Joe Nogosek

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Ongoing project

Finding the best boba milk tea in the world

An ongoing, deeply unscientific search for the best boba milk tea on earth, scored out of ten and mapped as I go.

Last updated

I drink a lot of boba milk tea, and I have opinions about it that nobody asked for. So this is the place they go.

The rules are simple. Whenever I try a new shop, it gets written up and scored out of ten, and it goes on the map. I’m not grading on a curve and I’m not trying to be fair — a 5 means it was fine, and I’d rather be honest than kind. Sweetness, ice, boba texture, the boba-to-tea ratio, the cup itself, and whether I’d walk back in all factor in.

The search has no end date and no budget. It gets updated whenever I find somewhere new.

Shops tried
3
Average score
4.2/10
Places
1
Total spent
$25.97
Current leader
Tea O'Clock
3 shops so far. Click a pin to jump to the review.

The rankings

  1. #1

    Tea O'Clock

    Waimea, Big Island, Hawaii ·

    6.5/10

    Best on the Big Island by a good margin. A tad small for the price, but worth it for the care.

    Ordered
    Classic milk tea with boba · Regular
    Paid
    $9.04 · $6.50 tea + ~$1 boba + ~$1.50 tip
    Sweetness
    Default — would ask for more
    Ice
    Default — too much
    Google
    4.9 ★ (65)
    Return?
    Yes

    What worked

    • Boba made fresh in house every day — translucent rather than the usual dark, which was genuinely interesting
    • Boba-to-tea ratio was spot on. I finished both at the same moment on a perfectly reasonable sip distribution
    • Top-quality cup and lid. Really enjoyed that aspect
    • Lovely service — the woman who took our order was so nice that Rachel and I both commented on it
    • No line, and about a three minute wait. We ordered, hit the bathroom, and it was ready when we got back

    What didn't

    • Tea-to-milk ratio ran high, so the tea flavor dominated
    • Too much ice, so it watered down toward the end
    • Under-sweet at default. I like sweet, but even baseline could use more
    • Some pearls were too big to fit up the straw, which got annoying
    • A bit small for the price for a regular

    Also ordered: Kimchee pastrami melt on sourdough (~$16 with tip) — really tasty, came with good potato chips

  2. #2

    Ono Home Kitchen

    Kealakekua, Big Island, Hawaii ·

    4.0/10

    Great size for the price, but the tea tastes artificial and the boba leaves a lot to be desired.

    Ordered
    Original boba milk tea · One size only
    Paid
    $7.34 · $5.99 drink + $1.35 tip (22.5%)
    Sweetness
    No option offered — could use more
    Ice
    No option offered — a bit too much
    Google
    4.6 ★ (341)
    Return?
    Yes

    What worked

    • Great size for the price
    • Ready in about a minute
    • Boba-to-tea ratio was fine
    • No trouble getting any of the boba up the straw

    What didn't

    • Tea tasted artificial, had a bit of a coffee taste, and ran a little heavy on the milk
    • No sweetness or ice options — it could use more sweetness and a bit less ice
    • No size options either
    • Boba had some chew but could be chewier, and the taste left a lot to be desired
    • Caffeine was below average — not very noticeable
    • Presentation was definitely below average
    • Service was meh. Not great, but not bad either

    Also ordered: Sesame chicken with white rice and a side salad — average to below average

  3. #3

    Big Island Tokyo

    Kamuela, Big Island, Hawaii ·

    2.0/10

    Watered-down, coffee-tasting tea and stale, inedible boba. Threw half of it away.

    Ordered
    Classic milk tea with boba · Regular
    Paid
    $9.59 · $6.50 tea + $1.20 boba + 20% tip
    Sweetness
    Default — not asked, and it needed more
    Ice
    Default — not asked, and it was too much
    Google
    4.4 ★ (54)
    Return?
    No

    What worked

    • Generous size for a regular

    What didn't

    • Made in about 20 seconds flat, which in hindsight reads as a bad sign rather than a good one — should take at least a few minutes, and this fast makes me think nothing was very fresh
    • Tea tasted like coffee and was watered down
    • Never asked for an ice or sweetness level, so we got default of each — too much ice, not sweet enough
    • Tea-to-milk ratio ran high
    • Boba tasted stale, with bad texture and chewiness — genuinely seemed day old
    • Boba would not fit up the straw at all
    • Cup and straw both felt flimsy
    • Upset my stomach afterward despite taking a lactase pill, which normally handles it fine
    • Cost more than average for what we got