With boba spots arising everywhere in Los Angeles, the owners have grown to compete with each other using various strategies, including variants of the beloved tapioca pearls or even the presentation of the drinks.
I went to four different places to see what the hype was all about from Azusa to La Verne.
Ding Tea in La Verne had high-quality golden boba. They had toppings that I had never even heard of; coconut jelly, star jelly, and homemade boba.
Squeeze Me Smoothie Time in San Dimas had the widest variety of drinks. Alongside the boba teas they had "power smoothies" Bee Clever, a power smoothie made with bee pollen which is an unheard of topping for a smoothie.
Yoxi Tea Time in Glendora was a top tier place to get boba. Not only did they have authentic toppings such as red bean, they also had an aesthetically pleasing shop and friendly staff. All of their drinks were extremely fresh and it was quite a lovely experience.
If you want one of the best bakery and boba tea shops around, go to 85°C in Azusa. They have an amazing selection of sweet and savory bakery options that cost from one to four dollars apiece. The bakery items are well worth the dollar you spend and are adorable to look at.
I don't think I could give one a higher rating than the others; they all seem to have different options that make themselves stand out.
