The SPOT.ph Guide to Milk Tea

(SPOT.ph) When does a dish—or in this case, a beverage—turn from just a trend to an essential part of the local food landscape? Since the last time we wrote a comprehensive milk tea guide, the drink has not left the local food scene. Look around you and you'll find there are even more purveyors popping up all over the Metro today. The world of milk tea is a diverse one that spans different styles, flavors, mix-ins, and other factors—and here's everything you need to know about them, and the no-fail milk tea spots you can hit up locally when you need to get your fix.

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Love milk tea? Here's what you need to know about the drink, and where to get it in Manila:

All About Milk Tea

At its very core, milk tea is pretty much what the name suggests: an iced drink that combines milk and tea, although the tea and milk used varies depending on where you’re getting your beverage. Of course, a lot of people would rightfully argue that milk tea is not milk tea without the sinkers: a popular one which has also become synonymous to the drink is boba but you can also add in tapioca pearls (we’ll get into the difference between boba and tapioca pearls later), pudding, coconut jelly, and even fruit.

Milk tea goes by many names, again depending on where you get it from but most of it is a variation of what goes inside the classic milk tea: milk, tea, and boba. Aside from milk tea and boba, this beverage also goes by pearl tea, bubble tea, or nai cha (which is Mandarin for… you guessed it: milk tea).

The Origins of Milk Tea

Did you know that two teahouse chains sued each other over who first invented milk tea? It is popularly believed that Liu Han-Chieh and Lin Hsiu Hui of Chun Shui Tang, a popular teahouse chain in Taichung, Taiwan, first thought of making cold milk tea in the early 1980s after being inspired by iced coffee on a trip to Japan. Liu experimented with adding candied fruit and syrups to cold tea but it was actually his product manager, Lin, who first thought of adding tapioca balls to the iced milk tea in 1988, dubbing her creation “bubble milk tea” because of the tapioca balls’ resemblance to bubbles.

Hanlim Tea Room in Tainan, Taiwan argued however that they invented the drink and have been offering pearl milk tea as early as 1986—two years before Lin created her bubble milk tea. According to this story, founder Tu Tsung-ho, after spotting tapioca balls in the local market, added these to their signature iced tea, naming the new drink "pearl milk tea" after the translucent nature of the tapioca balls.

The two teahouse chains ended up bringing the matter to court, but were unable to patent their creations which left other tea houses free to create their own versions, even making a brown-sugar version of the white tapioca pearls. In the late 1990s, machines that automatically sealed cups with a plastic cover arrived in Taiwan, introducing a signature look for the drink that exists to this day.

While it’s more popularly believed that Taiwan is the birthplace of boba drinks, some argue that it was actually inspired by a classic Malaysian dessert-slash-drink: cendol. While usually a shaved-ice dessert with pandan jelly, coconut milk, and gula melaka or palm sugar, cendol can also be made into a drink with coconut milk and layers of pandan jelly. This dessert soon made its way to Taiwan’s night markets, which some argue became the inspiration for boba.

In Metro Manila, you can credit Serenitea, which opened its first branch in San Juan in December of 2008, for starting the local milk-tea craze. International chains in the Metro started popping up years after: Happy Lemon in 2010, and Chatime and Gong Cha in 2011.

Common Milk Tea Ingredients

Tea

At its very basic form, milk tea is what it says on the tin: milk and tea—and the latter defines much of its resulting flavor. Most milk-tea shops will have their own signature tea blend, which will be the base of most of their drinks. Usually, this is a full-bodied, high-in-caffeine blend of black tea like Assam, Earl Grey, or English Breakfast. Milk-tea shops will also commonly offer green tea like Oolong or white tea like chamomile or jasmine which is more floral in nature. Also popular now in milk-tea shops is Thai milk tea, which gets its signature orange color from the traditional spiced Thai tea blend.

Milk

Now for the milk part of the equation. Most milk-tea places will use fresh milk: a milk tea labeled Hokkaido will usually have Hokkaido fresh milk, which is said to be of higher quality than regular milk, while a classic Hong Kong milk tea will use evaporated milk and Thai milk tea uses condensed milk to balance out the boldness of the Thai tea blend. (Fun fact: Hong Kong Sock Milk Tea refers to the sackcloth bag used to filter black tea leaves, which resembles a silk stocking and is said to make the tea smoother with an intense brown color.)

