Chicha San Chen, a new boba tea spot in Cupertino awarded three consecutive years by the International Taste Institute, brews each cup of tea individually, utilizing its patented technology all while providing customers with a unique experience.
Unlike other boba tea shops, Chicha San Chen offers customers a special and unforgettable tea-tasting experience in which they can learn about the tea-making process explained by tea specialists.

During the tea tasting, customers can choose between five different roasted levels, and depending on the chosen tea, it will provide a different flavor, aroma, and taste. The quantity of tea leaves, water, and temperature of the water are essential aspects to consider for the preparation of the tea since they can affect its taste. After the cashier situates them with a ticket, every 30 minutes, a handful of customers are able to enjoy a free 15 to 20-minute-long tea-tasting session.

The Lion AI machine is a notable piece of equipment in Chicha San Chen used for making drinks. The name was inspired and invented by the shop’s founder. The Lion AI machine has over a thousand parameters for the drinks, allowing one to taste the perfect tea.
Chicha San Chen offers customers predetermined tea combinations that are creamy, such as the bubble milk tea, or refreshing, such as the passion fruit green tea. Customers can also customize their drinks by selecting the tea base, flavor, topping, and the level of sugar and ice. The price of the drinks ranges between $6.75 and $7.95.

Since each cup of tea is brewed individually to make it super fresh, it takes a while to prepare. The wait time during the weekdays can be around 20 minutes and longer during weekends; however, the tea-tasting experience and the flavorful tea make it worthwhile.
Chicha San Chen greets its customers with a welcome drink that varies each day.

This boba tea shop switches the type of drink so customers can try out different combinations. The “welcome drink” is usually made at a “perfect” sugar level, allowing customers to have an idea of how sweet it is, so they can consider it when making their orders.

Chicha San Chen plans to expand the menu in the future by adding more tea flavors and enabling online reservations for tea-testing.
Chicha San Chen is convenient for the De Anza community not only because of the services this store provides but also because of how close it is to campus.

Rating: 4.5/5

Payment option(s): Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Hours: 12-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 12-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Phone: (408) 792-9045
Distance from De Anza: five minutes by car, five minutes by bus (55, 23, 523, 51)