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I went to every Bubble Tea shop in Cov so you don’t have to

I’m not broke, you are


Cramming the night before exams or fighting deadlines all night long are the joys of being a university student. For some, the pillar of hope is jumping on post deadline motives: getting hammered on a night out and forgetting about it all. For others, like myself, it is something as simple as grabbing bubble tea with my friends.

If you're a sweet tooth, coffee addict, a massive foodie, or all of the above, you've probably heard of bubble tea. It's one of Asia's finest delicacies.

Last week, my friends and I set off to find the best and the worst Coventry had to offer. We purchased one milk tea (less ice, regular sugar, tapioca pearls) and one fruit tea from each brand to do a cheeky comparison. Thank us later, RIP my wallet.

Ratings are between one to five: one being poor and five being excellent (However, one for price = cheap).

Bubble Boba

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Boba is life

Located in Fargo Village, this was my first stop. This cosy little store provides you the option to pay via card on touch screen stations so you don't have to wait mindlessly during rush hours. There are three different flavours in the drink dispensers next to the entrance and sometimes they keep additional flavours behind the counter.

We ordered the traditional milk tea with tapioca pearls and the rose fruit tea with cantaloupe popping bubbles.

One of the best stores in terms of diversity of toppings, they had jelly, pudding and popping bubbles, in addition to the regular tapioca pearls.

This was by far the best hang out spot in town. I mean, come on. Mario Kart is an option. They also have board games and Jenga, great if you bring your pals. Plus, they normally collaborate with the university to promote their store, and who doesn't love a good bargain? I hoard discount vouchers and forget to use them every time, but they give out some at all major fairs.

Service: 5/5

Aesthetics: 3/5

Price: 2.5/5

Product range: 3/5

Taste: 3/5

One dot dot (rough Eng-Chi translation)

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Despite the dim lights and emptiness of the store (which it seems to be 90 per cent of the time) the benefit of this bubble tea store is that it's located in the town centre which is easily accessible for a quick tea stop.

The interior has a nice theme but the ordering system is a bit odd. I asked for receipt, on which they just wrote the Chinese name of the drinks and the price on a post it note (yikes, what if I can't read Chinese?)

The drinks themselves were a bit tasteless and the toppings stuck at the bottom of the cup even after shaking it. Overall the flavours were sub par. Thank u, next.

Service: 1/5

Aesthetics: 2.5/5

Price: 3.5/5

Product range: 2/5

Taste: 0.5/5

Chatime

This brand is well known throughout the UK and has many stores in the heart of London. The Coventry branch has a lot more seats than the first two stores in this tour and the service provided is efficient. The number on the receipt gets called out once the order is ready.

Although Chatime is best known for their drinks, the product range is vast and does not end at the diverse BBT flavours: a selection of Chinese pastries, snacks and even ice cream are available. From what we ordered, the lychee fruit tea was the best. It was refreshing and sweet, just ask for less sugar if you aren't a sweet tooth like me.

Service: 4/5

Aesthetics: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Product range: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

ALS Gongcha

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Aesthetics on point

Like Chatime, it is located in the town centre, just outside West Orchards. The menu has more specialised choices, reminiscent of Taiwan, where the drink originated from. This includes cream foam cap, cheese foam cap or yoghurt foam cap, flavours which are only available at this brand.

There is only one size you can order which means you will have to commit to one price. Bummer if you're a first timer, as it can be a hit or miss.

However, the amount you get is quite sufficient for what you pay. We ordered the Milk Foam Cap Bubble tea (Oolong) and Love in Paris. The Milk Foam tea tastes slightly bitter, perfect if you're a regular coffee or tea lover. The latter, Love in Paris, came with jelly as a topping and a tea bag, the source of the flavour. The longer you soak the bag, the more the cranberry taste comes through. It is sweet but not too overpowering.

I would highly recommend this store for people who already love bubble tea but would like to try something slightly different. Remember to take cash out because they don't accept card.

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Spill all your tea in comfort

Service: 4/5

Aesthetics: 5/5

Price: 5/5

Product range: 3/5

Taste: 5/5

Mooboo

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This was the final stop. At this point we just wanted to give in. Bubble tea is really filling and we felt full. If you are in West Orchards and you want to grab a drink to takeaway, this is the ideal spot because the shop itself is small. They are they only store that offer student discount, as well.

Service: 4/5

Aesthetics: 2/5

Price: 3/5

Product range: 2/5

Taste: 2.5/5

Final thoughts

If you don't want to break the bank every time you crave bubble tea, our pick is Bubble Boba. Not only is it the safest bet but they also have plenty of games to occupy your time!

On the other hand, if you're a long standing bubble tea lover, perhaps it's time to try something different. ALS Gongcha have set menus so you won't have to worry about picking your own combination. Branch out and spill the tea somewhere new for once.