milk tea – Page 4 – Jellybeans in the City

Roasted brown sugar + cheese cream at Chachago, Tomas Morato

And the invasion of the Taiwanese milk tea brands continue with another one setting up shops in the country: Chachago.

I first heard of this brand when my boss insisted on dropping by its nearby shop along Tomas Morato after out lunch out.

This branch is basically suited for take outs and not really hanging out. It occupies a small space in Pares Retiro with a small and cramped sitting area where you can wait for your drink.

Chachago offers a brown sugar series of drinks which is quite on-trend right now. These usually have milk as its base with its pearl sinkers and sides of the cup doused in rich brown sugar syrup (hence those “tiger” stripes). To enjoy this drink with a good balance of flavors, you have to shake the cup to distribute the brown sugar syrup into the milk.

Now, aside from the brown sugar syrup, my interest actually lies in the cheese cream that accompanies some of its drinks. It is a l layer of salty-sweet cream cheese whipped to a light and foamy consistency. I’ve always been a fan of cream cheese so when cheese cream started appearing on beverages, I just knew I had to have it.

I’ve tried two of Chachago’s brown sugar drinks with cheese foam:

Roasted Brown Sugar Cacao with Salted Cheese Cream (Php140).

Roasted Brown Sugar Tea with Salted Cheese Cream (Php120)

I think the cheese cream works a lot better in the tea-based drink rather in the chocolate-based drink. In the cacao beverage, both the flavor of dark chocolate and that of the cheese cream are too strong to complement each other.

At some point, when I’ve weaned myself away from my cheese cream addiction, I might try more of Chachago’s offerings.

This Chachago branch is located at Pares Retiro, 205 Tomas Morato Ave, Diliman, Quezon City. For inquiries and bulk orders, call +63 2 7172050.

Other branches are located at:

Scout Tobias, Quezon City
N. Domingo Street, Quezon City
Banawe, Quezon City
Katipunan, Quezon City
Kapitolyo, Pasig
Barangka, Mandaluyong
Fisher Mall, Malabon
BF Homes, Paranaque
Xavier Street, San Juan

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Gong Cha, Tomas Morato

The name Gong Cha (“the emperor” and “contributed” in Chinese) denotes “the best tea contributed to the king from all possessions.” it now translates to the store’s central philosophy: to treats its customers as emperors and provide them with only the best products.

While the area in Tomas Morato is now teeming with milk tea shops, for the longest time, it was only Gong Cha in Il Terrazzo Mall that my officemates and I were aware of.

Recently, after lunch nearby with my officemates, I opted to drop by and give in to my personal milk tea obsession: to taste each milk tea shop’s version of pearl milk tea with salted cream.

At Gong Cha, this takes the form of Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly (Php85) topped with Gong Cha House Special Milk Cream (Php42).

Gong Cha’s pearl milk tea is made from premium tea leaves freshly brewed every day and served with chewy tapioca pearls. The special salted cream that tops my drink is rich and frothy, definitely complementing the tea’s flavor.

I enjoyed myself with this drink as my well-deserved afternoon indulgence at work.

This Gong Cha branch is located at Second Floor, Il Terrazzo Mall, Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Madrinan Street, South Triangle, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Quezon City: Eastwood Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Cyberpark Tower 1, Shopwise Araneta, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, SM Sta. Mesa, Fisher Mall, Trinoma Mall, SKY Garden and Main Building SM North EDSA, SM Sun Mall, Amoranto Street – Banawe, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, SM City Fairview, Ayala Fairview Terraces
Pasig: L&Y Plaza Ugong, Ortigas Technopoint, Ayala Feliz,
Marikina: SM City Marikina
San Juan: Theater Mall Greenhills Shopping Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Santolan Town Plaza
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District, SM Light Mall, Forum Robinsons
Taguig: Uptown Place Mall, SM Aura Premier, Vista Mall Taguig, Fort Victoria Building, Venice Grand Canal Mall
Makati: Powerplant Mall, Glorietta 1, Glorietta 4, SM Jazz Mall, SM Makati, Landmark, Greenbelt Hamilton Tower, San Lorenzo Place Condominium, Shell Magallanes
Pasay: Newport City, Met Live Mall, MOA Arena, Entertainment Mall MOA, SM by the Bay
Manila: 2 Torre Lorenzo, The One Grand Centre, SM City Manila, Robinsons Place Manila, SM City San Lazaro, G-2 Avenue of the Arts, Lucky Chinatown
Caloocan: SM City Sangandaan
Paranaque: SM City BF, SM City Sucat,
Valenzuela: SM City Valenzuela
Las Pinas: The Village Square Alabang, SM Southmall, Vista Mall Las Pinas, Evia Lifestyle Center
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Thai Milk Tea at Cha Tuk Chak, Greenhills

You could probably say that milk tea flows through my veins. With the exception of coffee, it has replaced all other beverages as my go-to drink when I go out or when I feel like having something delivered.

