New year, new experiences: in January a new boba place opened up near Wayne Hills.

“Gong Cha” has brought in many sales from high school students during lunch and after school, but is it worth the hype? I got a couple of drinks to see if this boba place is worth your money. At the same price you would pay for a Starbucks coffee, are you getting the same bang for your buck?

After multiple taste tests, I have come to the realization that as long as you know what to order, it is totally worth it.

English teacher Ms. Schillaci tried the Mango Milk tea with Tapioca pearls (boba balls). She described the drink as being strong in its taste of Mango. “It tastes really sweet (not in a good way), but does taste like mango.” The tapioca pearls were the next thing she tried. “The texture is exactly as you would imagine it to be, not not pleasing, but not pleasing either.”

Ms. Schillaci, upon being prompted to rate the tea on a scale of one to ten, provided the following feedback:

Mango Flavor: 9/10 (“Lots of mango”)

Novelty: 6/10

Plans to order it for herself: 2/10

Ms. Schillaci really enjoyed the Mango taste of the drink overall. 

Hills senior and frequent client, Yara Shobut, said her favorite drink is the Strawberry crème brulée tea. She said, “it’s a perfect mix of sweet and salty.” She recommends it for anyone who likes sweet drinks, but doesn’t want to “overdo it.”

I drank the strawberry matcha latte from the new strawberry series release, and honestly, it was like floating on a cloud. The ingredients are strawberry syrup, matcha, whole milk (you can get a milk substitution), and milk foam, topped with matcha power.  Besides being aesthetically pleasing, it also pleased my stomach.

I also tried a similar drink, strawberry yogurt tea, which was too sweet for my liking, but definitely worth my money. The ingredients were strawberry syrup with star-shaped jelly, tapioca pearls, and pearls filled with mango syrup. The drink was too aesthetically pleasing to drink but also had a really unique taste. If you like anything sweet with a strong strawberry flavor, try this drink out.

My all-time favorite drink, though, is a simple Matcha milk tea with Tapioca. I order normal sugar (70%) and no ice. It’s perfect for people who don’t really like sweet drinks. It’s like green tea and milk mixed together. To be honest, it tastes like grass, but in a good way; a sort of ‘sweet grass’.

We also got some insider info from one of the workers there. Senior Lizzy Boulos recently got employed at Gong-Cha and actually makes the teas. She is also a very frequent customer and since working there she has been drinking Boba multiple times a week which only further exacerbates her stomach problems.

However, she does say, “It’s a really nice environment and I enjoy working there. I like the vibes.” Even though she was slowly getting sick from the Boba she drank during lunch, she told me, “I like the boba, but now I want someone else to make my drink.”

The Owner of Gong-Cha, Daniel Camacho says, “We’re new in town and have great bubble tea. We’re happy to be part of the Wayne community. We look forward to giving the best service and quality of produce. The store is always neat, safe, and clean. People are always welcome to hang out and enjoy their beverage.” Daniels’s personal favorite drink is Strawberry milk tea with tapioca pearls and light ice with regular sugar.

The new boba shop is an interesting cafe that just opened up a month ago. So if you like unique and unusual foods, try them out for yourself. Gong-Cha has a large menu of drinks so surely you’ll find the Boba right for you. If you don’t know what to order you are always welcome to ask the baristas to give a recommendation or make their favorite drink for you.

As Ms. Schillaci wisely said, “Boba away.”