Janine Marnien
They’re round, bite-sized and a growing trend, and now they’re at
a store near you.
They’re called Boba, and they can be found at T*Box, a newly
family owned and operated juice bar on Foothill Boulevard.
“Before, I had to go all the way to Temple City or Chinatown to
get Boba,” customer and La Crescenta resident Suzan Gregory said. “I
just found out about this store two days ago and I’ve been here twice
already. This is one of the few places around here that you can get
it.”
Boba are tapioca balls mixed in with juice or tea drinks. They are
gummy in consistency, and are eaten through a straw about three times
the standard size.
They can be an acquired taste, as customer Marian Mirsky
discovered.
Mirsky opted not to add a scoopful of Boba to her Pina Colada
smoothie, after tasting it at the prompting of her friend, Gregory.
“I think the kids like it,” said Mirsky, who is considered the
honorary grandmother of Crescenta Valley High School.
About 90% of the bar’s customers do come specifically for Boba,
bar manager Grace Jeon said.
“Some people have never tried it before, and at first they’re
like, ‘It’s too slimy,’ or ‘It’s too funny-looking,’” she said. “But
once they try it, they like it.”
Customers can get blended drinks or fruit smoothies in flavors
like orange, kiwi, strawberry or honeydew. They can also get tea. A
scoopful of Boba is optional.
Jeon’s aunt, Hyun Ryu, owns the store, which opened about a month
ago. Although she already works full time, she wanted something on
the side, Jeon said.
Some of the cousins had teasingly suggested opening a Boba store,
and Ryu did.
T*Box is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It
is at 3051-A Foothill Blvd.
Prices range from $2.75 to $3.50. Boba is an additional 25 cents.
