Desouro — Restaurant in Irvine

Ordered a Desouro Phoenix No. 13 Oolong Milk Tea with sweetness level 3, half ice, and boba. Though the tea wasn't as strong as I had hoped, the flavor was decent and I requested a sweetness increase after trying it. As someone with a sweet tooth, my preference would be somewhere between 3 and 4, but I did like level 4 a little more than 3 because it brought the flavor out a little more. If you were a fan of Orobae's Rising Phoenix Oolong milk tea, don't expect it to be the same because it will be a little different, but the tea flavor was reminiscent of that and I did enjoy it in a different way. I took a Desouro Rising Buddha Oolong Milk Tea home and it was actually a lot better than I expected! I think I actually prefer the Rising Buddha over the Phoenix No. 13. Since they are still in their soft opening phase, I'm sure they're still working things out but expect very long lines at this point, about an hour or more long.

Edit: Came back to try the Phoenix No. 2 Oolong Milk Tea and liked it even more than the No. 13. It was even more reminiscent of the old Orobae Rising Phoenix and the tea flavors were there. I would come back again for this drink, but would probably go for level 4 sweetness whereas everyone else told me to get level 3. Also they added a 6 drink limit per order to help manage wait times and I think this helped the line feel more like it was moving along. I waited an hour the second time going, only a slight improvement from 1.5 hours, but the movement made the wait seem a little more bearable. Also like that they have been taking feedback to make slight changes with the drink limit and no more yelling inside. I'm hoping drink making efficiency will improve even more over time to make the line move even faster by the time they have their...

I’m an expert milk tea connoisseur. I went to orobae when it first opened over 5 years ago now and it blew my mind. Best milk tea I ever had up until that point. However the milk tea game has evolved and Desouro while still a great milk tea no longer holds the title of the best. Compared to other “specialty” tea places like the Chi Chas, Desouros milk tea has an overpowering taste of coffee creamer. I’m not sure what they use as their creamer but to me it tastes artificial and reminds me of the powdered coffee creamer I’d throw in my gas station coffee. The tea is great and without a doubt the owner is passionate about quality but imo the creamer is holding the tea back. I hope they experiment with alternatives that bring out...

I was really excited to try this place since we loved Orobae, but unfortunately, the drinks here didn’t quite live up to that expectation. We tried the Phoenix Number Two and Hokkaido Metal Goddess, both at 70% sweetness. Compared to Orobae, the flavors were weaker and felt a bit diluted. Many reviewers have made this comment, and we agree.

On the plus side, the staff was very nice and helpful, which I really appreciated. The interior, space, and vibe inside felt odd — there wasn’t any décor, and it seemed like they were trying to create an “elevated” experience, but the drinks didn’t quite match that.

Overall, it’s an okay spot, but I’m not sure I’ll come back. Four out of five...