#ten ren

Ten Ren Tea Time - Boba Milk Tea

(Location: Los Angeles, CA)

The black milk tea is not as potent or flavorful as the green milk tea, but Ten Ren’s tea base is still hard to top. The tea flavor is definitely there, even though it’s a bit overshadowed by the smooth milky texture and sharp, sweet flavor. The boba itself is a bit overcooked, but the drink is solid, overall.

TenRen’s Tea Time is more of a café than a milk tea shop. If you dine in the waiter will bring you a nice color menu with pictures. There’s a separate line for to go orders. The minimum order per person for dining in is $3.35. The menu has noodle soups, fried rice, entrees, lunch specials (Taiwanese rice plates), snacks (fried and tea marinated), joy pots (aka hot pots), brick toast, and shaved ice. They have lots of tea choices – hot tea, milk tea, milk ice, special teas, and teazers. The tea is brewed daily.

* Earl grey milk tea ($3.99, add ins are extra): The drink had a light creaminess and nice tea flavor, the tapioca balls were sweet and fresh. The tapioca balls are smaller than usual. The regular size drink was small and half of the cup was filled with big ice cubes (sad face).

Earl grey milk tea less sweet with sweetened tapioca balls and light creaminess, nice tea flavor, the balls are smaller than average. I didn’t like how half of the cup was filled with big ice cubes, their regular is already on the small side.

* Popcorn chicken meal ($7.95): Popcorn chicken is crunchy and dusted with chili powder (on request) but a little bland and not tender. The exterior is crispier with less five spice than usual. The fried basil leaves were salty. The sides were good: sweet tomatoes with scrambled eggs, plain blanched broccoli, steamed rice with a tiny bit of minced pork. The meal didn’t come with a tea egg but it did have egg drop soup. The egg drop soup tasted like plastic.

The lunch special (11-2:30 PM) and dinner special (6-8 PM) let’s you add $1.50 for the house tea or $1 off any other drink. Free wi-fi. It’s a popular spot for campers with easy parking.

Ten Ren opened its first shop in Taiwan in 1961 and opened its first location in the US in 1979. This location is new and has a contemporary elegant appearance.

4 out of 5 stars