Fab Chai Milk Tea
Coco Fresh Tea and Juice
The long lines at any of their branches should clue you in: CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is mighty good. The star of the show is undoubtedly their White Pearl, and the best way to enjoy it is through the Panda Milk Tea (P90/regular, P100/large), which will get you a mix of black and white tapioca. The black pearls have the right chew to them, making them a delightful contrast to the crisper tapioca or white pearls. The milk tea itself has the perfect balance between cream, sugar, and tea: Even at 100% sweetness, you still get the full-bodied flavor of the tea, and the milk binds everything together for a perfectly balanced, lusciously creamy drink. It’s everything you want the ideal milk tea to be, making the wait worth it.
Macao Imperial Tea
Macao Imperial Tea’s spacious place along Banawe Street has couches and free, reliable WiFi, making it the perfect hangout whether you’re catching up on work or just want to chill with friends—plus, they’re open until 12 a.m. Their Cream Cheese Milk Tea (P120) is easily one of the most decadent milk teas you’ll try. At Macao Imperial Tea, they use jasmine tea unless stated otherwise, which gives their drinks a light, floral note, and generous swirls of cream cheese add a rich, salty depth without masking the flavor. Pair your drink with any of their snacks: The Garlic Sausages (P75) have a spicy kick to them that’ll wake up your taste buds.
Gong Cha
Dakasi
While they may not be as prominent now as the bigger milk-tea chains in the Metro, Dakasi still more than satisfies, especially if you like your milk tea on the creamier side. The winning element of their Okinawa Milk Tea (P90/medium, P100/large) is its thick and creamy froth. And unlike your average cream-topped milk tea, this appears both on top and as a thick layer at the bottom of your drink, so you get a rich, milky flavor through every sip. While you can’t adjust the sweetness of your drink, their blend has just the right amount so you still get that distinctive earthy tea flavor. Their black pearls, too, are a standout, with just the right chewiness and a subtle sweetness. Aside from the classics, Dakasi also offers out-of-the-box flavors like a Halo Halo Milk Tea, and snacks, too, like nachos and quesadillas.