The Jaded Palate

• Slurpy, chewy goodness: 5 out of 5
• Price: $2.50
• Location: Cupertino Square, 10933 N. Wolfe Road

On my trips out of the City down to San Jose, I often make the quick detour on 280 South to stop at my favorite boba place – Fantasia. For those who aren’t familiar, pearl tea, originally from Taiwan, gained popularity in US during the 90’s (along with those lychee jellies) in heavily Asian populated cities.

I’ve searched far and wide for the best boba, especially during my year long stay in HK, but I don’t think that it gets any better than Fantasia’s perfected pearl tea formula. A lot of other places make the mistake of over sweetening the drink with extra condensed milk, but Fantasia achieves the right balance between the bitter tea and sweet milk. Out the door lines means the tapioca balls are always fresh and don’t become soggy on the outside while pasty on the inside. Fantasia has several branches, including one in Santana Row, but I still like to get mine at Cupertino Square on Wolfe Road. The racing stickers on the the rows of Honda Civics speaks authenticity to me.

Note: Do not be greedy for the last remaining pearls at the bottom because they have been known to cause freak, choking accidents especially while driving on 280.