Although the Philippines are over 7,000 miles from Rio Vista, or 13 hours by jet, enjoying delicious Filipino snacks is as near as the newly opened Selfie Studio and Tea Lounge, located at 210-A Main Street downtown. Along with exotic snacks, customers can enjoy delicious fruit smoothies, milkshakes, or boba tea. Afterward, have fun making free “selfies” with your friends in the attached studio. The tea shop provides free internet so guests can post their selfies on their Instagram or other social media.
Boba (Chinese for bubble) tea is typically a strong tea tamed with milk and boba “pearls.” These pearls are pea-sized balls of gluten-free tapioca simmered in a brown sugar sauce. Enjoying boba tea requires an oversized straw to sip the tea and munch the pearls simultaneously. Other teas available include “exploding” boba which pops as it is sipped, producing a robust flavor of banana, strawberry, peach, coconut, and others.
For her new business, owner Marie Enad decided to combine the enjoyment of boba tea with the popularity of smartphone selfies. Since opening in June, Rio Vista middle and high school students have been frequenting the Selfie Studio and Tea Lounge. Recently, the adults have discovered it too.
Boba Tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and spread to the US west coast in the early 1990s. Today it is popular in many cities on the east coast too. One patron said, “I love boba tea, and I have three tea shops within two blocks of my apartment today.”
Marie also offers a taste of the Philippines by serving several native dishes. Lumpia is like an egg roll with vegetables and either chicken or pork. However, it is the sweet chili dipping sauce that knowledgeable customers ask for in double portions with their order. Newly added dishes are Pancit (a Filipino pan-fried noodle dish), and Filipino spaghetti, which is like Pancit but with a sweeter taste. Groups of up to thirty people can enjoy a “selfie party” while snacking on tasty Filipino dishes and going “Hollywood” in the studio.
Since they do not have family here, owners Nick and Marie enjoy having customers drop in and stay a while for casual conversation. Marie says that because they have lived in bigger cities such as San Francisco and Stockton, they enjoy the charm and unhurried pace of life in Rio Vista.
The studio and tea shop are open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm and Friday and Saturday until 7:00 pm.
To learn more about Marie’s Selfie Studio and Tea Lounge, see the webpage www.theartiststudio.net. The website is shared with her husband Nick’s professional photography business, where Marie and Nick have over 20 years of combined experience in the profession.
Plan to come by and enjoy a taste of the Philippines with friends and family in the New Year.
