Ten Ren Tea

“You live in Chinatown and don’t know what Ten Ren is?” an Asian teen incredulously screeches on his iPhone outside the Chinatown outpost of this popular tea chain, first opened in New York in 2001. And the incredulity is valid—lines here regularly wind into the street. Boba novices should start with the classic pearl-milk tea, a smooth, strong black milk variety studded with super-fresh, chewy tapioca balls.