Walking into Qiu Sushi, Ramen, & Tea Bar, customers are greeted with a blackboard menu, soft ambient pop music, and black and white marble top tables. Only a 15-minute walk away from Townsend Harris, the restaurant has garnered the attention of Harrisites as a quick stop to buy all kinds of bubble teas, hot beverages, and snacks. The Classic interviewed students who have visited Qiu Sushi, Ramen, & Tea Bar to relate their experiences and offer their reviews. 

“The tea was pretty good and so were the bubbles,” sophomore Premavaashine Premathayalan said. “The sushi was really good, the service was nice, and it was small but cozy and comfortable. The staff was welcoming too.”

Since its opening in May 2021, the business is a fairly recent addition to the Kissena Boulevard streetscape, catching the attention of commuting students and passerbys. Qiu Sushi, Ramen, & Tea Bar features a menu of elaborate fruit teas, slushies, milk teas, milk foam teas, fresh milk teas, and an assortment of toppings for customers to choose from. 

“In terms of their drinks, it didn’t seem like they used much artificial flavoring and the pearls that they use in the bubble tea was really nice,” freshman Alex Chang said. “The location of Qiu Sushi, Ramen, & Tea Bar is really convenient if you take the Q88 or Q17.” 

“I got the Lava Pearl Bubble Milk and [the Crunchy Salmon Roll] sushi at the attached sushi bar… the sushi is really good, the service was nice, and it was small but cozy and comfortable,” said Premavaashine.

But in terms of constructive criticism, Premavaashine added, “The bubble tea was kinda too caffeinated.”

Junior Alex Cho said, “I’d say that one memorable thing is their slushies, which is what I get every time I go there. There’s mango, lychee, and strawberry and they all come with popping boba which is definitely a plus for me. My one complaint however would be that [the slushies are] a bit pricey for what it is: ground ice with some flavoring along with some pearls.”

Freshman Anna Huang described her experiences as well, saying, “I got a Peach Iced Green Tea. It was actually pretty good and their sizes were not bad for the price. The tea was really refreshing and it had pieces of the actual fruit on the bottom.”

Alex Chang expanded on the shop’s services. Despite the occasional language barrier, he said, the cashiers are “super friendly.” 

Similarly, “The cashiers were nice and patient with our big orders,” freshman Ian You said. He adds, “The interior looked really nice with lots of simple decorations and even a couch for customers to wait in.”

Photos by JK Rajjo