If you've got bubble tea on the brain, you're in luck: we've found five new New York eateries that will quell your craving. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for some tapioca with your tea.
Anda Cafe
162 E. 25th St. (between Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave.), Kips Bay
Anda Cafe is a neighborhood tea joint that specializes in bubble tea and snow ice, as well as Asian snacks and dishes.
On the drinks menu, look for offerings like the grapefruit Yakult yogurt drink, the fresh mango smoothie, and the Trinity milk tea, which comes with tapioca, grass jelly and pudding.
The food menu is extensive, ranging from noodles and bento boxes to Sichuan spicy rice bowls and paper hot pot. (Check out the full menu here.)
With a five-star rating out of one reviews on Yelp, Anda Cafe has been getting positive attention.
Yelper Jenn W., who reviewed Anda Cafe on February 1st, wrote: "I ordered the lychee jasmine tea with lychee jelly, and it wasn't too overly sweet since I didn't adjust the sugar at all. You can always adjust the sugar/ice level to your liking."
Anda Cafe is open daily from 10:30am–9:30pm.
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice
79 A Mott St., Chinatown
The Chinatown branch of CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is one of the latest locations for the world's largest bubble tea chain; according to the Taiwanese company, it has more than 2000 locations worldwide.
On the menu, look for classic bubble tea drinks like Assam, taro or jasmine milk tea.
In addition to adjusting the sweetness levels, customers can also build their own drinks with a wide variety of toppings like puddings and jellies.
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice currently holds four stars out of six reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews.
Yelper Caroline N., who was one of the first users to visit CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice on February 9th, wrote: "My drink was quickly prepared. It was warm and perfect. If you are looking for a restroom, there isn't any. Need to go somewhere [else] for a restroom."
Yu L. noted: "I am so happy that CoCo opened up in Chinatown. Highly recommend, lovely atmosphere, employees were really sweet and accommodating. You can customize the toppings and the amount of sugar."
Yelper Irene C. wrote: "One of my favorite bubble tea shops in NYC. I was so happy when I found out that they have a new location near me! I got the apple Yakult with aloe; less sweet. It was awesome."
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is open daily from 11am–10pm.
Vivi Bubble Tea
1324 2nd Ave. (between Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave.), Upper East Side
This latest joint comes from Vivi Bubble Tea, a popular chain based in New York. It opened its first location back in 2007, and now has more than 20 locations in the city.
Vivi specializes in milk teas, fruit teas, ice jelly drinks and snacks. Look for the almond milk tea, a grapefruit pulp tea and a kumquat lemon ice jelly tea. (To see the full menu, check out the website.)
Yelp users are generally positive about Vivi Bubble Tea, which currently holds four stars out of 10 reviews on the site.
Yelper Karen L., who reviewed Vivi Bubble Tea on February 18th, wrote: "I tried their 3Q. which is my new fave. I didn't know I needed jelly and pudding along with bubbles in my milk tea until I tried that. It was soooo good."
And Amy Y. noted: "Vivi is the perfect addition now. The drinks are a little sweeter than other places; 50 percent sugar is too much, so try 30 percent to get to a level that tastes like 50 percent at other places.
Vivi Bubble Tea is open daily from 11am–9:30pm.
Feng Cha
99 Chrystie St. (between Canal St & Hester St.), Chinatown
Feng Cha is a franchise that has its origins in China. It specializes in creative bubble teas and cheese foam drinks.
Expect to find offerings like the matcha red bean milk tea, the Oreo cheese milk tea and the kiwi basil green tea. It also offers baked breads and desserts like cheese cake and roll cake.
Yelp users are generally positive about Feng Cha, which currently holds four stars out of 33 reviews on the site.
Yelper Min L., who reviewed Feng Cha on February 24th, wrote: "I ordered a matcha milk foam with rose tea (I am a rose tea lover), and the tea tasted amazing. I am not a sweet person so the foam to me was good, but too sweet, but I will definitely come back for the tea."
And Wen Na Z. wrote: "Walking by this new bubble tea place in Chinatown, I was curious to see what Feng Cha would bring that the other 20 places didn't. The decor is simple, yet pretty, with lots of photo ops for you and your drinks. The cashier who took my order was sweet and patient. "
Feng Cha is open daily from 11am–10pm.
Binki Cafe
42 Eldridge St. (between Canal St & Hester St.), Chinatown
Binki Cafe is best known for its Instagram-friendly bubble teas and cotton candy ice cream and drinks.
For tea, look for colorful offerings like the Galaxy tea drinks, which sport names like Hong Kong, Iceland and Tokyo. Cotton candy ice cream offerings come shaped like various popular characters, including "Miss Kitty," "Baymax," and a "Minion."
With a 4.5-star rating out of 13 reviews on Yelp, Binki Cafe has been getting positive attention.
Yelper Millie R., who reviewed Binki Cafe on February 24th, wrote: "We decided to give Binki Cafe a try. I selected two characters—the Hello Kitty and a Minion—both accompanied by vanilla red velvet soft serve. Our neighbors purchased a panda & snowman, adorable!
Kim S. noted: "I live for food gimmicks. And inexpensive and entertaining dessert gimmicks? I'm in. Found in Chinatown, this tiny place oozes Asian fun. I highly recommend it. We all enjoyed watching the construction process of our dessert. Worth every penny!"
Binki Cafe is open Monday from noon–10pm, Tuesday–Thursday from 10am–10pm, and Friday–Sunday from 10am–11pm.
