Drive around cities in the Bay Area, and you’re almost sure to see dozens of boba shops — many of them chains with multiple locations. One of these is Tastea, which recently opened a shop on Communications Hill in San Jose.

The restaurant boasts 4.5 stars on Yelp and is about 20 minutes away from Saratoga High along the Capitol Expressway: a bit far for those who live in Saratoga. When I entered the shop, I was greeted with a brightly painted wall featuring two cartoon dinosaurs drinking boba and the calligraphic words, “You & Me makes our communiTea”; I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures with it. After waiting in a short line, I ordered the matcha milk tea with honey boba, karate chicken and “buttload’a fries” with “weak sauce,” a popular sweet and sour dipping sauce. 

The milk tea was a bit too sweet for 75 percent sweetness, and the matcha flavor was not as prominent as the taste of cream and milk. I still found it very tast(ea)y, and I would definitely order the matcha milk tea again. As for the toppings, the honey boba was a shocking bright green color, but it tasted the same as normal boba and was soft, slightly chewy and had a hint of sweetness. 

The karate chicken was essentially popcorn chicken with Tastea’s original seasoning, and it was crispy and delicious, pairing well with the “weak sauce” — a popular sweet and sour sauce. 

The real star of the show, however, was the fries. They were dusted in the same seasoning as the karate chicken, and the combination of fries and chicken seasoning was genius. 

Tastea has some of the best boba snacks and quality drinks near Saratoga, and a cute, Instagram-worthy interior as well. Despite its inconvenient location, anyone looking for amazing boba snacks or unorthodox honey boba should make a stop at this highly underrated boba chain.