Before 2010, lovers of milk tea like me were perfectly content chugging those ready-to-drink bottles bought in convenience stores. Each time, the distinct taste of milk and tea blended together made me feel refreshed and happy. So when milk tea stalls and cafes offering a rainbow of colors and a dizzying array of flavors started sprouting all over the metro, it was a breath of fresh air for an all too eager Filipino market that just went tea-crazy. People fell in line as early as nine in the morning, rain or shine, while the brewing went on all day in the tea shops that have succeeded in unleashing the milk tea lover in us. I decided to indulge myself this week with an orgy of tea drinking. My goal – a different brand of milk tea each day. The ultimate objective – to try them all so I could call myself a self-styled milk tea connoisseur. I didn’t bring a friend along. Tea’s enough company. Day 1: Kozui Green Tea Before the boom of tea shops, I had my first taste of freshly brewed milk tea at Kozui. My personal favorite is the Roasted Green Milk Tea, which I love for its slightly burnt rice taste. But unlike other tea cafes, their selection of milk teas is limited. Among Tapioca Pearl Milk Teas there’s Matcha Green Tea, Roasted Green, and Black Ceylon. For the floral-flavored Kozui Bloom line you can choose either Paris Rose Black Tea or Tokyo Sakura Green Tea.
Their menu of delectable Japanese dishes, however, more than make up for the scant selection. Make sure to order either their best-seller Takoyaki or the Spicy Dandan Noodles that go famously with milk tea.
What’s unique: You can enjoy your food and milk tea while using Kozui’s free Wi-Fi for hours on end. Customers usually stay to attend meetings and surf the net.
Price Range: P100 for tall, P115 for grande
Where: 258-B Tomas Morato Ave. Quezon City
Day 2: Serenitea Tea breaks are certainly in fashion at Serenitea, with its wide array of both classic and alternative milk teas. For the classic, the best sellers are Okinawa, Hokkaido, and Wintermelon. But if you’re feeling adventurous, try the Uji Pyramid, a green matcha drink with ice cream on top. The matcha’s grainy texture complements the smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream. Serenitea is also the only tea restaurant using an espresso machine to make freshly brewed tea.
What’s unique: Their peppered corn and potatoes are yummy!
Price range: P80 for small, P90-95 for medium, P100-110 for large.
Where: G&L Bldg, J. Abad Santos cor. V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan; 268 Aguirre Ave. BF Homes Parañaque City; North Greenhills, San Juan (near Club Filipino); 74B N. Roxas St. Banawe, Quezon City; Eastwood Cyber and Fashion Mall, Libis, Quezon City
Day 3: Tea Delite Located inconspicuously along a row of booths at SM Megamall A Supermarket, Tea Delite is a pleasant surprise. The sweet, thick and creamy goodness of their milk teas sets it apart from the rest. The affordable prices also make sure you get every centavo’s worth.
What’s unique: They use syrupy and vanilla-flavored tapioca pearls, perfect for those with a sweet tooth.
Price range: P50 for large, P60 for extra large Where: G/F Food stall at SM Megamall Supermarket, Mega A; G/F food stalls at SM Makati; Ash Creek Center, Ortigas Ave. San Juan City
Day 4: Chao Dao If your kind of brew is more tea than milk, then Chao Dao’s a perfect match. Located in a very strategic area in Katipunan, Chao Dao is fast becoming students’ must-go-to place. Students can enjoy bestsellers such as Assam and Wintermelon while studying for an exam or just reading a good book. It’s a small and quaint tea shop that can fit at most three or four groups. Like Serenitea, customers can choose sinkers such as sago, nata, red beans, grass jelly and egg pudding. They can also customize the sugar and ice levels of their tea drinks.
What’s unique: They have a coffee jelly sinker, which I have yet to find in other tea shops.
Price range: P75- P85
Where: MQI Building, Esteban Abada St. Katipunan (Beside Fruit Magic, near Mc Donald’s)
Day 5: Moon Leaf I dropped by Moon Leaf on a drizzling weeknight and surprisingly, the place was packed! While most of the previous ones I visited were very small shops or just stalls, Moon Leaf has the closest resemblance to the cozy and homey feel of cafes. From a small place in Magiting Street, Moon Leaf has recently expanded to a larger space near the original location with both indoor and outdoor dining areas, where people enjoy their milk tea with free Wi-Fi access.
Most of their flavors you can find in Serenitea and Chao Dao, but their bestsellers Caramel Milk Tea and Hakka Milk Tea are tops.
What’s unique: They offer desserts like chocolate cake and pistachio macaroons.
Price range: P70-85 for large sizes
Where: Maginhawa Street, Quezon City
Day 6: Chatime 
I was just passing through Landmark to reach Ayala MRT station when I chanced upon this eye-candy purple and pink tea shop where there was a long queue. I had no idea what to order, so I just picked the first picture that caught my eye on the menu, which had Taiwanese characters I can’t read. “Red Bean Milk Tea po ‘yan, Ma’am," the friendly staff at the counter informed me. Little did I know that this is where I’d find my perfect cup of tea. It’s the best I’ve tasted so far – the milk had just the right thickness, and the texture of the red beans contrasted well with the chewy tapioca pearls. I was able to go back this month and I ordered one of their bestsellers, the Chatime Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea. It fell below my expectations, but still tasted good. Chatime is actually one of the biggest Taiwanese milk tea brands and has franchises all over the world. That explains why their milk teas are a bit pricey, but for the quality, it’s worth the splurge. What’s unique: Instead of hollering your name, customers are given these black numbers that vibrate and lighten up when your brew is done.
Price Range: P75- P90 for regular, P85-P100 for large
Where: Landmark Bridgeway to Glorietta, Makati; 2/F, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center Ortigas Avenue, San Juan
Day 7: Happy Lemon And last but not the least on my list: Happy Lemon. I was able to drop by their newly opened branch in Eastwood Mall and taste the Cocoa with Rock, Salt and Cheese that bloggers have been raving about. I must admit the first time I watched the
Modern Family episode where Manny Delgado’s schoolmate crush suggests putting salt on his chocolate drink, I couldn’t imagine what it would taste like. When I finally took a sip of Happy Lemon’s, it brought me back to my Ovaltine snack breaks in grade school, but with much more gusto as I licked the salty yet sweet taste on my lips. It’s a thrilling experience milk tea lovers shouldn’t miss! You can get the same sweet and salty taste with Milk Tea with OREO Cookies and Cream, which tasted more like milk shake than milk tea with its creamy goodness. If you’re not a sweet tooth, however, it’s best to stay off this drink or advise the server to lessen the sugar level.
What’s unique: They offer variants that are delightfully distinct from other tea shops. These include Blueberry Mousse Spin with Popping Bob and Crispy Cocoa Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Jelly, certainly must-tries for adventurous foodies.
Price Range: P90- P100 for regular milk tea sizes
Where: 4F Eastwood Mall (beside Starbucks); 2/F Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan.
- YA, GMA News 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
