Gong Cha: A Lovely Milk Tea Experience
Hailing from Taiwan, Gong Cha-- a beverage store offering tea, milk tea, coffee and juices, is an instant hit after opening a branch here in the country.
I first saw Gong Cha at SM Mall of Asia's Entertainment Complex beside TimeZone. It was always filled with customers, but being a milk tea lover, I didn't hesitate to try it out. I remember, the first thing I've ordered from Gong Cha is their Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly at 50% sugar level. And even with less sugar, their milk tea still has that slight sweetness over its smooth and silky consistency. It was love at first sip.
But of course, I cannot keep coming back at Gong Cha again and again for the same drink. So I tried their Milk Tea with Herbal Jelly at 50% sugar level. And this was an instant favorite! I love how the Herbal Jelly is chewy and not as sweet as the usual Tapioca or Pearls.
However, as much as I love my Gong Cha Milk Tea with Herbal Jelly, I dared to try other beverage selection. I was able to sample their Coffee Latte Ice Smoothie and Chocolate Ice Smoothie, both of which are rich in flavor and a little too sweet for me.
With a menu this wide, I wondered what else tastes good at Gong Cha. And while browsing for milk tea reviews and recommendations, I saw a huge collection of bloggers raving about Gong Cha's Milk Wintermelon Tea.
So curious about all the hype on the Milk Wintermelon Tea, I tried it out. And I'm glad I did, because it's the most lovely milk tea beverage that I've ever tried -- sweet and gentle on the mouth.
THE VERDICT
With the growing popularity of milk tea in the Philippines, there's really no wonder why there are a lot of milk tea stores popping up in every mall. However, milk tea lovers would be able to discern the good ones from the ordinary -- the very reason why there is always a long line at Gong Cha's store front. And although prices at this beverage house may be a little high, with its portion sizes, I say it's affordable.
Gong Cha, SM Mall of Asia
G/F EM170 Entertainment Complex, SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 757-5555
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| Gong Cha's wide menu of delightful beverages |
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| Gong Cha's SM MoA branch, flocked by milk tea lovers |
However, as much as I love my Gong Cha Milk Tea with Herbal Jelly, I dared to try other beverage selection. I was able to sample their Coffee Latte Ice Smoothie and Chocolate Ice Smoothie, both of which are rich in flavor and a little too sweet for me.
With a menu this wide, I wondered what else tastes good at Gong Cha. And while browsing for milk tea reviews and recommendations, I saw a huge collection of bloggers raving about Gong Cha's Milk Wintermelon Tea.
Make your Gong Cha experience more memorable by sipping through the foamy layer first!
So curious about all the hype on the Milk Wintermelon Tea, I tried it out. And I'm glad I did, because it's the most lovely milk tea beverage that I've ever tried -- sweet and gentle on the mouth.
THE VERDICT
With the growing popularity of milk tea in the Philippines, there's really no wonder why there are a lot of milk tea stores popping up in every mall. However, milk tea lovers would be able to discern the good ones from the ordinary -- the very reason why there is always a long line at Gong Cha's store front. And although prices at this beverage house may be a little high, with its portion sizes, I say it's affordable.
Taste - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 5/5
Overall Value - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 5/5
Overall Value - 5/5
Gong Cha, SM Mall of Asia
G/F EM170 Entertainment Complex, SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 757-5555
milk tea? really?! sounds very interesting..d pa ako naka try nyan...dito naman sa TX uso ang tea...yung regular tea...pero fave ko parin yung iced tea sa pinas...:)
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed to admit this but I haven't tried any of the milk tea stores yet. Huhuhu! And I call myself a foodie? =D
ReplyDeleteOut of all the similar stores, you've tried, which is the one you would recommend for a first timer like me? =)
@Dhemz: I think sis milk tea is more popular here in Asia :) pero when you get to come here sa Pinas, you gotta give it a try! ;)
ReplyDelete@The Average Jane: I've only tried quite a few honestly.. So far pinakamura but okay din is Zen Tea :) Or you can try these sis: Royal Milk Tea from Tokyo Bubble Tea, Milk Tea with Pearl or House Special Milk Wintermelon Tea from Gong Cha, and Roasted Milk Tea from Chatime. But so far, among these I like Gong Cha's Wintermelon Tea ^^
Then I strongly recommend to you two lovely ladies to never try it. It tastes like putting a powdered milk in your hot tea leaf drink literally.
ReplyDeleteJUST KIDDING! xp
Been here, some of their drinks are nice and some aren't so nice. The service do not stink nor did it stunk whatsoever, but you'll rot before receiving your order.
AGAIN, JUST KIDDING xp
but seriously, they have got to make it quicker.
@Sodium Erythorbate: Milk tea is just not your cup of tea.. XD You're a purist! But I agree that milk tea stores should come up with a way to serve the drinks quicker. :)
ReplyDeletewow I love the way you write! thanks for taking time to visit mine! I also love Gong Cha among other tea shops I tried!!!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward in sipping other milk tea's i'm so outdated lolz, haven't tried bubble tea, moon leaf tea, zen tea and so on...
followed you back!
looove the wintermelon tea
ReplyDeletelove your food blog,i'm a foodie myself! tried this and serenitea love it! pero i like fraps and shakes padin better e of course SB and my new favorite Red Velvet cake shake and wheat grass healthy cake shake from hungry cow tomas :)
ReplyDeletei just had my first gong cha experience last night, after two weeks of having chatime roasted milk tea almost everyday. i was warned by a friend that gong cha doesn't taste good--bitter compared to chatime (which she introduced to me). man, i was glad to dare try gong cha's milk tea with pearl jelly! she was completely wrong. my husband loved it, too. so i searched for others' opinions on gong cha today. i'm happy to see so many who feel the same. thanks to your blog post, i have an idea what to try next--milk wintermelon tea.
ReplyDeleteI also love their Wintermelon tea. But what I don't like are their pearls. It doesn't taste sweet. It taste too bland for my liking. Nevertheless, I really, really like their Wintermelon Tea. You should try going to InfiniTea next time :). Their teas taste good and it is really, really affordable.
ReplyDeleteTried Gong Cha for the first time at Singapore but the 2nd time I tried it was at Glorietta 4 and again at SM Mall of Asia. I am so addicted to the Gong Cha Milk Green Tea!! :3 Yum yum yum~
ReplyDeletei'm impressed that you rated gong cha a perfect score. :) my top favorites are wintermelon because of its rich and creamy flavor and earl grey because of its strong tea flavor! :)-Ines Adavan
ReplyDeleteGong Cha Wintermelon Milk tea is my favorite! Mas masarap siya kapag nag pa additional milk cream ka! One of my favorites! :)
ReplyDeleteI will try this one within the week
ReplyDeleteLove the way you write! I always read articles about teas because I'm a tea junkie. Read this blog about when is the best time to drink tea, must check this out https://teaandcoffeedepot.com/blog/when-is-the-best-time-to-drink-tea
ReplyDelete