Survivor of the once popular tapioca shop in Takadanobaba. It seems to have opened towards the end, so it's still holding on. It's been about a year now. There's also a store in Takadanobaba. Today, I had mango with tapioca topping. The basic topping is free if you choose one. The tapioca today seemed a bit undercooked in the middle. I tried the tapioca (chocolate flavor), which was softer than normal tapioca and had a chewy texture. It definitely tasted like chocolate. Maybe this one is a safer choice without any disappointments.

In 2017, a Taiwanese tea specialty shop called "Sanchaisei" opened in Takadanobaba and has now opened in front of Waseda Station. The location is on the first floor of the building next to the Subway Waseda Station store. Waseda seems to be filling up with tapioca shops, with more and more popping up. My dad and I had lunch at Hodori and decided to check out the new shop. Looking at the menu outside, it was filled with milk-based and milk foam-based drinks, typical of tapioca shops. What caught my eye was the probiotic drinks, which I hadn't seen at other tapioca shops before. I chose the probiotic yuzu drink and ordered it inside the shop. The staff asked about sweetness and toppings, with a variety of choices including tapioca, aloe, pudding, agar jelly, almond, among others. I chose basil seeds as the topping. The drink was made fresh, and while waiting inside, I noticed the cute decorations and Japanese music playing in the background. When my dad tried the drink outside, his expression turned sour. I hesitated but decided to try it myself. The probiotic yuzu drink was a strange combination of sour probiotics and sweet yuzu, not blending well. The basil seeds topping was too large to drink through the straw, so I had to eat it separately. Overall, the drink was okay, and I was glad I didn't choose a more adventurous topping like pudding. With so many tapioca shops in Waseda, it's a competitive market, especially with zero customers at this time. However, since the shop just opened, I hope they do well.

The strawberry milk with strawberry flavored tapioca had a nice milky taste, smooth and delicious with a hint of sweetness. It was easy to drink and had chunks of strawberry in it, giving it a rich texture. The chewy tapioca balls were tasty and the overall cost performance was good. Highly recommended.