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Yaya Tea Garden

Tea Room and Asian Restaurant$$$$

Chinatown, New York

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Yaya Tea Garden

7.9^/10

221

ratings

Ranked #4 for shrimp tempura in New York
"Get the pop lychee bubbles that burst in your mouth!"(3 Tips)
"Get the Shrimp Tempura Crabmeat Riceball with a drink!"(5 Tips)
"Favorites: Shrimp/Crab Onigiri and the "I Love Yaya""(2 Tips)
"Milk Tea with Ginger"(10 Tips)

67 Tips and reviews

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tea
pop lychee
bubble tea
love yaya
good for a quick meal
casual
lively
healthy food
grungy
green tea
onigiri
great value
rice balls
spring rolls
mango
eggs
handmade
jellies
seaweed
strawberries
(15 more)

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Angie WengJune 9, 2014
Love it here. The drinks and riceball are the best! My go to place! Love the shrimp riceball or Yaya shrimp riceball and my favorite drink is either better life or 5 wishes. I love pop lychee.
Sharif AmerOctober 29, 2014
amazing drinks (boyfriend, mango star/lychee jelly) with many fruit combos and great snack and lunch items(rice balls and yakisoba), grab some friends and get some food from this hole-in-the-wall!
Jason VinesDecember 13, 2014
For bubble tea try Sunrise with Pop Strawberry or Boyfriend with anything. For onigiri, personal fav is Yaya (seaweed and mayo) or Plum. Place can get really crowded but line usuallymoves fast enough
TimaZ T.August 15, 2016
Been here 10+ times
Go for the onigiri and boba tea (I get shrimp + crabmeat onigiri with Supernova tea, mango strawberry popping boba). Love the variety of Japanese packaged snacks that line the wall too
Michelle ChuDecember 3, 2015
I've been eating here for the past 2 yrs & still come here at times. They have more than 50 types of drinks all with different flavors!! Also offers some delicious food like riceballs for only $2.50!!
Jenn SFebruary 10, 2014
Been here 25+ times
This is my favorite place for a non-milk tea. You can't go wrong with their top sellers and I love the Pop lychee / Mango Stars instead of the regular bubbles.
Lauren BaierOctober 10, 2014
Been here 5+ times
Alternative milk alert! They have almond milk! It does cost 75¢ extra, which is steep, but worth it in an area where that is tough to find. Japanese onigiri is very yummy.
Vivian LiMarch 19, 2016
Boba/tapioca is not good but onigiri is delicious and a great deal! Get the yaya rice ball + shrimp (or anything else), which has seaweed salad inside. $10 minimum for cards, which can be hard to hit.
Jason VinesJuly 6, 2015
You must try the spring roll onigiri. It is so good. Would probably make a Japanese person cringe but it feels so good on my uncultured white Western taste buds
Michelle ChuFebruary 16, 2015
Onigiris, bubble tea, and other drinks are the best. I love the udon there!!! :) I took my friends there and they loved it also!!! 😘😍😝😚😙😋❤👍
Nicholas DiazMay 27, 2014
Been here 25+ times
Great prices, amazing food, sweet cold drinks and punch card/belly rewards to top it all off! Favorites: Shrimp/Crab Onigiri and the "I Love Yaya"
chris brownJanuary 13, 2013
forget those expensive sushi rolls at your neighborhood local sushi bar. the rice balls here are the bomb and cheap! go for the large ya ya shrimp rice ball (tempura shrimp and seaweed).
RobespierreNovember 12, 2014
There is a new onigiri here! Ask for the Pork Belly & Onion rice ball.
Zayed KhanApril 24, 2016
Delicious fruity teas, and a surprisingly good pre-packaged squid onigiri (squid was tender and meaty).
Mitchell WulfmanApril 24, 2017
The Japanese Onigiri (rice ball) is delish 👌🏻. Awesome drink flavors with great names, including "the boyfriend" and "the atomic wedgie"
Diana ShvartsbergMarch 17, 2013
