Boba Tea: A Sip of Taiwan

Just add Boba for instant success.

On a university campus where most students fight the exam blues with shots of espresso and lattes, a little brightly furnished beverage shop has changed the tune and added an exotic ingredient to the remedy for overworked and under enthused students.

TT Lounge, nestled in Virginia Commonwealth University, is not only a favorite among the locals, but attracts visitors as well.

Famous for its Taiwanese Boba Tea, TT Lounge boasts a unique taste unlike any other offered in Virginia's capital.

The teashop offers 73 different varieties of tea but also relies on consumer interaction in the blend.

Customers are even given the option of mixing any of the varieties together for their own special blend, ensuring no craving goes unsatisfied.

Even with the creativity that TT Lounge allows, its best selling drink is one of the most common and subdued of all, Royal Milk Tea.

With curiosity induced by the vibrant neon colored furniture and the cozy seating arrangements of the small shop, many often wandered into TT Lounge to see if their taste buds would be as entertained as their eyes were by the vibrant artwork and eclectic mix of decor.

Simple wonderment is what owner and manager Sim Phoung said made his little shop such a big hit.

"First it was like a foreign thing," he said, "...people were like, what is Boba?"

That raises the question, what exactly is Boba Tea?

Characterized by its frosty mixture, the tea contains ice, milk, and fruit juice and is served over tapioca pearls. Shaped as small spheres, tapioca pears are gummy in substance and are made of sweet potato, cassavea root and brown sugar. The drinks themselves are traditionally served creamed and sweetened in green or black tea.

The drink itself comes in a variety of colors and flavors that shock the eye and the mouths of many. Exotic from its name to its sometimes neon appearance, Boba drinks are smooth and slightly thick in texture. The gummy tapioca balls line the bottom of the oversized containers. Garnished with a straw large enough to carry the tapioca to the taste buds, the Boba tea provides a rarely attained balance of soft, sweet, refreshing and fulfilling.

"If you visit Taiwan or Hong Kong you can't help but notice the unique bubble teashops on every corner. Bubble Tea to Taiwan is what coffee or soda is to the U.S. One would think Bubble Tea is the national drink by its popularity," reports Bubble Tea Supply, a company that supplies to Boba Tea businesses.

Historically, the tea originated in Taiwan but is enjoyed in almost every Asian country. With the sprouting of shops such as TT Lounge, Boba Tea has almost become a contemporary tea drink for Europe and the Americas.

Boba teahouses have popped up in the US over the last 10 years and are growing in popularity in some of the nation's most vibrant cities, such as L.A., New York, and even the coffee capital itself, Seattle.

California is home to some of the most well-known and respected pioneer Boba teashops in North America, and as such was a major trendsetter in the new tea fad.

Introduced as an exotic and colorful addition to the caffeine family, Boba Tea created a stir in Western nations catering to a diverse audience of Americans from all over the world either interested in a taste of home, or simply interested in a taste of the world.

"It has a lot of potential growth," said Phoung, "It can be much better."

Phoung founded TT Lounge in 2003 in hopes of creating a stable business with good revenue and a cozy, friendly atmosphere. Discovering that his budget didn't allow for advertising of any sort, he relied on word of mouth to carry his business through its shaky beginning.

With a degree in business and a little inspiration from a friend who had started his own business and found instant success, Phoung set out on a similar journey.

Because of his background and appreciation for Thai culture and cuisine, Phoung decided to jump on board as Thai tea began to make its way across the states as a new, exotic and exciting veer away from the consistency and commonplaceness of coffee shops.

With a rough start, no advertising and restricted funds, the aspiring businessman ran into numerous obstacles dealing with health inspectors, city regulations and his own personal desires.

Once he was able to acquire the necessary equipment and materials to produce Boba tea, Phoung turned his attention to aesthetics. With an image of vibrancy and youthful allure in mind, he enlisted friends to help him pick out furniture and accessories to give his shop a gleeful fusion of Thai culture and contemporary sleekness.

The vibrancy of the shop attracted its own attention but Phoung depended on it as the primary way to get attention. With no money to advertise, he could only wait and see if the new Thai taste would cause some buzz.

In regards to starting TT Lounge, Phoung offered some worthy advice, "For those who want to start a business, please think long and hard before you start," he continued, "...to me, it's 10 times harder than going to work."

Luckily for him, the location of his shop in a busy campus full of under-caffeinated college students, proved to be a major asset.

College students are in and out of TT Lounge sipping on their regular, or experimental creation.

Many linger in the shop, conversing on the bright sofas, flipping through magazines, studying or even dueling it out in a game of cards or checkers, courtesy of the Lounge.

With a little twist of taste and a flavor for every mood, TT Lounge has become embedded in the campus culture of the university.

The shop is a common stop for students on campus looking for a refreshing lift that wakes them up but doesn't weigh them down like other caffeinated alternatives.

A little shop started out by an owner who admittedly had little experience has become a formidable contender to the Starbucks down the street.

"It's a refreshing atmosphere. It offers something much more personal being a family owned business," commented Omar Khan, a student of Virginia Commonwealth University and a regular at TT Lounge. "My friends and I often hang out there, play cards and enjoy the unique teas and slushes the shop offers. You can't find that taste anywhere else in Richmond," he continued.

In its three years of establishment TT Lounge has made a major splash and despite few hands and limited funds, the owner and the customers are eager to keep this little taste of Taiwan tantalizing the taste buds for years to come.