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When I see specialist posts about all striped influencers and the opening of the lively new LA, I tend to take a meeting approach before I go. So despite my love for tea (and prefer it over coffee), I waited nearly two months and then tried out the brand new Chege Tea House in Westfield Century City, a brand founded in Yunnan, China, one of the most important tea-producing regions in the world.
In April, the fast-growing Chinese company, with over 6,400 locations around the world, debuted on NASDAQ and is reportedly worth around $6 billion. Given that rating, some in the media are charging “Starbucks of Tea” and Chagee (pronounced “Chah-jee”). After trying the drink in person earlier this month, I wholeheartedly agree with that phal. Chagee offers the same kind of premium mediocrity, just like the multinational Seattle-based coffee chain.
Photo: Courtesy Chagee Usathe Chinese Tea Company’s gorgeous branding is Dior’s blatant Ripoff
I’m not saying the drinks are terrible, but San Gabriel Valley has better milk tea options, such as a few independent boba shops and tea houses that you probably already know and love. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why the public loves Cage. In the Taste Department, a tasteful, high-five customer experience carries a luxurious patina, even if it leaves much to be desired in the Taste Department. In many ways, the brand reminds us of Zoomer’s recent obsession with “old money style.”
To find Chagee, you will need to go to the top floor of Westfield Century City. The store is just a few steps away from the knot, and is located right next to an equally bustling (and equally premium mediocre) Korean dessert cafe and a container store. Coincidentally, I had to receive an online order from the latter. This meant some large, cumbersome wooden shoe racks tagged along with me during a weekday afternoon visit to Cage.
Photo: Courtesy Chagee USA
Inside, the all-wood interior and paper lantern created a warm and charming atmosphere, but the overall refined air conditioning gusts of the place reminded me that I was in the corporate business entity at the mall anchor. From the moment I walked the door it quickly became clear that Chagee had a more focus on customer service than most tea and coffee shops. On the day of my visit, an employee floated near the front desk and opened the door for my guests.
A second employee was also stationed behind the short line at the time, reducing the waiting time for guests. The store only has ample counter space for one cashier. Much of the counter space was featured by AI-driven teaspoon mesin, protected behind the glass, and is said to have improved brewing consistency. Unlike most tea shops in China and Taiwan, Cage doesn’t offer boba or other drink toppings, but the brand allows customers to adjust ice and sugar levels and exchange standard whole milk. There are also a handful of pastries for sale, including teaphrase craffins, croissants and other baked goods sourced from farm shops in Brentwood.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
Through Chagee’s PR, I received a QR code sampling five different drinks. I was able to order this from the manager. To experience Chagee for the business, we didn’t change all our drinks, starting with a Boya Tea Latte, Chege’s signature jasmine milk tea, and one of the chain’s top sellers. I also tried the ice roast tea latte, iced peach oolong tea latte, ice roast black pure tea and ice jasmine green lemon tea. The manager informed me that my drink would take about 10-15 minutes, so I decided to head to the container store and come back once I completed my online order.
When I came back, the store was picking up a large order of more shoppers, tourists and local office workers. Almost every seat in the house was occupied. Employees called people’s names. When I approached her to ask if my name was being called (my order number turns to my drink at the counter), I was told it hadn’t been called yet. A few minutes later I discovered from another employee that my order was ready and sat on the back wall in separate togo bags. A little annoyed, I decided to find a seat outside and try out a Cheji drink while it was still in optimum condition.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
After sitting outside and looking at my order, I realized why the blue and white patterned cups, Togo bags and other items that were signed by Change seemed so familiar. The pattern and cup design are both blatant Lipovs of Dior’s book totes, and the pattern is more than a resemblance to the actual home goods line of French luxury brands.
With a sip, I sat down and enjoyed all five drinks. “Is this?” I thought to myself. “Is this something everyone is raving about?”
With the jasmine milk tea lineup I had in my life (and I was the first to visit Sawtel’s Volcanic Milk Tea at a tender age of 6), I am unable to identify the Al line up next to Cage’s Boya Tea Latte next to other slightly higher quality Boba tea shops, such as Culver City Lattea Lattea, which offers historic Philippine towns. It might be an apple and orange comparison, but when it comes to expanding international Chinese tea brands, I was far more impressed with Hayteer, a cheese tea specialist who opened a front post in Beverly Hills last year and has other locations at the height of Monterey Park and Roland.
Another Chagee tea was cut slightly more than what we found in Starbucks or most specialized coffee shops without a well-considered tea program, but it was by no means outstanding. Like many East Asian drinks, none of the drinks were particularly sweet. I unconsciously ordered the ice roasted black pure tea, brought out a roasted notebook into the leaves. Peach Oolong and jasmine green lemon only vaguely tasted each fruit, like whispering the name of each flavor to each drink. None of the drinks were offensive, but nothing really stood out.
Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo drives away time from Chicha San Chen
The only milk tea option, jasmine or other method that stands out for me in LA, is Taiwan’s Oolong oriented Chicha Sanchen. In the ever-busy places of San Gabriel and the Alhambra, we also use Teaspresso machines, excluding the use of artificial intelligence. Recently I also tried out the San Gabriel Outpost of Molly Tea, another equally popular Chinese jasmine tea brand founded in Shenzhen. That was nothing special in my book. I think Chicha San Chen is the best overall. But even so, I’ll still put Molly Tea on top of the Choge. My other dark horse favourite in San Gabriel Valley is Good Alley, a Rosemead restaurant that uses The Seaspresso machine, sourcing directly from Chinese growers, and serves toilet drinks. For fruity tea, my obvious favorite of the book is Sunlight Tea Studio.
Photo: Provided by Sunright Tea Studio
Of course, all of the aforementioned options are slightly contaminated by the fact that most of these are served in paper or plastic cups. Even casual afternoon tea lovers understand that the ability to sit and relax with the right ceramic wear enhances the tea drinking experience. If you’re really looking for great loose leaf tea (I leave a matcha shortage cafe from the equation here), I love traditional brewed tea and Korean style sweets in Damo, Koreatown. In Altadena, still recovering, Calisto Tea House will offer traditional Chinese gongfootie services over the weekend. This offers traditional Chinese gongfootie services, including fun color-changing teapets, from a selection of high-quality, carefully selected imported varieties that you won’t find elsewhere in Los Angeles. Other solid options for properly brewed loose leaf tea include the steep LA in Chinatown and the small but powerful Golden Dragon Tea Room in West LA. Also, there’s no mistake in Chad Tea Rooms, which have locations in Little Tokio, Hollywood, Pasadena and Torrance.
Given this abundant option, it is not really recommended to visit Chagee. Maybe if you happen to be in Westfield Century City and the line isn’t that long, give it a try. It’s a tea Starbucks for a reason. Los Angeles has far more caffeinated drink options, and you don’t have to deal with weekend crowds at the mall.
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