Tucked beneath office buildings on El Camino Real, a small blue storefront with a shiny new sign is making its case as Palo Alto’s newest boba destination. On March 28, the store held its grand opening.

With the many competitors toward this establishment, Wow Tea’s unique factor is its home brewed teas.

“It’s [the teas] are stronger than usual,” Wow Tea barista and Palo Alto High School senior Brian Liu said. “We’re more close to the tea, rather than putting a bunch of preservatives or additives.”

The ambiance of the store invited us to sit and enjoy the rush of customers and a sweet smell of boba. There were many lounging options, with tables and chairs scattered around the establishment.

“Wow Tea has a very fresh look to everything,” Paly senior Arabella Guinle said. “The blue colors and everything makes it look very clean and puts together and gives it a very new vibe.”

Verde set out to see if Wow Tea really had the “wow” factor.

Conclusion
Wow Tea was unique in its authentic tasting teas and textures of toppings and gelato. We felt the most enticing menu items to try were the ones with rice grains: the Sweet Rice Milk Gelato and the Mochi Rice.

Overall, we were not super impressed with Wow Tea. We were disappointed with the 25 minute wait time for drinks, and majority of menu items tried were not distinctly different from other establishments. However, we believe there is something for everyone on the menu.

Matcha Mochi Rice with Matcha Cloud ($7.99)

The Matcha Mochi Rice with Matcha Cloud is a specialty of Wow Tea. We ordered the drink with full ice and regular sweetness. Each drink with mochi has grains of toasted rice mixed in, which was the same type of grains as the Sweet Rice Milk Gelato. The matcha was strong, but with the regular sweetness, we found the traditional bitter matcha flavor did not overpower the drink. The matcha was rich, and had a deep green color to the drink — a sign of true quality matcha, according to Kusumi Tea. The mochi complemented the matcha drink well, where it melted in our mouths once sipped. However, the rice grains in the mochi made it difficult to drink through the straw.

Nevertheless, the mochi was soft and silky, giving the matcha drink a stronger flavor profile. It had both a sweet taste and rich matcha flavor. (4 stars)

Lapsang Souchong Fresh Tea ($5.25)

The Lapsang Souchong Fresh Tea, was ordered with full sugar, full ice and boba. The tea did not have a strong flavor and the syrup powered most of the taste. The minimal tea flavor tasted a bit woody, which can be attributed to the “pine wood” added, according to Wow Tea. The sugar overpowered the drink, so we would recommend ordering it with light sugar.

Overall, this drink was very light and tasted watered-down, but the tea had a nice, sweet taste. (3 stars)

Seasonal Gelato: Sweet Rice Milk Gelato and Dragon Well Pistachio Gelato ($7.45)

The two-flavor gelato was a good pick, not only to maximize items tried in the menu, but also to try out flavor pairings. We went with the Sweet Rice Milk and the Dragon Well Pistachio, which are two of their seasonal gelato flavors. Both textures were soft and smooth, and the gelato stretched when lifted with a spoon.

The Sweet Rice Milk Gelato has a milk base with individual toasted rice grains mixed in, according to Wow Tea. The flavor itself tasted milky, like real rice milk in scoopable form. The addition of the rice grains made the texture lightly chewy, which is unique from traditional gelato or rice milk.

The flavor of rice and dairy complemented each other well, and overall pertained on the sweeter side. We highly recommend giving this flavor a try. (5 stars)

The Dragon Well Pistachio Gelato, on the other hand, had an earthy taste to the tongue, and the Dragon Well tea flavor was overpowering. There were hints of pistachio which was nutty in the flavor, but the dessert over-
all was bitter, only allowing the pistachio to be tasted at the beginning of each bite, with the tea being the strong aftertaste. This gelato flavor is not for those with a sweet tooth. (2.5 stars)

While the rice milk was on the sweeter side and the pistachio on the tart side, we found that pairing the two together created a nice, balanced flavor. The milky gelato and bitter tea paired almost like a Dragon Well milk tea in the form of ice cream.

The Best Jasmine Green Tea Latte ($6.50)

We ordered this drink with full ice, regular sweetness, and without any boba. Upon first sip of the drink, we noticed it did not have a very distinct jasmine flavor.

We noticed the jasmine had some traces of rice flavor, but overall, any taste was mild. The milk and sweetness overpowered the drink, drowning out the hint of jasmine. We suggest ordering the latte with light sugar if you want a stronger taste of jasmine, but overall, it was a good milk tea if you prefer a more basic drink.

We would also recommend ordering it with boba, as the boba here was very soft and chewy. It is a good way to add a bit more excitement to a more basic drink, especially if ordered with less sweetness. (3 stars)

White Peach Guan Yin Lemon Tea ($5.74)

The White Peach Guan Yin Lemon Tea, was also ordered with full ice, full sugar and boba. It was a cool orange brownish color. It again had a very light, soft taste, with a bit stronger flavor than the other drinks. The white peach stood out a bit more, although it almost had a jasmine flavor. The boba complemented it very well and definitely bumped up its rating.

We would recommend this to those who enjoy more fruity-tasting teas, though other places offer stronger fruit flavors. Another factor about Wow Tea is its limited toppings, which, as of now, only include boba.

While this may foster a greater appreciation for the tea itself, you may miss other toppings that other shops have to offer, like lychee and real fruit chunks, especially in fruit teas. (4 stars)

Lapsang Souchong Black Tea Latte ($7.25)

The Lapsang Souchong Black Tea was milkier than expected, and the black tea did not shine through super strongly. We ordered the drink with full sweetness, full ice and boba. The boba was chewy, soft and had subtle hints of honey. Paired with the black tea, the boba pearls gave the drink a nice texture.

Black tea is typically a classic boba tea drink offered at boba stores, and this tea was not unique compared to those that we’ve tried at other stores. We felt it was a solid menu staple for anyone looking for a familiar and comforting choice while ordering at this store. Overall, the drink was very refreshing, and unlike the jasmine tea, we were able to taste the tea profile better than any other flavor. (4 stars)