Why Bubble Tea Lost Me As A Customer

I'm an eager trier. A foodie, in other words. While my palette isn't exactly very experienced or worldly, I'm often willing to try something new. So one time, I went ahead and tried Bubble Tea.

Their Royal Milk Tea actually tasted good for me. Not at all what I'm used to, it has a more milky texture but I didn't find their mixture "nakakaumay". I also love the mix of the medium and small sized pearls. At 80 pesos for their Large-sized drink (16oz), it was a bit pricier than the 40 pesos Ersao PMT which I'm used to, but I didn't mind.

A few months after my first taste of Bubble Tea, they announced a price increase. I was expecting maybe at the most, a 20-peso price increase, so I was shocked to learn that a 50% price increase was implemented! From 80 pesos, the royal milk tea is now 125 pesos! Which in my opinion, is way too much! After the price increase, I lost interest.

Weeks later, Awesome.ph had a deal. Pay only 99 pesos for 300 worth of GC. It was worth a try. Their food seemed good so I thought what the heck. So me and my sister bought 1 each.

The first GC, we used for drinks. The 2nd one, we used for dinner at a different time.

I ordered Yakiniku Beef Rice and my sister ordered Roasted Garlic Mushroom Cream Spaghetti. I also ordered Takoyaki.


Yakiniku Beef Rice
It wasn't bad actually. Just a little too sweet for me. Portions were enough too. 


Roasted Garlic Mushroom Cream Spaghetti
Not bad either. But a bit on the nakakaumay side. Which can be expected from cream-based pastas.


Takoyaki
This tasted weird for me. And it was quite pricey too.


Overall, the eating experience itself wasn't bad. But the day after our dinner, I got sick. I kept feeling like I wanted to throw up. And I did, many times that night. My sister got an upset stomach too. So we concluded that it was probably because of the Bubble Tea dinner. Soon after, a friend and her husband told us that they ate at a different branch and they felt that the food served wasn't fresh! Tsk tsk tsk...


The two (2) surest ways to lose my business are:
1. bad service
2. bad food that makes me sick, literally!


So, Goodbye Bubble Tea!

The Search for the Best Milk Tea in Town

Yes. I have been on a search. I've tried most places that sell milk teas. And so far, only one has come close to the real thing.

My love affair with pearl milk teas (PMT) began many many years ago. I was in Taiwan for a study tour and an uncle introduced me to my very first Zhen Zhu Nai Cha or Pearl Milk Tea. I have to admit that I didn't like it at first. I found the combination of the tea and the milk unappealing. But it grew on me. It was definitely an acquired taste.

Soon after that, Easy Way made its way to Manila. So imagine my joy when I found out. It was the same store where I bought my PMTs from in Taiwan. It became an instant family favorite. We'd drive to the nearest Easy Way and drink to our hearts' content. And at P 25.00 per cup, it was a cheap treat. But sadly, just a few years after its first store opened, Easy Way would close its doors. :(

It wouldn't be until many years later that we would "discover" Ersao's PMT. It was definitely not the same thing. But since it was the only choice, we settled for it. And because of the lovely (not really) summery weather here, there were times when we'd order 3x a week! We were that crazy for milk tea! 

On our last trip to HK, we discovered a milk tea place. Share Tea is the name. The taste is quite close to the "original". I was happy. During our 5-day stay, we had milk tea, everyday! Haha

To date: I have tried the following: Ersao, Meicha, Bubble Tea Boy, Fun Tea, Serenitea, Tea Cup, Cha Time, Cobo, Bubble Tea and last but definitely not least, Happy Lemon. 

Ersao: they used to make better milk teas i think. the version now tastes "watered down" taste: 5

Mei Cha & Cha Time: they kinda have the same taste. A milky sort that overpowers the tea. On a scale of 1 to 10, i'd give it a 6.5.

Bubble Tea Boy: i'd give it a 7. taste is closer to what i've been looking for.

Bubble Tea: this is probably the most different of the bunch because it's from tokyo. it's actually not bad. but the price hike from 80 to 125 was a total turn-off. i've never bought since. taste: 8

Serenitea: this is probably the one with the most "tea" taste. and the lingering taste of tea isn't exactly pleasant for me. service has always been a downer too. taste: 7

Tea Cup: i vaguely remember how this tastes like. probably because i only had a sip. and if i don't remember, it only means it wasn't good. taste: 4

Fun Tea: this is tricky. the first time i tried it. i felt it was good. then the next few times, it was way off! the last time i bought a milk tea from them, the drink tasted like 80% milk + 20% tea! taste: 6

Cobo: i only tried this place one time. it's not bad actually. but still not what i've been looking for. taste: 7.5

Happy Lemon: ahh... happy lemon, just the thought of this place brings a smile to my face. i've heard of this place from friends. so naturally, i anticipated its coming after the announcement. the first time i visited, i was with my sister (which happens a lot, because we're both milk tea addicts). i got there first, and ordered my drink. after the first sip, i was elated. this is it, i told myself. and it was the same thing i told my sister as soon as she got there. one sip and she agreed. finally, after a long wait. i wouldn't have to wait until the next vacation to HK or taiwan to have a taste of my beloved milk tea! it has that perfect balance of milk and tea and the yummy pearls of course! taste: 10 (even if i didn't score, i think it was obvious from my narrative :P)

I heard Gong Cha has opened a branch in MOA and is opening a branch soon in North Edsa. I wonder when I'd be able to try that. Haha

Yes I am an addict. A milk tea addict that is! :D

What I Won't Let Go

While it may not be a "healthy" practice, I would have to admit that I am not someone who forgets. It isn't done intentionally though. Perhaps you could just say that I was "built" that way.

I could narrate to you many instances from the past which a "normal" person usually tends to forget. How I manage to remember details including conversations is a mystery to me, because frankly, there are chunks of my past that I'd rather forget.

However, the things that I choose to hold on to, that's a different thing altogether. There are friendships I've kept because of history, even if things aren't the same anymore. There are tokens, little things that I can't seem to give up, even if to others they seem like junk.

How about people then? When we lose someone dear to us, we are often told to just let it go, to move on. I don't mean losing as in ending a relationship, i mean losing as in someone dying. It seems to me that, while time has managed to make the pain better, it hasn't managed to truly heal. When I think about people I've lost, the sting is still there. Somehow, there's still a little part of me that is in disbelief. That they have gone forever.

There are just some things you can't get over.

values system

in the past years, i've been told that i was either naive or self-righteous about certain things. during the time that those were said to me, not only was i offended, but the comments cast some doubt in my mind about my own beliefs and convictions.

fast forward to today, i've finally made a realization. it is not my beliefs system that is flawed. i'm not saying theirs are wrong. but if you think about it, each person has their own set of values. what i believe to be right might not apply to the next person. but just because everybody else does it, does not, ever make it right or even okay. 

it's odd that these days, sometimes i feel like the exception rather than the rule because there are things that i won't stand for. i don't know how it came to be that way. has the human race come this far only to let their humanity suffer this way?