sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Shu Jen Ryan can鈥檛 go into most Asian restaurants in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 without running into someone she used to work with.

Ryan has managed and served at numerous local restaurants, including Azuma Sushi & Teppan, Naka Sushi and Hibachi One. With 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry and as one of the nation鈥檚 few female hibachi chefs, she鈥檚 done it all. And yet, there was still one venture she had not yet pursued: starting and running a bubble tea shop of her own.

鈥淲hen I was a child in Taiwan, I always loved boba because it tasted so good. I hoped one day I could have my own store,鈥� Ryan said.

That dream came to life in late June when she opened Yes Boba, an authentic Taiwanese bubble tea spot, at 2225 Wyoming NE in Suite J of the Hoffmantown Square shopping center.

鈥淭he last five weeks have been really amazing,鈥� said Ryan鈥檚 husband, Joe Schmidt. 鈥淗aving people come in, pick their favorite drink from somewhere else, take a sip and their face lights up and say, 鈥楾his is the best I鈥檝e ever had.鈥� It鈥檚 been really nice.鈥�

The shop sells shaved ice in flavors such as mango and milk, as well as ice cream sundaes with unique Asian dessert toppings including taro, egg pudding and red bean. But the shop鈥檚 shining star is its bubble tea drinks.

Bubble tea, also known as boba tea, four decades ago but has exploded in the United States over the last decade, Schmidt said. As experienced today, it鈥檚 a tea-based drink that often comes with milk, fruit, flavoring and cooked chewy balls made of tapioca starch and sugar.

The secret to Yes Boba鈥檚 bubble tea drinks is its owner鈥檚 roots in Taiwan. Ryan was born in Taiwan and came to New Mexico as a teenager after her father, a retired Air Force serviceman, settled in the area.

Ryan returned to Taiwan last year to secure a deal with Yes Boba鈥檚 primary supplier, a family that has been growing tea in Taiwan for hundreds of years, Schmidt said.

鈥淥ur teas are excellent,鈥� he said. The shop currently carries oolong, ceylon and Jasmine tea bases, as well as oolong milk tea, ceylon milk tea and black tea.

The shop also sources its syrups from Taiwan, which Schmidt said have fewer calories and sugar than some of the other popular syrups used in boba shops.

鈥淲e try to get as much of our stuff from Taiwan as we can,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淲e try here for taste.鈥�

The drinks also come with bursting bubbles in a variety of flavors, including mango, peach and strawberry. The most popular drinks so far are the Taro Milk Tea, Thai Tea, a bubble gum birthday cake drink called Blue Coral and a mango coconut drink called Hong Kong, Schmidt said.

The bubble tea drinks typically cost $7, while sundaes and shaved ice cost nearly $10, Schmidt said. Tariffs under the Trump administration have 鈥渉urt (the business) a little bit,鈥� Schmidt said, but Ryan is determined to keep prices low.

鈥淪tarting a business is very hard 鈥� much harder than I expected. I worry about things every day,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淏ut seeing people take that first sip and their face lights up 鈥� I鈥檓 happy.鈥