Bubble in Paradise
A Review by Jessica Lee
Bubble in Paradise is a bubble tea café in Denville that serves bubble tea, smoothies, snacks, shaved ice, hot food, and plushies. It is located on 38 Broadway, in Denville, NJ.
Its main focus is bubble tea, which is a drink that has gained popularity in recent years. Bubble tea shops are becoming more prevalent in New Jersey and some big name chains are Kung Fu Tea and Gongcha Tea. Some of these shops are further away, but it is convenient to have a bubble tea shop like Bubble in Paradise just minutes away from Mountain Lakes.
What is Boba?
Boba is made of tapioca pearls, derived from cassava root, also known as yucca (a type of potato). These boba pearls are traditionally black, but can also be multicolored. The pearls are served in a brown sugar syrup; mixed with tea and ice, it creates the perfect beverage.
History of Bubble Tea
Bubble tea was originally introduced from a stand in Taichung, Taiwan in 1980. It was originally offered with a black tea base but transitioned to include different variations such as fruit tea and slushies, with various flavoring options used to create different offerings. Liu Han-Chieh from Taiwan introduced the tapioca bubbles in Taiwan. The “bubble” part of the bubble tea is made of chewy tapioca pearls. Initially, smaller tapioca pearls were used in this drink but slowly evolved to the current day, widely-used bigger, typically black, tapioca pearls. These tapioca pearls are simmered in a brown sugar syrup for multiple hours at a time. With regular tea there is an option of adding milk, to produce the classic milk tea.
Popularity of bubble tea
By 2027, it is estimated that the bubble tea industry is supposed to skyrocket to $4.3 billion. In Southeast Asia in 2018, it was reported that there was a 3,000% increase in sales. In the US in 2019, the total income for bubble tea was $2.4 billion. Bubble tea is now so popular that it is honored with its own day, April 30, National Bubble Tea Day.
Customized Drinks
Each bubble tea can be customized exactly to your liking. Popular bubble tea options include choices of black milk tea, green milk tea, mango tea, taro (purple root vegetable) milk tea, and matcha milk tea, among others. Some toppings, which are add-ons, include lychee jelly, grass jelly, aloe jelly, and red bean. There are more toppings that are available depending on the location. Bubble tea can also be customized by adjusting the sweetness, the amount of ice, and more or less boba.
My Recommendation
My favorite option from Bubble in Paradise is brown sugar bubble tea with regular milk, ice, boba, and lychee jelly. I have sampled bubble tea from a variety of bubble tea shops, but Bubble in Paradise is my favorite. I find that the tea has the perfect elements of sweetness, the bubbles are chewy, and the drink is overall complimented well by the toppings. There are a number of varieties of bubble tea such as dragon fruit bubble tea, mango bubble tea, cherry bubble tea, brown sugar bubble tea, and many more. Some other food options include taiyaki which is a cake molded into the shape of a fish, as well as shaved ice such as Mango Ice, Taro Temptation, and Matcha Matcha. Bubble in Paradise offers snacks made at the shop as well as some packaged snacks. There is also a wide variety of plushies, ranging from small to extra large. Many of them are adorably shaped in the form of bubble tea, serving as a nice reminder of your favorite drink.
Bubble in Paradise provides a fun and interesting alternative to the typical coffee shops. Bubble tea is an increasingly popular choice among students and adults alike, and Bubble in Paradise serves as a pleasant option providing not only customizable bubble tea, but a variety of other food and plushies.
Inspiration Roll
A Review by Justin Lee
Inspiration Roll is a new restaurant in Denville that serves ramen, poke, and
other Asian offerings. It is located at 28 Diamond Spring Road in Denville, inside a
storefront called The Grub Connect. I first encountered Inspiration Roll in Westfield, NJ
several years ago, and it quickly became a favorite of mine. I was thrilled to learn that
one had opened in Denville, just minutes away, rather than a trip more than 30 minutes
away. There is a third location of Inspiration Roll located in Morristown. Inspiration Roll
fills a much needed niche for these kinds of Asian selections in our area.
