Boba tea has become increasingly popular in the West across the past several years, but have you yet to find a cafe that you really enjoy? Or are you just bored with the usual ones with typical offerings currently on your roster? Look no further, because Tii Cup, a cafe with locations across the Twin Cities is guaranteed to bring your boba searching journey to a “fruitful” end.
Tii Cup is a local family-owned chain of cafes offering a wide variety of beverages and Taiwanese street food in addition to boba tea. They have several locations across Minnesota including Roseville, Brooklyn Park, Uptown Minneapolis and have even expanded to the Mall of America, located in the SouthWest Court at Macy’s.
Their menu features various kinds of delicious drinks including boba tea, iced tea, coffee, smoothies and other blended drinks with a range of customizability, including four different sweetness levels. Don’t like tapioca pearls but still want a sweet drink? Choose not to include them or try a different additive like jelly, chia seeds, pudding and more. They also display various gorgeous special and signature drinks on their website such as Crème Brûlée Milk Tea or the Dragonfruit Motiito. Vegan-friendly drinks can also be found listed on their website, which you can find via the QR code provided.
In addition to their delectable beverages, Tii Cup’s menu also includes savory Taiwanese street food like calamari and popcorn chicken to pair with your sugary drink. If your sweet tooth still isn’t satisfied, try the bubble waffles, made with egg-based batter grilled into bubble shapes that come with a range of sweet toppings. Another top choice is the bingsu, which is smooth and creamy flavored shaved snow served with fruit, mochi or pudding depending on your flavor preference. Regardless of your tastes, Tii Cup’s menu has something for everyone.
Upon entering Tii Cup’s Roseville location, the cafe itself is very comfortable and adorned with cute drawings and plushies from the staff decorating the walls, counter and windows.
“I really liked how it looked,” Columbia Heights High School senior Simone Edstrom (12) said. “It was really cozy and colorful.”
With the option to pre-order online or off a kiosk in the cafe itself upon arrival, the calming atmosphere will accompany any patron, whether waiting for their treats or just popping in to grab and go.
A specific recommendation for anyone overwhelmed by the numerous choices would be the Brown Sugar Milk Tea. This drink is very visually pleasing, with brown sugar swirling around the milk and boba. As for the flavor itself, the caramel-y brown sugar flavoring makes it a perfect fall drink. Be warned though, as it is extremely sweet! Consider lowering the sweetness if that doesn’t sound appealing.
A personal favorite drink, however, is the Coconut Flavored Milk Tea. Considering Tii Cup’s huge array of wild flavors, it isn’t very significant in the flavor department. Despite this, it possesses the perfect balance of sweetness pairing effortlessly with the accompanying chewy boba pearls. In addition to this, the sweet and refreshing milk tea is accented deliciously with coconut flavoring. Of course, if sweetness is paramount, then consider something a bit more caloric and rich.
“It was phenomenal,” Edstrom said, referring to one of the cafe’s colorful bubble waffle cones, “The Berry,” which is topped with whipped cream, drizzled chocolate, pocky, and strawberries. “It was so cute—it had little bubbles!”
Overall, Tii Cup offers drinks and other treats of a massive variety, making it the perfect cafe to satisfy anyone’s specific tastes. The cafe itself is also very nicely decorated with indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting), which offers a calm environment for studying, reading or spending time with friends.
Next time you’re in need of something new to satiate your sweet tooth, consider visiting a Tii Cup near you!
