BEST MILK TEA IN SAN FRANCISCO

Over the past two years you have seen a term here fairly often that might have quirked your interest: Milk Tea (奶茶 'naai cha'). And perhaps you have understood that in the context of this blog and my own preferences it refers fairly strictly to the Hong Kong cha-chanteng (茶餐廳 tea restaurant) standard, that being strong black tea made silky with sweetened evaporated milk (淡奶 'daam naai'), served hot in a cup, and preferably that cup comes with a spoon and saucer. There must be a hint of bitterness and depth to the beverage, so that the taam naai will find a foil.

It may be new to some people, but to others it is almost shockingly old-fashioned. Old hat in any case. Trends have moved on, and though true aficionados will not deviate, others have developed a fascination with 'milk tea' made with fruity flavours and large gummy tapioca balls. Personally I like small pale tapioca pearls, because they are more fun on the tongue and far easier to process in the mouth and stomach, but the hardened digestive systems of teenagers crave the big brown things.

Sweet tea with balls.

But where to get?


波霸奶茶 BO BA NAAI CHA

Try Irving Street, reachable by taking the N-Judah streetcar.

Teaway Express
2142 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122.

Wonderful Dessert & Cafe
2035 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122.

Milk green tea, honeydew, lychee, taro, almond milk, or mixed coffee-tea-cream. With big brown gloopy balls.
If you don't feel like cruising out to the Sunset, there's Quicklies, with at least four locations in the North-East quadrant of the city - Kearny and Jackson, Powell Street near the Chinatown Library, Polk between Clay and Washington, and somewhere in the Tenderloin where the 19 goes.
There's also a place in the Financial District: Morning Brew Coffee & Tea, located at the intersection of Clay and Sansome Street, opposite the Mechanics Bank, next door to Self-Help for the Elderly (安老自助處 'On-lou Ji-Jo Chyu').

There are of course many other places. You will likely not find me there either.
I'm more likely to hang out in a bakery or chachanteng in Chinatown, where there are good things to eat in addition to the standard milk-tea, and noisy old people.
Old farts creating a racket make me feel young.
And milk tea cheers me up.


新檀島咖啡餅店 NEW HONOLULU
['san taan tou ka fei bing dim']
888 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94108.

文仔記燒臘茶餐廳 YEE'S RESTAURANT
['man chai kee siu lahp cha chan teng']
1131 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133.

文記茶餐廳 WASHINGTON CAFÉ
['man kee cha chan teng']
826 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94108.


The New Honolulu has bakery items plus a full menu of cha-chanteng classics, Yee's Restaurant specializes in barbecue meats and soy chicken and they also have scrumptious roast goose, and the Washington Café is a lively bustling place with good food at good prices, but you might not recognize everything.
Go to any of them for lunch or dinner. They're not really suitable for dates, unless the person you are with isn't looking to be impressed by high prices and a wine list bigger than the real-estate pages. Dress casual, not up. Heck, go to these restaurants with someone you like who also likes you. Don't bother taking a "date" there.

Both of you should order milk-tea.
And share your food.



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