Restaurant Review #107: Lollicup, Saawtelle, West LA - CLOSED

Lollicup is, as far as I can tell, the largest chain boba shop in the country. For this reason, I intentionally avoided it for the first year and a half or so that I lived here.

But then, Volcano Tea started serving boba that wasn't quite fresh. And Upper House only serves those huge cups, and has a somewhat limited flavor selection. So I tried Lollicup.

Lollicup offers both a regular and a

Restaurant Review #90: Volcano Tea, Sawtelle, West LA

Volcano Tea can be a bit hit or miss, but it's still my second favorite boba shop, after Upper House, and in fact, sometimes I prefer it to Upper House, either because it's actually open, because it's not as sweet, or because the drinks are a normal size. Volcano tea is pretty cheap, at about $3.00-3.50 per drink, after adding boba, and offers the usual wide variety of flavors and consistencies

Restaurant Review #5: Infuzion Cafe, Santa Monica

The worst boba I've had in Los Angeles can be found at Infuzion Cafe at 3rd and Wilshire (just off the Promenade). While I welcome boba near the Promenade and would be perfectly satisfied with this place if I lived in a less culinarily diverse city such as, say, St. Louis, Infuzion's boba just doesn't live up to LA standards or the standards of any boba-lover.

Whether or not the tapioca will be

Restaurant Review #4: Tapioca Express, West LA (now closed)

Tapioca Express has an amazing array of flavors, including rose and watermelon. My rose icy was disappointing, but I think it would be great as a creamy drink, and the light plum was just what I had in mind. They also use fresh fruit in some drinks when in season, like honeydew and canteloupe in the summer. Also, their boba is notably fresh, and has the perfect amount of subtle sweetness for

Restaurant Review #3: Upper House, Sawtelle, West LA (now closed)

Upper House, on Sawtelle in the two-story shopping center near the corner of Olympic, is hands-down the best place to get your boba fix, and believe me, I have shopped around. They have a somewhat small menu, and quirky hours (2pm-midnight), but their honeydew frappee with boba is otherwordly. Upper House's boba is extra sweet (probably soaked in a sugary syrup) and they put it into your drink