Flyby Tries: Ten One Tea House

Harvard Square is rapidly becoming the boba capital of the Boston metropolitan area. Recently, a hot new bombshell has entered the villa, with Ten One Tea House replacing Möge Tee in the very same storefront on JFK St. Of course, Flyby had to try it to see for ourselves if the great Gong Cha vs. Tiger Sugar war was finally over (spoiler alert: no, it’s not). We ordered four drinks that we hoped would be representative of the entire menu, and each of us tried all four to give you a balanced impression.

Flyby writers excited to try Ten One By Hayeon "Rachel" Ok

Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Boba (Lactose-free, Less sugar) — $6.95

Of course, we had to start with the basics. The tea was not very strong; while there was a subtle sweet taste, very little of the bergamot oil promised in the menu came through. The boba, however, was very sweet! We’d recommend really putting your whole bobussy into shaking this thing to try to spread some of that flavor around.

Strawberry Green Tea with Dragon Fruit Pearls (Half sugar) — $7.70

The tea was definitely pretty strawberry-y to most of us, although one writer described it as “sort of just like a tea.” Certainly refreshing on one of the first sunny days of the spring! And the dragon fruit pearls, which notably are only available on weekends after 1 p.m., just tasted like regular boba. Which makes sense, because the special pearls are also just the same price of the regular pearls. And yet, there is no reason this drink should be, with a tip for the overworked boba baristas, over $8.

Ten One's Interior Design By Hayeon "Rachel" Ok

Osmanthus Honey Tea with Blue Butterfly Pearls (Less sugar) — $7.50

We have a vague idea of what osmanthus is and some idea of what a blue butterfly is, and we definitely know what honey is. This drink did not taste like any of these — it was sort of like the tea equivalent of LaCroix. We all agreed it was just a normal iced tea. The pearls were sort of floral-y to some of us? But you have to really focus to get the taste. And to our extreme disappointment, they were not blue.

Mango Slush with Aloe — $7.70

Now this was a little treat for the most little-treat-loving among us. The mango was fresh-tasting, the aloe was just the right amount of slippery and chewy, and we all felt very refreshed after the first sip. Do any of us usually get a slush at a boba place? No, not since middle school. But if we for some reason were craving one, this would definitely do.

So many drink options, wow! By Hayeon "Rachel" Ok

Extras — Croffles and Tote Bag

The croffles were a nice free snack we got for visiting on opening day, and they were very crispy. It doesn’t appear they sell them anymore, though? Not that any of us thought we would pay for them when there are so many other dessert-snack options around. And, ok, the squirrel is cute. We have to admit it. We love a cute logo, and the squirrel is cute. But though we love the merch, we don’t know if we’d be proud to rep the store.

Overall Impressions

Not one of the four Flyby writers who visited Ten One on its opening day was very impressed. We concluded that even if you’re usually a half sugar girlie, you need to be ordering full sugar here to taste anything besides basic black tea. The mango slush with aloe was by far the best, and, at pretty much the same price as other bubble tea in the Square, we don’t see any reason not to order it. If for some reason, your only alternative is Lamcaf, go here, since the boba is definitely better. But otherwise, just pass Ten One and go up the street to your normal boba destination of choice.