Top 10 Most Popular Bubble Tea Shops in Bangkok

The Bubble Tea craze that started in Taiwan has become a hit in Thailand in recent years. According to Dataspring.com at least six bubble teas per person are consumed in Thailand in a month, while in the Philippines it’s five per person, and in Malaysia it’s three bubble teas per person monthly.

It is clear the bubble tea business is truly bubbling over in Bangkok, and in this article we explore the reasons why and tell you about some great bubble tea shops in this bustling city.

What’s Brewing in the Bubble Tea Market in Bangkok?

There are definitely more than 30 boba tea brands doing the rounds in Bangkok right now, and becoming famous for their unique twists and styles of flavor.

Anything from and old-fashioned milo boba tea to dessert-flavored bubble teas are doing the rounds and winning acclaim – mostly by impressionable teens and chatty millennial-aged people who know the sugar intake is deadly but can’t resist a bubble tea or more a day.

The flavorful sweetness and the image that goes with standing around chatting at trendy cafes with a brand name boba tea in your hand, is synonymous with Thai youth of today.

Top 10 Best Bubble Tea Shops in Bangkok

Around every corner in Bangkok there is a bubble tea stand, and in all the malls they take on the image of ‘high so’(Thai slang for upmarket) social meeting places with names like Koi, Kamu, ATM Tea Bar, Fire Tiger Bubble Tea and Osaka Milk Tea just to name a few. Here is a list of the best bubble tea joints in Bangkok and why you should visit them.

NO.1 Mr Shake Beyond

The biggest bubble tea outlet in Bangkok also boasts having the softest boba pearls. Branches can be found all over Bangkok, and the Siam Square branch is listed here:

NO.2 ATM Tea Bar

With its unique and clean look, ATM Tea Bars allows customers to order their milk tea via an ATM-like vending machine. This cute concept combines delicious flavors, fresh homemade ingredients and boba.

ATM Tea Bars have been around Bangkok for a couple of years, and besides punting themselves as the healthiest bubble tea brand in town, they also sport names for their teas like ‘Love You So Matcha’ and ‘Kumamoto Dream’, and even offer a comforting hot chocolate and marshmallow flavor bubble tea on their menu.

Customers can include their own toppings of brown sugar bubbles or their homemade grass jelly, and orders are placed on an ATM-type menu.

These tea stalls are very popular for entrepreneurs wanting to get into the business, and they usually contact their local banks to find out more about business opportunities in this regard.

NO.3 KAMU Tea

Not only can you also bring your own cup to Kamu to help save the earth, their concept also saves you money. They pride themselves in using real milk ingredients instead of creamer. You can even change your lactose-free milk for an almond milk boba tea.

NO.4 Dakasi

Dakasi wins you over with bubble teas that have a delicious and creamy taste.

NO.5 Fire Tiger by Seoulcial Club

Straight from the tiger’s mouth is how you get your truly delicious Fire Tiger Bubble Tea.

The ‘fire’ part of your bubble tea is a as a result of the way they caramelize the sugar on top with a blow torch, giving your tea a unique smoky flavor.

NO.6 Koi Thé

Here your tea stands out with ‘golden’ bubbles, produced when cooking the pearls in just the right amount of brown sugar. Koi Thé staff are also known for their efficiency, friendliness and speed at all branches.

NO.7 Ochaya

Receiving rave reviews from locals and visitors to Bangkok, Ochaya offers a not overly sweet, but well-balanced flavor, with the tapioca pearls filling you up as if you have just eaten a delicious dessert in a cup.

NO.8 Osaka Milk Tea

The pitch black, steamy bubbles added to your creamy milk tea just before you drink it says it all. The taste is rich and filling and the bubbles are chewy and delicious!

NO.9 Assam Red Tea at ICONSIAM

If you’re looking for something different, healthy and tasty you need to visit the Assam Red Tea stall at ICONSIAM in Bangkok. Originally from Taiwan, this recipe boasts black tea which is scented with fresh rose petals during the drying process. The boba are also soft, chewy and delicious.

