Nostalgia Here! I normally write about guitar tips and Japanese music, but…this is my blog, so I can write about whatever I want.
And while I am a black girl, I’ve been drinking bubble tea since around 2010, and definitely had over 1000 bubble teas in my life. I honestly think it’s closer to 2000 cause I have had over 200+ drinks each at places like Presotea, Cocos, and Noon Moment (I can tell cause of points), and I usually get 2 drinks for myself every time I order online since the pandemic started.
I remember my first bubble tea was at some shop at Eaton Center (Probably Ten Ren). I was with one of my older cousins and she was so excited to let me have a sip of her Honeydew slush. The next few times was at Ten Ren in Yorkdale mall, and a couple times at Real Fruit Bubble Tea at Pacific Mall.
In my last year of high school, a small shop called Bubble Fun opened up in my neighbourhood at Four Winds. It was on the way home from High School and later University when I went to York U. Thus, this became my go to spot for about 3 years. It had real fruit so I was a big fan. I definitely filled up quite a few points cards here as well and became pretty cool with the lady who owned the booth.
At one point, I worked near Yonge and Finch, so I would get two bubble teas everyday: one for lunch, and one for later in my shift. I had yet to try milk tea, but having saved enough points at Presotea/Yogen Fruz at Centrepoint mall, I decided to use my free drink on that and I was changed! I wasn’t sure about other toppings, but the worker would let me try one chunk of pudding or grass jelly, and I fell in love!
I was only going to Presotea for the first 4 months, but then learned there was a Real Fruit in the same mall, so I started switching between the two depending on my mood. Real Fruit’s milk tea is really strong compared to Presotea, but it was cheaper. It took a long while to get used to it, but now, it’s one of my favourites. There were a couple Chatimes nearby, but I avoided it as this was during my ‘hate’ phase (you’ll see why later).
Now, since I lived on Finch, if I was craving bubble tea on a weekend, I didn’t mind hopping on a bus to Yonge and Finch and coming back as I had a metropass anyways. However, when Finch West station was built, and the 36 got divided, I was just too lazy to take 4 buses just for a drink, so I did calm down for a bit.
I then started working near Weston and Finch, which is in the opposite direction. I found out Kin-Kin Bakery inside Jane & Finch Mall had bubble tea, so I made the detour 2 or 3 times. It was alright for a fix, but it wasn’t that great. Thankfully, Noon Moment opened up in the plaza, and that was then my go-to spot for the next year while I worked there.
When I started working from home in late 2018, I needed excuses to go out and stretch my legs a bit. I would volunteer at Lawrence Square where I’d get Real Fruit Bubble Tea, or chill and walk around Yorkdale Mall where I’d get Real Fruit or Yogen Fruz. I even did gift wrapping at STC a couple winters, so I’d get The Alley or Chatime there.
Then the pandemic came along….and I just started ordering Bubble Tea on UberEats, which also made it easier to try more shops that would have otherwise been really out of the way. Delivery was about $3, which is what I’d pay for bus fare, so it made more sense to stay home and order. Bubble Tea definitely makes up a good 70% of my UberEats orders. Clearly, I got a problem. I don’t drink alcohol or coffee, don’t do drugs or anything either, so let me have this ^^”
My friends and family are well aware of how obsessed I am with bubble tea, so it’s an easy gift option if they really didn’t know what to get me. What shall I say? I’m easy to please. An ex got me roses and bubble tea….and I was more excited about the bubble tea ^^” My band had our first gig at the Pretty Heroes convention, and I told my bandmates we had to stop off for bubble tea to celebrate (me in the outfit above at TP Tea).
So, should my opinion matter? Well, if you want someone who’s tried more than just the top 3-5 brands more than once, or maybe you’re not Asian either so you want to know what non-Asians are fond off, then I’d say you can trust my opinion. Bubble tea is too pricey to explore them all by yourself anyways…and nothing worse than spending $8 on a drink you regret buying and have to toss out.
Now, I definitely have my moods and preferences. I do really love fruit slushies, but they MUST be real fruit. I’m not paying $7 for artificial syrup and powders. I want the real fruit blended up. But other times, I just want a smooth milk tea, something sweet and creamy. It’s rare that a place has great real fruit slushies AND milk tea. It’s usually one or the other, thus why I have two lists below.
After reading this list, definitely leave your list below in the comments. I’d love to see what others think are the best and why. I’m sure others are browsing. The amount of bubble tea shops in the city is crazy! A lot of malls have 2 or more shops now, so it can certainly leave the newbies hesitant. Nothing worse than a bad first experience!
