ChiCha San Chen — Restaurant in Duluth

I recently visited 吃茶三千, and I must say, I’m incredibly disappointed with my experience. As someone who enjoys both tea and milk-based beverages, I had high hopes for this place, especially given its reputation. However, what I encountered was far from what I expected.

Let’s start with the milk tea, the staple drink. First off, the milk had absolutely no flavor. It was like drinking a glass of water with a faint hint of something resembling milk. It was thin, tasteless, and completely devoid of the rich, creamy texture I’ve come to expect from any good milk tea. I could barely tell it was milk at all. I don’t know if they use low-quality milk or if they’ve just forgotten how to make a decent brew, but it was incredibly disappointing.

As for the tea, the situation was no better. It was as if they had completely forgotten how to brew a proper tea. There was no depth, no richness, no boldness—just a weak, watery mess that left me wondering if they’d even used any tea leaves at all. The supposed "tea" taste was incredibly faint, if it was there at all. I’ve had better tea from a vending machine.

When you go to a place like 吃茶三千, you expect to taste the effort that goes into perfecting the balance between tea and milk. But in this case, both the milk and the tea were so bland and tasteless that it felt like I was drinking a cup of disappointment. I tried adding sugar and even some toppings in the hope of salvaging the drink, but nothing could save it. The texture was also off—watery and not at all satisfying.

Overall, this experience has left me with no desire to ever return. The drinks were lackluster at best, and I couldn’t even finish my cup. It was a total waste of money. I can’t understand how a place like 吃茶三千 could have such a reputation when their drinks have zero flavor, and everything tastes like it's been made in a rush without any care. If you’re looking for a quality tea or milk tea, don’t waste your time here. There are far better places that actually know how to make a flavorful,...

The place is new and, as a result, understandably busy, especially when we arrived around 8 pm on Friday. Upon entering, you are greeted with a delightful tea fragrance. The decor is minimal and beautiful, though there is limited seating, making it feel a bit crowded. The line to order starts to the left as you walk in. At the register, we were offered a sample of their Orange High Mountain Pouchong Tea, which was refreshing and a nice touch for those undecided. It cost around $15 for two drinks, comparable to other places. I ordered the Bubble Milk Tea, which I consider a classic flavor and use to determine if a place is to my liking. We sat in front of the teapresso machines to pass the time and watched as the tea brewed. Despite the crowd, the wait was less than 10 minutes. When our order was called, we went to the counter and received cups charmingly adorned with a string for carrying, all very much in line with their rustic, minimalistic aesthetic. After snapping a few pictures and tasting the drinks, my opinion is this: The flavor? Exquisite. The boba? Not quite up to par. Having tried almost every boba place in the area, nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to Xing Fu Tang. If ChiCha San Chen had boba with the flavor and texture of Xing Fu Tang, they would be undeniably unbeatable. Despite the crowded space and underwhelming boba, I give this place 4 stars for their outstanding tea flavors and...

Luckily I didn't have to wait too long to order.

Let's get this out of the way, the Boba is good. Is it $7 good? That's up for you to decide but it's not a disappointing taste regardless of what you get. I got the Mango Oolong and enjoyed it well enough.

However, the price you pay and the time you wait isn't for the boba it's more for the experience. That is to say, this is probably the nicest boba shop i've ever been in.

Everything from the interior design to the employee uniforms gives off the "upscale" vibe. This is further pushed by the fact that they have live tea servings towards the back of the store educating customers on the different kinds of tea making techniques, flavor profiles, scents, etc.

The staff are also very professional. I ordered regular tapioca pearls with my drink, but a staff member informed me while I was waiting that they had just ran out and was willing to refund me the price of the topping. I decided to just get a different topping but the offer was conducive to the service they're aiming to provide.

I think this place deserves a 5/5 for the hard work put into everything ABOUT the store. The interior, the live tasting sessions, the professionalism of the staff, etc. That being said, if you come here just for the boba you'll be satisfied with a good tasting, albeit...