NO.10 Mr.Cup T Tea and Coffee

With flavors like Iced Almond Milk Tea, Iced Caramel Milk Tea, not to mention Iced Honey Milk Tea you would be hard-pressed to know which flavor to choose first, because you will be back for more!

Recipe for Homemade Thai Iced Tea with Boba Bubbles

Ingredients:

Thai Iced Tea teabag, Sugar to taste, Hot water, Tapioca pearls, Ice, Condensed milk

Method:

• Step 1: Boil enough water for your cup of tea.
• Step 2: Leave the Thai Iced Tea teabag in hot water to steep for about ten minutes, add a spoon or two of sugar per cup. It should be a nice dark reddish-brown color.
• Step 3: While it is steeping, boil your tapioca boba pearls (remember to follow instructions on the packet as cooking time differs from brand to brand). Add a little sugar to the tapioca pearls to sweeten them.
• Step 4: When the pearls and tea have cooled down, drop your tapioca pearls into a cup of your choice, add the cool Thai tea and stir.
• Step 5: Add some lumps of ice and then pour two tablespoons of condensed milk on top. Stir until mixed and enjoy!

Who’s Drinking Bubble Tea?

It’s not just squealing little children crying for milk tea with boba bubbles at the bottom of the cup. Neither is it the gangs of teens in school uniform hanging out on the corner, each with a takeaway bubble tea in hand. It’s a whole nation of tea-drinkers indulging in a new trend that has taken them by storm.

The local population in Bangkok loves bubble milk tea. As far as age, the biggest group of bubble tea drinkers are teenagers and people under 25 years old.

In 2016 the Thailand boba tea market was already valued at 1.9 billion dollars, and is expected to rise to in excess of 3 billion by 2021. Interestingly, Thailand’s bubble tea market is estimated at 2.5 billion, as boba tea shops join the party.

Where to Buy Tapioca Pearls in Bangkok

Most outlets like Big C, Tesco Lotus and Tops stock tapioca pearls, thus it is not difficult to find them these days. About 4 to 5 years ago, you had to make them yourself or find small local, village shops that sold them unbranded.

The well-known Asian online store, Alibaba, stocks all variety of tapioca pearls and ships to most countries.

How to make homemade Black Tapioca Pearls

To make the boba pearls

1 cup of tapioca flour, a quarter cup of water, ½ a cup of brown sugar, 6 cups of milk

The brown sugar syrup

1 and a ½ cups of brown sugar, ½ a cup of water

Method:

• Step 1: put brown sugar and warm water into a pot, heat a little to dissolve the sugar. When slightly cooler, add 1/3 of the tapioca flour, continue stirring over low heat until it forms a smooth paste.
• Step 2: Next, kneed the paste into the remaining dry flour and knead it until smooth.
• Step 3: Roll the dough out to 1cm thickness, cut it into strips and then into squares, bearing in mind the size you would like to make your tapioca pearls.
• Step 4: Roll your squares into small balls and coat them with a little flour to avoid them sticking to each other and put in the freezer until needed.
• Step 5: For the syrup to cook them in, you will need at least six times the volume of water to pearls.
• Step 6: Cook the pearls for around 30 minutes. They will expand in size during this process.
• Step 7: Put them in cold water after they have cooked to shrink them back to their original size.
• Step 8: Wash the pearls under running water, drain them and mix a tablespoon of sugar into them to stop them from sticking together.
• Step 9: Add to you milk tea and enjoy!

The Future of Bubble Tea

Social media has played a huge role in the rejuvenation of bubble tea in Bangkok. Bubble tea made its appearance in Bangkok about years ago for the first time, but then seemed to fizzle out.

In the last year, there has been a sudden boom in the market for bubble tea franchises and Bangkok seems to be a city that is leading in a race to open as many bubble tea shops and stands as possible.

With new menus, creative processes and customers having a myriad of choice of toppings, fillings and now even what the boba are made of besides tapioca, the bubble tea trend is not going to fade fast. On the contrary, it appears it will continue to morph into a giant ‘to do’ thing, going into health and wellness too.

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