Milk Tea
When it comes to milk tea, I wouldn’t say I’m super picky. However, my favourites tend to be something with a unique flavor, that is smooth and consistent. It shouldn’t taste chalky or have a weird artificial aftertaste. The quality also shouldn’t change much each time I go.
If a shop’s milk tea tastes like something I could get at an Asian restaurant for $3, or I could replicate it at home with some random tea, powdered creamer, and 5-minute tapioca from the Asian grocery store, then there’s no reason for me to spend $7 for a mediocre drink at a bubble tea shop. If it’s watered down or completely artificial tasting, that’s even worse.
My top milk tea shops are places that I would never hesitate buying from. It should be memorable and unique, something I know I can’t replace or find much other places. There are a couple more simple tasting ones, but the quality is there.
1. Coco Fresh Tea & Juice
Cocos was a place I would see on my way to work everyday. One day, I was really in a bad mood and decided to make the extra long walk to check them out, and their drink actually brightened my day. I shared that story for one of their contests, and won a bear and a USB from them 😛 Not sponsored btw.
Cocos has a really rich, flavourable, and creamy milk tea. It’s one of those unique teas that you can easily call out if you had 10 of them lined up in front of you. I also like when they have the smoothie version, and I do really like their brown sugar latte bubble tea.
Cocos also has a decent variety of other fruit teas. I liked their peach soda when it was available. The yakult drinks aren’t half bad either. They do have some smoothies, but note that they don’t use real fruit in any of those. I used to get their bubble gaga (passionfruit green tea) a lot, but then they started adding passion fruit seeds…and I can’t stand crunchy toppings.
All in all, if I could only recommend one milk tea to a person who has never tried it before, I would definitely choose cocos. Flavourful, unique taste, and quite addicting! Their only con is that they don’t have many milk tea options (Only original/black, jasmine/green, and roasted), but their original milk tea is all they really need to stand against the competition.
2. The Alley
The first time I tried The Alley, I got their popular Royal No.9 drink which they said had blueberry nodes. While it was at 100% sweetness, I couldn’t really taste anything, not tea, nor blueberry, it tasted watered down. I tried them a couple years later when I was volunteering with gift wrapping at STC, and it started growing on me.
Since the pandemic started, I have ordered The Alley over 30 times (2 drinks each time) within the last year, but I guess this was after I stopped taking photos of my drinks, so I don’t have more to show unfortunately 🙁 Sowwy~
The Alley is definitely a great place for people who want a variety of real, fresh milk teas, but who also don’t really like sweet tea. I have quite a few Asian friends who order 0-25% sugar from other places, so I can totally see why they would choose The Alley over a place like Cocos and Chatime. It’s quite refreshing and light in comparison.
I have tried a handful of other drinks like their Peach Oolong Tea, La France Milk Tea (Pear tones) and Muscat Milk Tea (Grape tones), but I honestly only crave their Royal No.9. Sometimes I’ll even order 2 of them just to hit the $15 UberEats free delivery minimum.
3. Gong Cha
Gong Cha is certainly a place you go if you want something strong, like some real tea that may even be a little bitter. But it’s also great if you’re looking for a bit of a twist. The first drink shown here was a charcoal special for example. But yes, if you want real, freshly brewed tea, you can’t go wrong with Gong Cha.
I have had their classic milk tea a few times, along other milk tea varients like caramel milk tea, but my go to is actually their brown sugar milk foam oolong tea. If you stir it, it becomes somewhat of a lighter milk tea. I also like that you can order bubble waffles as an extra treat! Just don’t expect any real fruit in their fruit drinks!
4. Chatime
I have a love-hate relationship with Chatime. There are always long lines, their points machine doesn’t work most of the time, sometimes you can’t even get a receipt and you’re there standing by the counter for 30 minutes before you realize they forgot your order………………I loved their vanilla milk tea but they discontinued it……………………..but I keep coming back, so they can’t be that bad.
They are certainly one of the biggest and most recognizable brands. If you’re in a secluded area, there’s probably still a Chatime around. Pretty much everyone has tried it, but some love it and some hate it with a passion. You’re either a big fan, or you avoid it like the plague. I’m certainly in between. Really depends on my last interaction.
When I first started checking them out, I remember finishing the drink in like, 10 minutes, because it was mostly ice. I’m a very slow drinker who usually takes an hour or two to finish one medium sized drink, so even I was surprised. Thankfully, we can adjust the ice. It seems everyone gets less to no ice here. It’s also VERY sweet, so be warned.
