When I first walked past the entrance to TRÀ BOBA & SNACK in University Village Plaza I was captivated by the large sign board outside advertising drink combos. Intrigued and wanting to treat myself before finals, I scheduled a date with my partner to try them out. As soon as I walked into the establishment, I was greeted by emerald green chairs, comfy sofas and a quaint clientele of students studying on their laptop. A corner dedicated to games like Jenga, chess and Uno called to me from the entrance, but I had to order before I could indulge myself.
I ordered a 3 taiyaki and drink combo for $12.99. The best part about this combo is that you can choose whatever taiyaki flavor you want, so I got Nutella, strawberry and red bean. For my drink, I ordered a winter melon green milk tea with no boba. My partner got the fries and drink combo for $10.99, choosing a cajun spice blend for the fries and a Thai milk tea with boba. As with many boba shops around campus, you can customize the sweetness and ice level of your drink, but we kept the drinks at the standard 100% for consistency.
My partner received their order first, which took roughly 10 minutes. We killed time by playing a little Jenga and enjoying how soft the sofas were. I received my order shortly after theirs, so we began consuming our spoils.
Fries and drink combo: $10.99
3 Taiyaki and drink combo: $12.99
Winter melon green milk tea 
Rating: 4.5/5
This drink was refreshing and light with the subtle sweetness of a winter melon. The slight hints of honey and robust tea flavor are balanced by the creaminess of the milk. What I like about this drink is that the green tea is not overwhelmed by the taste of dairy. The tea was a standout flavor, giving it a bitter taste without being too overpowering.
Thai milk tea with boba 
Rating: 4/5
The drink itself is rich with Thai tea flavor, but tasted a little watered down. This may have been caused by the inclusion of ice in the drink, so I would suggest specifying 0% ice if you order this. The tapioca was the star of the show; perfectly chewy and warm with that distinct brown sugar flavor. With how well the boba contrasted with the cold drink, it is definitely a must try!
Taiyaki 
Rating: 4/5
All of the taiyaki featured an exterior that tasted like pancakes. Only the edges of the taiyaki were crispy and cooked to perfection, though the inside is nothing to scoff at. The inside of the taiyaki was soft, though not exactly pillowy and the tail was chewy like a pancake-flavored mochi. The Nutella taiyaki flavor was the highlight of my visit. The filling was generous and perfectly nutty, like a melted Ferrero Rocher without the hazelnuts.
Unfortunately, the strawberry taiyaki did not live up to the Nutella one. There were two strawberries in the syrup filling, which was a nice touch. The strawberry filling didn’t absorb into the taiyaki and spilled out when I bit into it. It wasn’t as warm as the Nutella filling, so I noticed that the syrup had a plastic-y, almost honey-like texture that tasted faintly sweet.
The red bean taiyaki flavor did not stand out either. Texture wise, I liked this one the least. I will give credit where credit’s due, as it was still edible despite the chunky, bean-y mouth feel.
Cajun fries
Rating: 3/5
When the fries came out, they were unevenly cooked. Some were hot and crisp while others were limp and cold. As for the flavor, the cajun seasoning tasted like salt and pepper fries, which I think was a mistake in the preparation. We had the option of pepper or cajun fries, so it is possible that we got pepper fries instead of what we ordered. The fries didn’t stand out to me at all and it was not the quality that I would have expected. Ketchup saved what little integrity the fries had, but I don’t think I would order this again in the future.
Overall, TRÀ BOBA & SNACK is a lovely place to mingle with friends or to study. While I don’t feel like the “snack” part of their name was done justice with my order, their drinks are definitely worth the visit to University Village Plaza.
