Torotea

My first visit to Torotea and had a pleasant experience. I was always curious about this place since I would often pass by Torotea on the weekends and there was always a long line. I’m glad I finally gave this place a try because I will definitely be coming back. I got the mulberry oolong with osmanthus jelly and I was very impressed. I got perfect ice and perfect sweet, but the drink wasn’t too sweet compared to the other drinks that my friends got. The tea itself has a very mellow taste but had a nice, slight bitter taste that goes perfectly with the sweet osmanthus jelly. I love a good bitter and sweet combo when it comes to tea/drinks and this drink executed it perfectly. The jelly itself has a very nice texture, it’s like agar boba but much more softer, like it soaked more liquid(?). Such a unique and perfect texture, it’s such a fun drink! I see why this place is so popular. I’m looking forward to the other drinks for sure, will be coming back!!

I'm not usually the biggest jelly fan, and I also found out this place doesn't really have any boba, but I thought I would give it a shot anyway because I heard so many good things about it. You won't regret it! I had the best jelly I've ever had in a milk tea! I already forgot the name but it's the most popular one and the texture was just beautiful. It didn't taste like lychee jelly where it's like candy, this had much more texture to it and was firmer and chewier. I'm going back here, paying my $7, just to get more jelly!

Can you believe a 500ml milk tea is $7.20? And they didn’t even fill the cup! I ordered the popcorn milk tea and told the cashier very clearly NO ICE!! Because my stomach is hurting!! But they still gave me a cold one! They make drink names looking so fancy — I couldn’t even tell what they were, which actually made me want to try one. I ordered the most popular one, the Popcorn Milk Tea. Honestly, it was pretty mediocre. I don’t get why it has so many good reviews. Won’t be back again.

I love their Koan-Im tea and was thrilled to see they’ve opened a new shop so much closer to me than the Diamond Bar location! They’re still in their soft opening but word is out so the lines get long even before they open - be prepared! My rating has more to do with an issue I experienced during my visit (see below) than the quality of their products. I almost always get their Koan-Im Oolong Milktea with creme brulee top - it’s been my favorite of all I’ve tried. The Koan-Im oolong has a deep roasted flavor that goes well with the toasted creme brulee topping - and it’s really nice with the black tea tapiochi. Another one I enjoy is the Popcorn Milktea with the vanilla cloud top - and it pairs well with the recommended brown sugar tapiochi. It does have hints of buttery popcorn flavor in it and is pretty sweet in its own right already. You can adjust your sweetness and ice levels here. The drinks come standard as “perfect sweet” but I always ask for “less sweet” and it’s excellent. I almost never drink sweet drinks so the “perfect sweet” level is too much for me - especially if you’re adding the cloud tops and tapiochi. They have a unique and interesting variety of teas and tapiochi flavors to choose from. Their tapiochi is a tapioca mochi type of “chewie” - they don’t sell your standard boba here - and I think their tapiochi is superior. It has a smooth texture with mellow flavors and seems much more natural. Their prices are quite high for Milktea drinks - but the quality is elevated and blends are unique. I can see why some other reviewers find them a little pretentious and I think it depends on the staff you get on your visit - some are really warm and friendly and some are more stern and less helpful. And be prepared to wait - I arrived 10 mins before they opened and the line was already 10 people deep. It took me over 30 mins to get my two drinks. The line was huge by the time I left. And while this shop is cozy with a nice, minimalist aesthetic, it’s not somewhere you hang out and drink your tea. It’s narrow with very little seating - definitely more of a grab-and-go place. One issue I had on my visit and the main reason for my decreased rating - a group of four people from the dentist office next door came over for tea and CUT THE LINE! They just walked right in to order. When another customer informed them that there’s a line, one of the group said “we own the building”. Ok??? And??? Just because you own the building doesn’t mean you can just cut in front of everyone?? If it was just one person cutting in line I wouldn’t be as upset but IT WAS FOUR PEOPLE - made it so much worse - extremely entitled, arrogant, and absolutely inconsiderate. Honestly I’m still mad about it and definitely found it off-putting enough to make me hesitant to return. I love the tea and am willing to put up with long waits occasionally- but if the area building-owners can just take all their friends and cut the line in front of all us common peasants, then it’s not worth it for me.

The tea is exceptional just like the Diamond Bar location. I personally like the Jasmine Oolong and Misty Oolong at less sweet, but all of the drinks are so delicious. They nailed the esthetic again as well. It’s now open. Come check it out!