While I was planning my shopping trip in Greenhills this morning, I remembered to check my MetroDeal app for good deals in the area. I chanced upon the 40% off on Cha Tuk Chak drinks: in effect, I get Php165 worth of drinks for only Php99.

Thinking that I could probably bring home some for the kiddies, I got myself two of these Metro Deal vouchers which I presented to the Cha Tuk Chak branch in Greenhills after my brief shopping spree.

Thai Milk Tea is not as prevalent as its Taiwanese counterpart, which is kind of a shame, really. The difference mainly lies in its use of condensed milk. Add in the black tea leaves from Thailand that Cha Tuk Chak uses and you’ve got yourself a fresh set of flavors to like.

Today, I brought home:

Cha Yen (Php110/Php125). Thailand’s signature smooth and creamy orange-tinged milk tea.

Nom Yen (Php120/Php135). A Thai drink made of local palm sala syrup and milk.

Koko Yen (Php110/Php125). A gourmet dark chocolate drink crafted the Thai way.

Imagine the kids’ delight when I came home with these in tow!

And thanks to MetroDeal, I got these drinks for only Php208!

Want discounts on food, travel and entertainment around the metro? Download the MetroDeal app today! Use my code MDAJ40356 upon checkout to get additional Php50 off your first purchase.

This Cha Tuk Chak branch is located at Ground Floor, Lifestyle Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Centre, San Juan City, open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Paseo Center, Paseo De Roxas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Devour Food Hub, 1216 E. Rodriguez Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City
The Rock Lifestyle Hub, Holy Spirit Drive, Holy Spirit, Quezon City
Third Floor, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo, Manila
120 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City
Pobstacion Food Park, B. Valdez Street, Poblacion, Makati City
Upper Ground Floor, The Parkway, SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City
Dish 101, Pearl Plaza, Pearl Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Premium milk tea at The Alley, SM North EDSA

Another Taiwan-based milk tea brand has come to our shores and it couldn’t be more welcome.

The Alley is famous for its Brown Sugar Deerioca Series, more commonly known as brown sugar pearls in creamy fresh milk. It opened its first branch in SM Mall of Asia in May of this year under a bit of controversy, given that there are some similarly named milk tea shops already operating around the metro.

Deerioca is actually The Alley’s version of the chewy, handcrafted tapioca pearls cooked in first-rate brown sugar, the kind that adds a new dimension of flavor to the drink. And in case you’re wondering, the Deerioca pearls take their name from the deer featured in The Alley’s logo. (As for why a deer is featured in the logo, that’s a question for another day. :-))

During one of our forays in SM North EDSA, just after our #happylunch, my boss and I spied the relatively newly opened branch of The Alley near the entrance.

And I thought: why not have a milk tea drink for dessert?

And that is how we went back to the office with The Alley drinks in tow.

Currently obsessed with milk teas topped with cheese foam, I got myself a Snow Velvet Deerioca Tea Latte (Php130). Aside from the inclusion of The Alley’s Signature tapioca pearls, it is topped with a thick layer of salted cheese foam.

My boss went for a simpler drink: The Alley Milk Tea (Php100) which provides a fuss-free milk tea experience.

The Alley’s milk tea drinks are characterized by a smooth and premium mouthfeel and the full-bodied taste of freshly brewed loose-leaf tea. I would say it’s worth the price and effort to go to SM North EDSA and buy this premium milk tea treat every once in a while.

This branch of The Alley is located at the Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm.

Another branch is located at Ground Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Milk tea treat at Infinitea, Tomas Morato

Like I said in many previous blog posts, my workplace in the Tomas Morato area is blessed to be in such close proximity to milk tea shops. This makes the object of my current food obsession so easily accessible to me in practically all of its possible iterations.

Take Infinitea, for example. Established in 2010, this milk tea brand already has over 200 stores in the country, one of which is located along Scout Borromeo, just a few minutes walk from my office.

Milk tea fans will be happy to know that here, they can expect drinks made of 100% loose-leaf teas freshly brewed everyday.

Aside from milk teas, Infinitea also serves a wide variety of drinks which include original teas, frappes, fruit teas, lemonades, ice-blended, soda pops, and even hot beverages.

