Wherever you are, or in any social media platform you are in, the news is viral with the craze of bubble tea! You can see from a distance people are lining up sometimes 2 to 3 hours just to get their bubble tea fix! No rain nor hot weather could defeat their spirit in getting their special bubble tea that is being fascinated by many.
Image via Travel360
Let’s look at the famous street in Subang Jaya that is now slowly known as “Bubble Tea Street”. Driving cars would be stuck for an hour just to get to a 5 mins junction and causes traffic jams at the most unexpected places. Once you drive by the bubble tea street, then only can you see the line that would stretch above and beyond, patiently waiting for their beloved bubble tea. So, this begs the question, what makes bubble tea the superior beverages amongst other drinks around?
Before we delve into that, let’s find out the origins of this drink.
History
Taiwan or Hong Kong is pretty much the capital city of bubble tea as you can find unique bubble teashops on every corner. Ever since their influence, now bubble tea is popping up all over the world.
Image via The Social Tea House
It all started when tea stands were set up in front of the schools and would sell amazingly among the students. Of course, with other competitors, it all boils down to the best selling tea stand and the best business. One concession owner became popular with her tea that she started adding different fruit flavouring to her tea. Due to its “unique” taste, they then added flavouring to their teas. Shake it well and it will form bubbles in the drink which then come to be known as “Bubble Tea”.
In 1983, Liu Han-Chieh introduced Taiwan to tapioca pearls. Most of the time tapioca pearls were served in cold infused tea and after shaken well, the pearls are seated at the bottom of a clear cup. It has a similar look to a bubble and that also became known as bubble tea too but an upgraded version. The tapioca pearls are basically the crunch to a bubble tea, just like how peanuts situated in the nasi lemak dish. The pearls have a somewhat of a gummy bear texture or chewing gum that fits in well with the refreshing drink.
The ingredients in this drink are very simple. Sometimes the teas are made with fresh fruits, milk, and crushed ice to create a healthy milkshake. Some even have powdered flavouring, creamer and water. If you are opting for a healthier version, the cool drink usually includes a healthy tea, infused by a flavouring.
Why do people line up for hours just to get their hands on the bubble tea mania? We look through some of the most famous bubble tea shops in SS15.
Daboba
Although it opened just a mere few months ago, March 29, 2019, to be exact, the line for people to get their hands on their bubble tea shows the interest of the avid drinker even at 3 pm.
This place is run by three owners who are in the mid-’20s and have decided that bubble tea business was something they were looking into. What makes them stand out from the rest of the bubble tea shop is the fact they are known here for their honey golden pearl that has sweet notes to it. Definitely not your typical type of bubble tea. This extraordinary signature ingredient really made great responses from the consumers itself. It’s such a great sell out purchase that sometimes it would go out of stock. One of their famous drink is their roasted brown sugar pearl fresh milk where you have cheese on top of the drink itself.
Address: 25, Jalan SS15/4 Subang Jaya, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 1230pm to 12 am
The Alley
Another popular branch of bubble tea as well along the streets of SS15. The Alley is proud to offer tapioca pearls made by hand and with heart. They allow you to view their tapioca preparation from scratch. With each cup comes with its own aroma, taste and character. When it comes to their sugar cane syrup, they make their own by picking the all-natural, high-quality sugar canes, and the boiling process creates the most original flavour. The Alley present from all over Malaysia from as far as Penang and Perak too.
On the other hand, their tea has a story of more than 500 days starting from the harvest of tea leaves, the processing and ageing of the leaves. Their Deerioca balls are also one of their signature drinks as the procedure made from scratch and that includes kneading and rolling the dough.
Address: 84G, Jalan SS15/4, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 11am-1am
JLD Dragon
This place is pretty much one of the new bubble tea shops to be opened and it has been receiving good reviews too. The JLD Dragon Milk Tea is so popular in Taiwan that they hit million sales record in a monthly manner. They have 30 stores in Taiwan and 2 in Hong Kong and also has one in Japan. That’s when you know bubble tea enthusiasts definitely have set their eyes on this place.
