I have been on the hunt for a place that makes fresh fruit teas and milk teas instead of using powder or syrup to flavor their drinks. Upon exploring the Uptown neighborhood, I was surprised to find a small boba shop called Yokee Milk Tea. Located right next to LunchBox, Yokee Milk Tea has a variety of drinks specializing in milk and fruit teas. Their menu is split into different items like coffee, fresh fruit teas, cheese mousse drinks, milk tea, volcano drinks, etc. They were closed for quite some time during the pandemic so I am glad to see that they are back and open again. Since the shop is so small, you must order then wait outside as they are preparing the drinks. It used to be a long line out the door since all the corporate people working around the area would stop by for lunch but even during the pandemic, there is still a decent wait to place an order and receive the drinks. The drinks also take some time to come out even if there is no line. Since it is a small space, there is usually only one or two workers at a time so expect a wait. You can find street parking right outside on Franklin Street.
I've tried a couple of their drinks but their jasmine milk tea is by far my favorite! I like how they are using fresh leaves to make the drinks and I love pairing it with agar jelly. Their jasmine milk tea is not too sweet and has the perfect amount of tea. You can also customize the sweetness and ice levels. During the warmer days, go for the watermelon smoothie since it is very refreshing and tasty with crushed watermelon bits. Their fresh fruit green tea is a great option also if you are looking for a light and refreshing drink. There's a bunch of fruit ranging from kiwi, watermelon, strawberries, etc floating in the drink and each tastes so fresh. There is only one size here and the cups are tall and sturdy unlike the flimsy cups from Quickly. Each drink ranges around $4 - $5 and up. I thought it was quite expensive for boba, but the size of the drink makes up for it.
Yokee Milk tea is quickly becoming one of my top three places for milk tea and fresh fruit teas in Oakland. I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a new spot to try and is in the Uptown area. It is only a few blocks away from Chinatown and serves a strong drink menu to compliment anyone’s taste.