Hands up if you are a bubble tea fanatic! With more than 60 brands available in Singapore (according to local food website ladyironchef), we are definitely spoilt for choice. Not complaining, though. We love our milk tea and here are our favourite drinks from five different bubble tea brands.
KOI
Founded in 2006, the Taiwanese brand had its first store in Singapore back in 2007. To date, KOI has 54 outlets nationwide and has a variety of menu options for you to pick from. From their milk tea section, to their flavoured fruit tea as well as their macchiato options, this brand caters to many people with different palettes.
KOI also has a membership system. The system allows you to store cash within the membership card. You can use your card to pay for the bubble tea drink. For each time you use your card to pay for the drink, you can accumulate “leaves” and purchase vouchers with your accumulated “leaves”.
ITEA
Since its launch in 2011, iTea has been the popular brand choice for bubble tea due to its inexpensive price tag. Locals can come back to the various outlets to buy drinks and collect stamps in order to get free drink size upgrades and a free medium drink.
iTea has 30 outlets nationwide and a huge variety of flavours on their drinks menu. From the old-school nostalgic flavours like blue coral to new innovative flavours such as matcha milo, it is safe to say that iTea caters to the taste buds of Singaporeans of all ages.
LIHO
Back in 2017, the homegrown brand LiHo replaced Gong Cha – much to the disappointment of the loyal supporters of Gong Cha. Met with initial skepticism by many Singaporeans, LiHo has now become a popular household name. Famous for starting the cheese tea wave in Singapore, LiHo is popular for their seasonal releases as well.
LiHo currently has over 40 stores in Singapore alone and 2 stores in Hong Kong. It also has its own home delivery service website Boss Happy Delivery. With a minimum order fee of $30, LiHo will charge a delivery fee of $5 only.
PLAYMADE BY
Famous for their flavourful pearls, Playmade by 0riginated from Tainan, Taiwan, the brand Playmade by proves that they are one of a kind by allowing the public to view their entire pearl-making process.
Playmade by Playmade by it is definitely the bubble tea brand that fans and locals alike can expect more from.
19TEA
By Ivan Ho and Siti Nur Ameerah
