Open Tab: Rogers Park’s Taichi puts a playful spin on Asian cuisine staples

June 1, 2023

From fruit smoothies to sushi burritos, Taichi Bubble Tea in Rogers Park serves up refreshing treats perfect for summer or a finals study snack.

Taichi is located at 6800 N. Sheridan Road, just outside of Loyola University Chicago’s campus. To get to Taichi, you can take the train to the Loyola stop on the Red Line or you can ride the Intercampus shuttle to the Sheridan / Loyola stop.

Taichi’s interior is vibrant and playful, with bubble tea plushies lining the walls and stuffed pandas placed around the restaurant. An enormous bubble tea statue at the front counter greets customers and colorful umbrellas hang from the ceiling.

Taichi has a large assortment of drinks on their menu, including lemon, fruit and milk boba teas. We tried some of Taichi’s smoothies — cooling beverages fit for summer. The first one we tried was a lychee passionfruit smoothie with tapioca pearls. The lychee and passionfruit flavors combined for a sweet, slightly citrusy taste.

The next drink we tried was the mango peach smoothie, which had a tropical flavor. In both drinks, the tapioca pearl consistency was perfect — chewy with a honey-like aftertaste. Our favorite part about the smoothies was that customers can combine two fruits for their own unique blend, and the tapioca pearls were included in the drink price.

Taichi offers a variety of dishes, from ramen to rice bowls, but the restaurant is probably best known for their sushi burritos, with an option for customers to build their own. Choosing white rice with sesame and shrimp as the base for our burrito, we added a range of toppings and mix-ins, including mango, edamame and cream cheese in our perfect dish. It really doesn’t get any better than that.

Oh, but wait. It does. Top that off with Taichi’s Thai Sweet Chili, and you’re in food heaven.

If a sushi burrito isn’t really your style, you can create a rice bowl or choose from some of their premade bowls. We opted to create our own. Keeping the tradition of white rice with sesame and shrimp going, we added cucumber, edamame, mango, fried wontons and more. What sauce did we pair with it? You guessed it, the Thai Sweet Chili. This time, for added sweetness, we also chose to mix in the mango sauce, which was the perfect touch of tangy sweetness we needed to complete our meal.

Whether you’re craving a refreshing summer drink or looking to fulfill a hearty appetite, Taichi is sure to satisfy.

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Twitter: @kunjal_bastola

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @rschlueter26

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