Perhaps you’ve heard of the mainstream secret menus from places like In-N-Out and Starbucks to the point where the word “secret” is irrelevant, but here’s your chance to explore the lesser known.
AU79
Being an amateur with these kinds of menus, I expected the secret items to be unusual and strange, like a peanut butter smoothie blended with dragon fruit and green beans. Despite these expectations, I found myself surprised at how simple, yet delicious these drinks were.
This popular teahouse only has a few official drinks on its secret menu. I tried the Mellow Melon, which is basically a simple watermelon smoothie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream in this drink complements the watermelon well enough to balance the sweetness and create a creamy sensation with every sip.
Tea Bar Starry
Tea Bar Starry’s secret menu is worth a try, and it’s not as hidden as AU79’s. If you ask the staff, they’ll kindly hand you one of their special menus, which has 14 drinks. This menu is fairly different in comparison to AU79’s, because it has a variety of different concoctions that people generally wouldn’t think of ordering. I tried the Red Ant, which is a strawberry and yogurt smoothie, with just the right amount of tanginess to enhance the sweetness.
Many of these drinks include interesting combinations like mango and matcha and red bean and sesame milk. They’re worth a shot, especially since they’re not like standard milk tea with boba drinks. Plus, they have cool names, like Lion King and Emerald Island.
Umami Burger
Located on Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena, this restaurant is not only known for its well-crafted and unique burgers, but also for its variety of secret menu items across the west coast, as if the quality is not enough to satisfy a customer.
The first is called the Spicy Bird, which is a spicy version of their Hatch Burger. It is turkey burger topped with fried onions, house cheese and Diablo sauce. It’s perfect for you if you like to eat spicy foods with a crunch.
I also tried their cheesy tater tots, which are crispy, golden brown and packed with cheese in every bite. However, Umami won’t tell you what’s on their menu unless you already know about it, so be sure to take advantage of this information.