FACE OFF: My Favorite Brand Of Milk Tea

milk tea & sandwich

      The surge of milk tea places in the Philippines was somehow baffling. It became so popular that it almost eclipsed the ever popular Starbucks and its cohorts, replacing their frappes and cappuccinos for hokkaido or matcha milk teas.

       I inevitably went with the craze as well. And admittedly, was quite excited about it. I was able to try several of those milk tea places, and there was still a number of them that I still need to try (Gong Cha, Zen Tea, Cobo, Bubble Bee, Quickly [apparently, one of the predecessor of milk tea places in the Metro] and Moon Leaf just to name a few). Here are just a rundown of some of the milk tea places I've been to. 

Bubble Tea (Tokyo Milk Tea Place)

Sorry for the pixilated photos

Strawberry Bubble Milk Tea

       My advance apologies for the above pics since the camera phone that I frequently use whenever I would take a picture of something conked out on me that day so I settle on using an entry-level type of camera phone. Anyway, this is the Strawberry Bubble Milk Tea I'd tried in Bubble Tea located at the ground level in Megamall Building A. This milk tea was satisfyingly sweet and has a substantial amount of pearls at the bottom for some texture. 

      The difference of Bubble Tea among all of the milk tea places around, they serve full Japanese meals here. I remembered seeing tempura, sushi and maki dishes in their extensive menu. I was only able to try a bowl of pumpkin soup (a good one) that went along with my milk tea order. I do have plans to be back here in the future to try their savory offerings, with my milk tea order of choice, of course. ;)

Bubble Tea (Tokyo Milk Tea Place), SM Megamall

LG/F SM Megamall Bldg. A

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 638-7479

Serenitea

Long queue in Serenitea

    Undoubtedly, the most popular among all the milk tea places around and has the most zealous following (apparent in the long queue as seen in the photo above). Serenitea was said to be the culprit that started the milk tea craze in the metro.

Hokkaido Milk Tea & Pepper Potato

       In Serenitea, I tried the Hokkaido Milk Tea with Panna Cotta. Among the milk tea that I've tried so far, this milk tea lacks the sweetness that I'm looking for a drink of its kind, although I already asked the server to put in 100% for sweetness. To compensate, the Pepper Potato I ordered to go along with the milk tea satisfied me limitless. It was so good, this potato snack could give Potato Corner quite a competition.

Serenitea, Eastwood City

Cyberzone Plaza, Eastwood, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Bagumbayan, Libis

Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
02) 451-1017

Chatime

TieGuanyin Tea Latte

    Among the milk tea places around, its Chatime I've been to the most. The first time was when my friend, Kaz, announced on her Facebook status that there's already a Chatime in Robinsons Galleria, right beside French Baker. All Chatime stalls here in the metro are being managed by the people from French Baker, so almost all French Baker branches also has a Chatime stall nearby. Here, I tried the TieGuanyin Tea Latte. I like the initial sweetness and the intense flavor of milk tea and coffee. However as I finished the drink, the flavor somehow diminished, that left me with a watered down type of drink.

Matcha Tea Latte

       The same experience I had when I tried Chatime the second time around, this time in their flagship store in Pioneer Center. Here, I tried the Matcha Tea Latte. I was impressed by the amount of sweetness and flavor, however, it again diminished as soon as I'm halfway through my drink.

Chatime Interior

     What impressed me most, though, with Chatime was on the two occasion that I've ordered their milk teas, it was always a two-tone color. Brown and white with the TieGuanyin; green and white with the Matcha Tea Latte. Not sure if that depends on the type of milk tea you order, but still I really find it quite elegant to look at before taking that first sip. And the upper floor in their flagship store in Pioneer Center was fashionably chic that you wouldn't mind staying here for hours while delicately sipping your milk tea of choice or surf the Net if you happen to have your laptop with you.

Chatime

Robinsons Galleria branch

Robinsons Galleria, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave.

Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines

Pioneer Center Branch

Pioneer Center, 8006 Pioneer cor. United Sts.

Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines

Chowking

Chowking-Nai Cha

      Even fast food chain such as Chowking already offers milk tea in their menu. Here I tried Nai Cha to go along with my Chicken Supreme Lauriat order. Surprisingly, the milk tea was good. And the most affordable of the lot.

Chowking, Ever Gotesco Ortigas

2/F Ever Gotesco Ortigas, Ortigas Ave. Ext.
Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 988-88

Happy Lemon

Happy Lemon-counter2

Happy Lemon-counter1

   However, my favorite milk tea of them all (even this came as a surprise to me) is Happy Lemon. I have always been a Chatime zealot until a few days ago when I tried Happy Lemon in Greenhills. The milk tea I tried was so good, I wondered why is it I delayed this long to try this milk tea place.

Cocoa w/ Rock Salt & Cheese

    The milk tea I tried here was the Cocoa With Rock Salt & Cheese. Odd combination, right? Even I was dubious when I told the server my order. I even mentally pictured the resulting taste of cocoa mixed in with rock salt and cheese. And I was surprised even more. It was the most creamiest milk tea I have ever tried. The wonderful flavor of cocoa, tea and cream did not dissipate till the last sip that this milk tea drink instantly made me a convert. Others, though, were put off with too much cream in this milk tea. Well, its still a matter of preference.

Happy Lemon-Greenhills

      I did made a silent pledge to myself before I leave, if ever I'm in the area of Greenhills that I would not miss to try the other delectable (and odd combinations) of milk tea drinks here in Happy Lemon. Indeed, sipping this milk tea makes me happy. 

Happy Lemon, Greenhills

G/F The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan