By Sharon Talaia
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, our favorite places to dine are still open and offering takeout. Many businesses had to adopt new changes to remain open, and some have made these necessary changes better than others. Going to multiple popular pastry, dessert, and drink restaurants, I tried out their various menu items and judged each place on the following criteria: effectiveness in following the COVID-19 regulations, eco-friendliness, and product quality.
Teaspoon, a chic boba place with a variety of teas and other drinks, offered mediocre products. I ordered a House Milk Tea along with an “Afternoon Tea” snow ice, which is a mixture between shaved ice and ice cream. The House Milk Tea was disappointing; its overpowering tea flavor masked all the other qualities of the drink. It tasted almost exactly like regularly brewed red tea and nothing like milk tea. I also had the Creamy Jasmine, which was better than the House Milk Tea but was similarly unimpressive. The jasmine flavor was strong, with a slight chemical taste to it, but was not as strong as the House Milk Tea’s tea flavor. Both drinks had tapioca pearls added to them, and the pearls were neither mushy nor too hard. They were also cooked excellently. The snow ice was surprisingly better than both drinks; the icy dessert ironically captured the classic milk tea flavor better than the shop’s actual milk teas. The dessert was topped with pudding and pearls, though the shop was a bit frugal with their toppings. The dessert was also quite sweet, a fact that became more and more noticeable as it melted. The pudding was notably on point, the traditional eggy flavor untarnished. The shop itself followed COVID-19 regulations well. The workers wore masks, and there was a plastic barrier between the customers and the cashier. I ordered at the door because the inside seating area of the store was closed off. The snow ice came in a waxed cup with a plastic dome on top, a typical container for ice cream on the go. The milk tea was in plastic cups, but the shop also offered biodegradable straws. The straws’ paper wrapping stated “Save the Planet One Straw at a Time,” a statement I found a tad bit insincere, as the store gave us normal plastic spoons to eat our snow ice. However, I ultimately believe the store is heading in the right direction by replacing their plastic straws because that is more than what many other drinks shops are doing in terms of eco-friendliness.
i-Tea, arguably one of Milpitas’s most popular drink and snack shops, lived up to its impressive tea reputation but failed to deliver in terms of enforcing COVID-19 regulations. I ordered the Signature Pearl Milk Tea along with a box of popcorn chicken. The drink was excellent; the store balanced the tea and milky flavor perfectly to create the ideal milk tea taste. Their pearls, however, were sometimes mushy and almost sticky. The majority of the pearls were cooked to perfection though, so I can chalk that up to product variance. I also tried their Jasmine Milk Tea, so I can confidently say that my review holds true for their other tea-based drinks. The popcorn chicken was also quite tasty, but, like most fried things, it had to be eaten when hot. Once the fried chicken got cold, it became hard and dry. On the other hand, the store’s enforcement of social distancing in the shop left much to be desired. Many customers in the store were waiting for drinks and not following social distancing. At times, staff members periodically asked people to wait outside, but many people in the store did not stay six feet apart. On the bright side, all the i-Tea staff members were wearing masks, and there was a divider between the customer and the cashier. Regarding their plastic usage, there was nothing noteworthy about i-Tea’s packaging: plastic boba cups with plastic boba straws. The popcorn chicken was served in a waxed-paper takeout box in a plastic bag.
Teasociety, located in the Beresford Square Shopping Center, was a mixed experience. Their COVID-19 regulations were fine: their workers were wearing masks, and they had a plastic divider at the cashier. There were no other customers, though, so I cannot judge any further than that. However, their tea appeared to vary greatly based on what you order. I ordered the Black Milk Tea Puff first, which is basically a creamier spin to the classic pearl milk tea. The cream dampened the tea taste a bit, but not to the point where I would call it bad. On the other hand, I later tried the Japanese Creamy Milk which had a strong chemical flavor. The best way to describe it would be the bottom, brown part of a pudding, where it still has that pudding flavor but that artificial sweetener taste. I found the drink completely unappetizing, and I did not even finish it despite its $6 price tag. I ordered both teas with pearls, and they were nothing special, just a bit on the softer side. The packaging was the typical plastic boba cup and straw.
Cha Cha, a drink and snack place near the Lion Market in Milpitas, was an overall positive experience. Their workers wore masks, and they had a screen of plastic wrap between the customer and the cashier. The inside of the store was closed off to customers, so you ordered at the door. I ordered a Classic Milk Tea with Pearl and a Mochi Egg Puff. The drink was great and had a light, milky flavor to it. Cha Cha was also able to balance the tea flavor in the drink, and not have an overpowering milk flavor: a delicate mixture that numerous other boba places fail at. Their Mochi Egg Puff was quite sweet, but I believe it was more the mochi than the egg puff batter that made it so sugary. I did not find the sweetness of the dessert off-putting, but you may steer away from it if you do not have a sweet tooth. I also tried their Jasmine Milk Tea but replaced the pudding that comes with it with pearls instead. I found the tea to be average, and a typical jasmine milk tea that one can expect anywhere. The tapioca pearls in both drinks were firm and chewy. The drink cups were quite unique: a rainbow, see-through plastic that gave an aesthetic vibe. The plastic cups were also adorned with a cute pair of paper wings. Although quite pleasing, the wings themselves served no real purpose and unfortunately accounted for extra waste. Other than that, the drinks were served with typical plastic boba straws, and the egg puff was served in waxed paper.
My last place to visit was Paris Baguette, a slightly larger bakery and drink chain found all over the Bay Area. My experience with their Milpitas chain was positive, but there were only a few people in the store when I went there. At the door, there was a temperature-measuring app running on a tablet. I walked up to the tablet, and it indicated that my temperature was normal and I could enter. Once you are inside, you can take a paper tray and put the items you want on it. Normally, you would get a reusable plastic tray; however, I understand that due to COVID-19, the store likely wanted to avoid sanitizing the trays. Regardless, even if they had kept the plastic trays, they would have put all your items in a plastic bag anyway, whereas with the paper tray you simply took it out with you. Other than that, there were no other big changes. The workers wore masks, and there were plastic dividers at the register. All their bread and pastries were individually wrapped in plastic which, although wasteful, is necessary for sanitation. Their bread was average, and the sausage bread I got was on the oily side. The store’s chocolate cake, however, was very good: light and not too sweet, but definitely on the pricey side at around $6 a slice.
Overall, our various well-loved pastry, dessert, and drink stores are still persevering despite the challenges they face from COVID-19. However, due to the inherent nature of some of these stores, along with the necessary safety precautions that must be followed during the pandemic, takeout is often wasteful and non-eco-friendly. We, as the Milpitas community, need to further address this issue. I believe that replacing single-use plastic utensils and straws with more biodegradable alternatives is the first step in that direction. There are paper-based and plant-based utensils and straws that currently exist on the market at responsible prices. Bamboo and wood are good alternatives to plastic in the food category as they do not soil like paper. Ultimately, we, the consumers, must push for the change we want to see in our favorite establishments.