Bubble Tea

There aren't many new things that happen in the skyways of St. Paul, however I think to prepare for the up and coming republican national convention several stores are either preparing to open or have recently opened.


Today I visited the new tea house. They have a huge menu of all sorts of different teas and a thing I've been meaning to try - bubble tea.

I think bubble tea is an acquired taste and I'm not that big of a fan of green tea and the poor clerk accidently made mine with green tea so I took pity on her and said I'd just take that. It is exactly how it look in the photo. There are these really ridiculously icky looking black "pearls" at the bottom of your glass that you slurp up with your tea. I can only equate it to one thing...as a kid did you ever float gummy bears in kool aid. That's pretty much the consistency. I'm not sure chewing a drink is all that it's cracked up to be but it was rather fun to try it.

Also apparently the sealing process of the cup is a tradition and so you get this huge straw and a sealed cup and you poke through the plastic seal.

Apparently too they have these jello -type shots you can also float in your tea. I think I might try a less green-tea based, maybe a vanilla or almond chai on my next jaunt to the tea house before I completely give them a complete rating.

As for the bubble tea, it may need to be a while before I order that again. I like tapioca pudding. I like iced tea. I'm just not sure they are meant to be merged together.

Also this just in....as you may know fhima's closed several months ago and the storefront has been empty. Well just last week I noticed a sign for a new restaurant called pop!! Googled it and a new spot will be filled with bright primary colors and colorful pop art hanging on the walls, pretty mucha anything "pop" -- pop music, alternative new wave, or retro '70s pop. The food will be Latin — South American and Spanish. They will also have a pop list — like a wine list — of fine soda pops of distinguished vintage (Crush, Yoo-Hoo Bubble Up, to name a few). Um...can't you just imagine...yes, I'd like a Yoo-Hoo, vintage 1980 please?

Sounds like fun...as long as it isn't too expensive.