SAN ANTONIO — You may have heard of a popular drink called bubble tea. And one local business is serving up all sorts of flavors.
With dozens of drinks to choose from, Artea says they have something for everyone.
"We’ve been thinking about having an authentic bubble tea [restaurant] since we were a kid in San Antonio," said owner Marisa Chiao.
She and her family own Artea. From Gua Bow to an Okinawa Boba Latte, it’s Taiwanese fusion food. They opened their own business because she said finding authentic Taiwanese food isn’t the easiest thing in South Texas.
And they even sent their chef to be trained in Taiwan!
"We'd always have to beg our parents to take us to city far far away, like Houston, just so we can get a cup of bubble tea that we feel is closest to home," said Chiao.
And we wanted to know what’s inside these bright popular drinks So, she made us a few of their favorites:
Matcha Latte with Red Bean
"It is sweet, it’s not salty. It’s not like the beans in tacos we’re used to here. So, you have a bitter layer of macha, a neutral layer of milk and a sweet layer of red bean. And of course before you drink it, you want to shake everything up," said Chiao.
Butterfly Pea Special
"That’s one of our specialty drinks that does not contain any caffeine at all," said Chiao. She also said it contains "cherry blossom crystal boba, and flavor wise, it’s almost like a limeade."
Gua Bao
"In the middle you’ll see the pork belly that we make in house. And then we have peanuts and cilantro and a generous topping of the powdered sugar," said Chiao.
Because of the pandemic, Chiao told KENS 5 things haven't been that easy at their store. But, the power of social media showing photos of their food, drinks and overall story helped this business get its feet back on the ground.
"When the social media first came out about our situation, we had people lining out the door," said Chiao. They were featured on Okie Dokie Foodie, which is a Facebook page that highlights small businesses.
They met customers who really expressed how happy they were to help a business in need.
"It was just really emotional for us. Even to this day when we think about it," said Chiao.
For their hours, location and menu, click here. They also created an app where you can customize your drinks. More information can be found here.
"I’m just really thankful for everything we’ve been having and the support from the community," said Chiao.
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