavors, Their Green Tea Mango and Caleb’s drink (a specialty drink) is really good!! they have a web site with a partial menu http://www.oriental-marketplace.com