The lights of Ventura Harbor twinkle as a swift ocean breeze blows lightly over the steps leading to the newest drink shop in town, Boba by the Sea. Opened in the late summer, this store has something for everyone, from milk teas, to slushies and even Labubu toppings.
Owner of Boba by the Sea, Quan Vo-Breault, runs the shop with the help of his spouse, his sister and other employees and friends. A love for boba starting in his high school years, opening this shop has been a dream for him for a long time.
Their menu has just under 50 drinks available with options to substitute for dairy free alternatives (almond and oat milk) and adjust sweetness levels ranging from 100% to 25%. They try to be as authentic and fresh as possible, brewing tea with real tea leaves every day, and cooking fresh boba for up to an hour to make sure it’s perfect.
Having been open for just over two months now, Boba by the Sea has already become a staple in the harbor community. Vo-Breault noted how welcoming the town was and how “embraced” him and his team since the store’s opening.
Sitting down on one of their many comfortable chairs in the shop overlooking the harbor, the mango tsunami slushy, one of their best sellers, was what we opted to try. Ordered with a sweetness level of 75%, it had just the right amount of tang with an obvious aroma of sweet, fresh mango. It was paired, by recommendation, with strawberry popping boba and the popular Labubu topping.
The drink was pleasantly refreshing, and it reminded us of dole whip with the mango not being too overpowering. The Labubu topping, although adorable, was made with unflavored gelatin, so while it looked cool to take pictures of, I would not order it again to eat. There was also a decent amount of boba at the bottom that lasted until the last sip, adding to the refreshing taste that complemented the mango well.
Inside the shop, you can also find a traditional “Vietnamese/Chinese” shrine, which Vo-Breault makes sure to set up and take care of every day.
“It blesses the land and represents wealth, health and good luck in general. I grew up Buddhist, so we are very big on spirituality and belief,” Vo-Breault said. “The shrine is not just a blessing for the owners, but a blessing for the customers as well.”
While the shop has just opened, there are already plans to expand the menu to not only more drinks but even Vietnamese food in the future.
“We eventually will turn this shop into not just boba, but also espresso and matcha…we want to add a lot more drinks, and we are also going to add food. I am Vietnamese, so I want to represent some food from my country,” Vo-Breault said.
It’s clear there is a lot of care for customers at Boba by the Sea. Not only is there a blessing for customers, but there is also a lengthy process for getting drinks onto the menu to ensure that there is only the best. Every drink on the menu has been tasted by Vo-Breault, his family, and his friends, and only drinks that everyone likes are actually put on the menu.
“We are so big on customer service. We like to have fun with everyone, and we are so big on answering questions. We want people to have questions. We want to educate a lot of people on what boba is, [and] what’s the best drink for them,” Vo-Breault said.
For a second drink, we tried one of the signature milk teas, the basic bubble milk tea at 75% sweetness with crystal boba. Wanting to try a baseline drink, we were happy to note that it was wonderful. With a prominent yet not too strong black tea flavor, it was obvious why this was a signature flavor. The crystal boba was not our favorite, so we would recommend the tapioca boba, which is what the shop is best known for.
With a wonderful experience in our pockets, we left the brand new boba shop feeling content. Top tier customer service, a wonderful array of drinks and an atmosphere that could win awards, you should definitely add this family business to your list of places to go.
“We want people to experience and see the view here,” Vo-Breault said. “I want people to come here and have the fresh air, sipping on their drinks and enjoy this beautiful view.”
