The Boba Files: T4 (Fremont, CA)
8:00:00 AM
File #008: T4 You & Me & Everybody Else in Between
I drink a lot of milk tea.
So much that you might say I need an intervention.
Some say I have an addiction.
And I admit I do. But you’re here because you’re
curious. So I like to think my addiction helps give people a look into the many
boba places around the Bay Area. I pick the good out of the bad so that you
wouldn’t have to.
My suffering is all for the sake of knowledge.
(And at this point, some of you are rolling your
eyes at me.)
T4 sits on what I like to refer to as the “Ring of
Fire,” but for milk tea. There are a couple scattered across the Bay Area and
this is the one located in Fremont. T4 joins the ranks of the others such as
Gong Cha, Verona Pin Tea, Tea Papa, One Tea, Tea Island and if we have to push
it—Verde Tea.
Much like other milk tea shops around, T4 is located
in an Asian plaza down Warm Springs Boulevard. It’s brightly lit with a robin
blue color scheme and has plenty of seating. But good luck trying to find a
table on a late Saturday night. Ambiance wise, the crowd is young, loud and
some linger around to study (Ohlone College isn’t too far away), so the
majority takes their drinks to go. The café also gets very warm, which prompts
them to open the door, but smokers (who decided that it’s a great idea to smoke
right outside) make it a coin toss between suffocating in the heat or breathing
in second-hand smoke.
Nobody seems to abide by the 25 feet radius law
nowadays, but that’s another story, another blog.
They offer milk tea, fresh juice, smoothies, snacks
as well as the option to alter your drink sweetness and ice levels.
I have only been here twice and have not had the
chance to try their snacks or shaved ice, but I give a THUMBS-UP on
their pearls. Both times, they were just the right texture—a bit chewy and
sweet.
Their Roasted Oolong Milk Tea has a nice roasted aroma and
nutty flavor, much like Cha Time’s milk tea. Though perhaps just a tad milkier.
The Rose Milk Tea was fragrant, but still sweet even at 70%. Next time, I’ll
know better to lower the sweetness level.
The workers are helpful and friendly, even though
sometimes they look a little overwhelmed by orders. I recommend being patient,
but they are pretty speedy at cranking the drinks out.
When it boils down to the nitty-gritty things, if
Gong Cha’s lines are too long or you’re not a fan of One Tea’s desserts or
Verona Pin’s milk tea, T4 is your best option for a decent place for studying
or conversation.
Also—they’re opened just a smidge later than the shops listed above.
10 PM seems to be the cut off point for many boba
places in Fremont.
For places beyond 11 PM, there are extremely slim pickings.
Pick your poison at Fremont’s Ring of Fire. And
where do you go for milk tea after 11PM in the area? Don’t say Quicklys…
46132 Warm Springs Blvd.
Ste 133
Fremont, CA 94539
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