However, my mission here concerns only satinh my craving for milk tea with salted cream. It is made with Nai Cha (original Hong Kong-style milk tea made from black tea and milk) and topped with a mixture of heavy cream and sea salt whipped together. This concoction only costs Php100: Php75 for the Nai Cha and Php25 for the salted cream.

I found this drink smooth and full-bodied, and at 75% sugar level, it has just the right amount of sweetness.

I would have preferred it to have boba pearls; alas, none were available during my visit to the store and cooking a fresh batch would take thirty minutes.

By the way, it is also quite filling.

Well, I guess my universe of possibilities for my milk tea breaks just got bigger.

This Infinitea branch is located at 26 Scout Borromeo, South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries or to order your drink for delivery, call +63 2 3734887.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Milk tea adventure at Xing Fu Tang, Greenhills

In the last sweltering days of summer, just before the rainy season began, I met up with some friends at Greenhills’ Promenade Mall to go on a milk tea adventure.

A new milk tea place has just opened in the mall, another entrant into the already crowded milk tea category.

Also originating from milk tea’s motherland of Taiwan, Xing Fu Tang’s claim to fame is its brown sugar milk drink. Chewy boba pearls are cooked in brown sugar syrup prior to being placed in a cup which is then filled with milk tea. You will recognize this trendy drink by the “tiger stripes” along the sides of the cup.

Still, Xing Fu Tang has a lot more going for it than just brown sugar milk. The Greenhills store, for instance, has a wooden Chinese fortune chest. You open the drawer that matches the characters in the bamboo stick you selected from a bunch, then you can read your fortune. It’s a fun and novel way to pass the time, especially when lines get long.

Xing Fu Tang’s beverage offerings that our group sampled include:

Brown Sugar Boba Milk (Php120).

Mango Smoothie and Rabbit Panna Cotta (Php145).

Brown Sugar Boba and Herbal Jelly Milk (Php130).

Matcha Boba Milk (Php120).

Grapefruit Green Tea (Php120).

Soda and Handmade Jelly (Php120).

I find Xing Fu Tang’s approach to its drinks whimsically creative in presentation, taste and mouthfeel. The addition of a rabbit-shaped panna cota on top of the mango fruit drink, for instance, is a conversation piece in itself. The combination of the fizzy soda with the hand-made jelly spheres, on the other hand, made for an interesting drink.

I’d love to come back and try the other drinks soon!

Many thanks to Francis G for sharing his GC!

This Xing Fu Tang branch is located at Ground Floor, Promenade, Greeenhills, Shopping Center, San Juan, open Mondays to Fridays from 11am to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Another branch is located at Fifth Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, open Mondays to Fridays from 11am to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Creme Milk Teas at Dakasi, Tomas Morato

My obsession for boba milk teas is showing no signs of abating. No doubt it is helped by the abundance of milk tea shops where I can sate my cravings.

In Tomas Morato near my workplace, for example, is a branch of Dakasi, a milk tea brand originating from Taiwan. It offers a wide array of drinks made with fresh ingredients, with little to no additives. It prides itself on its own recipes for cooking tea, boba (tapioca pearls) and sugar, resulting to its own unique taste in drinks.

Over several visits, I have tried several of Dakasi’s drinks, its Creme Series in particular. Dakasi’s creme drinks are topped with a thick foamy creme made of fresh milk, whipped cream, sugar and salt. This adds a whole new dimension to the drinks which I do heartily welcome.

The drinks I have sampled include:

Creme Chocolate (Php140 for large). One of the series’ non-tea-based drinks, it has a rich chocolatey taste which holds its own against the creme topping.

Creme Okinawa (Php140 for large). Another non-tea-based drink sweetened by muscovado sugar, well complemented by the creme topping.

Creme Hokkaido (Php150 for large). Made with brown sugar syrup and fresh milk with crushed Oreo cookies for added texture, its flavor further enhanced by the salty-sweet creme topping.

Aside from its expansive array of drinks, Dakasi also serves food items that can be ordered along with drinks. So far, I have sampled:

Cheesy Beef Quesadilla (Php130). The slightly spicy grilled beef quesadilla goes very well with the cold drinks.

Tiramisu (Php95). An Italian dessert made of layers of coffee-soaked sponge cake alternated with cream and cheese filling and powdered chocolate. I found this a little bit dry and I would prefer the cheese filling to be richer.

So if you have a craving for milk tea while you’re in the Tomas Morato area, do check out Dakasi!

