Bubble tea (commonly referred to as boba) has been around since the late 1980s, beginning in Taiwan and diffusing throughout Asia, eventually spreading globally and reaching the United States.

The international popularity of bubble tea today can be attributed to both curiosity and our younger generations. As Boba became a popular trend, new bubble tea shops emerged, all with unique flavors.

One of these cafes is JoYu Tea & Coffee, located on Buckner Boulevard 3545, near Target (which makes it the perfect resting spot after a shopping trip).

While they are relatively new–they had their grand opening on the 17th of January–I believe that they have a ton of potential.

At first glance, JoYu’s aesthetic is bright and relaxed. The workers are quick to greet you with a smile, ready to help with your order, and answer any questions about the menu options. While they also offer a variety of different coffees and treats, I am mainly focusing on their milk tea.

JoYu’s current milk tea menu offers 15 delicious flavors to choose from (seven of which I review and mention below), all with great presentation and appeal. They cater to many different tastes, allowing the option to pick between hot or cold, lactose-free milk, oat, almond, or soy milk. The drinks I chose in particular were the ones that caught my eye first.

Oolong Coconut Milktea- $5: This drink is one of the store’s more popular drinks, containing condensed coconut milk. It tastes very richly of coconut, with a hint of a green, floral-y taste. The ingredients are fresh and pleasing. It is on the sweeter side, but you always have the option for 50% less sugar.

Thai Milktea – $5: Thai tea is a classic amongst tea lovers, which makes it interesting to see how it differs between stores. Before even tasting it, you can tell how refreshing it is by the drink’s presentation. The subtle earthy flavor from the black tea is complemented by the creaminess of JoYu’s fresh, sweetened house milk. Definitely recommend it to my Thai tea lovers.

Double Matcha Milktea – $5.50: If you are someone who loves matcha, this drink should be the first you try! This drink is another of JoYu’s more popular drinks, featuring matcha’s subtle grassy flavor with a slightly nutty and savory aftertaste. The drink is not at all “watered-down” by the added milk and succeeds in maintaining its flavor. Matcha through and through!

Very Berry Latte – $5: This drink is blended with fresh milk (of any choice), fresh house-made blackberries, and strawberries topped off with a creamy milk foam. It tastes fresh, fruity, and milky. The perfect blend for those who enjoy fruity drinks after a long day.

Taro Milktea – $5: This drink has a light, sweet, and nutty flavor mixed with refreshing cold milk. It has a slight similarity to sweet potato with a vanilla-like subtone. Taro is commonly recommended to people who have never tried boba before, making it the perfect starter.

Matcha Brownsugar Freshmilk – $5.50: This drink is blended with fresh milk of your choice, sweetened with brown sugar, and mixed with JoYu’s premium matcha mix. It’s more on the milky side than the matcha side, but I found it really good nevertheless. Totally recommend it to those who don’t 100% enjoy the “greeny, grassy” taste of matcha.

Mango Storm – $5.50: As someone who loves fresh fruit and mangoes especially, I cannot recommend this drink enough. It includes a freshly blended smoothie, consisting of mangoes, sweetened milk, and tapioca pearls topped off with a creamy foam. This is another drink I highly recommend to those who enjoy drinks that are sweet, fruity, and refreshing. My favorite out of all the ones I’ve tried.

All of the JoYu drinks I have tried have been amazing in different ways. They do not stray too far from classic, traditional boba, but they remain unique in the best way possible. I believe it is worth trying at least once, either alone or with friends.