Anisha Holla
Audio By Carbonatix
Yely is a fresh addition to both the boba and the dessert scenes in Lake Highlands. Opened at the beginning of the year, the spot was founded by three close friends with a longtime love of homemade tea, home-baked tiramisu and all-around natural ingredients. Here you can indulge in homemade bubble tea, fresh-baked tiramisu or even a cake milk tea: a clever fusion of the two. Curiosity and a sweet tooth lured us in.
Unique drinks is the name of the game here. Signature boba drinks include a mango-coconut pomelo, watermelon oat milk and taro-laden milk tea, with almost endless options of toppings like tapioca balls, grass jelly and popping boba. Quite unadventurously, we opted for a classic brown sugar boba, which comes drizzled in a coat of striking ombré brown sugar syrup.
We think the logo is a boba-sipping donkey, but we’re not too sure.
Anisha Holla
Be sure to try one of Yely’s eccentric cake milk teas, with streaks of homemade cake batter swirled in a glass of classic milk tea. There’s an Oreo cheesecake, a blend of Oreo crumble and cheesecake, and a strawberry shortcake, beautiful layers of strawberries and pound cake. The tiramisu milk tea is swirled with streaks of cocoa powder and morsels of house-made tiramisu cake.
The taro and strawberry varieties of tiramisu are twists on the classic dessert. In the cup on the right is a coconut jelly topped with mango and coconut flakes.
Anisha Holla
While indulging in cake through a straw is tempting, we were glad to see that Yely has more traditional options as well. Spongy layers of ladyfingers are coated in mascarpone cheese and sandwiched between different fruits, toppings and spreads, including Oreo, strawberry and taro. Or you can go with an original tiramisu.
But there’s still more that sets Yely apart from your run-of-the-mill boba shop. Try the ice jelly, a Yely signature dessert made of plant-based jelly cubes drenched in mango, brown sugar or taro flavorings. Cups of coconut jelly, topped with mango cubes and coconut flakes, are perfect for beating the Texas heat.
There was an issue with items being in stock when we visited, but that only gives us a reason to pay another visit soon.
Yely, 6760 Abrams Road. Monday – Thursday, noon – 9 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
