Gong Cha

Some of the tea shops we visit are nearly destination-class – we’ll drive out of our way to visit them. Gong Cha is different: We stop by the Taiwanese chain’s locations whenever one happens to be at a place we’re already visiting. It’s one of our top two places for drinks at The Source in Buena Park, and we’ve also enjoyed the location at Irvine’s Heritage Plaza near Assal Pastry. (A third OC shop is in Santa Ana near Crumbl Cookies and AYCE Sushi SCM.)

The menu is fairly simple: brewed teas mixed with either nothing, milk foam, milk, or juice, plus sparkling refreshments, smoothies, and coffees. Rotating specials include fun flavors (such as Red Velvet), fruits (double peach or mango), and oddities (Frank’s Hot Sauce). You can customize the sweetness level by percentages – Gong Cha recommends 50%, and we concur – then add tapioca boba pearls, jelly pearls, star jellies, rainbow or coconut jellies, creamy pudding, basil seeds, or herbal jelly.