Au79 Tea Express - Pasadena

It's been years since my last visit, and I had completely forgotten how amazing the boba tea is here. We ordered both the regular milk tea and the taro milk tea, and they were both fantastic, with the boba being fresh and delicious. The ordering and preparation process was quick and efficient. We will definitely be back and would highly recommend this place. A special shoutout to the woman who assisted us with our order; she kindly applied the student discount for my daughter.

We visit this place mainly for their tea with boba, and it consistently tastes fantastic! If you're ever unsatisfied with your drink, the staff is always willing to make adjustments or create a new one. While there's another nearby spot that offers excellent drinks as well, we choose this one for its outstanding service.

I tried the $9.99 meal combo, which includes either a black or green tea drink, a meat selection, a small portion of vegetables, two fried dumplings, one marinated boiled egg (which was a bit bland), a spoonful of minced meat that leaned towards the salty side, and 1.5 to 2 bowls of rice packed in a to-go container. There’s an extra charge for swapping the complimentary drinks for other types of black or green tea, but unfortunately, they don’t allow substitutions for non-tea drinks, which is disappointing because I would prefer a non-caffeinated option. I also ordered the Mapo Tofu meal with a complimentary black tea, adding boba and milk for an additional $1.50. It had a strong and spicy flavor with a decent authentic taste. The Popcorn Chicken meal also came with a complimentary black tea, and adding boba cost an extra $0.50. One thing I noticed about the meal combo was the overwhelming amount of white rice, which I would prefer to be better proportioned to include more meat, vegetables, and sides. After sharing two orders between one adult and two kids, we were left with about 2 to 3 bowls of rice, which took up most of the container's space. That felt like a waste. Next time, I think I’ll just order one meal and get additional sides or snacks since the rice takes up so much of the meal.

We love that there is parking and no matter when we have gone there is room for us in the lot. We like that they will make unsweetened drinks that are just that, no added sugar. There is a good selection of caffeine free drinks as well from nature's Xanax like Chrysanthimum to other more floral varieties like lavender and rose. It allows for variety. Their punch card system is a bit weird. You have to buy a gift card to get on their system but $20 is fairly easy. I should have done it sooner. There are powders, but it is still less wizardry then other places. They do offer almond milk which is great....

I hate to say it, but Pasadena doesn't have great boba spots, well except for Au79, which is like a shining star and conveniently next to Pasadena City College. The boba is consistently soft, warm, and lightly sweet as it should be. The small is 24 oz, and there's a wide variety of flavors. Great spot that I visit almost every week!