A Bubble Island of hope

Ann Arbor, Mich. - I've now been to Bubble Island in Ann Arbor several times, the first of which I went to great lengths to harass store owners, college students and pedestrians about their knowledge of a rumored boba establishment near the University of Michigan. (In my defense, this was the first time I'd heard of boba existing in Michigan, so just picture this cat and you'll understand how excited this Cat was.)

Here is a story The State News (Michigan State's student newspaper) published in 2005, on Bubble Island's location in East Lansing. My favorite part:
"It's a real big craze out in California," said Sam Hickerson, one of Bubble Island's two co-owners. "On one block, you'll see three to four bubble tea businesses fighting for business."

Did Hickerson visit the boba haven that is Berkeley, CA?

BOBA BRIEFING
Name: Bubble Island
Address: 1220 South University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. They also have a location in East Lansing.
Phone: (734) 222-9013
Date visited: Most recently, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007
Goes by: Bubble tea
Price: $3.39-$3.50
Form: Tea, milk tea, fruit smoothies and slushies called "snow bubbles"
Flavors: More than 100
Hot/cold: Both. They serve hot versions of anything with milk tea in it.
Flavors tried: Black milk tea, almond milk tea with "colored bubbles"
Lid style: Plastic-wrap top. Boba novices beware!
Smiles: The boba has a good chewy - but not too soft - quality, probably the best within 50 (fiddy) miles of Detroit. On the U.S. side, that is. They also serve mochi ice cream, which I haven't found since leaving California. Their curly fries and popcorn chicken are also yummy and cheap (both less than $4), but I feel like we're stealing focus from the boba...
Other smile-worthy attributes:

• You get a free drink after you fill up your card with five stamps. If you get a card and don't think you'll go back, YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME.
• They're open everyday until 2 a.m., and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
• This is an important one: Bubble Island is the only place in Michigan where people behind the counter didn't give me a quizzical look when I referred to boba as "boba" instead of "bubble tea." They speak my language!
  

Scowls: The colored bubbles (which you can get for $0.35 extra) are supposed to be sweeter, but they taste the same as regular tapioca, and it's not like you can see the boba while you're drinking anyways. I wouldn't pay extra for them again, even though they are awfully cute. And pink!
Most memorable bo-ment: Looking for parking in the rain with Freep buddy Sarah. Actually, forget it. I could write a separate entry about this incident.
Overall rating: 9/10