Uni Uni employee prepares strawberry smoothie (Kowalski/LION).

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved trying new foods. I love the thrill that finding new restaurants or cafes gives me. When I discovered the newly opened bubble tea shop Uni Uni, I was excited to see what was in store. 

The shop, located at 15 W. Harris Ave., LaGrange, offers a variety of boba drinks, each with their own exciting flavors. Boba is a bubble tea drink that traditionally contains bite-size, chewy tapioca pearls. I would definitely recommend Uni Uni if you are looking for a new, refreshing drink to try. 

Upon arrival, I was pleased to see how neat and well decorated the shop was. The walls were painted two different colors, half white and half light pink, to fit the shop’s pastel aesthetic. There was a mural of their logo, a unicorn holding a boba cup, painted on the wall. There was plenty of seating along the walls and plus another smaller table and set of chairs made for younger children. Each table had an outlet underneath it, making it accessible to charge any devices as needed. In the back corner there was a shelf with board games and toys that were open for public use, making the shop feel welcoming to all ages. 

When I went to order, I was given the option to either order from one of the two large kiosk tablets that were placed along the wall, or I could go up to an employee at the counter and order. I thought this was a great way to manage crowds when it gets busy in the shop. There were no lines for either option but I decided to order from one of the kiosks. The tablets were easy to navigate and perfectly displayed the menu. I ordered a large strawberry smoothie ($5.95) and added popping pearls ($0.75) to the drink. There were a variety of different flavors of popping pearls you could choose from (all the same additional price of $0.75), so I decided to add strawberry popping pearls. 

While paying, you were asked to type in your phone number and name so you could be notified when your order was ready in case you stepped out of the shop.

There weren’t many people in the shop when I arrived so the wait for the drink only took about five minutes. While waiting, I was able to watch the employees make my drink from behind the open counter. The smoothie was given to me in a reusable cup, however I was surprised by the size of the drink: it felt a bit too small to be considered a large. The smoothie, however, was very flavorful and not too sweet. The strawberry popping pearls added the right amount of sweetness and sugar to it without overpowering the smoothie’s flavor. 

Uni Uni is open from 12-8 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 12-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Overall, I was pleased with the shop and what it had to offer, however, I would say the drinks are a bit pricey given that the cup wasn’t very big. But, with only being open for just a few weeks, Uni Uni has already offered excitement to LaGrange. The shop is located in a convenient spot in Downtown LaGrange, making it easily accessible to customers. I could definitely see myself spending more time here in the future with friends, or to do homework after school in its calm environment.