One of our favorite treats is a yummy cup of boba tea. Boba tea originated in Taiwan and usually consists of a milk tea with large tapioca balls that are popular in Asian desserts. There are so many great boba spots on Oahu and we wish we could fit it all into one blog post. Maybe a part 2 is in our future?

The Alley

The Alley is a newer Boba Shop to hit Hawaii.  They have locations in California and Las Vegas.  It’s such a cute shop with a modern feel. 

They were also really organized with a screen outside and an automatic number caller to announce the order numbers that were ready for pickup. They encourage ordering online so you don’t have to wait in long lines to get your drinks.

The most popular drink on their menu is the Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brulee Milk.  So we had to try it!  It was really delicious and really different as it had crème brulee custard chunks inside.  The boba was fresh but slightly chewy.  

Rating: 8/10

The Alley Ala Moana (near Jamba Juice in the Nordstrom Wing)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd Suite 2805 
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 278-9216

Hula Boba

While cruising on the west side, we found this little gem!  Hula Boba is located in Kapolei.  It’s a super cute shop that also carries Asian snacks and goodies too!  We picked up a box of raspberry mochi to try.  

Hula Boba offers a “buffet” of toppings.  At most boba places, you pay per topping, but not at Hula Boba.  Their cups have lines for toppings.  You can put as many toppings as you want for free and if it falls under the first line.  If toppings surpass the line you pay a little extra.  Pre-covid this was self service, but due to covid, just let the employee know what you want, and they will put the toppings in for you.  They also had the best selection of toppings we’ve ever seen, with fresh honeydew and cantaloupe to choose from.  There were so much toppings that we couldn’t fit the entire selection in one photo!

We couldn’t help ourselves and ordered two drinks.  The first was a Tiger Milk Tea with Boba (Thai Iced Tea) and a Mango Black Tea with Lychee and Mango jelly!  Both were really refreshing and such a gem to find in Kapolei!

Rating: 7.5/10

Hula Boba
885 Kamokila Blvd Ste 102
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 693-8818

Bee & Tea

We stumbled upon another amazing Boba Shop in Kailua.  Bee & Tea is such a cute shop with tons of local charm.  The first thing that caught our eye, was the Kailua mural painted on the wall.  Such a great photo op!

The next thing that amazed us, was the creative and diverse drink menu!  They have milk teas, iced teas, lemonades, lemonade teas, boba smoothies, fresh fruit smoothies, acai bowls, and the best cookies you’ll ever eat!  The cookie was so good we forgot to take a picture of it!

We wanted to try some different items so we ordered two drinks again.  The first was something we have never seen before – a pumpkin spice milk tea!  If you like pumpkin / holiday flavors, this will definitely hit the spot!  It was so good, words can’t even explain.  *Note: We paid $2.50 extra to get the drink in a reusable light bulb cup.  We also tried a Mango Tango, which is a Jasmine Green Tea with Mango and Lychee and mango jelly.  It was really light and there was a hint of Jasmine.  We really enjoyed this a lot!

Rating: 8/10

Bee & Tea Kailua
131 Hekili St
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 754-6890

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee or Tea is one of the oldest boba establishments on Oahu. They have been open in Hawaii since 1999 and many of their ingredients come directly from Taiwan. In addition to milk teas, they also offer smoothies, coffee, and many other desserts.

The inside is quite traditional and simple. Currently due to Covid, you are not able to sit inside. We ordered the regular brown sugar boba milk tea. What we love about Coffee or Tea is you can really taste that milk tea flavor and the sweetness is perfect. Their boba texture has the perfect balance of chewiness and softness.

Rating: 8/10

Coffee or Tea?
94-1144 Ka Uka Blvd.
Waipahu, HI 96797
(808) 676-6688

Teaspresso Bar

Teaspresso Bar loves to pride itself on having organic, fresh and local ingredients in their variety of beverages. They offer coffee, tea, smoothies, lemonade and so much more. They have so many locations in Hawaii as well as in Texas and Washington state.

The interior of Teaspresso Bar varies from location. The Wahiawa location offers a lovely mural / art installation of a cherry blossom tea with a swing. Perfect place for a photo op. We have had their regular boba teas before and wanted to try something different – their ube latte. It was so tasty and you could really taste that ube flavor.

And look – the swing is a perfect spot to get a picture of your boba tea. It’s so cute! Did we mention that Teaspresso won first place in Hawaii’s Best list of boba shops! Wow!

Rating: 9/10

Teaspresso Bar Wahiawa
834 Kilani Ave #104
Wahiawa, HI 96786
(808) 621-2233