Any time something new pops up in our rather small Happy Valley, we can’t help but be some of the first to check it out. This past week, we ventured near the Palmerton—under it, actually—to enjoy some bubble tea.
If you haven’t heard about bubble tea, get your head in the game. State College is not new to this drink trend—Tea-Time on McAllister Alley is a popular spot for many students—so naturally another spot is always welcome.
If you fit the following categories:
1. You know you love bubble tea—you may have even been to Tea-Time
2. You’ve heard of bubble tea and you’d like to try it
3. You’re not even sure what bubble tea is
You need to check out Kung Fu Tea on 316 W Beaver Ave. Upon arrival, we noticed the big, stretching windows across the entire store, allowing floods of light straight in. It was immediately welcoming.
The menu may be a little intimidating—there are a lot of options. But just stick with what you already know. If you like green tea, get the green milk tea. If you like tea with honey, get the honey tea. The great part about this place is that you don’t have to like tea—they have an entire section of the menu just for coffee and flavored slushes like strawberry milk.
We went for the cold green milk tea with tapioca balls at the bottom (if you’re not sure what that is, they’re really similar to the pudding, just in larger form). The drink was sweet, but not too sweet, which was great. The milk green tea taste was mild and refreshing, and the tapioca was perfect texture—not too soft, not too tough.
We asked another customer, Anna Martinez, what she thought about her drink. Simply put, she says she loves the place, and her order. “I got the honey tea, and it’s really good. It’s sweet,” says Martinez. “I love that there’s a lot of windows we can look out.”
As far as location, Martinez says it’s beyond convenient. “I live downtown so this is really close,” says Martinez. “It’s easy to come here.”
With great location, great service and a great end product, Kung Fu Tea seems to have hit the nail on the head so far in its time in business. Come check it out for yourself, and if you haven’t gotten into this trend yet, jump right on the bandwagon—this place won’t disappoint.
Photo by Samantha Allen
