Can I order my drink hot?

Yes, we offer hot versions of many of our drinks. These include House Black Milk Tea, Jasmine Milk Tea, Malaysian Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Taro Swirl Milk Tea, Matcha Milk Tea, and Coffee Milk Tea.

Why are Boba and other toppings sold as add-ons instead of included?

Not everyone wants toppings in their drinks and we respect that. At Boba Bay, all of our drinks taste great with or without toppings.

Which drinks do not contain caffeine?

We offer several non-caffeinated or caffeine free options. These include our pressed sugar cane juices, smoothies, Tiger Milk, and Oreo Tiger Milk.  We can also make some tea-based drinks without tea/caffeine upon request. These include all of our iced fruit teas, fruit milk teas (strawberry, mango, or peach), and taro swirl milk tea.. They of course will taste slightly different but will still taste fabulous without the tea.

Which drinks are non-dairy or lactose free?

Our Jasmine and House Black milk teas use non-dairy creamer. All of our milk teas (with the exception of Malaysian milk tea),  can be substituted with non-dairy almond milk or oat milk upon request.

What is Taro?

Taro comes from a root, like a sweet potato, and has a purple color when cooked. Our Taro Swirl Milk Tea is one of our most popular drinks. It’s like drinking fresh baked vanilla cookies.

What is Malaysian Milk Tea?

A Malaysian inspired milk tea made with our freshly brewed house black tea and condensed milk, served over ice. It is a sweet and delicate drink that tastes amazing with boba pearls.

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea was invented in Taiwain in the 1980’s. Traditionally, it is an ice shaken beverage containing a tea base, non-dairy creamer, sweetener, and boba tapioca pearls. The tea base is usually made of black or jasmine green tea and brewed at the right time and temperature to control the bitterness and concentration. We use premium grade loose leaf tea leaves and brew our teas daily so that our drinks are always fresh when served.

Why is it called Bubble Tea?

Some people understandably think that bubble tea refers to the dark boba tapioca pearls in the drink but that’s incorrect. Bubble tea is really named after the bubbly foam that forms when the ingredients are shaken with ice allowing the drink to cool down and balance out the flavors.

Is Bubble Tea different in the U.S?

As a U.S based bubble tea shop, Boba Bay uses authentic Taiwanese recipes and techniques for our classic bubble teas, while for other boba drinks, we’ve made slight adaptions inspired by local preferences and other Asian craft drinks. For example, for some drinks, we use fresh milk instead of creamer, natural fruit purees instead of artificial powders or jams, and layering techniques in addition to ice shaken. The other Asian craft drinks that we offer include Iced Vietnamese Iced Coffee (aka: Café Sua Da), Pressed Sugar Cane Juice, Thai Tea, and Malaysian Milk Tea (aka: Teh Tarik).

What are toppings?

Toppings are sweet chewy little morsels that are added to a bubble tea drink. Even though they are called “toppings”, they are usually found at the bottom of the cup. The most popular are boba tapioca pearls, popping boba, and fruit jellies. At Boba Bay, we also offer a delicious cheese cake foam topper, which makes the drink tastes like cheese cake.

What is boba?

Boba is a type of topping that’s sold as an add-on to your drink.  Boba is made of gluten-free tapioca starch from the cassava root. The flour is formed into a dough, rolled into small pearls, and boiled until it reaches a perfect moist chewy texture and glassy coat. The boiled pearls are then soaked in a sweetening solution like brown sugar and/or honey to create a perfectly sweetened morsel. Just like pasta has an al dente point, Boba has its own ideal consistency of softness and chewiness. Technique, quality, and  freshness are the keys to perfect consistency.

What makes Boba so appealing?

Appeal is a function of taste, aesthetics, texture, and satisfaction. Boba brings a little bit of all of those things to the drink. Boba tastes sweet like candy but unprocessed and fresh with its soft chewy texture. Since it’s infused with unrefined sugars like dark brown sugar and honey, it has a natural caramel flavor that’s light and complimentary. It’s dark glassy pearl shape looks like delicate shiny jewelry. And lastly, it adds a fun edible element to every sip, making the overall experience both refreshing and satisfying at the same time.

Is Bubble Tea healthy?

There are antioxidants in the tea, calcium in the milk, and nutrients in the fruit. There are also sweeteners and milk fat. So, like any treat, having it in moderation is the best way to enjoy it. For those interested, we provide the nutritional information for every drink on this website.

Are there allergens in Bubble Tea?

We use non-dairy creamer or fresh milk in our milk teas however we also offer non-dairy almond milk or oat milk as an alternative.  Our fruit drinks are naturally dairy free. All of our boba drinks are gluten free, egg free, and nut free, including the toppings. On this website, we provide the ingredients and nutritional information for every drink we serve.

When is opening date?

Boba Bay opened it’s doors on August 5, 2022. For a limited time, we are giving out free Boba Bay bags in celebration of our grand opening in Capitola California. Hope to see you there! If you have any inquiries about the business or opening, feel free to contact us at cheryl@bobabay.com.