Nanciful’s Blog

We went to Tea Station in San Gabriel right after Hama Sushi so I guess I should have posted it together. But I didn’t want to taint my nice little Hama Sushi post with my disenchantment at Tea Station. The Sis had some mad craving for boba (her favorite food) andnd the only boba she allows in her system is from Tea Station. So off we went.

Back in the day, Tea Station use to be just a little tea store that sold packaged teas, loose leaf teas, ice tea, hot tea and various flavored boba. It use to be a place where one can pop in and pop out and get a drink to go. For you young’uns out there…once upon a time, their boba was $2.50 and buy one get one free! GASP! Yes, it’s not just a myth….it’s true!

However, over the years, Tea Station has turned into this boba conglomerate. The turned the stores into this big hang out place complete with Taiwanese tabloid  magazines, Chinese checkers and chess, cards for the patrons to play with. The one in San Gabriel near the Focus Plaza now has 20 something tables. Their menu has more than just dried squid and giant toast. There are full on meals like tea infused pork chop rice and curry chicken dishes.  Tea Station is now a destination, not just a stop over. People will stay there for hours on end, playing cards or reading magazines. I don’t understand why they can’t just do these things at home.

Men hanging out

Playing cards..why don't they just do this at home?! I don't get it.

Along with Tea Station’s  “improvements”, the prices has skyrocketed! I believe the boba is now something like $3.50-$3.75 a cup and the tea is $6 a pot!  And this was not the most expensive on the menu! This is the Hubs’ drink of choice at Tea Station. He loves it. It just taste like sugar water to me. Not even a whiff of tea anywhere.

Hubs' beloved mixed fruit tea

My mind was probably high from the euphoria that is Hama Sushi or I’m just weakling amongst peer pressure but I also ordered a pot of tea. Mine was infused with starfruit that was suppose to sooth my pulmonary system or something. (It said so on the menu so it must be true.) I wanted to kick myself for getting it. It tasted like they just melted a couple of Ricolas in hot water, put it in a fancy glass tea jar and charge you 6 DOLLARS! OK, that might not sound like alot to some of people. But around this neighborhood, you can get 2 meals for that price. So yes, it’s relatively pricey.

My Ricola tasting tea...blegh

The Sis decided to be adventureous and order a  hot barley milk tea with boba instead of a regular iced milk tea with boba. I had sip of it and it had a nutty flavor. Okay, I’ll admit it, the boba is pretty Q (FOB TALK!). In other words, nice an chewy to the core. So this drink was actually okay. Just a tad too sweet for my taste.

Frog eyes and hay sticks...just kdding. Just barley hot milk tea with boba

The San Gabriel population doesn’t seem to share my distaste for Tea Station because the place was packed when we left. Here their addy anways if you ever find yourself craving for some expensive Ricola flavored water.