Boba tea is a favorite drink for many. Its refreshing, caffeinated qualities are perfect for a quick after-school pick-me-up. Three boba tea locations lie within a mile of the school: Kung Fu Tea, Mr. Wish, and Yi’s Boba. Which boba tea shop is the best?
I set out with Third Former Ben Linares to help answer this question. While Linares tends to gravitate towards tart flavors, I enjoy the classic smooth and milky palate. At each shop, we ordered both a classic milk tea and a fruit tea to evaluate the shop’s tea selection.
Yi’s Boba, owned by the parents of Simon Wang ’25, is the epitome of the local boba shop. It’s small, yet inviting, and the interior is bright and open. They have jasmine, oolong, and black milk tea, each of which can be configured with 52 different flavors ranging from blueberry to cookies and cream. They also have a hearty selection of pearls—both tapioca and popping—and chewy jellies.
Their standard black milk tea with tapioca pearls shone in its taste. Having ordered 75% sugar, the product perfectly balances the milk’s creamy flavor with the sugar’s punch. However, the pearls are less than ideal: the outside is nicely smooth, but I found the inside to be chalky and not pleasant to chew.
The Thai tea with popping lychee pearls was much more refined. The natural bitterness of the tea contrasts perfectly with the sweetness in the pearls, each adding its own burst of sugary excitement when it pops. Linares commented that the tea tasted fresh, not pre-made, and agreed that the tea contrasts excellently with the bubbles.
Yi’s Boba’s food selection is even fresher. In addition to their current selection of rolled ice cream, bingsu, dumplings, and buns, they have just introduced banh mi. It is undoubtedly the highlight of their offerings, with a crispy baguette, savory meat, and crunchy, refreshing cucumber and carrots. All the while, it provides a mild sweetness, complementing the drink options.
Next, we surveyed Mr. Wish, a chain originating in Taiwan with well over a dozen locations in the Philadelphia area. The first highlight is immediately noticeable: the atmosphere. Artificial plants and little figurines ornament the tables; board games and cards populate the window shelf. There is even a claw machine to play while waiting. However, Mr. Wish lacks in food selection; it has no options save for a few waffles. Despite this, their drink selection remains diverse while staying focused. They have milk, fruit, and winter melon teas, smoothies, and coffee-boba combinations.
Their black tiger milk tea is simply exceptional. Picking it up from the counter, I could feel the hot sweetness of the tapioca pearls before mixing it with the tea. Despite the sugar content, it does not taste overpowering, but refreshing. The tapioca pearls are the best in the area, soft, smooth, and sweet.
Their milk-free teas are good as well. The passion fruit green tea (at 30% of the typical sugar level) is deliciously tart and cool. Linares enjoys pairing it with tapioca pearls; the sour flavor of the tea pairs well with their warm sweetness. The passion fruit seeds provide a satisfying hollow crunch. In this tea, tapioca pearls become a side flavor, not the highlight, which results in a wonderfully unique flavor profile.
Finally, we visited Kung Fu Tea, a national chain with over 400 locations. Its interior is a departure from the other two contenders, focusing on darker tones of slate tile and wood. Their selection is vast, covering many flavors of milk teas, fruity teas, slush drinks, and more. The food selection is solid, too. They have takoyaki, chewy without being soggy; popcorn chicken, packed with savory flavor; and ten types of onigiri, my personal favorite being eel.
Their Kung Fu Milk Tea is a classic. At 50% of the typical sugar level, the tea’s milky and sweet aspects intertwine with each other, creating a rock-solid drink. The tapioca pearls are high-quality, too—not as soft as those of Mr. Wish, but still very satisfying to chew. Linares tasted cinnamon and cloves in it, a testament to its refined and deep flavor profile.
My favorite and go-to recommendation is Mr. Wish, as I care most for its perfection of the classic milk tea.
Their mango snow drink is unique, and it speaks to how incredibly diverse Kung Fu Tea’s menu is. It is akin to a smoothie in texture, and it is deliciously cool. As with any of their options, any topping can be added. The aloe jelly provides a nice chewy texture in the midst of the icy mango. This drink would be perfect for a quick stop on a hot summer day.
Each of these three vendors offers a different combination of highlights. Kung Fu Tea is a robust option, offering the widest variety of teas (and therefore higher customizability) along with a truly solid selection of food. By contrast, Mr. Wish focuses on the tea and tapioca itself, perfecting both. Yi’s Boba offers an intimate and local feel combined with decent tea, fabulous banh mi, and a wide range of other food.
My favorite and go-to recommendation is Mr. Wish, as I care most for its perfection of the classic milk tea. Ultimately, though, all options are good, and each may be better-suited to different occasions and personal preferences.
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