Westwood Gets Something New to Chew On

By Marcela Rojas

Strolling through Westwood Village these days, it's hard not to notice the curious-looking drinks that students and business folk alike are sipping: milky and fruity concoctions with ebony-colored "marbles" sucked out through thick straws.

As a complement to the coffee and tea craze of recent years, which supports at least a half dozen coffee shops in Westwood alone, the community now has something new to chew on.

Taiwanese tapioca balls called boba have moved from the Asian American communities of Monterey Park and San Gabriel to the Westside. The gelatinous balls have become so hot that many want to claim to be the first to introduce the drink into this hotbed of trendy drink enthusiasts.

Boba , which literally means "ball explosion," and also is slang for "large breasts" in Taiwanese, is made by taking dry tapioca and forming it into small balls. It is then cooked in boiling water for a few hours. When done, the tapioca turns black and jellylike.

While the sweet, gummy balls may take some getting used to, many say they learn to enjoy the sensation of chewing something in their drink. Erik Idos, 21, said he travels three times a week from Granada Hills to Boba World on Westwood Boulevard, which offers the "black pearls" with 14 types of smoothies, 13 flavors of fruit juice blends and various types of tea, coffee and juice combinations that range in price from $2.25 to $2.75. "It's cool because it's like you're eating and drinking at the same time," Idos said. "There are so many flavors to choose from. It's addicting."

Boba World owner John Mekpongsatorn, who owns six Pan-Asian restaurants throughout Los Angeles, said the boba idea came to him after he saw how popular the concoctions were in the Asian communities of L.A. Boba originated in Taiwan in the late 1980s and made its way to L.A.'s Asian neighborhoods in the mid-1990s. Mekpongsatorn, 29, said he now has more than 100 requests for boba franchises and is working with several investors to open them up throughout the country.

"In Taiwan, every corner is saturated with boba stands. The trend is just beginning here," Mekpongsatorn said. "I want to be the standard where other places measure. We come from Valencia for boba about three times a week," said Joe Jotikasthria, 23. "It tastes good and it's appealing because it's not like drinking boring iced tea. It's just different."

Boba Drinks --- Item #1232002-02 --- $2.50, at Little Bean and Boba World in Los Angeles, available soon through Black Pearl.