TKettle
Over the past few years, bubble tea has become a foodie fad in New York and all over the United States. Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and has found its place here as a novel, fun drink! I remember the first time I tried bubble tea, I was at a street fair and got a mango bubble tea. I was put off at first– after all, tapioca ‘bubbles’ can be a little weird and slimy upon first taste. But I was convinced to try it again and again and soon I couldn’t get enough of it. There are so many bubble tea spots in New York City, but the best bubble tea I’ve had by far has come from TKettle. So, after getting Ample Hills ice cream and Pommes Frites fries, Evan, Chris, our friend Esther, and I all went down the street to TKettle for a final refreshing stop.
Me with my Black Peach Tea ($3.15)
TKettle is in the middle of St. Mark’s Place, and offers over 60 types of teas and other beverages… all of which you can get with boba (bubbles). They also have an extensive menu of Taiwanese food, including soups, sandwiches, noodles, and rice dishes. They offer desserts as well, including a “Bubble Waffle”, Mochi ice cream (love it!), and Fried Mochi Balls. They have tables inside with table service and a counter up front to order on the go. I have never eaten there, but the food looks and sounds really great. What I do come back for is the bubble tea, and I’m never disappointed. I’m a basic bubble tea person, so I usually get either milk tea or regular black teas with boba. The milk tea is always a good option if you want a more substantial drink, and the regular teas are good for something more refreshing.
This time, I got a small black peach tea with boba ($3.15). They add a kind of peach syrup to their iced black tea, but it’s not overly sweet, which is why I love TKettle bubble tea. It’s common to find bubble tea that is just a little too sweet, but they keep their teas flavorful without overdoing it on the sugar. The peach tea was amazing! It was the perfect thirst-quencher and left me refreshed. Their boba is also very chewy and firm, which I like in bubble tea. Sometimes I find the boba to be too squishy or prone to falling apart with other bubble teas, but TKettle’s is always spot on. Evan also got a Peach Black Tea but with Aloe cubes instead of boba for $0.50 extra, Esther got a Passion Fruit Black Tea, and Chris got an Apple Green Tea. We were all really satisfied with our choices!
Fun Foodie Fact: The tapioca “bubbles” in bubble tea are made from sweet potato (who knew?!), cassava root, and brown sugar (at least at TKettle…).
TKettle: http://www.tkettle.com/
26 Saint Mark’s Place (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