Those who don't take dairy will also be happy to know that there are a number of local places—including Kahatea—that mix up milk tea with alternative milks, like soy or almond milk.

Cream Cheese

For those who want an even richer sip from their milk tea, you can opt for one with a cream or cream-cheese topping—essentially whipped cream cheese which may also have salt added to contrast with the tea base. Happy Lemon is popular for this, thanks to their Rock Salt and Cheese series. Newer to the scene is Fire Tiger by Seoulcial Club which opened their first Manila branch in 2020. This milk-tea chain from Bangkok is best known for their decadent, creme-brulee topped milk tea.

Sinkers

Milk tea may have started with white tapioca balls, or what’s colloquially known as sago but we bet you’re more familiar with the bigger, black balls which gives boba or bubble tea its name. What’s the difference between the two? Sago or tapioca pearls are the most basic form of tapioca balls, made only using tapioca starch and water. Boba, on the other hand, is created when brown sugar is added to tapioca starch, which also gives it its distinct dark-brown color.

Nowadays, you can get milk tea with all kinds of sinkers aside from tapioca pearl and boba—including coconut jelly or nata de coco, pudding, fruit jelly, and grass jelly.

Common Types of Milk Tea

Aside from the classic black tea or green tea, milk-tea shops usually offer lots of options. Most usually change depending on what sinkers are in them—think CoCo’s Panda Milk Tea, Two Buddies, and Three Ladies which all have the same base but different kinds of sinkers in each one.

Brown sugar milk tea is a newer variant of milk tea that boomed in Metro Manila in the latter part of 2018 when Taiwanese milk-tea chain Tiger Sugar opened their first branch in Bonifacio Global City to massive queues. The Michelin Guide credits Tiger Sugar with inventing the drink, which has pearls freshly cooked in brown-sugar syrup upon order, creating tiger stripes of caramel down the sides of your drink when it’s poured over fresh milk or milk tea.

Since then, many others from Taiwan which offer this drink opened in the Metro, like Xing Fu Tang and The Alley, while the chains that were already open in the Metro came up with their own versions of the sweet, creamy treat.

Another popular option you will find on a milk-tea menu is wintermelon tea. The drink gets its name from winter melon syrup which is used to give the drink a distinctive, caramel-like flavor. Winter melon or winter gourd is already naturally sweet on its own so we’re not surprised that it became a popular addition to milk tea. Plus, its Tagalog name, kundol, may sound familiar to you because it’s part of the vegetables listed in the popular folk song, Bahay Kubo.

One other flavor that gets its name from a vegetable—or more specifically, a root crop—is taro milk tea. Taro—in the form of real puree or powder, or a flavoring—gives this drink its signature rich purple color and nutty-sweet flavor. Taro is also not to be confused with ube which is more on the sweet rather than nutty side.

Matcha is also a popular milk-tea option as its earthier flavor is complemented perfectly by milk. Plus, its creamy green color makes it picture-perfect.

Popular Milk Tea Places in Manila

Now that you’re equipped with pretty much everything you need to know about milk tea, where should you head over to get one in case the hankering strikes? There are a dime a dozen brands available locally and milk-tea fans are bound to have their own go-to's by now—but if you’re just about to test the waters, we’ve listed tried-and-tested purveyors, as well as a few new up-and-coming ones for you to try out.

Serenitea

Serenitea holds the title of the first milk-tea chain to open in the Philippines, and yep, they’re still going strong. This milk-tea chain regularly offers seasonal flavors—one of their newest concoctions is the Okinawa Espresso (P157/regular, P178/large) which blends their signature Okinawa milk tea (flavored with Okinawa sugar) with espresso for a drink sure to deliver on caffeine. Pair your drink with their new Triple Chicken Chops (P294) or three servings of their signature chicken chops in one.

See a list of Serenitea branches.