I don’t know if I ever liked their original milk tea. Maybe they changed the formula? I would love to like it as it’s cheaper and comes with tapioca, but I really don’t like the taste these days. That’s why I would get vanilla, and now, salted caramel.
I did buy a few boxes of their packaged tea to make at home years ago, and it was good for a while, but I got sick of it, so maybe that’s why. The package definitely tastes different from the original though, that I can say with certainty. All their fruity drinks are just syrups as well, but may contain fruity toppings.
All in all, Chatime is aight. If I’m craving bubble tea and they’re the only one in the area, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them. Their shops usually have some snacks like macarons and cake, and their Bake Code locations have even more desserts along with buns, so it’s a cool place to chill with friends…assuming there’s seats available. All in all, you’ll have to see for yourself and choose a side 😛
5. Tru Tea
There was a period during the pandemic when I got Tru Tea more often. I haven’t gotten them in a long time…not sure if it’s due to prices, the sweetness of their drinks, or just forgetting about them, but they are pretty good.
Their milk tea is pretty decent, and they have a good variety of other heartier drinks. Their mango volcano (real mango smoothie with tapica) is pretty good, along with their fruit teas Herbal Goji Berry Tea. Their stuff is generally on the thicker, heavier, sweeter side for sure.
6. OneZo Tapioca
OneZo is that shop I hit up when I’m a little bored or tired of my usual shops and am hoping for something a little different. They first gained some noroiity for having homemade and different flavoured tapioca pearls…but I will admit, I don’t really taste a difference.
I’ve probably only had them about 6-7 times, so it’s good enough for me to go back, but some flavors are a hit or miss with me. It’s definitely not bad though. Definitely on the more basic side for tea, so it could have ended up in the ‘decent if I remember right’ category below, but I do remember as I had them quite recently, thus why I’ll give him a spot.
Real Fruit
If I order a ‘real fruit’ slushy or smoothie from any drink-focused store, I expect real fruit, okay? I’m not paying $6+ for a drink made of syrups, powders, and water. Don’t get me wrong, I love fake smoothies from McDonalds for example, but that’s only $3. You can’t be charging me $6 for the same thing.
I have noticed many bubble tea stores will say ‘real fruit’ on their drinks, and I think they’re pulling off a Fruitopia thing. By that, I mean they do use real fruit extracts or purees, but if they aren’t using fresh fruit chunks, it doesn’t count to me. When the drink melts, it should still be thick and stable due to fruit fibres. It shouldn’t be separating into 80% water and 20% puree….and I’ve seen that at like Tea Shop 168.
Unfortunately, most bubble tea stores don’t use real fruit. Some may incorporate real fruit toppings like passionfruit seeds or dragon fruit chunks, but the drink itself is still just water and some flavouring or puree. Also, real mango is quite easy to find at various shops, but good luck getting real fruit for other dirnk options. So, if you want real REAL fruit for your bubble tea, here’s your list.
1. Real Fruit BUbble Tea
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the bubble tea shop with the words real fruit are definitly the best for real fruit. You can often recognize these shops by their abundant display of real fruit on their counters. There’s quite a few around the city and in malls so I love their accessibility, and of course, they know how to blend things well.
They have a decent option for real fruit slushies (no milk), smoothies (with milk) and a handful of other drinks as well. I do really like their milk tea, but it is really, really strong. I remember the first shop I went to had a sign that said it was ‘brewed for 4 hours’ or something. As I was trying to double check that fact, I found out they originated in Toronto which is really cool!
The only other thing I’ll say in regards to this shop is that, the workers will never ask you about sugar or ice levels like they do at other places. Their website says that you can request things and they will adjust it, so be sure to speak up while you are ordering.
2. Noon Moment
I grew up and lived in the Jane and Finch area until 2020. As mentioned in my intro, I was so happy when this place opened up as it was the first real bubble tea shop. And what more, they actually blended up real fruits! So trust me, I was all for it. This place will ask you about your sugar level for their slushies.
They also have a variety of other options. I did try their milk tea a couple times, but it has an odd taste that I’m not a fan of, so I would usually order either 2 slushies, or a slush and one of their fruit teas. But regardless, they definitely have their real fruit drinks down.
3. Presotea
As mentioned in my intro, Presotea was one of my go-tos when I worked near Yonge and Finch, and I would get 2 drinks everyday. One real fruit smoothie (usually mango, or mango-blueberry, and one panda milk tea (their classic milk tea with white and black tapioca).
Presotea was my formal introduction to milk tea. I appreciated that every cup was also made to order. They would brew the tea on the spot, and stir in the milk/creamer as you see the guy doing in the photo. Compare this to places like Cocos and Chatime that have the tea pre-made in buckets, and they can just pour and add flavors and ice to it.
