Bubble tea (BBT) is a perennial food trend on our sunny island, and the recent months have seen a wave of BBT brands from Taiwan (considered the godfather of BBT) setting up shop here.
While the popular chains like Koi and Gongcha are perfectly suited for quenching your thirst on a sweltering hot day, why not look beyond to the myriad of up-and-coming bubble tea stores that offer equally good drinks, with some rolling out unique and quirky flavours.
Watch our video to find out how to make your own bubble tea at home:
READ MORE:
14 Restaurants To Book For A Huat Family Feast This Chinese New Year
The Delicious, Homemade Taste Of These Asian Drinks Is A Favourite Of Generations
11 Rooftop Bars In Singapore For Killer Views And Delicious Drinks
Who knows, one of these shops may just be your new go-to. Here’s our list for some of the fanciest bubble teas you can find in Singapore:
This freshly-opened BBT store from Taiwan arrived on Singapore shores in November 2018. They specialise in a diverse menu of artisanal drinks made with the highest quality tea leaves sourced from Taiwan. (In fact, the team reportedly spent months in Taiwan’s best tea plantations studying the best methods to grow and extract flavours of superior quali-tea.)
For the health-conscious, opt for their preservatives-free handmade pearls that incorporate organic fruits, basil seed toppings and unsweetened tea bases. Give their signature drinks a go, such as Organic Fuji Apple with real apple bits, Afternoon Milk Tea, Black Sugar Milk Tea and Lychee Rose Nectar. If you’re in the area, Winnie’s also delivers with a minimum of six cups ordered.
Winnie’s is at 1 Fusionopolis Place, Galaxis, #01-34, Singapore 138632.
Another Taiwanese BBT brand to have set foot here is R&B Tea, which concocts over 30 tea-based drinks loaded with all-natural ingredients that won’t overwhelm your palate. From indulgent cheese cream-topped variants to colourful fruit teas, macchiateas and – yes – brown sugar options, it’s also the first BBT store here to have an Oolong Tea-Cream topping (that’s tea-infused foam for the uninitiated).
R&B Tea is at multiple locations such as #B2-50 Marina Bay Sands; #01-133 SingPost Centre and #03-30A Parkway Parade.
Prefer to keep your drink order simple instead of racking your brain over what flavours to get? Then head on over to Tiger Sugar, a brand that doesn’t allow customisation of drink size, sugar level or toppings – instead, they deliver drinks based on a perfectly measured recipe.
Their most popular drink is the Brown Sugar Boba Milk ($5.30), an Instagram-friendly concoction which does not contain tea. Instead, it has fresh full cream milk poured into a plastic cup coated with brown sugar syrup. The result? Caramel-ish ‘tiger stripes’ that blend into the tea with a couple of shakes (hence the name). It’s a sugar rush, so we think this drink is only for those with a sweet tooth.
Tiger Sugar is at various outlets, such as#B2-32, Capitol Piazza, 13 Stamford Road.
It’s pretty easy to spot a U-Cha outlet, considering that there’s a giant bear mascot at the front of its stores. Once known as Hokkaido gelato shop Milkssimo, the now-bubble tea chain offers a range of uncommon tea flavours – such as Jasmine Grapefruit Tea and Peach Oolong Fruit Tea. The drinks are also accompanied with an adorable teddy-bear themed packaging. A refreshing change from the usual suspects.
U-Cha is at #02-13A, NEX, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore 556083.
With a mission to make premium milk tea affordable for its customers, iTea is a wallet-friendly alternative for tea lovers with a picky palette. What’s more, many of its outlets are conveniently located in the heartlands, so it’s easy to grab tea blends, juices and dessert bowls on your way to or from work. We recommend trying their best-selling drink, the Grass Jelly Milk Tea, which is a satisfying thirst quencher.
iTea has outlets islandwide. To find out where, visit here.
A fruit-lover’s paradise, Partea brings the party to your tastebuds with drinks that feature plenty of healthy fruits and a lower amount of sugar. The guilt-free selection includes mixtures of traditional Chinese tea and fruits, milk, or cheese. For those who would prefer to nurse a warm drink, offerings like Honey Citron Tea or Longan Jujube Tea are also available.
Partea has several outlets, such as #02-470, Suntec City North Atrium, Singapore 038983.
With local actor Nat Ho serving as its Singapore Brand Ambassador and Creative Director, you’ve probably heard of Bobii Frutti’s pretty, Instagrammable drinks. Featuring aesthetically-pleasing ‘layers’ and colourful pearls, the drinks have pretty interesting names too – like Mermaid’s Tears, Uji Snow and Extraordinary Bubble Milk Tea. The brand prides itself as being the healthier choice for bubble tea, using pure natural ingredients such as fresh milk and no artificial colouring. Taste-wise, they don’t disappoint.
Bobii Frutii is at #04-K4, The Clementi Mall, 3155 Commonwealth Ave West, Singapore 129588.
Hailing from Taiwan, Playmade puts a huge emphasis on the quality of their pearls. In fact, customers can see them being churned out behind a glass panel at the store. Made fresh without artificial flavouring, pearl lovers can choose between flavoured pearls like Pink Cactus, Burnt Caramel Black Sesame, Purple Sweet Potato, and White Pearls – or go for 3P, which allows you to select up to three types of pearls.
Playmade is at Tampines One, 10 Tampines Central 1, Singapore 529536.
Known as the original creators of cheese teas and the most popular bubble tea chain in China, HeyTea (formerly known as RoyalTea) launched its first overseas shop in Singapore in November 2018 to much fanfare, sparking long queues. Boasting drinks made with only high-quality ingredients – their creamy cheese foam is imported from New Zealand and their fruit teas are made only from fresh fruits, perfect for cheese tea connoisseurs!
HeyTea is at ION Orchard Mall, 2 Orchard Turn, #B4-29, Singapore 238801.
In need of a quick, refreshing drink to perk yourself up? Each A Cup has kept their prices really affordable and with outlets all over Singapore, you won’t have to go out of your way just to grab a drink. Pick up a Honey Green Tea or Rose Lychee Black Tea for major #Throwback vibes to when bubble tea stores first started appearing locally.
Each A Cup has outlets islandwide. To find out where, visit here.
READ MORE:
6 Most Refreshing And Tasty Chendols In Singapore
8 Healthy Kids’ Lunch Box Ideas You Can Whip Up In No Time
Domestic Diva Awards 2018: Enjoy The Best Drinks At Home With These Top-Selling Beverages
Text: Elizabeth Liew & Zoe Zeng