Harvard Square is no stranger to the boba craze sweeping the Boston metropolitan area, and the latest contender, Ten One Tea House, has made its grand entrance, taking over the former Möge Tee spot on JFK St. Naturally, Flyby couldn’t resist diving in to see if Ten One could settle the ongoing battle between Gong Cha and Tiger Sugar (spoiler alert: it didn’t).
In our quest for a comprehensive assessment, we sampled four drinks representative of the menu, each writer trying all four to offer a well-rounded perspective.
Starting with the basics, the tea lacked potency, with only a subtle sweetness and minimal presence of bergamot oil promised on the menu. However, the boba itself was notably sweet, suggesting vigorous shaking might help distribute the flavor more evenly.
Strawberry Green Tea with Dragon Fruit Pearls (Half sugar) — $7.70
Most of us found the strawberry flavor quite pronounced, though one writer likened it to “just like a tea.” Undeniably refreshing, especially on a sunny spring day! As for the dragon fruit pearls, available only on weekends after 1 p.m., they tasted akin to regular boba, despite their special designation and identical pricing to the standard pearls. At over $8 with a tip, it seems a bit steep for what it offers.
Overall Impressions
None of the four Flyby writers left Ten One feeling particularly wowed. It seems that even if you typically prefer half-sweet drinks, opting for full sugar might be necessary to discern any flavor beyond basic black tea. The mango slush with aloe stood out as the clear favorite, and considering its comparable pricing to other bubble tea options in the Square, there’s little reason not to indulge in it. If your alternatives are limited to Lamcaf, Ten One might be a step up, especially given the better quality boba. However, if you have other boba spots nearby, it might be worth passing on Ten One and heading to your usual haunt.