JLD Dragon Brown Sugar uses stir-fried brown sugar, with high-quality fresh milk and premium tea leaf to build this brand. Their DLG Dragon Brown Sugar Milk Tea, which uses imported traditional premium brown sugar from Okinawa, Japan seems to be a big hit with the consumers. The smooth, aromatic sweetness with a hint of the roasted aftertaste is something you should be looking forward to. Even their boba is made from scratch.
Address: No. 7-G, Jalan SS15/4e, SS15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 12 pm to 12 am
Xin Fu Tang
Regarded as the first and original Taiwanese stir-fried brown sugar bubble milk tea in Malaysia. Yes, that why you can see tons of people lining up to get a taste of this unique bubble tea. Xin Fu Tang direct translated to Happiness Hall, you’ll leave feeling joyful.
Founded in January 2018, it then spread to nearly 60 locations throughout Taiwan and has reached overseas and met the global market. In Xin Fu Tang, they focus on natural manual processes, nor do they add any pigments. Adhere to the ancient method, burn wood to cook sugar cane juice, hand-made, and then manually stir to make brown sugar. Organic and good taste, so many people have a great time and thus puts a smile to their face. Handmade brown sugar, in addition to the bubble tea, were delicious.
Address: 88, Ground Floor, Jalan SS15/4, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 12 pm to 1 am
Moge Tee
Moge Tee was build based on thorough research and travelling overseas to compare brands. Now there’s an outlet in SS2, Kepong and in Puchong too.
What separates Moge Tee from the rest of the bubble tea shop is it puts a brand new spin on tea-inspired drinks to deliver the finest that comes with an immerse rich flavours unlike any other. Their bursting colour and delicious fruit tea certainly is a very refreshing drink. Apart from their beverages, there’s another signature dessert that attracts many people to this simple yet elegant look of the restaurant. It’s none other than their fluffy souffle with boba pearls on top. They are freshly made-to-order using healthy egg white batter and comes with a dollop of French whipped cream for added flavour and texture. If milk tea is also your thing, fret not as Moge Tee excels in this area too.
Address: 34, GF, Jalan SS15/4D, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 12 pm to 1 pm
Gong Cha
The term “gong cha” is translated as the ancient act of offering tea to royalty, such as the Emperor of China. In the same way, Gong Cha hopes to offer only the best quality tea to everyone around the world because their customer, is like royalty to them! It all started in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 2006. Since 2009, it has swept Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Macau and the Philippines.
Gong Cha only uses high-quality tea leaves that are brewed fresh on a daily basis. They are adamant on using only the freshest brewed tea that is being changed every 4 hours! The high-grade ultraviolet filters also ensure that the water used is free from harmful bacteria. They encourage every newcomer to try their Gong Cha signature Tea from freshly brewed green, black, Oolong or melon tea that is topped with a generous, creamy layer of fresh milk foam.
Address: 3, Jalan SS15/7, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 11am-10pm
Chatto
Chatto Handcrafted Tea Bar is a Japanese concept Tea Bar established in Southern part of Malaysia. As tea beverages are getting more popular in Malaysia, CHATTO starts its 1st branch in Iskandar Malaysia and offers variety selection of handcrafted teas in the year 2017.
At CHATTO, you could appreciate the superior tea base which directly imports from Shizuoka Japan, Taiwan and China. They select the superior tea base to guarantee the flavour of the drink is in every case great and quality. Additionally, they control the sweetness of each beverage to ensure the consumers enjoy the drink in a healthy way. When it comes to their environment, they provide a comfortable and relaxing space for the customer to enjoy their tea in a tea bar setting.
Address: No. 24, Jalan SS15/4D, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 1130am to 12 am
Chawanjia Tea
A pioneer of the pearl milk tea in Taiwan, Chawanjia has always kept the highest quality of preparation process and incremental improvement on its pearl milk tea products. Not only do they offer a myriad of wonderful “bite textures” but they also use only the best fruit and vegetable extracts for their bubble teas. Their Thailand tapioca is derived from the Thai staple of cassava roots with highly advanced techniques.
Also, through the natural process of making these pearls, Chawanjia yielded pleasant colours that really added a unique look with characteristics and taste of our many variations, that is sure to whirl anyone’s appetite for the best bubble teas in town.
Address: 34, Jalan SS15/8, SS15, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 1130am-12am
If you’re a huge fan of bubble tea with a variety of choice to choose from, then SS15 should be your choice today. Happy drinking 🙂