Back home in the Hudson Valley, there’s a small Japanese restaurant in a neighborhood (or whatever the rural equivalent would be) called Apple Valley. I was introduced to quite a few specialties there; I discovered my love for sushi, that there is such a thing as too much wasabi, and that soy sauce pitchers make no sense. But, above all, that’s where I was introduced to all that is bubble tea.
Since coming to Stevens, I have been ultimately somewhat disappointed by a number of Hoboken restaurants serving bubble tea (which I believe is technically called “boba”). But then, a new restaurant opened in Hoboken called Vivi Bubble Tea. With a title like that, I imagined it was worth a shot.
Vivi is located further down Washington Street, very nearly adjacent to Rita’s Italian Ice and across the street from Coldstone Creamery; you can infer the theme of my landmarks. Upon going inside, I was struck by an environment rarely encountered in Hoboken: cute. I really don’t know what I’m describing by using that term, but with an exceptionally clean atmosphere, a simple arrangement of whites, greens, and pinks, and a wall shelf running a length of the dining area planted with grass, cute was the only word that came to mind.
As our small group was also hungry, instead of merely sampling a bubble tea (what a boring review this would be if I just covered bubble tea), we noticed Vivi also has an assortment of street snacks and ramen. After placing our order, my bubble tea, Taro of course, was the first thing to come out. Now, my biggest disappointments with previous bubble teas in Hoboken were two things. First, the actual milk tea can taste watery, which ruins the flavor and makes the drink inconsistent. Second, the boba, or tapioca balls making up the “bubbles” in the tea, can have dry texture, like biting into a truffle and getting cocoa dust.
Fortunately, the bubble tea at Vivi suffers from neither of these common faults and is actually really delicious. While I’m still getting used to the concept of the plastic wrap covering the top which you than stab with your straw, it does seem like an efficient way to prevent spillage.
As I was finishing up my bubble tea, our two street snacks came out. First, their popcorn chicken. While I’m sure you’re imagining something like what would come out of KFC or Popeye’s when I say popcorn chicken, but this was a little different. It came in a little frying basket, nestled on a paper towel, as if they had just come out of the fryer. The batter was a bit lighter and moist, yet not greasy. Best of all, the seasoning we selected, salt and pepper (they also have garlic and curry, both of which I’m eager to try), was excellent.
In all, the chicken was delicious, had plenty of meat, and made for an excellent snack. Also up for tasting was a dumpling dish called takoyaki. While a section of wall in the restaurant told the story of takoyaki, it boils down to a traditional ball-shaped dumpling stuffed with tempura scraps, drizzled with Japanese Worcestershire sauce, and accented with flakes of something light and crunchy. This was clearly the most elaborate of our street snacks, but I would still go with the chicken as a neater and more flavorful option.
Finally, the ramen. Ordering the Shoyu, I realized this was my first experience with ramen outside of what you would microwave or heat up over a camping stove in the Boy Scouts. I was immediately informed of my egregious error in expectation, and told that ramen done right is actually a rather elaborate soup, filled with all kinds of ingredients. Boy, were my expectations met and exceeded.
What came out was a large bowl filled with, besides ramen and broth, slices of chicken that could barely stand the pressure of the chopsticks, vegetables, a hard-boiled egg, and all kinds of other toppings. Additionally, Vivi provided us with (in addition to chopsticks) shallow wooden ladles to drink the broth, which had clearly been mingling with the chicken in the soup. We also got a taste of the spicy Shoyu, which was similar but with a bit more kick to the broth and anything that touches it.
For dessert, besides all different flavors of bubble and other teas, Vivi has a huge variety of macaroons in all about 10-12 different flavors. While I didn’t get the opportunity to try them on this trip due to a combination of financial and stomach capacity running out in our group, I would definitely love to give them a try on a future visit, or if my sweet tooth strikes again.
Vivi Bubble Tea shouldn’t be anything special, in theory. Hoboken has a good variety of restaurants serving all flavors of Asian cuisine, many times overlapping. Where Vivi excels in is doing all of those things right. With bubble tea free of the common trappings, street snacks built for sharing, and upscale soups that remind you ramen isn’t just for the perennially broke college student, Vivi seems here to stay as it carves its own niche into the downtown Hoboken landscape.
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