A new branch of Berkeley-based bubble tea café RareTea has opened for business in the Downtown Commons at 414 K St., Suite 225. While the beverage-only shop focuses on bubble milk teas and its specialty snow cream, it also serves smoothies and the Korean yogurt drink Yakult.
Signature choices include the Super Lychee drink (which is bottle-only) and the Tie Guan Yin milk tea. Diners can customize their drinks for ice and sweetness level, and topping options feature pudding, aiyu jelly and Oreos as well as tapioca pearls.
With roots in two college towns (Berkeley and Davis), it's perhaps no surprise that one of the café's primary innovations is a secure metal-topped to-go bottle that takeout customers can stash in a bag, as opposed to a potentially messy plastic cup with a straw already inserted.
With a five-star rating out of thirteen reviews on Yelp so far, the new tea room seems to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
William L., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on October 22, noted that parking can be difficult but said that the jasmine green milk tea and passion fruit green tea with lychee were "elegant and flavorful."
And Yelper Hanna H. praised the brown sugar milk tea and added,"I love the cups they use because you can easily wash them and reuse them!"
Swing on by to take a peek for yourself: RareTea is open from 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon–8 p.m. on Sunday.
