Before you dismiss 723 Tea Station as just another boba place in Berkeley, hear us out. Despite its name, 723 Tea Station is not just another tea station. Its menu offers more than just the typical milk teas and popcorn chicken. Instead, you can find items like calamasi green tea, sea salt caramel black tea, fried cuttlefish balls and takoyaki.
Photo by Jessica He
The service at 723 Tea Station is phenomenal. The owner is a sweet Taiwanese lady who loves chatting with customers about the food the restaurant prepares, while her employees are happy to provide great recommendations and speedy service.
In addition, there is ample seating at 723, so it is often an optimal study location. Just bring a laptop or tablet to use the free Wi-Fi and study away. If you would rather doodle, just ask an employee for a piece of paper. Once you’re done, you can get your doodle pinned on the restaurant’s cork board. Pretty awesome, huh?
Of course, food is the most important part of any restaurant, so some of the staff at Spoon University at Berkeley checked it out for you. We tried a variety of items to get the best range of tastes possible.
Here’s a recap of what we thought:
Mango Iced Black Tea with Boba
– Really fruity and sweet
– Boba has a good texture
Sea Salt Black Tea
– A little too sweet (but you can change that when you order)
– Boba was a bit hard
Takoyaki
– Crisp breading (usually too soft at other places)
Black Milk Tea
– Good amount of sweetness
Calamasi Green Tea with Grass Jelly
– Not super sour (calamasi is a citrus fruit)
– Perfect mix of refreshing and sweet
– Grass jelly adds extra texture
Matcha Red Bean Slush with Boba
– Red beans are flavorful, sugary and not too hard
Fried Cuttlefish Balls
– Only six balls
– Crispy with salt and pepper on the side
Gyudon Rice Bowl
– Good flavor to it
Location: 2431 B Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11am – 11pm
Thank you, 723 Tea Station, for donating crispy chicken to Spoonfest.