As the name suggests, the main focus here is on the tapioca drink, or bubble tea. It’s quite the rage—not just among Chinese-American kids, but also for certain lilywhite grown-ups we know who adore getting jacked up on the mildly sweet, milky teas and their weird, gummy little pearls of tapioca. At Tap House (as it’s known to regulars), some of these can taste artificially sweet; it’s not quite our favorite version in town, even if it does come in the same surreal colors and sealed, cartoony cups. No, we come here instead for the chicken.

Tap House’s chicken nuggets are legendary. They meet all the basic requirements of a snack: not too filling, easy to handle while driving, and thoroughly addictive. It’s all dark meat, meaning there is no skimping on flavor, especially when each piece is judiciously infused with a slightly sweet and spicy seasoning. Each nugget has a juicy interior, and one slightly overcooked end that gives it a sort of sweet, caramelized flavor and satisfying crunch. Better yet, a batch of these bites is under $5; for only a few bucks more, a meal combo comes with rice (mushy and unremarkable), stir-fried vegetables (ditto), and one of their tapioca drinks. But if you’re not in the mood for fried chicken bits, don’t bother with the food here, at all. Pork chops are inedibly tough, although hungry and broke students will be well served by the filling tea eggs.

Stuck in a nook next to the cranny of the Welcome Supermarket Center with its trademark green awning, Tap House maintains its status as a hangout in the Asian teen community. You’ll probably find groups of kids texting on their BlackBerries or playing card games at tables that have been pushed together. Service ranges from super-friendly to chilly and absent. But do you really come to Chinatown looking for friendship?

None of the other menu items here are really quite as soul-stirring; their crispy pork dumplings are serviceable. But, for now, we’re stickin’ with the chicken.