Monterey Park, trendy tea places (Fremont, Rosemead: college, restaurants, malls)

[robertpasa]

I've been exploring MP which is the largest Chinese community in America. I used the think the main drag was Garvey Ave. but actually it's S. Atlantic south of Garvey. There are two huge malls down there and all the expected chain restaurants.

Are there getting to be more Vietnamese people in MP? Garvey Ave., east of Garfield, is mostly Vietnamese (and mostly pho) restaurants. Rosemead, which is next door, I know is heavily Vietnamese.

I've been seeing new, trendy tea places all over, esp. in Asian American areas. The term boba is often used. Is it just fancy ice tea with cream like at Starbucks? I remember way back in 2000, I started to see Asian tea places with gelatin balls and you'd suck up the balls with a thick straw.

[elnina]

Those "gelatin balls" is tapioca.
This is a drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and spread throughout Southeast Asia before finding its way to the U.S. Most of us think of bubble tea as being synonymous with boba tapioca pearls, but bubble tea was originally just a cold milk tea that was shaken until frothy.

More here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea

[jm1982]

Haven’t been to SGV Valley area but there are a lot of these type places in the valley too .
I remember Boba was a big trend a while back and then kind of went away then a bunch more opened up.

It seems over saturated like the Poke places but who knows .

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

I've been exploring MP which is the largest Chinese community in America. I used the think the main drag was Garvey Ave. but actually it's S. Atlantic south of Garvey. There are two huge malls down there and all the expected chain restaurants.

Are there getting to be more Vietnamese people in MP? Garvey Ave., east of Garfield, is mostly Vietnamese (and mostly pho) restaurants. Rosemead, which is next door, I know is heavily Vietnamese.

I've been seeing new, trendy tea places all over, esp. in Asian American areas. The term boba is often used. Is it just fancy ice tea with cream like at Starbucks? I remember way back in 2000, I started to see Asian tea places with gelatin balls and you'd suck up the balls with a thick straw.

The chain restaurants are near the 60 and East LA City College.

If you want to explore Chinese restaurants, you should also drive on Valley Blvd. from Fremont Blvd. and go east all the way down to the city of Rosemead.