Boba Drinks and Korean Hot Dogs Partner Up in Kearny Mesa

A new food and drink duo, bundling Taiwanese bubble tea and Korean hot dogs, is set to open in Kearny Mesa on Saturday, March 25. Mmm-yoso spotted the signage for the pairing of Urban Bubble and Ssong’s Hot Dogs.

“People like sweet drinks and savory snacks like hot dogs, so everything just blends with each other,” said Lauren Thiemthat, one of the co-founders.

Urban Bubble is the first joint venture between Thiemthat, Vanessa Barrios, and Bao Doan, who, between the three of them, have a total of 12 years of boba-making experience. Their shared passion for bubble tea includes importing ingredients from Taiwan, where boba tea culture began.

The owners tell Eater that they’re planning on using basil seeds in their drinks, a popular staple in Southeast Asia; rich in minerals, fiber, and omega-3, they’re an alternative to chia seeds that Thiemthat and his team prefer.

This will be the first Southern California location for Ssong’s Hot Dogs, a South Korean corn dog sensation that’s made a name for itself in Asia and on the East Coast, with several locations in Maryland. Its battered and fried-to-order specialties include the popular premium beef sausage, mozzarella cheese stick, seaweed spring roll, and imitation crab. Other snacks like waffle fries and tornado potatoes will also be on hand.

The contemporary, sleek space, decorated in soothing lavender hues and bubble-shaped lighting, sits in a corner storefront looking out on the bustling Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Prime window spots are the “love seats”— two-person tables with comfortable cushioned seating. There’s also plenty of high-top seating at the elongated, curved tabletops.

Thiemthat reckons they can “create up to 45 drinks with all their ingredients.” Planning to rotate their beverages on a regular basis, they’ll launch the drinks menu with favorites such as brown sugar boba milk, taro bubble with cheese foam, matcha lattes, milk teas, and fruit teas. During the summer season, they’ll enhance offerings with a larger array of blended Greek yogurt drinks featuring fresh fruit like strawberries and mangoes.

If all goes well, the founders say that they hope to continue their joint venture of boba drinks and Korean hot dogs and roll out the concept in other cities.