One of the biggest concerns I had after coming to London was to find a good bubble tea shop. My worries were, fortunately, unnecessary as it turned out that people in the UK are pretty crazy about bubble tea, too.
So without further ado, let me introduce some of the bubble tea shops you can find around London! They are not listed in any particular order, and I recommend you visit all of them once lockdown ends to see which one(s) suit you the most.
T4
This was the first bubble tea shop I visited in London. Since I lived in Woodward in first year, the quick trip down to Westfield made visiting T4 very convenient. It also helped that my lab was in the Hammersmith campus – a short walk to Westfield. They have a good selection of drinks, ranging from just tea to those without any tea, as well as a wide variety of toppings. Another good thing is that they deliver through Deliveroo, so you can still get your fix during this pandemic. My friends and I all enjoy T4 a lot (especially the Taro milk tea!). How much of it is due to the mere-exposure effect.) is anyone’s guess, but I order drinks from them when I crave the taste of bubble tea.
Coco
Coco is a large chain with over 4500 stores around the world, and their drinks are pretty standard. With a store in Chinatown and another in Holborn, you can’t miss the signature orange on their store front. Their ‘3 Brothers’ drink is quite popular, combining the holy trinity that is pearls, pudding and grass jelly. You can order from them through Uber Eats. From what I recall, Coco gives student discounts (not sure if this is still applicable)!
Yi Fang
I personally wouldn’t go to Yifang for milk tea, as I think they specialise more in pure tea and fruit teas. Their stores are dotted across London, with stores in Canary Wharf, Chinatown, Old Spitalfields Market, Soho, etc. Given the chance, you should try a drink with their Golden Jelly! Order from them through Uber Eats or Deliveroo.
Xing Fu Tang
Xing Fu Tang is a popular store that sells the signature Brown Sugar Boba Milk, which could be ordered with or without tea. They fry the pearls together with brown sugar in large woks, giving that rich, caramel flavour. Overall, the drinks are quite sweet, which might put some people off but for those with a sweet tooth, the no-tea drink is something for you!
The Alley
This is probably one of my favourite milk tea places back in Beijing. I personally haven’t tried what it’s like here, but I have heard some good things. Their Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk and Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brulee Milk are probably their most popular items! Another thing to note is that they have also hopped onto the current trend with their own twists on Dalgona coffee (the Iced Matcha Dalgona drink sounds really great)!
Biju
I personally like Biju quite a bit – it might have something to do with the packaging. I really enjoy their Matcha Milk tea!
Happy Lemon
Happy Lemon is not my go-to choice, but their prices are very reasonable and it is always an option in Chinatown.
There are so many more bubble tea places in London, so the rest will have to wait for another blog post… On a more serious note, the UK is under a national lockdown, so we should continue to adhere to these rules and these stores are takeaway options only.
