Bubble Tea??

I would like to get a list going....for bubble tea places both in chicago and the burbs. Especially, the ones that serve both flavored green or black teas, milk teas, and fresh fruit or smoothies (all with tapioca, of course).
Does anyone know if there is one similar to a tea house that I've been to in new york city chinatown where they serve it in a plastic cup with a sealed cover/lid?
Are there any late night bubble tea places? I know Seven Treasures in chinatown serves it, but they don't have flavored green/black tea, only smoothies.
I am sure many chinese or asian restaurants serve bubble tea in chinatown and the suburbs, but it's hard to google it.

if possible, do a search:
asian cafe's where the OP wants to work

boba bee

saint alps'

cafe beboba

keyword: boba/bubble.

Joy Yee citywide seems to have the largest selection, they are in the burbs, chinatown and university village...

A google search of "bubble tea" site:lthforum.com brings up quite a few hits.

I reviewed one place here - Cafe BeBoBa does offer the laminated tops. I belive the bubble tea shop in Super H Mart also has the laminated tops, but I haven't personally investigated.

I THINK you'll get what you are looking for at the Mitsuwa Market food court. I'm not familiar with the options you've mentioned, and it's definitely not a tea house (it's just a stand in a food court,) but they have models of several different bubble teas in plastic cups with the sealed lid.
I have never gotten one there, but I'll bet someone perusing this can give more accurate info. West burbs, little bit north:

100 E. Algonquin Road,
Arlington Hts., IL 60005
(847)956-6699
9:00AM - 8:00PM
Basically north of 90 on Arlington Heights rd. Fun place to shop for asian
specialties, and try stuff at the food court. VERY decent sushi to go case if that's your thing.

btw, the stuff "sealed in plastic" tops is usually considered a sign of franchising and hence inferior quality. what you're looking for is lollicup and quickly. both chains are highly despised by boba lovers worlwide.

Many of the restaurants and shops in the Argyle/Broadway area serve bubble teas in tons of flavors. Most are freshly made, not prepackaged.

TonyC wrote:btw, the stuff "sealed in plastic" tops is usually considered a sign of franchising and hence inferior quality. what you're looking for is lollicup and quickly. both chains are highly despised by boba lovers worlwide.

Most places in our Chinatown use a domed lid, but in Koreatown in Los Angeles every boba tea shop I've been to uses a laminating machine to seal the tops.

Yes, I believe BaLe uses one of these sealing machines too.
However, I think they make their drinks in-house (they seem
to sell a lot of their drinks, and other products, to many
outside vendors as well).

I haven't been to Mitsuwa or HMart, but I'll second Barbarella's
assertion about Joy Yee. I've never seen a larger list of different
kinds of bubble teas.

For what its worth, I would not even consider Cafe BeBoBa,
or whatever its called, worthy of being listed in this discussion.
Unless that is, they've overhauled their drinks in the past
couple of years. As I stated in an earlier post in a different
thread, they don't even use real fruit in their drinks - just
powdered, chemical flavorings.

Joy Yee's is probably the best bet as far as finding drinks mix with teas. They seem to have the largest menu selection. Tea Leaf also has Milk Tea drinks. They have 2 locations that I know of. One in the Chinatown area and one in Glenview, in the Glen. There's also Liquid Fusion in Northbrook, on Milwaukee, next t Prime Minister. I don't think they have mixed tea drinks however. Also, just to reiterate the point others have already made, the thin sheet tops are not an indication that drinks were prepackaged or premade. Liquid fusion makes the drinks right in front of you and puts the tops on in a place where you can easily see the process.

There's the Tea Leaf Cafe in Glenview. (Though it always strikes me as odd that a place serving tea would still be called a cafe.)

Mhays wrote:A google search of "bubble tea" site:lthforum.com brings up quite a few hits.

