From left: Mr. Wish does it right with fresh black sugar pearls, stick with the classics at Chatime and aim to perfect your order at Gong Cha.
The thought of chewing a beverage isn’t appealing in theory, and for the uninitiated, that first sip of bubble tea is surprising as a half dozen tapioca pearls slip up the extra-wide straw and cause some mouthfeel confusion. Contrasting textures and temperatures aside (the pearls are chewy and warm, the tea smooth and cool), the pearl milk tea from Mr. Wish is delightful. A classic Taiwanese drink with black sugar bubbles, it’s one of dozens of options at Mr. Wish, which got its start in Taichung, Taiwan, and opened its U.S. franchise headquarters in Philadelphia. As one employee at the store in Philly’s Chinatown neighborhood cooks the pearls, another dices whole mangos for fruit teas and smoothies as several people step inside the small shop for a late afternoon treat. A large pearl milk tea is $5.75, and most items are under $6 unless toppings such as chia seeds or coconut jelly are added. The aiyu jelly, made from the seeds of a fig plant, is intriguing and warrants a try next time.
The upshot: Expanding in the U.S. with nearly 50 locations, Mr. Wish wins with its fresh ingredients, though it’s competing with a growing number of franchises in a trendy segment. —L.M.
I’ve always been a fan of boba because I like that my afternoon pick-me-up comes with a little snack. At a suburban Minneapolis Chatime, I went for its bestseller, the signature milk tea with Taiwanese black tea and creamer. I ordered mine with crystal boba and chose the 80 percent sweetness level, paying $5.74. The drink had the classic, Thai iced tea flavor I was looking for, and the boba was a delicious addition. I’ve had boba whose blandness takes away from the drink, but Chatime’s pearls were pleasantly sweet and flavorful. I also ordered the acai berry spritz, made with jasmine tea, acai and sparkling water. For this one, I opted for coconut jellies and the half-sweet level; the drink rang in at $5.54. Maybe I should’ve ordered a sweeter option, or stuck to my bubble tea go-to (anything with black tea and lemon), because the acai berry spritz was not for me. The combination of jasmine tea and acai is what I imagine Chanel No. 5 would taste like—not pleasant.
The upshot: With a variety of teas and even more flavor, sweetness and boba options, Chatime has something to suit any preference, but maybe it’s best to stick to the classics. —E.W.
I get why the kids today like those choose-your-own-ingredients beverage shops, like bubble-tea specialist Gong Cha. The drinks are so pretty—such as the crème brulee brown sugar smoothie or the honey rose oolong tea with lychee jelly or the strawberry chocolate milk tea—and it’s fun to choose toppings from a hefty list. Originally established in 2006 in Taiwan, Gong Cha has more than 1,100 stores in 20 countries. The name means “tribute tea to the emperor,” as the store manager told us when we visited a Chicago shop ideally located across from Loyola University. They brew their tea and make their tapioca pearls fresh all day, and seal each drink with a printed flexible cover you can punch through with your fat straw. Too bad our two mediums for $14.06 weren’t to our liking—too much Hall’s cough drop flavor in one and the Oreo crumbs in the other a little too “dirty” (make that gritty) for us oldsters.
The upshot: Gong Cha serves up a long list of drinks that look beautiful and no doubt would taste delicious if you could visit again and again to perfect your order—and maybe that’s the business model.—B.E.