U-Cha is one of the newest members of Berkeley’s boba club. It’s located at the corner of Bancroft and Fulton, roughly a 10-minute walk from Sproul Plaza (or 5 minutes away from your workout at the RSF). It’s open 12 hours a day, from 11 am-11 pm on weekdays and 11 am-midnight on weekends.
Price-wise, U-Cha is about the same as all the boba places (around $3-5 a drink), depending on the drink and toppings. But with its unbeatable drink flavors and topping combos, it’s quickly becoming our favorite spot for a quick boba fix.
The store has a Top Seller’s list, which is a great place for a new customer to start trying their drinks. Here’s what we’ve tried and fell in love with:
1. Iced Fresh Milk Drink with Pearl
Photo by Vi Tran
This is U-Cha’s speciality. With the blend of fresh milk and the brown sugar syrup, it’s basically like having Taiwan in a cup. It’s a bit sweeter than the average boba, but it’s delicious. Definitely shake well before you enjoy, since all the sugar is at the bottom with the boba.
2. Jade Lime Premium Green Tea
Photo by Vi Tran
It’s surprisingly refreshing — or beautifully sour. (Like genuinely quite sour.) It’s like a combination of limeade and lemonade with tea, so this drink is basically super sour lemonade with a caffeine kick.
3. Matcha Latte
Photo by Vi Tran
This drink is thick and creamy. U-Cha’s Matcha Latte takes the traditional Japanese, bitter drink with milk and turns it into into the perfect afternoon delight.
4. Passion Fruit Green Tea with Ai Yu Lemon Jelly
Photo by Vi Tran
The passion-green tea blend is perfect. The Ai Yu Lemon Jelly is nothing like boba. It’s a jello made from the seeds of a fig plant that originated from Taiwan, and it’s one of the most popular toppings in Taiwan. The slight taste from Ai Yu compliments the passion fruit taste in the tea, making this one of our favorite drinks.
5. Creama
Photo by Vi Tran
You can choose to drink this in a variety of ways. U-Cha has a tool to let you poke holes in the lid to sip the creamy, salty Creama. Or you can shake it up and drink it the old fashioned way with a straw. (We thoroughly enjoy the Green Tea Creama).
These are only a fraction of U-Cha’s drinks, so don’t be afraid to try others on the menu. Spoon will definitely be heading there more often to try more of the drinks.