Bubble Lee is a popular Taiwanese chain specializing in brown sugar tapioca and bubble tea milkshakes. 

This cafe marks the brand's first foray into North America since launching in Taiwan's Danshui district in 2015. 

As the story goes, Bubble Lee began when the founder began making brown sugar tapioca at home for her boba-obssessed one-year-old daughter (who was also the inspiration for the logo). 

The prized tapioca is definitely the main draw here. Balls are simmered in Bubble Lee's branded raw brown sugar for hours. It's considered to be healthier than other tapioca balls, which may use artificial sweeteners. The tapioca sits for no more than two hours in a display case at the counter—there's even a timer counting down to the second—before being replaced with a fresh batch. 

The result is tapioca that's perfectly chewy; sweet but not too sweet, with a caramelized flavour. 

You can get them in the brown sugar bubble milkshake ($5.49), Bubble Lee's signature drink, which comes with a blend of fresh milk and shredded ice on top. 

Mix up the steaming hot tapioca and the ice cold slush with your straw. Five to six stirs is the recommended technique for the ultimate blend. 

The brown sugar bubble with fresh milk ($5.49) is just as good. 

Sweet white gourd drinks are also popular here, but we opt for a Sea Salt Limeade ($4.49) for something equally refreshing. 

From the special menu is a slush drink made with two packs of blended Kit Kats ($5.49), topped with an extra bar.

It's a subtle but delicious drink. You can get it topped with whipped cream for an extra 50 cents.  

With plenty of bubble tea shops around the city, Bubble Lee sets itself apart with surprisingly affordable drinks and arguably some of the best tapioca in the city.