CHICHA San Chen, Philadelphia PA

A lot of people waiting in line. The tea is just normal tea. The milk mousse on the top is too sweet.

Got a taro milk with taro paste and taro balls. Pretty good. But the credit card minimum is $10, make sure you have cash if youre just buying one drink.

The tea is indeed delicious, but there are fewer options for hot drinks. It tastes a bit weird when you add taro balls to a cold drink. The shop smells so good of tea that there are so many people there that you think you have teleported to Nanjing Road in Shanghai! !

The hottest tea place in center city. It feels like the whole Chinese community are there waiting in the line. Price is on the higher side—$7.5 a cup and above. Service is friendly and efficient.

Honestly, I’m not 100% sure why people are raving over this place. It’s good bubble tea but nothing mindblowing. Maybe I’m just too old and no longer have the same taste as the younger generation.

This place did not disappoint. It deserves the Michelin star. The tea is fresh and tasty. The tapioca balls are warm, sweet, and perfectly soft and chewy! I got the classic boba with half ice and half sugar. So good! They don’t have a million options like other spots, but I don’t mind cause the options they have are quality flavors. It’s a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. The environment is also cute. I like their modern branding. Might be my new favorite boba spot on the East Coast.

Very tasty milk bubble tea and I love their taro balls (no other place offers this)! I've had Chicha San Chen in Asia also and it tastes exactly the same! I love the aromatic tea leaves flavor in the milk tea. Plenty of seating inside to hang out or perfect for a quick bubble tea stop in Chinatown Philly.

Tasted no tea in the bubble tea. Got the same thing in Hong Kong and it's miles better.

Delicious bubble tea paired with a bright and fresh aesthetic. Got the lemon tart and I hope it stays in the menu. The bubble teas were packed with delicious chewy bubbles. Worth a visit!

I want to try this place, because it’s new and saw a long line, thought that it must be good. The tea’s aroma smells amazing inside. However, their prices are a bit pricey for teas. A cup of tea cost you around $8? ! I guess it’s the price you paid for the rope holder that attached to the cup. It looks cute and different. Also, here you can adjust sugar and ice, which I like.

Overall, it’s not worth the hype and wait. I prefer Mr. Wish or Gong Cha better in my opinion.

Edit: I checked for the online order and asked in store since that was what was suggested when I posted my original review. Unfortunately this location does not offer online orders.

Super good drinks! Just takes over 20 minutes to get your drink, even when it’s not too busy inside… once when it was busy my drink took over 40 minutes. I imagine it’ll get faster eventually but yeah service is very slow. Would plan accordingly, like order first then go run errands in the area lol.

Would also be great if they could offer Venmo payment since they have a 10$ credit minimum.

This boba place is very well decorated and good aesthetic with drinks and everything. The drinks is expensive and taste okay, they paid attention to a lot of details in the boba process. This make the line long and long wait for our boba. I think it's a one time try spot, because the drink was alright, not too flavorful to me in my opinion.

Pro
Zero sweetness fruit tea was perfection.
The taro was also delicious, and I don't even like taro

Con
A bit hard to find parking

Honestly the tea flavor was not strong. It taste like there’s more milk than tea. I expected it to be out of this world since its so popular. Disappointed.

Probably the best bubble tea I’ve had in Philly. The tea is amazing and the bubbles are soft. It is a bit of a wait and they get really busy.

The tea here is brewed fresh and they even give out samples when you're ordering. I got the Black Milk Tea with Bubble, Light Sugar, and it was amazing. It's around $8 for one drink, but pretty reasonable considering they have Michelin Stars equivalent awards.

Good aesthetic and tasty bubble tea, it's new in the area so the line is usually long. Is it good bubble tea? Yes it is. Is it worth to wait for almost an hour to get it? Doubtful.

Chicha San Chen Tea House epitomizes slow handcrafted drinks. We read that they’ve received awards equivalent to 3 Michelin stars and we know why. Their assembly line ensures each drink is meticulously curated to perfection. From tea selection to preparation, every step exudes dedication, resulting in beverages that truly delight the senses. A sip here is an experience worth savoring.

Was picking up some dinner after work and saw a tea shop that opened up thus decided to check it out on a whim and glad I did! I asked the cashier what they recommended and she recommended the taro tea w/taro bubbles & paste.

Because I left my wallet in the car, I had to pay via cc. She stated that unfortunately I needed to purchase over $10 in order to qualify. Unfortunately, they only serve teas and fruity drinks so decided to get the lemon tart.

Both drinks were equally delicious but I wished they had something else like a dessert or cookie at a lower price or have something stated on their website so that people wont be surprised at checkout.

Aside from this minor detail, I totally understand why this chain was Michelin star rated. You truly do taste the tea!

In terms of the seating, its quite small. Thus because they make their tea drinks on call, expect to wait standing around for at least 5-10 mins! But its worth it!