In the FoodEEs series, El Estoque staff members take on different food establishments, reviewing the menu items based on taste, price and authenticity.
Situated in a quiet corner on the intersection at McClellan Road, the humble storefront of Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking can be easy to miss, even with its close proximity to MVHS. The inside of the cafe is spacious with sparse furnishing, including the cafe counter, a few tables and aisles stocked with Asian groceries. The cafe area is surrounded by modern glass cubicles reminiscent of an office, making the natural wooden decor seem out of place. Due in part to the subtle storefront, Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking has few customers — the cafe being almost empty upon arrival except for a few regulars who chatted with the barista. It is also noticeably quiet, and though that makes for a peaceful environment, it also lacks the ambiance of a cafe overall.
However, what Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking lacks in atmosphere the store makes up for with its specialty, wheel pies — a Taiwanese dessert made by grilling special pancake batter into a wheel-like shape. Wheel pies are known for their versatility, and the filling varies from sweet to savory, traditionally made with custard, red bean or even dried radish. Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking offers wheel pies in more than 20 flavors.
Cream Wheel Pie ($5.00)
The Cream Wheel Pie is one of the most popular flavors offered at Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking. The outside dough is grilled to a golden brown, soft but slightly crispy on the outer edges. Despite the name, the filling is custard instead of cream, the addition of egg yolks turning it thicker in texture with a yellowish appearance. Although the mix-up is surprising, the custard is still creamy in texture, just with notes of egg in between. The only problem with the filling is that towards the end, its richness comes across as slightly heavy, making it difficult to finish in one sitting. Overall, the Cream Wheel Pie is great as a warm and creamy treat, but best enjoyed in small portions.
RATING: 2.5/5
Brown Sugar Boba Milk ($6.90)
As one of Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking’s only decaffeinated drink options, the Brown Sugar Boba Milk features a simple recipe of well… brown sugar, milk and boba pearls. The drink’s most prominent problem is its boring flavor profile, not unexpected given the simple ingredients. And, while the brown sugar syrup introduces subtle caramel notes, they’re soon overshadowed by the drink’s excessive sweetness, which is present even when ordered with 50% sweetness. On the brighter side, the tapioca pearls are warm, providing pleasant contrast against the cold milk. While this is certainly a redeeming quality, the boba served at Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking is not any different from those at any other cafes and remains unjustified for its price.
RATING: 1.5/5
Matcha White Chocolate Mochi Wheel Pie ($5.00)
While similar to the cream wheel pie, the matcha white chocolate mochi wheel pie features a much more diverse array of textures and flavor. Although there’s nothing notable about the exterior, which is made exactly the same way as all other wheel pies, the filling is satisfying in terms of both taste and texture. The sticky mochi is softer and less chewy than expected, but still contributes towards an overall gooey texture with every bite. Layered on top, the earthy matcha paste is slightly gritty, and adds a nuanced taste with its bitter undertones, which balances out the sweetness of the paste. The white chocolate is nowhere to be found, but matcha and mochi seemed to provide enough of a sensory experience without being excessively complex.
RATING: 4/5
Creamy Caramel Coffee Latte ($7.20)
With a bold espresso base, the Creamy Caramel Coffee Latte delivers a strong, authentic coffee flavor. Its generous portion size and smooth consistency make it a satisfying and substantial choice. However, the caramel flavor appears mostly in the aftertaste, while the espresso’s bitterness dominates the initial sip. This bitterness gives the drink a more intense profile, and it overshadows the richness and sweetness that a caramel latte typically promises. Combined with the high price, the muted caramel presence makes the drink feel less impressive than expected. Additionally, even at 100% sugar, the latte lacks the sweetness needed to balance the strong espresso. Overall, despite being well-textured, the subtle caramel flavor and bitterness keeps the latte from fully living up to its name.
RATING: 2.5/5
Oreo Creama Wheel Pie ($5.30)
The Oreo Creama Wheel Pie is a fun, unique twist on the classic Taiwanese wheel pie, with an Oreo incorporated into the dessert to add a satisfying crunch to each bite. The cream filling is generously packed into the center, letting the flavor shine throughout. With its non-traditional filling, the Oreo Creama Wheel Pie stands out among the wide array of wheel pie flavors. Despite its small size, the combination of rich cream and the Oreo encrusted with dough makes it surprisingly filling. The soft, spongy dough contrasts nicely with the cookie’s crunch, but the pie can be crumbly and slightly messy to eat, and its sweetness may be overwhelming for those who don’t enjoy overly sugary treats. Overall, the pie is a warm, soft and indulgent choice among the many wheel pie flavors, despite its crumbiness and intense sweetness.
RATING: 3.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 2.5/5
$$/$$$
Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking offers an impressive variety of wheel pies and a quiet, albeit rather unfurnished, environment. While the wheel pies are definitely worth a try, the flavorless drinks, mediocre at best, simply don’t live up to their price. The drinks also frequently miss the mark when it comes to sweetness, sometimes being overly sweet and other times not sweet enough, which adds to the inconsistency of their offerings. Altogether, Joyheart Bubble Tea & Baking shows promise in its dessert offerings, but its strengths are held back by inconsistent quality among their other menu items and lack of ambiance.
