By Isabel Kikoshima & Amelia Lipcsei
Each issue, we will review a different boba place. For each cafe, we will rate the tea, boba, atmosphere, and customer service. This issue, we are rating Tao Tao Tea, a bubble tea cafe located near the Westgate shopping center and Prospect High School.
Amelia’s Tea Ranking: 8/10
I got the Creme Brulee Milk tea, which I rate an 8/10. Although the flavor of the tea was delicious and the foam on the top was smooth and creamy, the actual drink itself was too sweet. To be fair, I did get it 100% sweet, so part of that may have been my own fault. However, whenever I go to boba places I almost always get milk teas 100% sweet, and the sweetness is usually ideal for me. So, while I do recommend the drink, I advise anyone buying it to get it much less sweet.
Isabel’s Tea Ranking: 7.5/10
I rate the Sinderella tea (similar to strawberry milk) a 7.5/10 because the drink lacked a distinct strawberry taste. After my first sip of the tea, I could only taste a milk flavor. With a slight hint of strawberry, the Sinderella tea had a very underwhelming taste since the drink consisted mainly of Tao Tao Tea’s “special mix milk.” However, the drink had the perfect sweetness and the strawberry chunks added another depth of flavor. Overall, I would recommend this drink to anyone who loves milk teas with a slightly fruity flavor!
Amelia’s Boba Ranking: 7/10
The boba itself has an amazing flavor. Even when I walked into Tao Tao, the sweet smell of the boba made my mouth water. With a brown sugar aftertaste, the boba melted in my mouth and left me wanting more. Unfortunately, some of the pearls were overcooked and too squishy, making the texture of the pearls less appealing than I would have liked.
Isabel’s Boba Ranking: 8/10
While the boba at Tao Tao Tea has a delectable brown sugar flavor, the texture of the boba was a little too chewy. When I drink boba, I like to chew on the pearls, but these ones almost dissolved in my mouth. At Tao Tao Tea, the boba fell short due to the texture. In addition, while I love boba, I think the boba to tea ratio was a little high. With every sip, I ate around five pearls and was left with more pearls than tea at the end. Thus, due to the flawed texture and boba ratio, I rate the pearls an 8/10 at Tao Tao Tea.
Amelia’s Atmosphere Ranking: 7/10
Tao Tao has beautiful decorations, with pink themed items spread throughout the entire building. The LED lights and big posters made the place feel very cozy and cute. However, since there were no seating arrangements on the inside of the cafe, finding a place to drink my tea was a challenge. If Tao Tao had indoor seating, my atmosphere ranking would be a 10/10.
Isabel’s Atmosphere Ranking: 8/10
Unified with a pink theme throughout the cafe, the atmosphere at Tao Tao Tea has an aesthetically pleasing ambiance due to the neon LED signs and appealing posters that showcase their drinks. While the cafe had a pleasant vibe, the table space and seats at Tao Tao Tea remain limited. When I get boba with my friends, I enjoy sitting and working on homework or group projects. The small and limited space at Tao Tao Tea however, makes completing homework difficult. Overall, I rate the atmosphere an 8/10 because of the aesthetic decor, yet limited table space.
Amelia’s Customer Service Ranking: 10/10
The employees working at Tao Tao are incredibly sweet. They always make sure to greet everyone with a smile and ask people how their day is going. After ordering my drink, I sat outside and one of the employees went out of their way to bring me my drink outside instead of just leaving it on the counter. Likewise, their stamp cards to get free drinks also add to the appeal of the customer service at Tao Tao.
Isabel’s Customer Service Ranking: 10/10
Everytime I visit Tao Tao Tea, the employees always politely greet their customers with smiles. I rate the customer service a 10/10 because I can see the employees putting in a lot of effort in their drinks through carefully measuring each of the ingredients in their drinks. In addition, the employees always recommend to me their favorite drinks when I ask them. The attention to detail and personable efforts at Tao Tao Tea make me appreciate and enjoy their drinks even more.