By: Dyan Sheryl Carolino
Along with fashion, another trend has hit the Philippines
in 2012—the milk tea trend.
The fad rose long after several milk tea stores were put
up in Metro Manila. The unique mix came from the country’s neighboring country,
Taiwan.
Some of the top milk tea brands are Simple Line,
Moonleaf, Serenitea, Gong Cha, Chatime, Zen Tea, Cha Dao and Happy Lemon.
“Simple Line Tea started with a vision. To take the healthy goodness of
tea, make it deliciously refreshing, and make it available for Filipinos to
enjoy.”
Simple Line, a milk tea store located in several parts of
Metro Manila, has a cool, serene ambiance perfect for people looking for a
place where they can relax, chill or do their personal errands. Its owners
learned the art of tea mixing in Taiwan, which they eventually brought to the
Philippines in 2008. Its best-sellers are the Tapioca Black Milk Tea, Caramel
Tapioca Black Milk Tea, Winter Melon
Herbal Helly Black Milk Tea, Herbal
Jelly Oolong Milk Tea and Coconut
Jelly Green Milk Tea. Their products can be bought at affordable prices
ranging from P35 to P70. Boasting its maroon color, Simple Line has opened
branches located in Ermita, Maginhawa, UP Village, Banawe, UST and many more.
Moonleaf, on the
other hand, has a very fun and entertaining atmosphere, perfect for people
looking for a place where they can stay and chat with their friends. With its lime
green and white minimalist decor, the store is also installed with free wi-fi
for all the staying customers to enjoy.
From a single, ludicrous store in UP Village, it grew to
more than 20 branches to accomodate its growing number of interested clients,
mainly students and young professionals. Its best-sellers are the Wintermelon Milk Tea, Hakka Milk Tea, Caramel Milk Tea, Tiramisu
Milk Tea and Vanilla Milk Tea.
Its lime green and white stores are usually scattered near schools. Some of
Moonleaf’s branches are located in Dapitan, E. Rodriguez, Congressional,
Katipunan and Sgt. Esguerra.
“All these plus that one cup of your favourite tea drink
makes for the unforgettable experience of a different brew.”
Another popular milk tea brand is Serenitea.
“We believe that tea is for everyone, using traditional
and cultural aspects of tea to mix with the contemporary lifestyle of the South
East Asia.”
Much like the other milk tea stores, Serenitea gives out
a fresh, relaxing atmosphere, giving people a happy vibe and an escape from the
busy, fast-paced world. Its sea foam green store color emits a serene
environment, much like that of a scene of picturesque trees and fields of
grass. Its first store, located in San Juan, was opened in 2008. Now, it has
grown to 16 branches.
The Serenitea best-sellers are the Okinawa Milk Tea, Hokkaido
Milk Tea, Wintermelon Milk
Tea, Choco Cookies Milk Tea, Malty
Choco Milk Tea, Nagoya Milk Tea, Taro Lover and Honeydew
Matcha. Prices
of its products range from P70 to P99. Some of its branches are located along
Banawe, Katipunan, Eastwood and Tomas Morato.
“Experience thousands of years of tea culture from all
across the globe right here, right now.”
Zen Tea, a popular
tea choice for students, stands out with its trademark black and red logo. The
place provides a tranquil, meditative environment free from the busy urban
lifestyle. The taste of their milk tea is generally sweeter than that of the
others.
Its best-sellers are the Almond Milk Tea or popularly known as the Sky Milk Tea, Yogurt Cream
Milk Tea and Pearl Milk Tea.
Popular for its rich taste paired with affordability, Zen Tea is relatively
cheaper than most milk tea stores with prices less than P70. Some of its
branches are located in Taft, Ortigas and Binondo.
Next on the list of the top milk tea brands is Gong Cha.
“Made with only the finest
ingredients, every serving of Gong Cha guarantees the best beverage experience
possible.”
With its artistic, cozy design in red, brown and white
pattern, its store glimmers in its own share of milk tea limelight. It was first opened in the Philippines a
little later than the other milk tea stores. It was however, launched as one of
the earliest milk tea stores outside of the country; it was first opened in
Taiwan in 2006, with now over 170 branches nationwide.
Its best-sellers are the Gong Cha Milk Wintermelon Tea, Gong
Cha House Special Milk Green Tea, Gong
Cha Earl Grey Milk Tea and Gong Cha
Chocolate Milk Drink. Prices range from P70 to P110. Some Gong Cha
branches are usually located in malls such as SM North Edsa, SM Megamall,
Robinsons Place Manila and Glorietta 4.
Chatime, with its
trademark of a vibrant lavender-colored store, is another popular milk tea
brand. It claims that its purpose is “to build up a kingdom of beverage and
happiness to everyone.”
The store’s atmosphere is very vibrant because of its
clean, white floor and walls with accents of lavender. The place provides a
refreshing “tambayan” for the youth and adults alike. It was first opened in
Taiwan in 2003 and now owns a staggering number of 510 branches in 15 different
countries. It soon opened its first branch in the Philippines just last year.
The Chatime best-sellers are their signature Chatime Pearl Milk Tea, Grass Jelly
Milk Tea and Lemon Yogurt Tea—everything less than P100. Some of its branches
are usually located inside malls such as SM Manila, SM Megamall and some
prominent streets such as Banawe in Quezon City.
Well, those are your top milk tea
brands! Or maybe not for long, as many other competitors continue to surpass
these babies—Happy Lemon, Cha Dao, Joe Monkey, Tea Tea, D’ Cream, Golden
Chopsticks and many more.
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