This Dakasi branch is located at the Ground Floor, M Place Condominium, Mother Ignacia Street, South Triangle, Quezon City

Other Metro Manila branches are located at: Level 2, Trinoma | P. Tuazon, Cubao | Level 1, Festival Mall | 207 Banawe Street, Quezon City | Shell McKinley, Forbes Park Makati | 1177-A Dapitan Street, Sampaloc, Manila | G/F Bellagio Residences, 2450 Leon Guinto Street, Malate, Manila | 522 UN Avenue corner Maria Orosa Street, Ermita, Manila | G/F Dela Rosa Carpark, Makati | Level 1 Market! Market! BGC, Taguig | Level 2, SM BF Paranaque City | Ground Floor, Main Station, Tutuban Center Mall, Manila | 2nd Level, Ayala Malls. Loverleaf, Balintawak, Quezon City | G/F Ali Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao | F120-F121 Ayala Malls, Marikina Heights, Marikina City | Level 3 Ayala Malls Feliz, Marcos Highway, Dela Paz, Pasig City

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Milk tea adventure at Make Your Own Cafe, Tomas Morato

Fresh from a recent visit to Make Your Own Cafe’s Maginhawa branch, I was absolutely delighted to discover that it will open a branch along Mother Ignacia Avenue, right across the street from my office!

I counted the days until it opened, and at last, in the last weeks of July, it finally did!

Even though I was exhausted from an entire day of meetings, I just knew I had to have a taste of MYO milk teas as soon as they become available in my turf.

MYO was the first milk tea store in the country to offer unli sinkers: for only an additional Php20, you can add as many original boba, nata de coco, oreo, brown sugar jelly, grass jelly, coffee jelly, honey boba, espresso boba, egg pudding and assorted jelly as you want to your drink.

Really, with the way you can customize your drink with you unli sinker choices, each cup is an adventure!

This stall offers all the drinks that the other branches do, and armed with some GCs I received, I lost no time in going on my milk tea adventure.

Oreo Overload (Php140 for regular | Php150 for large). I absolutely love cheese foam on milk tea and together with oreo crumbs, it makes this drink akin to a cookies ‘n cream cheesecake in a cup.

Original Milk Tea (Php90 for regular| Php100 for large). This drink variant was on Buy 1 Take 1 during the weekend of the store’s opening. I took advantage of this promo to bring home drinks to enjoy with my daughter #ExhibitA at home.

Today, I got another chance to visit the stall and give in to my milk tea craving.

Okinawa Cheese (Php130 for regular | Php140 for large). This milk tea variant incorporates roasted brown sugar instead of regular syrup, giving the drink a more complex flavor which is further enhanced by the salty-sweet cheese foam.

Well, now I know where to go whenever I have a hankering for a milk tea adventure!

This Make Your Own Cafe branch is located at The Grandia Place, 143 Mother Ignacia Ave, South Triangle, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, 140 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
114 Mayon Street, Banawe, Quezon City

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Get your ultimate cup of tea at Ultrakappu, Old Balara

Just when you thought that the milk tea business has reached its peak, here comes a new player in the market that has something quite novel to introduce: healthy beverage options.

That is not something most people go to milk tea joints for but for John and Anna Pelino, who are both on keto diets, having sugar-free and keto-friendly choices available in their milk tea bar is essential.

Found in a residential area along South Zuzuaregui Street in Old Balara, UltraKappu was borne out of the couple’s trip to Taiwan (originally to take their young toddler to see the pandas) into a week-long milk tea party. Finding a particular taste in Taiwanese milk tea that they wanted to bring back home, they soon set up shop in Quezon City with the help of Anna’s brother Mark, further fueling the milk tea craze in the metro.

Together with my foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH, I visited UltraKappu’s flagship store to discover what sets it apart from other milk tea establishments.

One: The brand has Japanese-inspired origins

Unlike most milk tea places in the country that translate their Taiwan origins to their local operations, UltraKappu got its (very loose) inspiration from Japanese superheroes. UltraKappu (or “urutorakappu”), in fact, translates to “ultra cup” in Japanese.

Even the store is marked with Japanese-style minimalism. Two sets of cafe-style tables and chair and bar stools provide seating adequate for around ten people. The store logo is boldly emblazoned in orange against the dark grey background, while the TV plays the store’s music video starring cosplayers dressed as Japanese-style anime girls enjoying their favorite drinks.

However, all the milk tea ingredients are imported from the motherland of milk tea, Taiwan.

Two: A milk tea place for the health conscious?

You would think that “milk tea” and “healthy” are two mutually exclusive concepts but John and Anna are adamant that their store be able to offer, not only supercharged versions of beverages already available in the local food scene, but also guilt-free and ultimately healthier drink choices.

How exactly?

For one thing, they offer sugar-free drinks, suitable for those on keto diets, such as Bulletproof Black, Bulletproof White, Bulletproof Mocha and Almond Milk Tea.