The Japanese rice ball was perfect, rice is still steamy when they hand it over so the seaweed wrapper doesn't crack. The mango jelly was pretty tasty in my white peach tea.
TobiaNovember 30, 2015
Tokyo is my favorite but everything is really good there.
Jordan DonatiJune 8, 2017
I got the Shrimp and Crab + the chicken. The shrimp and crab was definitely the better of the two.
Colin LeeApril 9, 2016
Very good onigiri (salmon and ginger chicken); a bit grungy ambiance
Megan PanSeptember 1, 2015
LOVE THE JAPANESE RICEBALL!! (crabmeat, eggs, and seaweed) i almost get it every single time I go.
Betty TMay 11, 2014
They have lots of boba choices. Get the pop lychee bubbles that burst in your mouth!
seth lachsMarch 11, 2013
shrimp tempura riceball w spicy mayo. yum. really friendly and welcoming service too. word yo.
Wesley BlissJanuary 5, 2015
Been here 5+ times
Fishballs, tako yaki, bubble tea, Japanese snacks
Anna RiceNovember 26, 2013
Good place to wait for the Lucky Star bus and have a tea or snack / avoid the other people who take the Lucky Star bus.
Jason CullerMarch 25, 2013
From Serious Eats: Tokyo Fried Chicken plate (chopped katsu) and Milk Tea with Ginger
Jorge Ayauhtli OMarch 31, 2015
Organic tea. They have soy milk too (rare in c-town).
Lesley WuMarch 28, 2013
Any drink with a Japanese riceball is the best!!
LETTUCEDINEJuly 20, 2015
The Japanese and chicken yaya rice balls are our favorite!
Gooanna ChaMarch 23, 2011
Been here 10+ times
Try the Hulk (green apple and kiwi with green tea) added mix jelly or green tea jelly.. Check out their large riceballs ;)
Niki TyDecember 13, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Riceballs made to order and fresh tea brewed daily! 🍴🍙🍹
IreneFebruary 4, 2012
Get the large sized onigris instead of the small. The large shrimp tempura has 2 shrimp tails!
Julie TranOctober 30, 2015
Good for a quick snack and delicious teas
Laine CialdellaJuly 6, 2013
I wouldn't have stumbled in here if it wasn't for my friend, but the bubble tea and rice balls are to die for!
Vivian LaiNovember 13, 2013
Been here 100+ times
Try the "Vivi Special" riceball paired with a cold Red-Sox :)
KaiMaliLaniApril 20, 2012
Been here 5+ times
I <3 Better Life with the mango stars!! Rice rolls r just as good!! My Friday night dinner w the Chinatown Girl Scouts before our meeting!
Marinna DudasJune 4, 2015
Love this place. Bubble tea and shrimp rice ball!!!!!
Peggy LiMarch 7, 2016
The fruit tea (without modifications) is overbearingly sweet.
Rachel LovingerJuly 5, 2013
Been here 5+ times
One of the few places in Manhattan that has pop boba.
Floris DekkerOctober 10, 2012
Get the strawberry black ice tea and a rice ball to go with it.
JessicaMarch 1, 2013
The employees are so sweet! Get the tempura rice ball... mmmmm
Jocelyn WalkerJanuary 3, 2015
try everything at least once!
Zayed KhanApril 24, 2016
Definitely coming back here to load up on Japanese snacks.
Fanny ChanMay 7, 2012
Great food and drinks -- could work on the decor though, a tad bit ghetto
Matthew CheungMarch 15, 2011
Been here 10+ times
They make handmade onigiri on the spot for $2.25 to $3 and freshly brew tea hot or cold from $3 to 3.50!
Kim PhamJuly 31, 2013
Been here 10+ times
Dem kids weren't lying when they say the onigiris are what's up!
Jessica HoDecember 10, 2011
Been here 25+ times
if you feel like trying something new ask the workers to fix you a random drink :)
Ava LuDecember 26, 2011
Been here 25+ times
Must try the period pad (the drink) and the riceballs :]
Promi UddinMay 12, 2015
Salmon Onigiri so good!
Niki TyJuly 1, 2012
Been here 10+ times
Drinks are half off with a purchase of a meal (rice/noodle) :]
Michael De La RosaJanuary 14, 2015
Shrimp Tempura Onigiri: $2.50

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Yaya Tea Garden

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