Joining the Sawtelle neighborhood’s flourishing drink roster is a widely anticipated new location for Chicha San Chen — a Taiwan-native milk tea chain, which has built a notable name for itself in the past decades. Its grand opening on April 3, preceded by two days of soft opening, witnessed the heightening teashop frenzy materialize into continuous lines that were managed in a surprisingly orderly fashion. While the queues appeared long, they moved quickly and were well worth the slight anticipation.
Upon entering, customers are greeted by a bright, minimalistic ambiance adorned with traditional tea-themed accents like tea leaf decor and colorful ceramic pottery. Lining one side of the room beside the open tea-brewing bar is a crescent-shaped counter station offering customers a complimentary tea sampling experience of varying roast levels of high-end Lishan oolong tea. In further ensuring the authenticity and taste perfection of their teas, Chicha’s teas are meticulously brewed in their Lion Teaspresso machines for precise extraction. Another selling point in today’s vibrantly competitive cafe and teahouse scene lies in drink packaging and presentation, and Chicha places itself high on the aesthetics pedestal in its picturesque exterior design featuring a rustic straw-handled drink cradle.
For the indecisive, the menu encompasses both a build-your-own style as well as eight of their recommended orders, often showcasing various seasonal options, which allows more personalized creations from flavor to toppings. The most classic selection is the bubble milk tea made of black tea mixed with cream and topped with warm, brown sugar tapioca bubbles. The tea is classic — the cream does not overpower the floral notes of the steeped tea mixture, but adds a smooth mouthfeel that balances the robust flavor.
How a brand prepares their bubbles is equally as important as the tea, and at Chicha San Chen, they come fresh from a warm vat of freshly-prepared tapioca. The perfect texture has to have a soft, substantial chew but boiled enough such that you’re not gnawing through the pearls or faced with unpleasant mushiness. It is executed well here. If you’re going to pay $7.25 for a standard bubble tea, it’s a relief that the premium origins shine through.
Another popular order is the creamy mango tart, High Mountain Pouchang tea infused with mango syrup and topped with their signature mousse. This tea is for those who like their drinks fruity and sweet. It strikes a careful equilibrium between the tea and the fruit add-in, which tastes natural and allows the oolong tea to shine through. The top is a vanilla-forward cream top that makes an unlikely complement to the drink itself, though it does make the entire drink much sweeter. But it is not your whipped cream top that comes straight from an air-compressed can that you would find in any standard grocery store. The quality is evident from the first sip. At $8.50 a cup, it is a good order if sweet, fruity drinks with a cream top are up your alley. If you prefer more subtle flavors, there are other choices for you.
If craving a fruitier concoction, the Passionfruit Osmanthus Oolong Tea provides a tangy tartness of passionfruit notes that offer a refreshing tropical twist, embellishing the fragrance of the floral tea base. Osmanthus is one of the more aromatic floral teas, yet it can be delicately balanced out as a creamier milk-infused tea latte or simply as a fruit tea. Fortunately, if you find yourself wavering between popular choices, chances are baristas will offer you tea samples which rotate between a few menu options and might just be right up your alley.
The artisanal quality of Chicha’s brewed teas serves as a telling testament to their bustling popularity. Chicha prides itself in offering premium, tea-forward flavor profiles with an intricately curated tea leaf selection harvested from various regions in Taiwan, allowing customers to savor notes ranging from nutty to floral or earthy. Their award-winning green tea is delightfully brewed to enjoy as a perfect stand-alone or alongside their silky cream topping options. For those seeking the addictively chewy mochi texture without the brown sugar taste of tapioca pearls, pairing your drink with Chicha’s taro ball topping will be sure to elevate both the taste and texture experience.
Chicha San Chen is a welcome addition to the Sawtelle neighborhood, straight from the ultimate source: Taiwan. It proves superior to the other boba chains along the street, hence the long lines snaking out the door. Expect to pay a premium, but you will receive a quality product, from the quaint packaging to the authentic taste of the tea itself.
