Over the past couple of years, hundreds of little boba milk tea shops have opened up all over the Los Angeles area. And ever since the first "tea zone" opened, boba milk tea become wildly popular, and you can now find one on almost every corner. Some of the biggest tapioca milk tea chains include Lollicup, and Quickly, but there are many more boba milk tea shops that have opened independently and are also doing extremely well. We guess that this is because the infamous boba milk tea is such a tasty drink, especially in the hot summer months we LA-goers experience.

The most popular and by far best known boba milk tea shop is Lollicup. Many people swear by their secret milk tea blend, that we have tried to figure out many times before in our own kitchens. Their milk tea is the perfect blend of icy, creamy milk and perfectly brewed black tea, and the tapioca pearls that they use are cooked to perfection with just the right amount of sweetness and chew. Milk tea, although usually made with black tea, can also incorporate other types of tea as well. For more information on different types of tea, check out whispertea.com. Lollicup also offers many different flavors for your milk tea, such as jasmine, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, almond, and coffee flavored milk tea. Milk tea is not the only drink on the menu though; Lollicup serves up coffee, slushies, and smoothies as well. Not only do they serve a whole variety of drinks, they also offer many small snack items. These range from French fries to fried tempura, and there are many authentic Asian snacks that a person can try. The atmosphere of Lollicup is very relaxed, and many teenagers and young adults can be found socializing with their friends or doing their homework amongst the squashy couches scattered around the tea zone.

Another favorite is the boba milk tea shop called Quickly, aptly named for their speedy service. This is very much like Asian fast food, and is very similar to Lollicup. However, many people find that their milk tea is not as sweet, nor is it as satisfying as the milk tea found at Lollicup. An excellent second choice though, and one of the advantages of Quickly is that you will find not only your typical black tapioca pearls, but you will also find white tapioca pearls. These white tapioca pearls are sweeter, chewier, and they have fewer calories than the black tapioca pearls! Quickly also offers the same flavored milk teas and slushies. They have a greater range of snack foods than Lollicup as well, which might make it a better choice for some people. The sweet potato fries that they serve here are delicious, and highly recommended.

We cannot forget about the various boba milk tea shops that are not chain stores as well. One of our favorites is a small one called Genki Living, located in Arcadia, CA. This isn't specifically a boba milk tea shop; rather it is a Japanese snack food shop that happens to sell some excellent boba milk tea. If you stop by, all the snacks there are authentic Japanese snacks, from taiyaki (fish shaped cakes with various stuffing) to croquettes (Japanese fried potato cakes). All three of the above mentioned boba shops are excellent choices for whenever you're craving a tasty pick me up.