PLUR Tea: The Taro Boba That Somehow Tastes Like Popcorn

SDNL Foodie Score: 9.5/10

Sometimes the best part of finding a familiar face at a community event is realizing they remember you too.

That was easily my favorite part of running into PLUR Tea during Sunset Eats in Palmetto Bay.

I had visited PLUR before and already knew the Cutler Bay shop for its boba, Korean corn dogs and generally fun atmosphere, but we had never gotten around to doing a proper food review. So when I saw them among the vendors at Sunset Eats, I decided not to overcomplicate things.

I told them to surprise me.

Before we even got to the drink, though, I was surprised myself when I was immediately recognized from my previous visits. It turned what could have been a simple stop at another food booth into one of those genuinely enjoyable interactions that makes attending local markets worthwhile.

Then came the taro boba tea.

There is really no elegant way for me to explain this: it tasted like popcorn.

And it was amazing.

Something about the creamy, slightly nutty sweetness of the taro immediately reminded me of popcorn, and once I made that connection, I could not un-taste it. Thankfully, that was a very good thing.

The drink was smooth and sweet without becoming overwhelming, with the chewy boba adding the texture that makes these drinks so dangerously easy to keep sipping.

PLUR has also consistently remained affordable, which is part of what makes it such an easy place to revisit. It is the kind of spot where trying something different does not require a financial planning session beforehand.

And while I did not grab one during Sunset Eats, I would be doing PLUR a disservice if I failed to mention the Korean corn dogs.

I have had them during previous visits, and they are fantastic — crispy on the outside, satisfying inside and exactly the kind of wonderfully unnecessary food you occasionally need in your life.

Still, what stuck with me most from this particular visit was not just the boba.

It was being remembered.

There is a level of personality and familiarity that comes with supporting small local businesses that is almost impossible to reproduce at a large chain. Seeing PLUR out in the community, catching up for a few minutes and then being handed a surprise drink that somehow tasted like popcorn made the stop one of the more memorable parts of Sunset Eats.

Good drink, good people and Korean corn dogs waiting for me the next time around.

That is a pretty solid argument for a return visit.