Oh: Evanston’s Asian food scene needs an upgrade

I remember my excitement during the first few weeks of school exploring Downtown Evanston’s collection of eateries. A quick Google search had loaded up what seemed like a hopeful list of restaurants, dessert shops and boba stores, covering a variety of cuisines and offering student discounts.

Eager to eat something other than Northwestern’s infamous dining hall food, I embarked on my Evanston food journey, only to be sorely disappointed after enjoying years of San Francisco’s thriving food scene. Fresh fish directly from the pier in elaborate pieces of sushi, juicy Korean BBQ grilled to perfection and the creamiest, most soul-soothing ramen with a just-right oil-to-soup ratio.

Though there appears to be a plethora of Asian cuisine options, including restaurants like Soban Korea, Hokkaido and Shang Noodle & Chinese, finding a spot with quality food and great options is surprisingly difficult.

Overly greasy and Americanized, these restaurants don’t retain much of the authentic Asian flavor that I’ve been craving nearly every day since arriving at NU. Of course, there are picks from each of these restaurants that I don’t mind at all. But I can’t say there’s a place where I’m able to head for a full meal that reminds me of home.

As for the boba, the hottest Asian drink in the game: Ume Tea and Happy Lemon, the strongest contenders on the field, aren’t bad. Earth-shattering, mouth-watering, unforgettable boba with the chewiest pearls and most fragrant flavors? Not even close.

What’s disappointing is when you log onto DoorDash, especially when the unbearable craving takes over during the worst of the winter season at -10 degrees, and they don’t deliver the boba you want. Some of Ume’s drinks only ship from the chain’s Chicago location and don’t offer the option to add boba toppings. I’ve forgotten about this pitfall one time too many and ended up both thirsty and sad.

Kung Fu Tea? Don’t even get me started. The tea is so sweet and sticky that it leaves my tongue in pain with the sugar overload. The store’s most popular drink on Grubhub right now is Strawberry Milk Slush at $7.79, which quickly becomes at least $10 with added boba and tax. Expensive and sickly sweet? Not exactly a college student’s boba fantasy.

Joy Yee is yet another disappointment. As expected from a restaurant that serves boba on the side, the taste just doesn’t have the characteristic blend of tea and juice, or tea and milk. I will say it’s a lot of drink for the price, but it’s nowhere near what I’d call “good boba.” The fruity drinks taste of too much juice and too little tea, with rigid pearls leaving my teeth in pain.

It’s just strange that no store has emerged that’s so good it overwhelms the boba scene, leaving us with a flood of mediocre stores raising rent and giving us options we don’t need.

Do I have high standards? Maybe. My taste buds might be too accustomed to the boba haven called the Bay Area.

Why doesn’t Evanston focus on bringing in quality boba rather than compensating for its underwhelming array of boba providers with the emergence of more low-rate stores?

Hopefully, TE’AMO’s arrival on campus will finally give us what we’re looking for: a sweet, but not-too-sweet blend of slightly bitter tea and bursting flavor, chewy boba, great delivery and options galore. We’re all waiting for the day we get consistent, delicious boba for a fair price.

Imagine a downtown city that prioritizes restaurant quality over quantity. Business would boom and students would be both full and content.

Alice Oh is a Medill and Bienen sophomore. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.