I Heart Gong Cha!

I Heart Gong Cha!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

FRM tumblr mag 14
After hearing about it for so long, finally, I get to have one right in my territory.

Gong Cha signage banner
Gong Cha was first launched in Taiwan in 2006, and now boasts more than a hundred outlets worldwide. They use Taiwanese fresh tea for every beverage and albeit the liquid tea isn't bad yet, they throw it every 4 hours(!) just to ensure the quality of the drinks they serve.

Gong Cha facade and interiors
Their branch in Alabang is big enough for a tea place. Situated in the new wing, its interior exudes a simple yet cozy vibe with maroon walls interrupted by smoky swirls of white. Marble top tables and black hard plastic chairs were spaced comfortably and the lights dimmed accordingly.

Gong Cha Milk Winter Melon Tea
Since I'm a Gong Cha virgin, I opted for their most popular drink, one of the house specials -- Gong Cha Milk Winter Melon Tea (P80) and added my favorite sinker, coconut jelly (P20). It did not disappoint. This time, I was really happy with what I ordered. I usually get disgruntled when the product does not match the hype, so this was indeed a touchdown, a home run, a 3-pointer -- definitely a winner.

Since it was messy to remove the dome lid just to take a sip, I went right ahead and plunged my straw into the hole. I figured since I drank my Happy Lemon green tea with rock salt and cheese via straw, it was only fair to drink this the same way too. A rush of smooth, foamy milk cream greeted my mouth and what transpired within the next few seconds was a hobnobbing of my tongue with a creamy yet clean texture. I could see a sprinkle of matcha powder on top though it was imperceptible and seemed more of a suggestion rather than an additional flavor profile. As I dug my straw deeper into the drink, my mouth was awash with mellifluous overlapping tastes of young winter melon and sugar, punctuated by the sporadic coconut jelly. I could feel my eyes closing as I revel in the addicting taste. A loud, windy sound signaling the emptiness of my cup broke my reverie. I finally open the lid, tilt it towards my lips and pat the bottom while the remaining jelly slides gingerly towards my open mouth. The last dulcet drops make me yearn for my subsequent Gong Cha visit, and next time I'll get the largest glass. No sharing please!

P.S.
Will someone please tell me the Gong Cha flavor similar to Serenitea's Hokkaido milk tea. I wanna try that one too and see how it would fare compared to Serenitea's version. Thank you!

Gong Cha
Spot: Ground Floor The Garden (New Wing) Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City
Contact No.: 0923.4509523
Website: gongcha.ph
Facebook: facebook.com/gongcha.ph

18 comments:

EastCoastLife said...

Gong Cha goes to Manilla!? It is so popular in Singapore that there is always a long queue at each outlet.

stacy said...

I havn't tried gong cha but my little sister is a fan.

J said...

I love Gong Cha too! I was in HK a few weeks ago, and the lines there were craaaazy long! I wish there's Gong Cha here in the US!

Guia Obsum said...

@EastCoastLife: Nice to hear from you! Thank you for always visiting my blog. Gong Cha has been here in Manila for a while now though I've only tried it lately. It's no surprise that it always has a long queue, I see them too in several of their branches. :)

@Stacy: I like it way better than Happy Lemon, though I'd still give Happy Lemon another try. Maybe I just got the wrong variant before.

@J: Oh yeah, there's none yet in the US. I imagine that can be pretty frustrating. Right now, I'm craving for another drink and at least I know the next time I go malling, I get to drink it. Maybe they'll open there soon, who knows? :)

i♥pinkc00kies said...

wintermelon milk tea! :D

SKIP TO MALOU said...

Gong Cha sounds so good. is there any place i could get it near the fort. im currently in town (staying in the BGC area) and would love to try it.
thanks for sharing... i hope to meet you too!
malou

Guia Obsum said...

@Malou: Unfortunately there's no Gong Cha branch yet in BGC. I only know of ChaTime located at 31st st cor 4th ave and Happy Lemon located at Bonifacio High Street near Krispy Kreme. :) There's Gong Cha in Glorietta 4 though if you plan to go there. :)

Gio of The Hungry Giant said...

I tried the green tea and earl grey in HK and I was really impressed! I was happy they brought it to Manila and the last time I was there with a friend, we just had to try it. The green tea blew her mind, probably because it was incredibly cold and we just came from a tiring excursion around Makati. hahaha!

blankpixels of CertifiedFoodies.com said...

Gong Cha is now our favorite milk tea place too, but only because of their Milk Winter Melon Tea. I tried their Taro milk tea and I wasn't happy cause I prefer some chunky, thick taro in there. Nonetheless, delish!! :)

Ayan, nag-crave ako lalo :))

Sumi Go said...

I love Gong Cha too for their Milk Winter Melon Tea, Milk Tea with Herbal Jelly and Winter Melon Alisan Tea :) I regretted the day that I tried the Lemon Winter Melon Tea though. It was just so bad! Or maybe I just don't like lemon that much.

Btw, I think either of Gong Cha's Toffee Milk Tea or Caramel Milk Tea would taste similar to Serenitea's Hokkaido.

Guia Obsum said...

Thanks Sumi! I'll try those two next time I visit! :)

LoveArnz said...

sad that its not yet available in Cebu. I love Wintermelon Milk Tea too. ;)

Darlene said...

Howdy, my first time to come by your blog sis and I feel that I'm gonna be dropping by often. :D I love earl grey gongcha milk tea with extra gongcha milk and pearls. Since childhood, tea is one of my most favorite drinks... Actually, I loved it more than coffee and Gongcha is by far the best tea place for me because their Earlgrey strikes me as the most honest tea tasting tea ( I guess you get what I mean). More than Serenitea and other teashops which names I don't even remember anymore. Try this sis.

Guia Obsum said...

Thanks Darlene! I'll try that next time. Thank you for visiting my blog, and hope you drop by often. :)

James said...

I always loved milk tea, and one of my fave hangout place near me is tea monkey

Audrey said...

your review sounds good. like the one written by food critic.

Guia Obsum said...

Thanks, Audrey! :)

Miko said...

love your review hope you could make a review of tea monkey too

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