A cup of culture

Taiwanese bubble tea has captured a young generation of tea drinkers, who like the fruity flavors and the chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom of the glass. Chun Wong ’12 is helping to stoke the beverage trend in his adopted hometown.

The electrical engineer stepped away from his job with a local manufacturer to open Mooncat Boba Café on West 25th Street, across from the MetroHealth Medical Center. His café, highlighted in the February issue of Cleveland Magazine, is credited by food writers with being the city’s first café dedicate solely to bubble tea, aka “boba tea.”

“It hasn’t been easy but I feel this is going somewhere,” said Wong, whose cafe has helped to create a busy corner next door to an Hispanic bakery. Mooncat serves classic milk tea as well as snacks like fried dumplings and popcorn chicken based on family recipes.

Wong immigrated from Hong Kong as a child and grew up in the neighborhood, working in his parents’ restaurant, China Town, just up West 25th Street. His grand-mother introduced him to bubble tea. When the beverage became hip, he spied an opportunity.

Wong opened Mooncat in 2023 with the support of his wife, family and, yes, Case. He crafted his logo and original menu board at Sears think[box], and he relies on his engineering skills to fix the café’s machinery.

“I don’t mind opening up things to tinker. I enjoy being an engineer,” he said.

He also likes being an entrepreneur, especially one introducing new flavors to the old neighborhood. “I do have a lot of pride in this business,” he said. Find Mooncat Boba Cafe at 3460 W. 25th St. Learn more at mooncatbobacafe.com.