Eagle Era

A review of Bing Bing, the new boba shop near AHS

By Kaitlyn Liu

Just a few weeks after Ain’t Common—a student-favorite boba shop—closed, Bing Bing took its place. In those boba-less weeks, the store remodeled, undergoing changes to their architectural layout, menu items, ambience, and prices. Regardless of these changes, students still crowd the shop following minimum day early releases, after sports games, and before attending plays for a quick snack.

At first glance, just by scrolling through the kiosk, Bing Bing has a much smaller selection of items, with most overlapping with those of Ain’t Common. However, there are some differences in menu options, including the croffles, matcha and cloud series, and sweet cream lattes. Aarav Mehta (11), a frequent customer at Ain’t Common, compared the two stores. “I would say the menu they had to offer at Ain’t Common was more broad and included a variety of cuisines, but the quality of the products at Bing Bing is around the same.” 

In terms of quantity, the popcorn chicken and drink combo at Ain’t Common was around $15 while Bing Bing’s price is roughly $12; however, the amount of extra chicken served at Ain’t Common makes it a more cost-effective deal.

The new popcorn chicken combo at Bing Bing, the most popular deal on the menu (Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Liu (11)).

This combo also faced some changes to presentation and size. At Bing Bing, the plastic dish on top serves not only as a bowl for popcorn chicken but also doubles as a lid for the drink. The originality of the Bing Bing combo makes the appearance more unique and favorable. 

According to Bing Bing employees, the strawberry croffle, a new dessert, is the most popular of the croffle collection. The waffle bottom tasted crispy while the white whipped cream had a slight saltiness that aided in combating the sweetness. The strawberry toppings were visually ripe and appealing, with the tartness complementing the flavor profile well. 

In terms of customer service, Aadiraj Mann (11), a student who goes to Bing Bing frequently, commented, “Bing Bing generally takes 2-3 minutes more. It never becomes frustrating or anything though, since it’s a pretty insignificant difference.” 

Since Bing Bing is also a place where students can go to unwind with friends, the changes in the atmosphere are important to providing a better experience as well. Kavya Bist (11), an employee at Bing Bing, stated, “I think it has a nice and relaxing atmosphere and even provides a photo printing machine where you can snap pictures with friends.”

The photo printing machine which greets incoming customers is a thoroughly appreciated addition to the store—there are dozens of black and white photos pinned to the bulletin board. There, faces of customers—most commonly high school students—are broadcasted, capturing cheerful and upbeat smiles and poses.