In Boba Buddies, columnist Judy Liu ’26 sits down with Stanford students and reviews offerings of different boba shops near campus. Each installation will feature different Stanford students taking Liu to their favorite spot and talking about what the drink means to them.
The beauty of boba is in the eye of the beholder. While I have my reservations about the drink’s milky taste, boba appeals to aficionado Yasmine Mitchell ’23 M.S. ’24 with its varied tea flavor offerings, interesting texture and easy to consume nature.
“I drink boba every day. Whenever I have the chance to try a new shop, I always do, even if the reviews are bad,” Mitchell said. “I drink it for the experience of reviewing boba and thinking about what makes boba good.”
Mitchell has satisfied her boba craving with free drinks from many club events. She has also started to offer boba at meetings for Applied Cybersecurity, a campus organization where she serves as financial officer. Mitchell says boba is a useful tool for increasing attendance.
Mitchell has tried over 20 boba stores in the Bay Area, including Teaspoon, Spill the Tea and Mr. Sun Tea, to name a few. But her favorite is Sunright Tea Studio.
Located in Sunnyvale, Sunright Tea Studio might not be the boba place on the top of a Stanford student’s mind. Yet, for Mitchell, the drinks are well worth the 16-mile distance.
Sunright Tea Studio’s menu boasts a variety of drinks, including a wide range of milk tea, fruit tea and pure tea or coffee. They also offer toppings, alternative milk options and six different sweetness levels.
Mitchell opted for the Sunright Boba Milk Tea.
“Like many boba places, the base of their milk tea is a non-dairy creamer, but Sunright has this special blend of non-dairy creamer with sweetened condensed milk that gives their creamer a really sweet and full flavor,” Mitchell said. “The drinks taste strong and complex.”
Mitchell rated the drink a five out of five. “I would give it a six out of five if I could. It’s incredible,” she added.
She also praised the cup and straws design. The cups are slightly curved around the bottom, which “stops the drink from getting trapped in the little corners,” according to Mitchell.
Most of Sunright’s drinks come with sealed tops, allowing one to shake the drink a few times. Sunright recommends shaking it a total of 17 times.
I ordered the Sunright Fruit Tea with no toppings, less ice and a 100% sweetness level, which was $5.55. Compared to the $7 boba offered at shops within three miles of Stanford, Sunright’s prices are reasonably low, but it comes at the cost of distance from campus.
While I’ve had some fruit tea where all I taste is the fruit and not the tea, Sunright doesn’t skimp out on their Four Season tea. The drink was refreshing; the tea wasn’t too bitter, and the orange fruitiness had a fresh taste that distinguished itself from everyday breakfast orange juice. Orange pulp at the bottom of the drink paired really well with the tea, and I found the drink delicious overall.
The shop had a fun ambiance in late October, complete with Halloween decorations. To our slight disappointment, there were no chairs or tables inside or outside the shop, so consumers have to take their bobas to go.
Sunright Tea Studio is definitely a place to visit for those passionate about strong tea flavors. Its affordability and taste make up for its limited transportation accessibility.
Final Rating:
Transportation Accessibility: 0/5
Taste: 4.5/5
Menu and Pricing: 5/5
Environment: 4/5
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
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