Best bubble teas in Cambridge: Part 2

LGBT History Month has just passed, but what you may not know is that  LGBT also stands for Let’s Get Bubble Tea. So, join me (your resident Asian Boba Gay) in finding excuses to spoil yourself with lots of bubble tea.

Bubble tea (aka Boba in America), if you aren’t already aware, is a deadly addictive drink originating from Taiwan, consisting of a “tea” of some sort and “toppings” – chewy bits in your drink such as tapioca pearls or a variety of jelly. In Cambridge we are lucky enough to have more than a handful of boba cafes, so I have taken it upon myself to do the Lord’s work of sampling a bubble tea every day for a week.

In this noble quest I hope to find a winner in both quality and economy. Without further ado, this is my indefinite ranking of all the bubble teas of Cambridge.

P.S. For consistency, I always tried the most basic black tea with milk and tapioca pearls. Disclaimer: I am slightly biased since 1) I don’t actually usually drink tea with milk, and 2) I have an irregularly sweet tooth.

6) Marui Bubble Tea, Regent Street

Price: £3.45 for an Assam Black Milk Tea with Pearls

Taste: 3/10

This was ultimately disappointing. The tea was tasteless, the tapioca pearls had a strange texture that would definitely put off first timers, and honestly I expected more from a specialised bubble tea shop (with a drink shaking machine and everything!) The person at the counter seemed clueless and didn’t offer to customise ice or sugar levels – the result was definitely not my favourite.

5) Hi Sweety, Regent Street

Price: £3.75 for a “Classic Milk Tea” with Pearls

Taste: 4/10

A strange and unexpected order at a bakery. Only rated better than Marui because the tea actually tasted of something, but would not rate any higher because the pearls were absolutely revolting. You could tell that bubble tea shouldn’t have been on their menu at all because the cashier didn’t really know how to make tea and the tapioca pearls tasted days old.

Hi Sweety is actually an amazing bakery (that you should definitely visit) with crepe cakes straight out of Japanese cooking Youtube channels and fun dessert dishes like Korean ice slushies. I wouldn’t, however, recommend getting bubble tea on the side.

4) B. Tap Baron, Lion’s Yard

Price: £3.40 for a Black Milk Tea with Pearls (eat in)

Taste: 5/10

The waffle place, previously named BubbleTap, was also expensive – bubble tea costs £3, with £1 per topping. They do offer a generous student discount of 15%, however. The tea tasted alright, but it was strangely creamy and frothy (personally not my cup of tea but you might like it). The highlight was definitely the Instagrammability – if you eat in, your bubble tea comes in a light bulb, but there were so few tiny pearls that my photo was not as #aesthetic as I had hoped. If you are feeling boujee and already having the highly Instagrammable bubble waffle, I guess you could get the tea for the light bulb.

3) Ji Chicken Shop, Regent Street

Price: £3.50 for Assam Black Milk Tea with Pearls

Taste: 6/10

An acceptable average. I was not able to customise the sugar or ice levels, so I was left with a kind of tasteless tea which was mainly just sweet. The tapioca pearls were chewy and tasty, an exact replica of those from Chatime. I was surprised to find that this strange, slightly empty Taiwanese fried chicken shop was actually part of a national chain. The Taiwanese internet cafe aesthetic didn’t translate that well to Cambridge, but the perfectly OK, slightly bland bubble tea is truly quintessential to the Asian Gen Z experience.

2) Chatime, Regent Street

Price: £3.95 for Chatime Milk Tea with Pearls

Taste: 8/10

Chatime could never go wrong! An established global chain from Taiwan that dominates the bubble tea scene in the West, Chatime is my go to boba place. Their menu is endless and there’s definitely something for everyone between all the hot, cold, milky and dairy-free varieties on offer. Your drink can be customised by sugar and ice levels, not to mention the wide variety of toppings available. I strongly recommend their classic Chatime Milk Tea to first timers. (My go-to order is a Lychee Black Tea with QQ regular sugar and no ice, if anyone’s interested.) It had a satisfyingly strong tea taste and the pearls were nicely chewy. Chatime is Starbucks for Asians and, with their indoor seating and long opening hours, is honestly a great place to study.

 

1) Granny Ma’s, Market Place

 

Price: £3.00 for Black Assam Milk Tea with Pearls

Taste: 9/10

I was initially skeptical of this one, but was left completely enamoured by their tea in the end. They very enthusiastically advertised their completely biodegradable sealed cup with bamboo straw, as well as their actual teas which are all brewed fresh from loose tea leaves. The price completely won me over (especially with the 50p discount that I claimed through my Cambridge University Chinese Society membership, and is also apparently applicable to Thai Society and Union members). I am wary of championing white people making a business out of Asian culture, but I couldn’t help but applaud their passion and attention to detail. One told me that he learned the recipes from the original Taiwanese co-owner who has since graduated, and I would say that Granny Ma’s is the most authentic Taiwanese bubble tea in Cambridge. Their menu is limited and changes daily to accommodate seasonal ingredients, so, next time you’re at Market Sunday-Wednesday, I definitely recommend checking their daily tea out!

Honourable mention: Chinese restaurants and takeaway places (eg. HK fusion, St John’s, and Mamasun, Burleigh Street) often have bubble tea on their menu, and are cheap and absolutely passable. Try one with your meal next time!

Dishonourable mention: Wasabi’s bubble tea. Don’t. Even. Bother.

Bonus Content: bubble tea at O*ford – I recommend Formosan’s!

I hope that my ABG (aznbbygirl) silliness has sparked some joy for all of the other (East and Southeast) Asians at Cambridge. It might not be the most fun to be Asian right now in the midst of this epidemic paranoia (and, ahem, racism), but we should never forget that being Asian is ultimately joyful, worthy of respect, and most importantly, full of tasty flavours. And everyone else, don’t forget to support your local Chinese businesses! You might just become a bubble tea convert, who knows?

For extra boba content (you can never have too many bubble tea reviews), see Part 1 of The Tab Cambridge’s comprehensive bubble tea guide.

All images author’s own.