An unusually buzzy tea concept from Taiwan is now brewing in Houston. Called Chicha San Chen, it opened with a splash last week in Chinatown at 9750 Bellaire Blvd, where it's drawing lines of fans willing to wait two hours to try their exactingly brewed teas and boba teas.

Chicha San Chen started out in 1998 as a humble tea shop in Taiwan's Taichung City and has gone on to become a global sensation, with locations in multiple countries as well as U.S. locations in California, Utah, New York, Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington state.

While many boba tea shops have opened in recent years, Chicha San Chen stands out for its finicky focus on tea leaves and preparation of tea. They're famous for their "tea-spresso" machines — similar to a coffee espresso machine in that it uses a high-temperature pressurized extraction method that makes each drink to order. This sets them apart from most shops that pre-brew their tea in the more conventional pour-over manner and serve it from a container, or that use instant powder.

Their packaging is also unique. When you get multiple drinks to go, the drinks are placed in a cardboard sleeve with a twine string attached, which serves as a carrier. It gives the tea a crafty touch.

With their finicky approach comes a higher price: drinks start at $5.50 for a basic brewed tea and top out at $7.50 for a milk tea with chewy boba tapioca pearls.

But the prices do not seem to deter an audience ready to appreciate the nuances of a well-brewed tea with a distinctly Asian-influenced menu. The most popular options are green tea and osmanthus, a floral, fruity tea with hints of apricot and apples.

There is also a spiked Wonderland drink with Bailey’s Irish cream, oolong green tea, White Gourd tea, and vodka.

The shop offers a tea-tasting experience where visitors are introduced to freshly roasted Taiwanese Li Shan oolong tea, a fragrant, fruity variety, with 5 roasting levels to highlight the tea's distinct characteristics.

Unlike the majority of tea places that focus primarily on to-go, Chichu San Chen locations have spacious dining rooms with pale modern decor and seating for up to 80. Staffers dressed in pinstripe shirts with ties and khaki aprons convey a sense of seriousness.

Bringing the brand to Texas are partners Chloe Weng, Vera Pei, and Jinjing Weng, who met while in college in Austin. After visiting a location in Los Angeles, they opened their first store in Austin in 2023, followed by the Dallas suburb of Carrollton in January.

“Tea is our go-to drink like coffee is for other people, it is a part of our lives," Chloe says. “We chose this brand as it measures everything out at each step, for a perfect drink every time."