I reviewed one place here - Cafe BeBoBa does offer the laminated tops. I belive the bubble tea shop in Super H Mart also has the laminated tops, but I haven't personally investigated.

Mhays,

Where is the bubble tea shop located at Super H Mart? I tend to go in the evening, so maybe I missed it.

Regards,

I think it's to the left of the entrance, near the jade bed store (which I find fascinating)

I didn't try it, as I didn't have Sparky with me - he's the real bubble tea afficionado. I found it accidentally after my first visit while I was wandering through the mall after checking out - from the checkout, I think you turn left and then left again through that small corridor.

For bubble tea in the near west suburbs, Oak Park has a place just east of the Lake Theater on Lake Street that is really a place to rent computer time, but they also sell bubble teas and smoothies (and they have the machine that seals up the top). I have gone there many times on summer walks with my dog. Everything seems to come out of manufactured containers, including the fruit smoothies, but it isn't bad, and it is actual Boba pearls, which I find better than the generic pearls (sweeter and less gummy - I once bought some generic tapioca pearls at a Chinese grocery store and they are definately not as good).

Just went to H-Mart today; it's called "Ice Berry Tea Shop" and it's an ice cream parlor/cafe/bubble tea shop combined, two stores down from the Pizza Hut across from the golf store. (I was starting to wonder if I had imagined it)

They do not appear to have laminated tops.

Sashimi Sashimi on Church Street in Evanston has fresh-made fruit freezes. I don't think "tea" quite applies, since it's all blended fruit and ice with tapioca. Whatever - it's fun and fruity and whipped up right before your eyes.

Sashimi Sashimi
640 Church
Evanston
847-475-7274

liquid fusion, in northbrook, il, has laminated tops. several bubble tea pals of mine say this is one of the best places in chicagoland. (i'm rather indifferent to the whole phenomenon)


Sand-Mil Plaza
3375 Milwaukee Avenue
Northbrook, IL
Tel. 847.299.4231

What is Bubble Tea and what is the purpose of the laminated lid? It seems very important i guess.

The sad truth about where I learned about bubble tea: Postcards from Buster The blog doesn't talk about the laminated tops, but they're in the show clip; they have little anime characters on them that you pierce (or avoid) with the extra-large straw.

Hey, sometimes a six-year-old can teach you something about food! (arming herself to deflect scorn from serious bubble-tea aficionados)

I love bubble tea, and because it's been so varied in the cities I've tried it, I have no idea what the original should be. I must say, however, that Penang in the near north on Chicago Av. has an absolutely delicious green tea bubble tea. Especially for beginners, this flavor is less frightening and has been used to addict my entire family to the genre.

In addition to the one's mentioned above, I'd also recommend Eng's. Although their food is not as good as I once thought it was, I still go back (often) for bubble tea. They have a combination of teas and fruit smoothies and all can be ordered either with tapioca or without. Many of the fruit smoothies are made with fresh fruit and you're not limited to the menu...I always ask what fruit is good and make up my own combination. The other day I had cantaloupe and kiwi...yum.

Eng's
7300 N Western Ave
773-465-2476

Also in the NW burbs is Coffee Haus. I've never had their bubble teas, b/c I love their ice cream bing desserts - ice cream topped with shaved ice, red beans, mochi, and fruit. I believe they have computers w/internet access. I can't remember if they provide Wi-fi to customers w/laptops.

Coffee Haus
209 W Golf Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60195
(847) 755-1233

BeBoBa Bubble Tea House
3533 N Western Ave.
773-883-2622

Joy Yee's Noodle Shop
2159 S. China Place (Chinatown Square Mall)
312-328-0001
521 Davis Street, Evanston
847-733-1900
1163 E. Ogden Avenue, Naperville
Iroquois Center
630-579-6800

Saint's Alp
2131 S. Archer Ave.
312-842-1886

In case no one answered, here is a link to about.com that explains the basics of bubble tea.
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/bubbletea/a/bubbletea.htm