Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor 

nuc5002@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Facebook @Andora’sBubble

Are you looking for a fun, tasty, delectable little getaway from the Behrend campus? Well if you are, do I have the treat for you. Located on Erie’s State Street is Andora’s Bubble Tea. While small compared to the other restaurants in its vicinity, Andora’s is bursting with personality and charm. 

Based on their name, you can tell that Andora’s main specialty is bubble tea. For the layman, bubble tea, also known as boba, is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. While traditionally served cold, certain varieties can be prepared hot. In its standard form, the titular bubbles, which are found in clumps at the bottom of the beverage, are made of chewy tapioca. Bubble tea is traditionally drunk with a wider straw, allowing for the tapioca bubbles to be sucked up along with the milk-based tea. 

As you can likely tell from this short description, the concept of bubble tea is extremely customizable. Andora’s, as you may expect, uses this customizability to its utmost advantage. While the store does offer the standard array of boba flavors (brown sugar, banana, strawberry, taro, etc), Andora’s best offerings are its considerably more creative options. Similar to a cafe, Andora’s Bubble Tea always has a variety of unique and interesting flavors. Usually based on upcoming holidays or seasonal favorites, there is always something interesting to try if you are looking to be adventurous. 

For October, Andora’s has a variety of interesting fall flavors for you to choose from. While they do have the staples like pumpkin spice and caramel apple, I feel like her more Halloween-based options are quite compelling. Specifically, I would like to highlight one titled “Hocus Potion.” A mystery flavor of sorts, the bubble tea contains a very alluring shimmery exterior that makes you compelled to learn of its contents. While I do not want to spoil what the flavor is, I will say it is not pumpkin or cinnamon-based. 

Outside of its bubble tea, Andora’s does offer different foods. They have an ever-changing list of mochi (Japanese rice cakes) up at their front counter which all pair perfectly with some great boba. There are also a variety of Asian imported snacks for customers to choose from. While they are, expectedly, a little pricey, if you have an interest in shrimp-flavored Lay’s chips, now you can try them. 

Along the pastel walls are a variety of art pieces and crafts made by local Erie artists. While these act as cool items to look at while waiting for your tea, you do have the option to purchase them as well. 

In essence, Andora’s Bubble Tea is extremely unique for Erie. While quite small, the shop is bursting with as much personality and charm as the bubbles which fills their drinks. A must-see for Behrend students.