Smooth, luscious with soft, chewy pearls made from tapioca flour, this one is unforgettable. TP Tea, multiple locations Chun Shui Tang Signature XO noodles with the original pearl milk tea (© Chun Shui Tang)įounded in and sourced from Tai Chung, a Taiwanese city known for its teahouse culture, this small shop is often known as the inventor of our favourite drink – bubble tea! Now a famous franchise, it offers a lot more, but you can’t leave without trying their #1, the one that started it all, the Pearl Milk Tea. TP TEA was also the first store in Taiwan to launch a tea latte series, which has now become ubiquitous in boba places everywhere! Along with the regulars of tea lattes, brown sugar series and fresh blended teas, boba aficionados can enjoy the pearly QQ goodness in another form – sandwiches! It has over 30 years of experience in selecting, blending and creating the best and most pure teas, and prides itself in ensuring each sip is full of their love and passion. With a key location in Central, right next to Fanda pharmacy, TP Tea is another staple in the Hong Kong bubble tea landscape. Quarry Bay: Shop 6B, G/F, 13-15 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay | +852 6299 3108 TP TEA TP Tea’s pearl milk tea lava toast (© hkfoodiexlovediary via OpenRice) To DIE for!Ĭentral: 25 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central | +852 3596 5100 A must-try is the Pot of Gold, inspired by South Asian Chai, which has masala tea, ginger juice, turmeric flavours and activated charcoal tapioca. With all ingredients being sourced and produced thoughtfully, their drinks are packed with “delight, nutrition and insatiable deliciousness.” The drinks are made with Asian heritage ingredients and executed with modern, plant-based techniques. We have to include one of Hong Kong’s most healthy and sustainable bubble tea places: Mother Pearl is a must-try for those that are vegan or just looking to avoid the guilt of drinking this otherwise calorie-rich drink. Perhaps a #1 rice bowl and a #2 burrito.CHICHA (茶痴) Mother Pearl (圓貝) Warm interior of Mother Pearl’s Central location (© Tiffany cyc via OpenRice)

If I had a quibble, it would be that some standard options would be nice for folks who struggle with too many choices. But the latter isn’t skimpy, and it’s “funner” (I insist this should be a word). Official Son Oscar says if you want to get a good eat on, go with a bowl over the burrito. More local restaurants should follow suit with better rice. They use high-quality stuff, and it’s cooked perfectly. Not the least of Tai Chi’s virtues is the rice itself, which I noticed much more in the bowl format than in the burrito. I had them mix black sesame seeds with the rice (rice seasonings are an option that isn’t listed on the order form), then had spicy tuna with pickled radish, avocado, edamame, carrot, mushroom, sushi egg, mango, masago, ginger, seaweed salad, fried onion and teriyaki seaweed, flavored with eel sauce (a sweet/sharp, umami-rich, dark sauce). Second visit, I went with a rice bowl and, with much more confidence, assembled a most delicious meal. First visit, Dude’s advice helped me not to feel overwhelmed. Official Cheap Eats Son, Oscar, had a rice bowl with bacon and salmon and was much pleased. The protein options are bacon, tuna, spicy tuna (ground tuna in a sauce), salmon, salmon tartar (I think they mean “tartare”), crab, shrimp, organic tofu and chicken.

Prices are the same for all formats because pricing is done by the number of proteins you get. There’s the aforementioned burrito, then two bowl options, one with rice and one without. The teriyaki seaweed was silly given the seaweed on the outside, but otherwise, the Dude picked well and the thing felt like, you know, one thing, not just a stupid mess. It was bigger than you would think, a bit messy and quite delicious. The Assembler Dude suggested spicy mayo, and I was too traumatized by all the choices to argue.

I chose white rice and stuffed the thing with kale, pickled radish, edamame, carrot, green pepper, mushroom, sushi egg, masago (fish egg), seaweed salad, teriyaki seaweed and crunchy fried onion. After entirely too long a conversation with Assembler Dude, my first meal was a burrito (seaweed-wrapped, like a Japanese hand roll) with a single protein, raw salmon.

Tai chi bubble tea