However, after trying so many new bubble teas, I’ve definitely tasted many better, stronger, and thicker milk teas. I still love this place, and I wouldn’t hesitate to order their milk tea, but I’m sure the lightness is due to the short amount of time it is brewed, and also stirring in ice to a hot drink.
But if you want some real fruit smoothies, they got you! The main reason this shop isn’t higher on the list is because they only have a handful of real fruit slushies to choose from. Definitely includes real mango, blueberry, and I think pineapple. I can’t confirm their bananas, strawberries, or avocados as I haven’t ordered those, but those are the only fruits mentioned on their menus.
4. Yogen Fruz
When Yogen Fruz decided to open up a bubble tea shop themselves under Fruz tea, I was interested to see what they would make. Let’s just say, Yogen Fruz did what Freshly Squeezed couldn’t lol. I’ve only been there a handful of times as I don’t go to Yorkdale much, and they have a Real Fruit location now.
Even before they introduced bubble tea, I would go to Yogen Fruz for their yogurt smoothies, and I love that I can customize everything. They always use frozen fruits for their drinks and yogurt, so I was surprised when they pulled out real fruit for their bubble tea, but I guess they can just freeze them later if they’re about to spoil and use it for other things anyway. Pretty smart! They do make their tea fresh like Presotea, so you can expect a lighter taste for that.
Yogen Fruz is also great if you’re looking for a stop that can please everyone. Not everyone cares for bubble tea, or wants to pay $6+ for a drink, so at least you can get a smoothie, froyo, or ice cream here.
Special Shoutout To A Personal Fave~
Its Tea
ItsTea is a place where I would confidently order both their real fruit slushies and their milk tea. I love both of them from here. I usually get their Pearl Milk Tea with Cake Mousse, along with their Mango Slush with Ice Cream. The ice cream turns it into a smoothie, but it’s more thick, creamy, and sweet.
If I don’t want something too sweet or thick, I may get their Orange Mango Refresher or Fresh Grape Iced Tea. I’ve tried a few others like their Peach Yakult, Peach Oolong Tea, and their Fresh Lychee and Peach Green Tea (I like peach stuff, okay?) and I never had an issue with anything I ordered.
I wasn’t sure which category above to put it in as I could put them in both, but they also don’t have many options for milk tea or real fruit slushies. There’s also only one location in the city right now. They kinda remind me of Happy Lemon which was a fav of mine, but they closed down. Hopefully this place can stay in business cause I really like them!
“They’re Decent, If I Remember Right” Shoutout
There are certainly other places I have tried 1-3 times, but it’s been so long that I can’t remember if they were anything special. I would happily try these again, but I assume they were either too pricey, too far to order on UberEats, or I don’t see 2 drinks that I’m excited to try to hit the $15 free delivery requirement.
Regardless, I don’t have a negative experience, and I definitely finished what I ordered, so feel free to check out these if they’re near you. This includes Tiger Sugar, Shuyi Tealicious, TP Tea, Mr. Sun, Machi Machi, Kung Fu Tea, The Campus Bubble Tea (York University), Chat One, SunTea, Royaltea, and Sharetea. If, and only if, I try them a couple more times then I will move them to one of the lists above 🙂
My Personal “AVOID AT ALL COSTS” Section
This is bubble tea that I’ve tried a few times and didn’t see the hype, or once was enough for me to not care to go back, especially if don’t have any nearby locations. However, these places are still in business, so I’m sure there are people who would go crazy for them. Different preferences and tastes I guess. I’m open to trying something else from these places, but as of now, I’d rather spend $6+ in a place that I know I would like or somewhere new.
Ten Ren’s Tea
As mentioned in my Intro, Ten Ren was one of the only places to get bubble tea in North York. I only tried their fruit slushies then, and I know now that they use powders, syrups, or purees for those. If you look around Reddit threads and Google reviews, many people regret coming here, especially after waiting so damn long.
Many will also say it’s not worth the money as you really are just paying for powders and sugars. It may be watered down or overly sweet. It was the go-to when there was no where else to go to, but many competitors have come in since their prime and people have moved on.
I’ve only been there twice in the last 2 years. Once was in 2019. I couldn’t find the photo I took on my hard drive, but luckily, I left a review with that day 😛 I got their Tokyo Sakura drink with crystal boba special. I remember it just tasting like water and sugar, and my review from that time backed that up.
