The Gong Cha 貢茶 Hype

I'm supposed to be listening to a lecture, but blogging about my drink seems to be more important :)

Lately I've noticed a bunch of hole-in-the-wall bubble tea shops cropping up everywhere, but apparently the most famous one is Gong Cha (貢茶) from Taiwan. They have a reputation for using good tea. I know of someone who wants to get their hands on a franchise too.

Before this blog, I've bought drinks at Gong Cha before - the classic bubble tea, milk tea with tapioca pearls 珍珠奶茶, and the green tea with milk "鮮奶綠茶". The bubble tea was alright, green tea with milk was...watery? You could taste the milk and the tea, but it was pretty watered down.


Anyway, a friend from Taiwan came to visit, and we passed by a Gong Cha. She tells me that Gong Cha is actually known more for its Tea with Milk Lid (奶蓋茶). I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking that the "lid" would resemble a cappuccino foam, and would basically taste like the watery green tea with milk. I went for the Green Tea with Milk Lid 奶蓋綠茶.

You have the option of ice, a bit of ice, no ice, as well as how sweet you want your drink. I don't like ice melting and making my drink all bland, so I skipped the ice and went with a reduced amount of sugar.








Instructions on how to enjoy the drink: 1) take off the cap and have a sip of the tea and the milk lid, then 2) insert the straw to taste the tea, 3) stir it all together and enjoy the mix of the fragrant milk and tea






This is what it looks like after it's all shaken up!

The "milk lid" was THICK. I felt a slight resistance when I was pulling off the lid. On first sip, the "milk lid" had the natural dairy "sweetness" but was savory at the same time. Sipping through the thick lid comes a rush of refreshing green tea. It was a very interesting combination.

I skipped the step about poking the straw through to the bottom. The milk lid and tea are hard to stir together, so I kept the lid intact so that I could put it back on and shake up the tea to get it mixed well. The savoriness goes away when it's all shaken up.

For $12, this huge drink is a good deal and worth trying. If you're not a fan of dairy + tea, then Gong Cha has other choices that you could try. Most drinks cost between $10-$20, and you can customize your drink by playing around with add-ins for just a couple dollars each.

Gong Cha website, list of drinks: http://www.gong-cha.com.tw/category/ptlist_125606.htm
Locations: Causeway Bay (on Hennessy Road across from the Fire Department), Mong Kok (on Dundas Street), Tsim Sha Tsui (in Star House)