Ok so living in Duluth, when I see a new boba spot pop up – normally I have to recount the tally (I think we are up to 20 spots). That said, having lived in China and fallen in love with Royal Tea in Shenzhen, I was extremely excited when I saw the sign pop up for this place. Royal tea is a Taiwanese Franchise that is extremely popular in Asia and China. I have only been once because the lines are normally so long in Shenzhen, you gotta be willing to give up an hour to get your tea (which I just can’t do normally). That said, this opening does not have all fo the top drinks that you would see in Taiwan or China (I think it’s missing 3) but the concept here is great so let’s jump into it.
Modern Atmosphere of Royal Tea
The Atmosphere here is pretty awesome actually. It has a unique modern feel and you can tell they remodeled this from the original Rustic Couch and Kups layout to be a bit more open. The tables are espresso colored with beige cushions. Something unique that you’re not going to see in other places is the neon-lit signs based on zodiac signs. I suppose they do this to better know what tables to send the orders to but it also adds a unique pop to the overall view. There is outside seating but it’s not fully covered so it can be a bit wet. I see the umbrellas outside so possibly, this is a working progress.
Drinks at Royal Tea
Ok so, I can’t go into all the drinks here but there are quite a few. The first time coming here, I wanted to get the royal black tea which is what they are known for and I loved it.
After they won my trust I had to try a few other things so bear in mind that this review is over some days coming here and trying different items. The menu is broken up into Cheese Tea, Milk Tea, Fruit Teas, and regular Matcha assortments. My favorite cheese foam tea is the Royal Black Tea but when it comes to the fruit teas, they use real fruits (no powder) and they all have a green tea base so it’s not just a smoothie.
If you find yourself here, get the dragonfruit or avocado those are my favs. Also good to note that no tea here is powdered but everything is brewed fresh. The same goes for the fruit in the fruit teas – they are all blended and not powdered.
Snacks at Royal Tea
One thing I usually have against tea spots in this area is that there are no snacks or things to eat, so cafe workers like myself normally need to leave and get something to eat and come back. There isn’t a full diner menu here, but they have snacks such as wings, tofu, fries, calamari, and fried bun (my fav). The fried bun here reminds me of the previous location rustic couch (miss that place) and is pretty filling. You get 2 for 5.50.
STAFF
The staff has been very nice and answered all of my 1000 questions so hats off to them for that. I think that this place will do well as more people come and give it a try. For now, its one of my favorite spots to hang out and get some work done.
Altogether, this place has lived up to its name and has become one of my go-to places to get work done and enjoy a good drink. It is located inside of the plaza off Satellite Blvd besides Sri Thai inside of what used to be called Kups.