Inspiration Roll offers a choice of ramen (Japanese noodle soup), poke (a Native
Hawaiian dish traditionally composed of diced raw fish which can be served either as an
appetizer or as a main course), and various appetizers. There are vegetarian choices
and gluten-free choices, which make it a place that everyone can enjoy. Allergies can
also be accommodated by the restaurant. Prices are reasonable, and the majority of
selections are $15 or less.
My Recommendations
My favorite item on the menu is the Original Tonkotsu Ramen, which is composed of a 10-12 hour soy-based pork broth, braised pork, and black garlic truffle oil, offered in original or spicy versions. This dish is rich, savory, hearty, and makes
for a satisfying and filling meal. Another favorite of mine is the Shoyu Ramen, which is flavored with a shoyu (Japanese style soy sauce) based 7-hour chicken broth and braised pork. This ramen is less rich but equally delicious. Other ramen varieties on the menu include Pork Shio, Miso (or Spicy), Vegetarian Miso, as well as the more unique choices of Thai Red Curry Spicy and Karaage. Karaage is made of a creamy 7-hour chicken broth, popcorn chicken, and corn. These latter two items represent flavors not typically found on ramen menus.
Another appetizing choice for a main meal is the poke. At Inspiration Roll, the
poke is served as an entree and is available with not only the traditional raw fish, but is
available with other protein options including pork, chicken, tofu, and eggplant. The
poke can be served as either a burrito, rice bowl, or salad, each of which can be
customized to your preference. There is a choice of base, protein, toppings, crunch, and
flavors. Toppings include such things as edamame, corn, portobello, and seaweed.
Crunch options range from fried onions to wonton chips. Lastly, flavors include sauces
such as miso sauce, sriracha ketchup, and teriyaki sauce. There is also an option to include
additional protein, toppings, crunch, and flavors for an upcharge.
My favorite version of poke is the rice bowl, which comes in white rice or brown rice, as well as other choices of base including kale and romaine. There are also recommended combinations available that include The American Dream (consisting of
spicy tuna, cucumber, guacamole, mango, romaine, tempura flakes, spicy mayo); the Gandhi (consisting of tempura eggplant, cucumber, guacamole, tamago, romaine, peanuts, and peanut sauce) and the Einstein (pork katsu, cucumber, purple cabbage,
tamago, Japanese pickle, and teriyaki sauce), among others. There are several gluten free options. My favorite combination is the Ford, which is the combination of fresh
salmon, guacamole, fried onions, and sriracha ketchup.
In addition to these choices, there are a variety of interesting sides available,
which represent Asian fusion cuisine. Options of sides include Confucius Nachos
(adorned with tuna, guacamole, mango, cheese, tempura flakes with spicy mayo &
teriyaki sauce); J.K. Rowling Fries (Japanese and Korean inspired fries with pork belly,
kimchi, cheese, spicy mayo & teriyaki sauce); Popcorn Chicken R.O.C (Asian spiced
pieces of chicken with a side of sriracha ketchup); and Takoyaki (fried wheat cakes with
octopus, dressed with Worcestershire sauce & Japanese mayo).
Inspiration Roll has some indoor seating which tends to be available and allows
for social distancing. There is usually some background music and the servers will bring
the food to you if dining in. It is a casual setting that provides a relaxed and
convenient option for our area. Food is also available for takeout and delivery and is
usually prepared within 10-20 minutes. The prices are reasonable and the selection is
wide, with a range of healthy options, making it a great option for locals. Inspiration Roll
is a welcome addition to the local restaurant scene and rounds out some of the culinary
offerings in the area. If you haven’t had a chance to try ramen or poke before, this
restaurant is a good option to try these items. There is also an ability to earn rewards
with the purchases which can be redeemed for free items. This is a good incentive to
patronize this restaurant over and over again.
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