By Katy Nguyen & Junanna Chen, Staff Writers
Have you ever tried, brown sugar boba with fresh milk? It’s boba simmered in Taiwanese brown sugar, which is actually black, and layered with fresh, creamy milk. The sugar stripes give off a decorative marbling in the cup when combined with milk. Sounds amazing, right?
Well, you’re in luck. The Alley, a popular Taiwanese boba chain that specializes in brown sugar boba, is located on Warner and Euclid and officially opened today.
The boba chain make its Instagram-worthy and best-selling boba called Deerioca in-house from scratch by kneading and rolling tapioca dough into bite-size balls. Their sugar is all-natural and comes straight from sugar cane, and with the in-house boiling methods, you’ll surely have a one-of-a-kind experience. What’s equally as impressive is that The Alley freshly brews high-quality and hand-picked tea leaves, giving each cup the perfect flavor.
We set out to visit the newly opened location for its soft opening.
When entering The Alley, we were welcomed with the lingering aroma of brown sugar in the air. The open interior is decorated with a modern, industrial look that is perfect for aesthetic Instagram posts and doubles as a great study spot.
The boba chain’s signature deer logo is prominent on the wall and is a gorgeous background for pictures.
While waiting in line, the aisle is lined with snacks, boba plushies and other merchandise which can be purchased at the counter. We easily saw what The Alley from their menus on the wall.
Junanna ordered the Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk, while Katy ordered the same but with Creme Brulee.
Before drinking, The Alley recommends stirring it nine times, instead of shaking.
In the first sip of the drink, we tasted the combination of brown sugar and milk, which was surprisingly not too overwhelmingly sweet but very delicate. The sugar gives a stickiness to the boba which makes it stick to the roof of your mouth in a good and satisfying way.
For Junanna, the milk is above average, but there wasn’t a wow factor. However, the boba was one of the best she’s ever had. It’s soft and chewy, making it the highlight of the drink.
Katy recommends ordering the Creme Brulee one because it enhances the richness and creaminess of the milk, which perfectly balances out with the brown sugar and the tender boba.
We have to admit that the price of each drink is quite expensive compared to your average boba shop. Each cup is regular-sized but costs $6 with tax, whereas other boba shops range from $3 to $4 for a regular-sized cup.
Don’t get turned off by the price, though! Once you try The Alley, you’ll see that $6 is a reasonable price for its high quality and fresh ingredients and unique boba.
With The Alley being the fifth boba shop to open around the Mile Square Park area, we have to give it the title of the best one among the other shops. We won’t be spending $6 on boba on a regular basis, but The Alley is without a doubt an incredible treat every once in a while.
If you’re interested in a buy-one-get-one-free deal, come out to The Alley’s Grand Opening on Oct. 26 and give it a try. If you spend $10, then you get $5 off your next purchase. You can also follow them @thealleyusa on Instagram and tag #thealleyusa for a chance to win a special prize.
