Molly Tea Brings Chinese Milk Tea Culture to the Bay Area
There has been a surge in milk tea companies from China expanding in the Bay Area. This trend is highlighted partially by consumers’ growing demand to recall the taste from their hometown, and partially because these companies decided to move globally to continue gaining money from the U.S. market.
Molly Tea is one of these milk tea stores. Established in Shenzhen, China, in 2020, Molly Tea quickly gained popularity throughout Mainland China. Then, in 2024, it opened franchises in San Francisco and New York to expand its business.
Today, I am reviewing their location in Sunnyvale, California, which opened recently in October.
On my first visit, there was a long line because it was their second day after opening. It was one of the best line-up experiences that I have had at a busy shop. Staff were standing outside of the door, facilitating the line and answering questions. I also witnessed the staff inviting a pregnant woman and her family to the front of the line as part of the shop’s policy that pregnant people do not need to line up.
As soon as I entered the shop, I couldn’t stop myself from ordering three drinks. I didn’t finish them all by myself, of course, because I shared it with my family members. Here is my review of these drinks.
Premiere Jasmine Milk Tea
Molly Tea emphasizes exploring the taste of jasmine, so it’s no surprise that I tasted the strong flavor of jasmine tea when taking a sip of the Premiere Jasmine Milk Tea. The drink combines DaBaiHao white jasmine tea base with milk and adds a creamy foam to create an elegant aftertaste.
I highly recommend ordering this drink with 70% ice and less sugar. I tried the regular sugar level before and it tasted much sweeter than less sugar; it was almost too sweet.
Snowy Jasmine
The Snowy Jasmine takes the same jasmine tea base as the Jasmine Milk Tea but adds a Jasmine Cream Frappe to add a thicker and more indulgent taste. Peanuts and other nuts are sprinkled on top, creating a crunchy texture when sipping through the straw.
Especially because of the cream topping add-on, 100% sugar was overwhelmingly sweet for me. Opting for 70% sugar provides a better balance, allowing the cream’s richness to complement the sweetness without overpowering the tea.
Premiere Jasmine Super Matcha
With matcha combined with the jasmine tea base, Premiere Jasmine Super Matcha balances the matcha’s earthy bitterness and the milk’s delicate sweetness. However, the strong matcha flavor covers the fragrance of jasmine tea, making this drink less ideal in a milk tea store when a similar flavor can be experienced through milk and matcha.
Apart from the drinks, Molly Tea is special for its beautiful cup covers. They are in bright colors with the names of different tea bases written in Chinese calligraphy. The calligraphy has different widths for each stroke or corner, capturing a skillful control of the brush in creating fluidity and clarity in the writing. Looking at calligraphy is a good way to learn Chinese characters and about Chinese culture.
Molly Tea also introduced China’s milk tea culture to the Bay Area by providing straws commonly used in China. The straw, shaped like three coffee stirrers combined, has a thin opening. This allows customers to drink only small sips at a time, giving more time to savor the tea flavor. To preserve the freshness of the jasmine or other tea, Molly Tea also avoids adding toppings that would disturb the taste of milk tea. In that case, it only offers sago, pecan, and white boba.
For anyone passing by Sunnyvale, don’t forget to visit Molly Tea to order a drink and experience the modern milk tea culture. Don’t miss out on their other signature drinks such as the Osmanthus Milk Tea and Peach Oolong Milk Tea, which are still on the list to explore.