Chatime

Chatime is another OG when it comes to milk tea franchises in the Metro, and they’re also one known for offering new, seasonal flavors. Purists can go for classics like the Pearl Milk Tea (P120) or Jasmine Gren Tea Latte (P125), but they've also got more offbeat creations like the Cream Cheese Cookie Milk Tea (P150).

See a list of Chatime branches.

Gong Cha

When it comes to winter melon milk tea, you can rely on Gong Cha. The Taiwan-based milk-tea chain is best known for their version of the caramel-y drink which you also get in all kinds of variants like Banana Wintermelon (P105/medium, P120/large) or Matcha Wintermelon (P95/medium, P105/large). But, nothing beats the classic HS Milk Wintermelon (P85/small, P100/medium, P115/large), which has a generous dollop of salty milk-cream layered on top of their signature winter melon blend for a sweet-savory, indulgent treat.

See a list of Gong Cha branches.

Happy Lemon

Happy Lemon is best known for introducing the sweet-savory goodness that is adding salty cream to milk tea, and we’ve never looked back since. Their Rock Salt and Cheese series is still a hit up to this day—the Roasted Milk Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese (P149/regular, P169/jumbo) is an underrated choice but the nuttiness that comes out from roasting tea complements its salty-sweet cream topping perfectly.

See a list of Happy Lemon branches.

Macao Imperial Tea

This Macao-based tea chain opened their first Philippine branch five years ago, and they’ve been going strong since! Macao Imperial Tea is best known for their decadent milk tea, which you can get with cheesecake cream or chestnut cream—we can’t recommend their signature Cheesecake & Pearl Milk Tea (P140/alto, P160/maior) enough.

See a list of Macao Imperial Tea branches.

Tiger Sugar

This popular franchise from Taiwan opened to long lines that could last up to hours at their first branch in BGC, and while the wait for their signature Brown Sugar Milk Tea is much more tolerable nowadays, the drinks are no less delectable. First time at Tiger Sugar? Get their Brown Sugar Boba Milk With Cream Mousse (P120), which comes with a light and airy cream topping that complements the toasted-caramel-tasting drink, and makes it even more indulgent.

See a list of Tiger Sugar branches.

Fire Tiger

Fire Tiger is—surprise, surprise—not from Taiwan but from Bangkok, Thailand! Fire Tiger’s signature is adding a torched creme brulee top to their milk tea for that extra rich and creamy touch. Their bestselling The Majesty (P160) even comes topped with crispy cheese, which may sound strange but don’t knock it ‘til you try it. The crispy cheese adds a welcome crunch to the otherwise creamy drink and a savory flavor that balances out its sweetness.

See a list of Fire Tiger by Seoulcial Club branches.

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea

While best known for their fruit teas, this Taiwanese tea chain also offers excellent milk tea, like their best-selling Brown Sugar Pearl Tea Latte (P120/medium, P140/large) which is lush and creamy with fresh milk and incredibly chewy brown sugar pearls. The Salty Cream Black Tea (P110/medium, P130/large) is for fans of a more robust tea blend, this time complemented with a velvety, cream-foam topping.

See a list of YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea branches.

I’Milky

Originally Mu Bai in Taiwan, this milk-tea chain rebranded to I’Milky when they opened their first store in Manila in 2019. They were immediately a hit with their super cute, minimalist branding and ultra creamy drinks—if you like your milk tea heavier on the milk, this is the place for you. Plus, lactose intolerant peeps don’t have to miss out ‘coz I’Milky also offers soy-milk options. Soy milk amps up the earthiness of matcha in the Matcha Soy Milk (P125/regular, P140/large) for those who enjoy this flavor profile.

See a list of I’Milky branches.

11:11

Unlike almost all the chains on this list, 11:11 is proudly Filipino-made, with the goal to offer healthier and lighter alternatives to the usual milk tea. This tea shop uses real Australian cream cheese for their cheese cap series, resulting in a creamier, more decadent flavor which complements their tea blends nicely, whether it’s the robust Sticky Rice Cheesy+ (P120) with smoky notes of roasted rice or the more floral Spring Tea Cheesy+ (P120). While technically not milk tea, also check out their signature Pulpy+ series with layers of crystal jelly sinkers, fruit pulp, and spring tea.

See a list of 11:11 branches.

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