June 29--Oolong milk tea: Kung Fu Tea, a rapidly expanding chain now in 11 states (and three locations in Chicagoland), has its sights set on becoming the Cantonese Argo Tea. Cantonese how? Aside from standard issue bubble tapioca, you likely won't find mung bean, nata jelly, white gourd and Yakult flavors in your neighborhood coffeeshop. But don't let unfamiliarity be a deterrent -- a fine entry point for Cantonese tea shop newbies is the milk tea, a beverage hybrid of East-meets-British colonial West. I'm a big fan of its oolong milk tea, creamy and cool against the smoky complexity of oolong. What I appreciate most about Kung Fu is the ability to customize sweetness. A good starting point is the less sugar (70 percent) option, though half sweet (50 percent) is plenty sweet for me.
Three locations including 2126B S. Archer Ave., 312-255-7331; 4925-D N. Broadway, 872-208-5955; 726 Clark St., Evanston, 224-307-2314.