I also passed by their shop outside of North York Centre after that, but I don’t recall it being anything special. Tea 168 mentioned below isn’t any better, but thankfully, there’s a Real Fruit Bubble Tea in the centre. And same with Yorkdale which now has Real Fruit, Fruz Tea, and Chatime. If there’s a Ten Ren shop, there is probably something better nearby.
Boba Boy
I’ve only had Boba Boy once. I either ordered a coconut slush or pina colada. I was told at the counter that it was ‘real fruit’, but it clearly was not. I was very thirsty that night and had another stop to make, but I don’t even think I finished it as it was too icy/watery and artificial tasting.
I checked out their Instagram and they have videos showing how some drinks are made. The fruity ones are mostly syrups and powders. They would throw in a real banana alongside strawberry syrup, and use mango puree, but as I said, I want real fruit chunks.
Their locations are too out of the way, but hey, maybe they got great milk tea. They can move up if I try it and I like it, but I doubt I’d try them anytime soon, especially if there’s somewhere that I trust near by. So for now, it’s not on my go-to list.
Freshly Squeezed
As I said in the Presotea/Yogen Fruz section, they did what Freshly Squeezed couldn’t. I was someone who’s had my fair share of Freshly Squeezed juice waaaaay back when I was a young girl who had yet to try bubble tea, nor knew if she liked yogurt yet to try yogen fruz’s smoothies.
I’m sure many of us aren’t even sure if their drinks are real fruit, or when they were ‘freshly squeezed’. I tried to do research, but due to their name, it was very difficult, and their Instagram doesn’t show anything before the drinks are in machines. Though reviews say they use fresh ingredients for their smoothies.
I remember trying their fruit bubble tea a couple times when they first started making them, but the tapioca was always really soft and over cooked. Combine that with their juice which…doesn’t taste like the puree of other bubble tea shops, nor tastes like freshly blended fruit. I have yet to try their milk teas, but since they’re not a tea shop to begin with, I would have lower hopes for that.
Tea Shop 168
This shop has been around for a long time. I probably tried it waaay back but can’t recall. I did try it again in either 2018 or 2019 after or before passing by Kinton Ramen near North York Centre. I ordered a fruity drink cause they give the impression that it’s real fruit, but I was disappointed and felt like I wasted my money.
I know for sure that I ordered their watermelon slush because they said it was real fruit. I order this drink a lot at Bubble Fun and Noon Moment, so I know what real watermelon acts like. Normally if it melts, the pink watermelon juice stays at the bottom and the fibre may move to the top.
But at Tea Shop 168, it separated into clear water/sugar at the bottom and some pink pulp at the top. That’s how I knew for sure it was fake. While I did try to stir it quite a bit, it would keep separating. It was a really hot day but I couldn’t even finish it. While I haven’t used this word in this whole article, I will use it here. That drink was disgusting.
Perhaps I’ll think differently about their milk tea…but at the same time, when people hype up a shop that sells artificial fruit drinks that aren’t even that great, I don’t think I would trust their judgement on what good milk tea is either. I personally don’t think I would give them a shot even if it was my only option, but hey, maybe you’ll have a better experience.
Kin-Kin Bakery
Kin-Kin has quite a few locations and they have bubble tea in their name, so I figured I’d include them. Before Noon Moment opened up in the neighbourhood, I found out Kin-Kin had a location inside Jane and Finch mall, and I made the lengthy walk to get them about 3 times.
I only got the mango slushy, and that was real fruit. A review said they don’t wash other fruit so be warned. The tapioca was a lil too soft as well. I was going to say it may have just been an off day for them, but upon reading some Google reviews, many have said their tapioca was stale and sticking together.
I have yet to try their milk tea, but based on their setup, I would expect a homemade tasting one, or something similar to what you’d get at an Asian restaurant that has boba on their menu.
Other reviews said their bubble tea is trash, so I don’t think I’ll take the chance. I remember their floors and washrooms were very sticky as well. But hey, if you want some Asian buns and you’re looking fir a drink ad well, it’s a cheap option for you.
Conclusion
So that about ends my list. Of course, everyone is going to have different tastes and preferences, but this was fun to do if anyone is new to the game or just hesitant to try a certain branch. I’ve certainly had regrets walking into a place and maybe I thought it was real fruit but wasn’t, or their milk tea tasted like something homemade.
Now, I also know there’s some popular flavors like taro which I never got into. I did try sips from others, but it just wasn’t for me. More so cause I knew every place just used purple powder and again…I’m not paying $6+ for artificial stuff. A few places like Cocos would have real taro options, but I’ll stick to milk tea and fruits which I know I’d like?
What about you? What’s your favourite spots in the city for milk tea or slushies? Any places you refuse to go to? Let me and others know in the comments!