Late-night bites are not commonly found on this side of the city — but this Ocean Avenue shop is changing that.
Most Ocean Avenue restaurants close by 10 p.m. but nestled within Lakeside Village, popular boba tea shop My Cup of Tea keeps customers satisfied until midnight. Owner Shirley Siu, a Chinese immigrant with 30 years of restaurant business experience, opened the shop in 2017 and set out to provide a safe late night place for people to study or hang out. Back then, her daughter, Kelly Fong, was studying to be a dentist and needed a late-night spot.
“My mom was like ‘You know, you can't be the only one working into the wee hours of the morning,”’ Fong said. “She's like ‘Why not? Let's open late so other people can come and study. Other people can get a drink.”’
A common theme throughout My Cup of Tea's operation is family.
Ken, Fong's father, helped create the name and was the diverse menu that offers a little something for everyone.
The menu has Taiwanese-inspired drinks, crafted by Fong's uncle Ringo Siu at his franchise Cool Tea Bar. Standouts include grass jelly roasted milk tea, kumquat green tea, matcha smoothies and more. Prices range from $7 to $9 with toppings like boba, lychee jelly and others for an additional 75 cents.
As for food, they serve homemade dishes in large portions from recipes that were passed down by Fong's grandmother, such as beef stew and rice noodle soup and dumplings. They also serve items like french fries, garlic bread, grilled pork vermicelli noodles, grilled chicken banh mi sandwiches and more. Prices range from $9.99 to $17.99.
“My mom loves the noodle soups and she's big on the portions, making sure everyone's full, satisfied and happy,” Kelly Fong said
In addition, they offer a board and card game library for customers to take to their tables while they enjoy their meals and have become a study hub for many students.
My Cup of Tea has a variety of must-try drinks. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
While they are open all day, Fong said the establishment comes to life toward 9 p.m. when it's filled with families, students, late-night adventurers and board game lovers. They are also open until midnight all year round including holidays.
“A friend told me [about this place] and then I told my other friends,” customer and board game player Kelvin Gann said. “It has a lot of table space.”
While customers enjoy the space and its amenities, Siu is continuously working behind the scenes to make My Cup Of Tea the best it can be.
“I hope readers can come here and feel at home,” Fong said. “Find their cup of tea, as cheesy as it sounds.”
My Cup Of Tea
Address: 2666 Ocean Ave. Hours: Sunday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight Phone: 415-753-3338 Visit website
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
