The 13 Best Bubble Tea Shops in Manila You Don’t Want To Miss!

People are also crazy about Bubble tea in Manila! Manila is one of the most interesting cities in the Philippines as it incorporates a huge influence of different cultures, backgrounds, and even taste. International influence is something common in this city as shops and franchises from all over the world end up in Manila.

Why? Well, let’s just say that diversity is one of the strongholds of Manila and that people there are very open to try out new things. Now, let’s talk about bubble tea in Manila!

How Bubble Tea Got to Manila

Trends come and go but a few specific trends actually turned into a culturally accepted part of the local society and milk tea is one of them. Bubble tea started in Taiwan but has over the years been spread throughout the globe and although it is hard to pinpoint the very first milk tea shop in Manila, it wasn’t an easy introduction.

Not a lot of people bought the idea of milk tea in the first place and having to introduce a new product took a lot of marketing and educating the market. You see, tea was usually associated to the bitter and serious drink which elder people enjoyed but the young tend to stay away from. Luckily they succeeded.

The Local Filipino Preference

Filipinos love sweets. A lot of sweets! In fact, sometimes Filipinos try to sweeten certain things that aren’t necessarily meant to be sweetened like bananas and different types of food. This is why when milk tea arrived in Manila, people were going crazy about it! Milk tea to them wasn’t just another drink, it was another treasure.

NO.1 Black Scoop Café

Now why should Black Scoop Café be on the top of our list if they focus on ice cream? Well, that is exactly why! Filipinos love the sweetened flavor of ice cream and adding that to their milk tea is the exact embodiment of what a Filipino would do to add their personal preference in sweetness to a classic drink. The bubble tea is good in itself but the extra ice cream really elevates this simple treat.

NO.2 Tiger Sugar

One thing about Filipinos is that they really love sweets! This is why Tiger Sugar is quite big in manila because of their brown sugar techniques which bring out a very familiar level of sweetness most Filipinos enjoy. Brown sugar is regularly used in the Philippines and adding it as a sweetener just hits the right spot.

NO.3 Macao Imperial Tea

This Hong Kong inspired franchise is a really unique twist on regular milk tea as it brings the rich flavors and influence of Hong Kong culture by both respecting the tea used and innovating the flavors to bring out that Hong Kong flare. And guess what… Manila loves this!

Macao Imperial Tea is a standard milk tea drink in the Philippines appreciated by not just young people but also uncles and aunties. Macao Imperial Tea is everybody’s tea in Manila.

NO.4 Tokyo Bubble Tea

Hong Kong isn’t the only city which has put their personal flavor to the classical Taiwanese invented bubble tea. Japan has as well! Tokyo Bubble Tea brings out the Japanese interpretation of this classic beverage. Well, if you’re curious about the mystery of what Japanese milk tea tastes like, you’ll have to try it yourself.

NO.5 Botan Bubble Tea Café

With an interesting oriental aesthetic, Botan Bubble Tea Café is screaming out how traditional milk tea should be made. Although they are flexible to their customer’s tastes, they still pay homage to the great invention of milk tea by making sure that they do not falter when it comes to their standards.

NO.6 Chatime

Although a little too mainstream for one to say that this is one of Manila’s favorite milk tea stores, Chatime actually is! You can never go wrong with the basics, the classics, and simplicity. This is what Chatime has to offer their prized customers as their standards never wail on providing excellent quality bubble tea to quench the thirst of Manila’s busy city.

NO.7 Serenitea

How does one judge the quality of a drink? Is it in the richness of flavor that the original recipe provides or is it in the innovative twist of providing something new and creating a modern classic? Well, Serenitea is definitely able to capture both. With its new, hip, but also very rich bubble tea, it has certainly become popular with the people of Manila.

NO.8 Infini Tea

Quite popular internationally, this franchise has made its way to the heart of Manila with its simple but enticing aesthetic and a whole lot of flavor packed into a cup of bubble tea goodness. Simplicity has its perks and Infiniti Tea knows how to use this to their advantage. Not only do they stick to a good product, they make sure that every cup is made to perfection.

NO.9 Gong Cha

Found inside the popular Mall of Asia, Gong Cha is no stranger internationally and definitely in Manila to high quality bubble tea. Gong Cha has proven that franchises are able to produce authentic heartfelt milk teas that satisfy the hearts of a true milk tea lover.

NO.10 YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea

The hard part when it comes to authenticity is mass production. Keeping a standard but produce thousands and thousands at a time. This is something YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea is familiar with as a franchise. Known internationally, this franchise is no stranger to Manila as it brings the flavor of Taiwan to the tongues of the diverse bubble tea lovers of Manila.

NO.11 D’ Cream Coffee & Tea

Tea and coffee usually don’t go together but in this rare instance, they live together in harmony. Without compromising on the quality of either, D’ Cream Coffee & Tea is able to serve two types of people, those in love with coffee and those in love with bubble tea! Enjoy a taste of your favorite beverage in a store that cares for not only tea lovers, but coffee lovers as well.

NO.12 Dakasi

With a playful use of the color yellow, this store brings bubble tea to life! Yellow is a bright color that attracts attention which you might think should add up to the pressure of being able to deliver what the attention begs you to give but Dakasi does it just right.

Milk tea is loved internationally and Dakasi understands that they can do more than just give you a cup of tea. Dakasi aims to brighten up your day.

NO.13 Sharetea

Established in Taiwan way back 1992, this franchise has brought bubble tea internationally to Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Macau, NY United States, Dubai UAE, Brunei, and is not even finished expanding! Fresh, natural, and healthy is something Sharetea is proud of because not only do they want to satisfy your taste, they also want to make sure that their customers stay healthy.

What is the Future of Bubble Tea in Manila?

Manila can be quite a busy city with new stores popping up here and there and although bubble tea is a trend, we can expect that this is a trend that will stay. Drinking milk tea has become a part of the lifestyle of many different people from many different walks of life.

Manila may see a huge growth in milk tea popularity but when the trend goes down, the stores won’t have to worry because milk tea can speak for itself. Although the invention of bubble tea happened about 30 years ago, it is still very well celebrated around the world as it is a representation of Taiwan itself in so many ways. Innovative. Genius. And Genuine.

Urbanization has brought different creations to be celebrated in different parts of the world and milk tea is just one of them. It is amazing how one creation can be accepted into a whole different culture which would welcome it as their own.

From the city of Taiwan to the city of Manila despite the very drastic difference in most things, can share a love of milk tea together. Every single cup of milk tea has a story behind it. How the Store created that specific drink. How the innovator was trained. And how the drink itself was invented.

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