New tea shop now open in Annandale

There’s a new shop in Annandale offering a variety of teas and boba drinks – with unusual, as well as traditional, flavors. 

Ben Gong’s Tea opened Aug. 16 in the Eastgate Shopping Center at 4235 John Marr Drive, between the K Market food court and a future hair salon. 

Franchise owner Muradil Erkin says all drinks are made in-house with fresh ingredients. He suggests customers try sparkling fruity teas, which are especially refreshing on a hot day. 

The menu includes burnt-caramel cheese milk tea (with a cheese foam on top), various flavors of brown sugar boba milk tea, Yakult tea refreshers made with probiotic milk (mango, passion fruit, strawberry, and peach flavors), avocado mango cream slush, black rice and taro milk tea, black gold sesame milk slush, and much more. 

For most drinks, customers can choose the level of sweetness, the ice level, and optional toppings (tea cube, crystal jelly, oats, highland barley, boba, and milk cap).

Ben Gong’s doesn’t offer any snacks, but Erkin plans to add macarons later. 

Related story: Annandale shop to offer yogurt smoothies and mochi donuts

The first U.S. franchise opened in Centreville a couple of years ago, and there are now Ben Gong’s outlets in Maryland, California, and Florida.  

Ben Gong means “her majesty” in Chinese.