Bulletproof coffee is a drink consisting of brewed coffee, grass-fed unsalted butter and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) coconut oil, all healthy ingredients that are low in sugar but high in good energy.

Diners can even request to see the macros of these drinks such as the amount of calories, fat, carbs and protein they contain to make sure these fall within their daily intake levels.

Also, instead of just adjusting sugar levels of their other drinks, the staff can take out sugar altogether. For additional Php10 to the price of your kappu order, they will use a sugar substitute with zero net carbs and zero sugar.

Lastly, UltraKappu has an Ala Carte Menu that allows diners to build their own healthy milk tea from scratch. With a base of either assam black tea or jasmine tea, diners can pick and choose toppings they can add to their drink which include, pearls, salty cream, cloud (a cream foam that adds texture to the drink), Oreo crumbs, egg pudding, grass jelly, popping boba (with yogurt inside), nata, konnyaku (low-carb blocks of jelly-like extract from a type of root crop), MCT oil and butter.

Standout drinks for me include:

Bulletproof Mocha (Php130 small | Php140 medium). I didn’t expect to find this so creamy! While it’s not as sweet as my regular coffee drinks, I can definitely taste a certain milky richness.

Super Soy (Php115 medium | Php125 large). Imagine your favorite taho drink supercharged with boba pearls and caramel.

Brown Sugar Boba Milk (Php100 medium | Php110 large). Ooh, that intense toasty brown sugar caramel distributed in creamy milk tea!

Oreo Matcha (Php130 medium | Php140 large). I’m not so into matcha drinks so I was surprised that this one appealed to me. It’s really because its taste is not as intensely herby as other matcha drinks I’ve tasted, and the Oreo crumbs serve to add sweetness and texture to the drink.

Salty Cream Pudding (Php130 medium | Php140 large). The creamy milk tea with an added dimension of the sweet-salty taste of salty cream and the mild sweetness of egg pudding.

Now, aren’t you glad you have more (and healthier) choices for your milk tea fix? Drop by UltraKappu to get your own ultimate cup of milk tea goodness today!

UltraKappu is located at 2nd Floor, Bali Garden Residences, Zuzuarregui Street, Matandang Balara, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 10pm.

No time to drop by the store? Have your drink delivered by Lalamove! Contact UltraKappu through its Facebook or Instagram pages to order.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Tea drinks created with passion at Royaltea, San Juan

There’s another reason for tea lovers out there to rejoice: Royaltea, the tea brand which originated from China, has further strengthened its foothold in the country through its second branch in San Juan.

Adding to Royaltea’s existing Taft Avenue branch, the newly opened store in San Juan now serves the brand’s signature tea drinks to the students of nearby Xavier School and residents of adjacent Greenhills villages.

Globally, Royaltea has over 500 stores with highest growth in number in countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the United States. It prides itself on only using the most premium, fresh and natural ingredients which include natural loose tea leaves and fresh fruits.

It is especially known for its Cheese Teas, beverages with rich and creamy cheese covers made from authentic New Zealand cream cheese. I was able to taste some of Royaltea’s Cheezo drinks when I dropped by for the Grand Opening of its San Juan branch.

These include:

Avocado Cheezo (Php180). Definitely one of my new favorites! The tea taste is not as intense as the Mango Cheezo’s, and the salty sweetness of the milk cap complements the earthy sweetness of the fresh avocado.

Mango Cheezo (Php180). Uses fresh mango and possesses an intense tangy-sweet taste, probably from the tea.

Very Strawberry Cheezo (Php180). Uses fresh strawberries and has an intense sweetness.

Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea with Cheezo (Php130). The caramelized sugar flavor in the milk tea and the chewy tapioca black pearls are given an added layer of flavor from the sweet-saltiness of the cream cheese cover.

The best way to drink these Cheezo drinks is to first sip from the top to really get the cheese flavor, then use the straw to sip the tea from the bottom.

I look forward to checking out Royaltea’s upcoming branches in Quezon City which are nearer my workplace: one in Sgt. Esguerra Avenue and the other in Banawe. It will be so much easier for me to enjoy the store’s myriad of offerings together with my coworkers.

By the way, did you know that Royaltea’s large cups are reusable? Bring them back with you when you re-visit the store, ask the milk tea barista to serve your drinks there, and voila! Not only have you done your part in lessening plastic waste, you also get Php5 knocked off your tea price.

This Royaltea branch is located at 67 Washington Street, Greenhills, San Juan. The other branch is located at Ground Floor, WH Taft Residences, Malate Manila.

Header image provided by Royaltea. All other photos are mine.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held here wherein in drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints: