Upon entering Dhahran’s Tamimi Markets, known locally by its former name, Safeway, you’ll see Quantum Specialty Coffee directly to the left of the entrance.

One of the things I craved most after returning to live in Dhahran after nearly a decade abroad was boba. I struggled to find a good spot locally, so decided to try to make my own — a time-consuming and messy process.

When Quantum Specialty Coffee opened up, I had hope that I could once again sip my favorite dessert in a cup. I could purchase my groceries at the store and then take a boba to-go to sip in the car on the way home after shopping.

The first time I tried Quantum’s brown sugar boba, it wasn’t a smash hit. The tapioca balls were knotted into one large goopy mess in the bottom of the cup and I had a hard time getting the balls to emerge from the milky liquid.

I thought maybe it was just bad luck so gave it another shot. Since then, they have immensely improved their preparation and now it’s enjoyable. The ration of milk tea to boba is now better, too. It isn’t too sweet nor is it too lumpy. You just need to make sure to shake it a bit before starting on your boba drinking journey.

They have also introduced such boba flavors as watermelon, grape and matcha. I tend to go for the more classic cups.

What is cool about this spot is that they also sell a variety of the popular Eastern European braided bread, babka, in flavors such as the more typical chocolate and cinnamon, but also with a regional twist in varieties such as zataar and cheese.

They also serve hot and cold sandwiches, cookies, bagels — as well as the usual coffees you'd expect. They have the lattes and the cappaccions and the like from a selection of beans.

What is also unique about this cafe is that each visitor is handed a free bottle of water upon ordering. You can sip it and stay hydrated while you wait for your custom drink or your food item.

Visit @quantumcoffeesa on Instagram for more details.