The shrill rattle of ice bouncing inside a blender. The fragrance of black sugar dissolving into tea. The grating slurp of a straw sucking the last tapioca pearl from the bottom of a cup. The medley of Mandarin Chinese and English weaving in and out of the background.

That is a slice of Kung Fu Tea, the small tea shop voted as the best pearl milk tea drink in Evanston. Though some still swear by Joy Yee’s, Kung Fu Tea, 726 Clark St., seems to have won over the taste test for both homesick Asian Americans and curious students looking for a new sweet-tooth vice. Many still maintain the authenticity has a ways to go, but for Evanston, this new tea joint is as good as it gets.

Serene during the afternoon, with some even studying to the store’s tunes of an Asian pop song, the shop has often seen lines snake past the door on weekend nights. Regular customers know to bring cash; like many pearl milk tea shops, it imposes the telltale credit card minimum. Recently, the menu has also been revamped, doubling the options from its pioneer days of barebones drink names. Customers can now select from the basic milk green tea, skeptical Oreo milk tea, fruit punch smoothie and more.

Open until midnight on weekends, the place has become both a go-to and a once-in-a-while treat for Northwestern students. There is no doubt Kung Fu Tea’s arrival has filled a void in downtown Evanston’s selection of desserts and drinks.

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Twitter: @alice__yin