The Triangle

Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Olivia Garrity

The Bubble House is definitely a cool place. It has a lot going for it, and "cool" is not just used as a filler adjective, but as a pretty accurate encapsulation of the Bubble House experience. The Thai-influenced food and drink, with many vegetarian and vegan options, the earthy colors and imaginative paintings on the walls and the interesting events and parties they hold just about every weekend are all signs that contribute to the hip bohemian nature of a solid college watering hole.

As per their Web site, bubble tea originated in Taiwan, sold as a popular afterschool indulgence for kids. It got the name "bubble tea" after tea makers started to shake the drinks to dissolve and incorporate different flavorings, creating a bubbly foam to rise to the top of the drink. The tapioca pearls were developed in 1983; the most popular black colored variety are made from sweet potatoes, cassava root and brown sugar.

The Bubble House does a very good job at making their namesake, Bubble Tea. You can get a creamy latte, a non-latte with concentrated fruit juice and tasty lemon sour options, or a Frostea, a frozen blended bubble tea. They have really interesting flavors available, with the ability to combine multiple flavors, ranging from kumquat to honeydew to dark chocolate brownie. They also, of course, have more familiar flavors such as peach or vanilla. I think all the teas are just really tasty; the latte Frostea flavors are my favorite. You may have to experiment a little to find your favorite, but for about four bucks once or twice a week, it's a great way to branch out from the long Starbucks line.

I was not as impressed with the food. Just about everything on the menu sounds really interesting and good, but the things I tried seemed like great ideas that, in execution, were just mediocre. The Tuna Sashimi I got was obviously fresh but was not quite the rich, melt-in-your-mouth quality that you might get from a nice sushi restaurant. Not to mention that there was some tough tissue in a bunch of my pieces. They used a good combination of flavors, topping it with seaweed, soy, and some sesame, but it was a little crunchy and inelegant. The lemongrass pork and shrimp dumplings I got, again sounded great, and were sort of tasty, but also were a little tough and just not very vibrant. There was an interesting ginger dip sided with some average tasting sweet potato fries, and I had a pretty good traditional rice noodle and vegetable soup aside from the noodles being too soft. I would say that if you are looking for some delicious Thai food, this is not the best place to come. However, food is not the only thing the restaurant advertises, and there are many other positive features.

For instance, the place is a lot of fun on the weekends. Currently, every Thursday, they have a college night with a live DJ and $1 drinks. Other events on Fridays and Saturdays range from live music, dancing parties and dancing lessons, to a Halloween party coming up Oct. 31. Check out www.thebubblehouse.com for more information.

The atmosphere is cozy and artsy. The place is built of red earthy brick and warm-colored wood. The art and paintings on the wall are definitely worth second looks, and the furniture and fixtures are very well selected. The lighting is just dim enough to make your restaurant experience feel a little more private. Take a date here or come on the weekend for a fun time.

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