Finding a great boba shop in Los Angeles can be like trying to find a significant other in the city. It’s not easy, you’ll feel like you’re wasting your time, and chances are you’ll probably wind up wishing you stayed at home. To say there’s regret involved would be an understatement. But within the search of finding anything good is the expectation of exerting some degree of effort. You may have to go through a few frogs to find the prince, and boba shops can be the same. I’ve had my share of boba spots that miss the mark by a hair and those I wish I never stepped into. But that all didn’t matter after I parked my car, walked down the street, and stood at the counter of Hey Hey in Los Angeles.
I found Hey Hey thanks to good ol’ Instagram. A few scrolls devouring their pictures with my eyes and I knew I had to check them out. Even on the rainy day of my visit, I was happy to be there. The red brick wall, large brown leather couch, relaxing R&B music, and the friendly staff at the register made it feel like a place of solace from the weather outside. Unsure of what to get, I told them what I like. “I’m really into ____” and “My favorite flavor is ____”, became a bit of detective work for the girl helping me out, but she maybe she has a bit of Nancy Drew in her because she figured it out.
She suggested two drinks with such confidence that I had no reason to get anything but them.
At the time, I got the Brewhaha ($7) now called the Mamba (renamed after Kobe Bryant) and the Hey Hey ($6) with boba. The swirls of the ube dancing around the Thai coffee was so pretty that I childishly ordered it because it was pretty. Thankfully it tasted just as it appeared. Asking for a bit more sweetness to the mixure I ended up getting a drink that was perfectly made for my tastes. Smooth, rich, and thick, the drink was delicious. In contrast, the lightweight milk tea of the Hey Hey was such a simple drink with a delightful balance that I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.
What made the drinks even better was the space where I was drinking them. Sitting on the couch with a glass in my hand and a second on the table before me felt great. I could see myself spending so much time in the shop without a care of what was happening outside. Surprisingly, time passed so quickly that I didn’t realize that I had gotten so comfortable that in fact, nothing else mattered. It was then that I could emphatically say that I found my boba shop and all the others before it – missteps and fails alike – wouldn’t matter.
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Address: 1555 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Phone: (213) 278-0689
Hours: Daily – 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Social: Website, Facebook, and Instagram.
