Guest Writer Rita Wang finds a new comfort food!

Before I start, let me confess. As a true boba maniac, I’ve tried nearly every bubble tea shop near Columbia University. I also visit HEYTEA almost every month just to try their new drinks. So, when I heard about a newly opened boba shop, I was so excited.

This Monday, I visited Naisnow, which opened the first week of January. It is located at 971 Amsterdam Avenue, a 10-minute walk from Columbia’s campus. Outside the store, you can see a giant boba tea cup model in Naisnow’s signature green. As soon as I walked in, the aroma of bread and jasmine tea greeted me.

The first drink I ordered was the strawberry pro bottle. I strongly recommend it, as you could never find anything quite like it at other boba shops. It is composed of three layers: strawberry, yogurt, and oat popping boba. The oat popping boba completely changed my understanding of boba. Unlike traditional black boba that is made of chewy-textured tapioca pearls, oat popping boba is filled with oats blended with milk that pop in your mouth. The yogurt, in contrast, is not that special. I would recommend to choose no sugar if you don’t like drinks that are too sweet because the yogurt itself already has strawberry jam. Plus, the pink rose decoration on top is adorable (and removable).

The second drink I had was the highland tea latte, a classic milk tea. This one disappointed me. It tasted rather plain, just a mix of Chinese tea and milk, with no option to switch to skim milk. I’d honestly recommend ordering a similar drink at HEYTEA instead, where the flavors feel much more layered.

Finally, I really recommend the tart! You can choose from three flavors: coffee tiramisu, matcha tiramisu, and strawberry. I eventually chose the strawberry flavor, while my friend chose the coffee tiramisu flavor. 

All three flavors have the same base tart. For me, it had the perfect balance of egg, milk, and crust. The crust is so tasty and matches well with the inner egg custard. Crème and strawberry decorate the top of the strawberry tart, but I prefer coffee tiramisu over strawberry because you can eat a real tiramisu cake on top of the tart, and the two match so well. The bitterness of the tiramisu is gently tempered by the sweetness of the egg tart. By the last bite, the damp, tender sponge meets the crisp tart shell and bursts together in your mouth. On one side, the depth of coffee and cocoa; on the other, the brightness of butter and sugar. Bitter and sweet unfold at once.

I definitely recommend Naisnow if you are a boba tea fan or just want to try a bakery. I can’t wait to try other options!

Images via Author