With so many bubble tea shops that have opened along Spadina between College and Queen, how is One Zo different from all the rest?
Decor: small and narrow store with 3-4 high tables for seating. Nicely decorated inside, Japanese inspired. I don't really see the connection though between the Japanese decor (including American music video with Japanese subtitles) and Taiwanese bbt. Differentiating factor: +1 for confusion.
Service/servicing area: Since it is a small space, it's going to be challenging to form a line, place your order, and wait for pickup especially if it gets busy. There's just not much room to move around. Seating area also gets in the way since it's right in front of the register. Service is typical of any bubble tea shop, so don't expect anything out of the norm.
Differentiating factor: 0
Drinks: Choose your drink. Choose your tapioca. Choose your ice and sugar level. Pretty standard. My 25% ice and sugar level was pretty on point. It's slightly sweet while still able to taste the tea. Let's see if they can make this consistently. The house made black sesame tapioca was nice and chewy and tasted like what black sesame should taste like. Differentiating factor: 0, because each place has their own take on drinks, customization, and sometimes inconsistently made.
Tapioca: this seems like what they want to focus on. It's made in store. It comes in different flavors. They showcase making it by placing it at the front of the store by the windows. I'm confused why the tapioca production is on the floor. It would better if everything was placed on a table and off the floor. Differentiating factor: +1
In the end, it's just another bubble tea shop. But do check them out for their tapioca.