Yum Cha Bubble Tea — Restaurant in Prospect Park

A surprising first-time experience that turned into a new favorite!

I have to be honest—I had never tasted bubble tea before. Or should I say, I had never experienced it. That all changed when I stepped into Yum Chai Bubble Tea in Prospect Park, and I’m really glad I did.

I initially stopped by because the Chief of Police was hosting an informal meet-and-greet to show support for the new business in town. I figured I’d say hello to him and a few neighbors, maybe grab a drink and be on my way. What I didn’t expect was to walk out with a newfound appreciation for bubble tea.

Curious, I ordered a coffee-based drink (because coffee is always a safe bet), but I was not expecting the “bubbles” at the bottom. Surprise! Turns out, those chewy little pearls are called tapioca balls, or “boba,” and they’re the defining feature of bubble tea. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it—coffee with chewy bits? But after a few sips, it started to click. The texture, the flavor, the novelty of it—it all came together in a fun and unexpectedly enjoyable way.

For anyone who’s unfamiliar, bubble tea (or boba tea) is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan. It usually includes a tea or coffee base, milk or a milk alternative, sweeteners, and those chewy tapioca pearls I mentioned. But there are all kinds of variations—fruit juices, flavored syrups, jelly toppings, even popping bubbles that burst with flavor. Yum Chai offers a wide menu with all of these options, and I’m already planning my next visit to try something more adventurous.

The shop itself is clean, cozy, and welcoming—exactly the kind of local spot you want to see thrive. The staff was friendly and patient, even with first-timers like me who needed a little help figuring out what to order. You could tell they were excited to share their love for bubble tea with the community.

I went in just to say hi to a few people and ended up discovering something completely new and unexpectedly enjoyable. Yum Chai Bubble Tea is a great addition to Prospect Park, and I’ll definitely be back—next time with a better idea of what to expect… and maybe a craving for those bubbles.

Highly recommend giving it a try—whether you’re a bubble tea fan or just curious like I was. You might be...

On that hot summer afternoon I was so eager to have Thai Milk Tea 07/08 . I realized there was a new bubble tea shop around Prospect Park that my older brother had told me about, plus he was the one who found Yum Chai Bubble Tea shop. He was actually there when it was the first week of the grand opening of that shop. It is 10/10 for me how the inside of the shop was so clean and organized. They put Naruto from the T.V. All the staff were phenomenal and wonderful, especially one of the staff (she’s great btw I did not get her name) when I ordered my Thai Milk Tea. I was so surprised and confused if that order of the Thai Milk Tea was mine, because I know there were a couple groups of friends in front of me who ordered before me. So I came up to the counter * I still looked confused* She said “Yes that’s yours”. “That is the Thai Milk Tea.” “I didn’t want you to wait any longer.” It just made my whole entire day beautiful. I told her “I don’t mind waiting at all, but thank you so much”. She probably remember that I came in first, I just didn’t order right away. I’m so glad that we have Yum Chai Bubble Tea in our area, especially in Prospect Park. I'm so thrill and eager to try the red bean bao, and Taro Milk Tea next. Anyhow, I will definitely come back soon and I can’t wait! And the next time I come back; I will for sure take some...

Tried Bao for the first time ever here at it was AMAZING!!! My partner tried the char sui and loved it. I tried the chicken and then, the red bean. The texture of the bao and the flavor of the ingredients for each one - chef's kiss.

I also tried taro milk tea with tapioca pearls (boba) for the first time here. I've had boba before, just not taro.

The taro was a pleasant surprise. Very good! My partner tasted mine and immediately made me turn around and drive back to the cafe to buy her one! Lol

Our kid was with us and got the strawberry tea with strawberry popping bubbles. They loved it and, absolutely wanna go back!

I think this is the only local place to get boba in Ridley now and, I definitely wanna support them so they can stick around.

The owners are great! They're super welcoming and very helpful if you're not sure what you wanna try.

We've been back a couple times already. These are some photos from...