Want a change of pace from the limited boba tea flavors offered at Tommy’s? I don’t blame you.
I quickly found myself bored of the lack of options — and out of munch money — and wanted to find a different way to satisfy my boba cravings when I found Dang Boba, Poké & Bánh Mì. I promise you that
Dang isn’t paying me. It’s genuinely this good.
Dang Boba, Poké & Bánh Mì is local to Bloomington, over on E Empire St.
Dang is around a 30-minute walk from campus, good for when you have a full afternoon open to spend venturing out into town. You can also get there on the bus, which is free with your IWU student ID.
Their drink menu ranges all the way from milk teas to coffees and smoothies to cream cheese foam teas.
Dang also offers a wide variety of mix-ins, not just simple tapioca pearls but also various flavors of
jellies and popping boba, great for those who appreciate more fruity flavors.
But what especially made me love Dang was not just its drink menu but its food options as well.
As a pescatarian (someone who only eats fish and no other meats,) I have often been disappointed by the few fish-based options available through on-campus meal plans.
I usually find myself struggling to make protein goals to the point that I considered starting to eat meat again. But Dang’s poké bowls offered me a beacon of hope through their wide range of fresh seafood ingredients. I could finally have a sweet treat and also get good protein I couldn’t otherwise.
I can’t speak for the quality of the bánh mìs they specialize in in detail, as I have yet to order one. But they also offer many meat-based bánh mì for those who would rather get their protein through that route.
I will admit, I was a bit threatened by the prices at first, but the moment I got my food, I realized that their portion sizes are huge, easily enough for two meals, along- side being included with complementary soup, making the price a lot more comfortable for me.
Overall, although the restaurant doesn’t seem to have many sit-in customers, many presumably opting for their drive-thru, the interior maintained a welcome atmosphere with tasteful decor, warm lighting, and good service.
I have only one negative thing I could possibly say about Dang Boba, Poké & Bánh Mì, and that is that the music I had to endure during my last stay. I have heard one too many “KPop Demon Hunter” songs in the last week, and hearing “Take Down” play the moment I sat down did irk me.
Despite my annoyance, I thought to myself that it’s an objectively popular song, so it makes sense that they’re playing it. The song ends, three more play, and then “Take Down” starts playing again, and I can feel a part of me die.
I don’t know who could have allowed this catastrophe to happen. Dang has absolute- ly wonderful food, and I will be dining there very frequently this semester. But if I hear that song one more time, I might go insane. So, maybe opt for some takeout or delivery instead.
