For months now, Boyfriend and I have been drowning ourselves with milk tea. I think it's safe to say that it has become an addiction that we can't shake off. We've tried a number of places, discovered unique combinations, acquired new favorites and sworn off some drinks. It's been quite an enlightening experience and it's something that's been bringing us closer together these past few weeks.
Happy LemonSo far, our favorite has been Happy Lemon. Those of you who have tried their drinks will probably agree that they have the best teas in town. The Rock Salt and Cheese variety is Happy Lemon's bestseller. I usually order depending on my mood. Most of the time, I go for the healthier option which is Green Tea with Rock Salt & Cheese (80 reg/90 large). It has a nice flowery taste, sampaguita to be more specific, with a subtle green tea aftertaste. Not all of my friends like it but Boyfriend and I are totally hooked. If you want to go the safer route, opt for the Cocoa with Rock Salt & Cheese (90 reg/100 large). It's basically a chocolate drink with the same rock salt and cheese froth. I don't think any words can do justice to the goodness of Happy Lemon's froth. The salt enhances the flavor of the cheese to give you a sweet, salty and creamy taste of heaven. You have to try it to believe it (if you haven't yet).
Other recommended drinks: Lemon Yakult (90 reg/100 large), Lemon Yogurt with Aloe (80 reg/90 large), Crispy Cocoa Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Jelly (85 reg/95 large)
Branches: Eastwood Mall, Promenade
Chatime
When people at work are craving for milk tea, we would always call Quick Delivery (2121212) for a dose of Chatime. The quality of their pearls makes them stand out among other milk tea places. Chatime's pearls are consistently soft and chewy, making it a perfect match for just about any of their drinks. Their Pearl Milk Tea (80 reg/90 large) is a favorite, with normal ice and 70% sugar level. Another great drink is the Tie Guanyin Tea Mousse (85 reg/95 large) with pearls (+15). Tie Guanyin is a variety of oolong with a strong green tea flavor. Their cheese froth is good as well, but Happy Lemon's is still better.
Other recommended drinks: Chatime Roasted Milk Tea (75 reg/85 large), Taro Milk Tea (80 reg/90 large), Grapefruit Green Tea (70 reg/80 large)
Branches: Pioneer Center, Robinsons Galleria, Landmark Makati, Taft, MOA, Banawe, San Juan
Moonleaf Tea Shop
Katipunan has been our second home since college. We've been waiting for a milk tea place to open there for the longest time, and imagine our delights when Moonleaf Tea Shop finally opened a branch in Estaban Abada! We love their Wintermelon Milk Tea (75) with pearls (+10). Their milk teas only come in one size but you really get your money's worth for a price of less than a hundred. Another drink that we frequently order is the Hakka Milk Tea (75) which almost has the same basic flavor of wintermelon but with a stronger tea taste. This goes really well with the egg pudding (+10) that gives the drink a slight bitter aftertaste. Boyfriend loves their Lychee Aloe Vera (70) fruit tea drink. It has a great balance of flavors and the aloe vera goes really well with the sweetness of lychee. Moonleaf's aloe vera is a bit crunchy compared to the more chewy versions of Serenitea and Happy Lemon, giving it a more interesting texture.
Other recommendations: Oolong-based Wintermelon Milk Tea (75), Honey Aloe Vera (75), Yogurt Milk Tea (85)
Branches: Katipunan, Teacher's Village
Other recommendations: Oolong-based Wintermelon Milk Tea (75), Honey Aloe Vera (75), Yogurt Milk Tea (85)
Branches: Katipunan, Teacher's Village
Serenitea
Other recommended drinks: Sesame Milk Tea (95 med/105 large), Black Dragon Milk Tea (95 med/105 large), Wintermelon Milk Tea (95 med/105 large), Grapefruit Yakult (90 med/100 large)
Branches: San Juan, Banawe, BF Homes, Alabang Town Center, Robinson's Place Manila, Eastwood, Burgos Circle
Among all the milk teas Boyfriend and I have tried, these 4 seem to be the most note-worthy. Others don't really live up to the hype. Bubble Tea's pearls are too sweet and I don't like their uneven sizes. Bubbatealicious's milk teas are too thin on flavor, you can only taste the milk. UP Diliman's Universitea serves the only milk tea that I can't finish drinking. Tea.ology lacks on flavor but has good egg pudding. Gong-cha we haven't tried yet but we can't wait. It has indeed been a journey and an adventure and I'm quite content with the discoveries we've made, and the stories we've shared over countless helpings of milk tea.
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It does taste like Sampaguita! I've always ordered Lemon Yakult. I tried the Rock Salt and Cheese once, and told myself never to order it again. I don't like it. :D
Nice blog, btw. :D
I love Lemon Yakult too but I've been really addicted to green tea with RSC lately. Give rock salt and cheese another chance! Maybe with cocoa next time. :) Thanks for visiting!
Hey! i stumbled upon ur blog and got excited bec im on a similar milk tea quest but all by my lonesome self. I love serenitea's hokkaido! But why did u not include universitea im ur list? green apple yogurt and muscovado haunts my dreams sometimes. Sayang naman na you completely disregarded it. Maybe you should drop by again for a second opinion. :) anyway, you should try gong cha. Ang nasa lowest rung of the ladder ko yung infinitea and cha dao.
I guess I can give Universitea a chance. I've tried their caramel milk tea and hazelnut milk tea and both were equally disappointing. The green apple yogurt sounds interesting though. :) I still haven't tried GongCha! So frustrating! :)) Cha Dao is disappointing nga, that's why I don't mind the long lines at Moonleaf when I'm in Katipunan.
moonleaf's hakka and universitea's roasted wintermelon, ftw!
Gong Cha is the winner for me! Go and try! :)
What no Gong Cha? I love Gong Cha because they offer real good tea with the goodness of Ice Cream! :)
gong cha lang for me :) i've tried them.