CHICHA San Chen（Bellevue Square） — Restaurant in Bellevue

• I tried it so you don't have to*

I've been hearing about this shop online for a while and was very excited to check it out. I'm a big fan of boba tea, and typically I try to find boba shops wherever I go. I had pretty high expectations based on the hype and the fact that the shop supposedly has earned a Michelin star for their teas. However, I ended up feeling pretty disappointed. Long story short, the tea isn't that great, and the wait is not worth it. You can go to other shops with better tea and be out in 5min. If you want a more detailed review please read below

Parking: They actually have a pretty decent parking lot for the size of the shop, however bc it's so busy you may not find a spot in front of the store. We ended up finding some street parking which wasn't too far.

Ordering process: When we walked in it was packed, however I soon learned that most of these customers were just waiting for their orders. Placing the order was actually the quickest part of the experience. We got the Taro bubble milk tea and the Dong Ding Oolong Tea latte (iced) w/ boba added. I believe the cost for both teas was about $17 which is pretty standard for bubble tea.

The wait: Okay, so this is kind of where it all goes wrong. We ordered at 5:03PM. I expected a wait based off what I'd read online and the amount of people currently there waiting. What really bugged me though was that almost 30min after ordering our order is called and they tell us they need to make more boba and it's gonna take 40min. They tried to tell us they could make our teas with another topping but we opted to wait since I figured I probably wouldn't be back in the area and wanted the full experience.The lady almost seemed shocked that we would wait, but at this point we'd already been waiting so long we figured why not.

40 minutes later our order is finally called

The tea: My tea (taro bubble milk tea) is probably 7/10. I thought it was pretty yummy. Not too sweet. Made with black tea, and taro paste. This is not the same Taro milk tea made with the purple powder like at other shops. Which I'm not knocking I like those Taro teas but I really appreciate this tea actually having taro paste in it. Overall, I would order this tea again, but I would not say it's worth the 70min wait.

My husband's tea (Ding Dong Oolong) was really disappointing. Watery, not creamy at all. The tea does have a good flavor but it just wasn't our preference. 4/10, Would not order this again.

The boba: The boba was pretty basic. Chewy, not too sweet, but not anything to write home about. 5/10.

Overall: I think this shop has potential, but I'm not convinced that their products are worth the at least a 30min wait. It also seems like there needs to be a better process for having boba available more readily. It's a little strange to me that they aren't constantly cooking boba since they...

atrocious wait, good drinks -

Taste: 5 stars Price: 3 stars Service: 5 stars Ambiance: 3 stars Overall: 4 stars

We came here at 5:50 pm on Thursday and there are like 10 groups ahead of us waiting to order. It was finally our turn after 30 minutes of wait.

They are letting people sample their bubble milk tea (without bubble) with perfect sugar (70-80% sugar). To be honest the milk tea tastes great and not overwhelmingly sweet imo. You could smell the tea leaves too and the mountain tea has a hint of cream scent which smells delicious.

I got the high mountain pouchong tea with lemon juice and mousse (no customization allowed, $8) and hubby got a green tea (jasmine) with cream and boba ($8). The pricing isn't friendly but the tea quality is worth. I haven't paid $8 for drinks for a while and even if I do, it's like a large cup unlike here, which is probably a medium.

Our drinks are around $17. We were told it will take another 30 minutes for us to get our drinks. But it only took another 15 minutes. So in total we spent 45 minutes here.

My drink was delicious and it tasted like lemon tart/pie. It's too sour for my husband, so if you aren't a fan of sour drinks but want a fruity drink, I think the fruit tea would be better. The mousse though, was light and not too overly salty or sweet like other places. Definitely recommend the mousse.

Hubby's drink was fine but I like the black tea version better, which is what most of the people order when I was waiting there. The boba is nice and chewy though. We usually order 30% sugar from other places, and the perfect sugar drinks here only tastes slightly more sweet, so I'd recommend going for the perfect sugar level.

We will definitely be back when the hype is over.

Update: 02/08/2025

I ordered online and the estimated pick up is 20 minutes, but it took almost 30 minutes to get my drink. Why? This place is super packed! Tons of people ordering and waiting here... It's a myth if you think coming here between 2-4pm is a good idea... Come at lunch time! It's less busy when everyone else is eating food instead of boba.

Update: 07/12/2025

We were hoping they opened a new store in Bellevue square, but nope they moved there. It's a sad news because we don't really shop much hence the mall location is worse for us. It's also going to be way more crowded than before. We went to...

I just ordered a drink from Chicha San Chen (Bellevue). I originally wanted to try the Bubble Volcano—usually, I go for milk tea, but since it’s a bit late today, I decided on something lighter.

I’m aware that Chicha San Chen doesn’t offer much flexibility in customizing sugar levels, which is why I often order from places like Happy Lemon, Sharetea, or Don’t Yell at Me. These chain stores are generally more accommodating when it comes to adjusting drinks.

Today, I asked if I could get less boba in my drink while paying the same price. The cashier told me they couldn’t modify it, and I tried to clarify that I just didn’t want too much boba—maybe just half a spoon instead of a full one. I didn’t think that was a very picky request. Then, another girl who seemed to be the shift lead explained that because they’re a franchise, they aren’t allowed to change anything about the drinks.

This left me a bit confused. Why can’t customers choose the amount of boba or the sugar level? It feels like the options are very limited—you can only choose from a set menu with no room for adjustment. I understand if there are standards, but customer preferences vary. Some people like more boba, others prefer less. Why not allow some flexibility to accommodate different needs?

What made the experience more frustrating was the way the request was shut down—there were no alternatives offered, just a flat “no, sorry.” I want to be clear: I’m not blaming the employees. They’re doing their jobs and following the rules they’ve been given. This feedback is more for the owners, managers, or those overseeing the brand. If the goal is to provide consistently good milk tea and create a welcoming, customer-friendly experience, then customer feedback should be heard and valued.

Chicha San Chen is not the only Taiwanese milk tea brand in Seattle. And while their tea leaves and boba are of good quality, for me—as a loyal milk tea fan—flexibility and understanding my preferences matter more. I’d rather return to a shop that takes the time to listen and adjust when possible, even if the ingredients...