The Ugly Dumpling boba and drink menu, sorted
Dumplings are salty and rich, which is why a cold tea works well with them. Here is how the drink list is organized and how to customize it.
What is on the list
Classic milk tea and brown sugar boba run about $6.33 to $6.90. Honey lemonade and iced teas are $5.75 to $7.48, and iced lemon tea is $6.90. The 22 oz fruit teas, in jasmine green, black, passionfruit, mango green and lychee oolong, are $7.48 to $8.48. Fruity yogurt drinks are about $7.48.
The original Edison menu also listed milk tea and lattes among its traditional Chinese beverages.
Add-ins and customization
Toppings cost about $0.75 to $1.00 each: tapioca pearls, egg pudding, grass jelly, lychee jelly and popping boba. Sweetness comes in four levels, regular (100%), less sweet (70%), half (50%) and no sugar (0%), and ice can be regular, less or none.
Which tea with which dish
Jasmine green or lychee oolong is clean against soup dumplings. A milk tea suits spicy wontons or noodles with chili, because the milk calms the heat.
Desserts
Ice cream and mochi are $4.60 to $6.33. The chocolate chip lava cookie and cheesecake are larger at $12.65 to $13.80, so they work as a shared dessert. Read the ordering guide to see where a drink fits into a budget.
How to choose a sweetness level
Regular (100%) is very sweet. Most people who drink boba regularly drop to 70% or 50%. With dumplings, which are salty, 70% is a safe choice. If you plan to add jelly or popping boba, which are sweet on their own, drop one level lower.
No sugar (0%) works with strong tea such as jasmine green or black. It does not work as well with fruit teas, where the sugar balances the acidity.
Questions people ask
How much is boba at Ugly Dumpling?
Classic milk tea and brown sugar boba are about $6.33 to $6.90, plus $0.75 to $1.00 for each add-in.
Can I change the sweetness?
Yes. Options are 100%, 70%, 50% and 0%, with regular, less or no ice.
What add-ins are available?
Tapioca pearls, egg pudding, grass jelly, lychee jelly and popping boba.