Has the coffee break been replaced by teatime? I think not.
I ventured into the Pochi Tea Station at University Square this week looking to drink something different. What I found was unusual and my taste buds were unimpressed. The untraditional teahouse carries a menu that ranges from savory dessert crepes to Asian-style entrees and bubble tea drinks.
The bubble tea may sound unfamiliar, as it certainly did to me when I first heard of it. The drink originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, when competing tea-stand operators started adding flavors to their tea to attract young customers after school. The name — bubble tea — originally referred to the bubbles that appeared after the tea and flavorings were shaken to blend them.
Now choosing from 70-plus drinks is only the beginning; choosing what goes at the bottom is the real challenge. Each specialty beverage comes with the choice of adding tapioca pearls, mixed jelly, lychee coconut jelly, strawberry, taro, egg or chocolate pudding (the “bubble”) which sinks to the bottom of your drink. With a wide neon straw, you slurp up your smoothie and bubble.
I sampled the Peach Smoothie ($3.50) and a specialty smoothie, the Banana-Chino ($3.55). The peach flavoring was very tasty and I found it to be just sweet enough for my liking. I added the coconut jelly, and when I sucked the small gelatin-like candy through my straw, I jolted! The bubble did not really have a flavor, but the gooey texture was more of a surprise than a delight.
The Banana-Chino tasted like a cappuccino drink with banana flavoring — kind of like a coffee milkshake. However, the chocolate pudding and tapioca pearls distracted from the flavoring of the beverage. I felt like I was swallowing a blob of goo. The tasteless assortment of bubbles resembled a blueberry and certainly added a funny texture.
If you are daring enough to try these drinks, they are convenient for students to take on the go. Drinks come in plastic cups that are decorated with Pokemon-like cartoon characters and Chinese writing on the outside. A plastic vacuum-sealed lid protects from spills, and all you need to do is stab your straw through the plastic.
The packaging was cute, but the weird drink flavorings had me wary. Flavors range from strawberry, grape, and mango, to red bean, avocado, and watermelon milk. Any flavor can be mixed, matched, and translated into a hot or warm drink. According to manager Gabrielle Lee, “we will mix any flavors — as long as they drink it.”
Also on the menu are around seven entrees such as rice bowls ($5.25-$5.85), Chicken Wonton Noodle ($4.75), and Chicken or Beef Fusion Wraps ($4.95). My taste-testing team ordered the Hainaese Chicken Rice ($6.85), which Lee recommended. The menu describes it as “made from specially cooked, chicken-flavored rice with steamed chicken, topped with chef’s special sauce.”
We were very apprehensive to dig in when we saw what we had ordered. Displayed on our plate was a leg of chicken that was sliced in four sections through the bone. The pale skin was still covering the chicken meat, and the unsatisfying appearance made our stomachs rumble. The chicken tasted very bland and was accompanied by brown rice that tasted slightly curried.
For dessert, we tasted the Banane-Chocolat Crepe ($4.50), which was beautifully presented on a black ceramic dish. The chocolate crepe was filled with warm bananas, topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled in chocolate sauce and covered with sliced almonds. This was a succulent end to our not-so-appetizing meal and understandably one of Pochi’s best sellers. The remaining crepe options are fruit-infused — except for the Spinachini ($5.99), which is a suitable lunch option since it is a mixture of spinach and porchini mushrooms.
The facility itself reminded me of a take-out place where you have the option of eating in. It was not the cleanest place that I have dined in, and the big open space seemed off-balance because of a strange division. One side was a seating area with tables and chairs that were too cramped together for such a large room, and the other side had two lime green couches facing each other with a television hanging from the ceiling and a random bookshelf lined with books.
It reminded me of a chill lounge, but I still thought it created a weird dichotomy. I noticed a subtle Asian theme with bamboo blinds and simple artwork displayed on the wall. Electrifying neon-green walls and a very colorful motif made my eyes hurt.
All together, I found the joint not very satisfying. If you are adventurous, I say give it a shot, but it was not my cup of tea. Until next week, happy dining!
Grade: C
