Tropioca Tea & Coffee Bar, 2808 Milam St. Suite G. Midtown Houston in Little Saigon
Tropioca Tea & Coffee Bar, 2808 Milam St. Suite G. Midtown Houston in Little Saigon
Tropioca Tea & Coffee Bar, 2808 Milam St. Suite G. Midtown Houston in Little Saigon
Twist on tapioca
Midtown coffee and tea bar a beverage trend-setter
By DAPHNE ROZEN
Chronicle Correspondent
THE latest beverage craze has rolled into Houston's Midtown at the Tropioca Tea & Coffee Bar, 2808 Milam St. Suite G. It is attracting visitors from near and far by quenching their thirst and satisfying their affinity for tapioca.
"It's not a fad," said Micki Immanivong, who co-owns the café with her husband, James Lam, and brother-in-law, David Lam. "It's definitely a trend."
Often referred to as "tapioca ball drink," "bubble tea," "boba" or "pearl milk tea," this popular beverage originated in the 1980s in Taiwan, where it is still in high demand.
The traditional tapioca drink combines black tea, milk, sugar and, of course, black tapiocaballs -- marble-sized chewy balls made from cassava starch and processed with dark brown sugar. The drinks are served cold or hot in a clear tumbler with a straw big enough to suck up the tapioca balls, which sink to the bottom.
Unlike many tea and tapioca bars dominating the Bellaire area and in an effort to appeal to the American market, Midtown's Tropioca puts a twist on the traditional by serving its tapioca beverages with coffee, green tea, real fruit smoothies and milk shakes.
"(Tropioca is) the first to introduce the tapioca concept this way," Immanivong said. "It's not only a new trend in coffee bars, but it's also a new trend in tapioca bars."
While it was her intention to set Tropioca apart from its competition, Immanivong also hopes customers will "make the drive" from near and far to get their tapioca fix.
Nearly a year since it first opened, it seems Tropioca is, as it is said, fitting the bill.
"I go out of my way to come here," said Carl Norris, a 35-year-old, self-ascribed tapioca addict from the Galleria area. "It's highly addictive in a good way."
And he is not alone. There are many other Tropioca regulars, like 18-year-old Giang Duong from the Galveston area, who travel even further to get their fill of these flavorless -- yet tasty -- tapioca balls.
"Tapioca is great," said Duong, who usually visits Tropioca an average of four times per week. "It's fun because the balls. They taste good."
So, what is it about tapioca that makes it so satisfying? Perhaps, as Immanivong said, it is "all about texture."
"It's all about a chewing addiction," she said. "It makes drinking more fun."
In addition to tapioca beverages, sandwiches and desserts, Tropioca -- which is open daily and nightly and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays -- offers customers a smoke-free, alcohol-free atmosphere accompanied by complimentary board and card games, wireless Internet, and local art and music "without feeling there is a time limit."
"I wanted to give people other reasons to choose Tropioca other than drinks," Immanivong said.
Regulars appreciate her efforts.
"It's cozy and you can get online," said Thai tea addict Thu Phan, 21.
Norris' younger brother, Clark, agreed. He said he can sit at Tropioca for hours only drinking one coffee without any problems from management.
"They've always been very nice," he said.
Tropioca presents monthly and bimonthly live local music performances and a monthly open mic night every first Friday. It exhibits local artwork every two months.
In the future, Immanivong said she hopes to combine local music with poetry nights and karaoke with live, instead of recorded, music.
Not only does the café support local artists and musicians, it also provides them with creative inspiration.
In July, the Aurora Picture Show, 800 Aurora St., created a film entitled, "It's a Trend, Not a Fad," a compilation of media art shown at Dean's Credit Closing, 316 Main St.
The film included a short video piece about a character, played by Vinod Hopson, who associates his interest in media art with his addiction to "bubble tea."
For Eileen Maxson, the film's curator and fellow bubble tea enthusiast, tapioca is tops.
For more information about the Tropioca Tea & Coffee Bar, visit http://www.tropioca.com .
(New Article)Tropioca a twist from dull coffee-house scene
Grubbin'
Kelly King
Are the average, everyday, big-chain coffee shops driving you to boredom? Is your view of the usual smoothie spot just a bit played out?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, you should definitely make a visit to Tropioca Tea and Coffee Bar.
Conveniently located at 2808 Milam St., Suite G in Mekong Center Downtown, or Midtown, Tropioca offers an extremely student-friendly environment. There is free wireless Internet access and plenty of cozy space for study groups to gather for cram sessions. The bar has even extended its regular hours to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — around finals time, this is like heaven. The bar is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays while doors open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Sundays.
As if that isn't enough to make a college student jump for joy, what truly separates Tropioca from the average drink bar is the unique menu. Customers can choose from an extensively wide variety of refreshing tropical fruit smoothies, iced coffee and espresso beverages, 14 different flavors of loose-leaf teas, hot fruit blend drinks, flavored coffee and delectable desserts.
Along with the array of thirst-pleasing drinks, Tropioca is reasonably priced, with drinks ranging from $1.50 to $3.50.
Possibly the coolest feature of a cold Tropioca drink is the round, chewy tapioca balls that sit at the bottom of each drink.
With choices of passion fruit, papaya, banana, honeydew, strawberry, pineapple and even avocado, the fruit smoothie selection is nothing short of paradise.
Tropioca's loose-leaf teas and hot fruit blends are certainly fresh delights and rare to find. The iced coffee and espresso drinks come in roasted blends with chocolate or caramel and every drink can be customized to the consumer's liking. Yes, the flavored syrups and requisite espresso shots are also available.
A trip to Tropioca without taking in some dessert would be nice. But it would be even sweeter if you treat yourself to the divine tropical cheesecake or the blissfully light Captain Jacques mousse cake, made with Pandan leaf. Even a scoop of green tea ice cream would melt your sweet tooth.
With all this, Tropioca surpasses the average standards by straying from the usual menu of, say, Starbucks, by adding an inviting Asian flavor to the coffee house scene.
