Chatime Archives | Foodgressing

Chatime Now Offers Rainbow Pearls

January 1, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Attention Bubble Tea lovers! Chatime BC has introduced some colorful Rainbow Pearls to their lineup of toppings. The lineup of Rainbow Pearls included a mix of red, purple, cyan, yellow, green, and white pearls. After trying them out, I found that these Rainbow Pearls taste the same as the regular Pearls.

According to the announcement on Chatime BC’s Facebook post, these are available for a limited time at all Chatime BC lower mainland locations with Vancouver Island shortly after. Head to your nearest Chatime BC location before they run out!

Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with Chinesebites.com.

Where to Buy Chatime Milk Tea Bags Online

December 23, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

While most of us are familiar with purchasing drinks at Chatime, did you know that they also sell a retail line of milk tea mixes? Yes, you can make your very own Chatime milk tea at home! The flavours that are offered are Premium Milk, Premium Jasmime, Supreme Oolong, Dark Roasted and Selected Mixes.

In my previous post, I mentioned how Chatime stores in BC had carried a limited number of these boxes (which are now sold out). I end up finding some at my local T&T Supermarket but these are also now sold out as well. So what’s a person to do?

I did some research online and did find a US-based online retailer of Asian products, Yamibuy.com. They actually carry all 5 flavours of Chatime Milk Tea at $8 USD per box (12 milk tea bags per box). If you are a Canadian and have a package receiving service in the US, this would be a way to get those oh-so-hard-to-get Chatime Milk Tea boxes. Yamibuy carries a large selections of snacks, cosmetics, electronics, and many more fun products from Asia. They also guarantee that their products are not fake or counterfeit.

If you want to get 500 points ($5) towards your first purchase, use my Yamibuy referral link here: www.yamibuy.com/en/login.php?invite_code=422853

Happy shopping!

Product Review: Make At Home Chatime Milk Tea

December 14, 2017 by foodgressing 1 Comment

In time for the holidays, Chatime announced that they were offering a limited number of tea boxes so you can make your Chatime milk tea at home. 5 milk tea flavours were made available: Premium Milk, Premium Jasmine, Supreme Oolong, Dark Roasted and Selected Mixes. According to Chatime, these boxes would be sold at all Chatime BC locations except Langara, Victoria and East Vancouver.

Note: This review is not sponsored and the product was not complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Bought from T & T

Chinesebites graciously tried to offer me a box to try as media but unfortunately, they were sold out already! However, the stars were aligned for me as I managed to find some at the T & T Supermarket by BC Place. After posting about the find on my Instagram stories, a friend saw the post and tried to find it at the T & T Supermarket in Metrotown. Either the store didn’t carry any or it was sold out because she had no luck getting a box.

At the T & T Supermarket by BC Place, they carried only the Premium Milk and Oolong tea flavours. It was also on sale this week for $6.99 from $8.99. This is quite a discount from paying $4+ dollars at an actual Chatime location. I end up getting a box of Premium Milk Tea to try. Each box contains 12 sachets of milk tea. One satchet can be prepared as either cold milk tea (90 mL) or hot milk tea (180 mL – 220 mL).

Eh voila, here is what the tea mix looks like. It’s very fine and dissolves quite quickly.

Making Tapioca Pearls

Now for a more true bubble tea experience, you gotta have bubbles, right? I have been using this brand of starch balls bought from T & T for a while now.

The instructions on how to cook the pearls are in Chinese and seem to require the use of something like an instant pot? Anyhow, after some trial and error, I figured out the way to do it per 1 packet of Chatime milk tea is to have about 80 grams of pearls per 1 L of water. You start off by heating water to boil then add the pearls. It’s actually quite a labour intensive process to make these pearls over the stovetop because you need to stir frequently so that the peals don’t stick to the bottom. And I cook them for about an hour before draining them and rinsing with cold water. The last step is to sweeten them to your taste (like with brown sugar, honey or agave).

And that’s it, at-home Chatime milk tea! The Premium Milk Tea flavour is true to that what you would get in-store. And with just a price of $0.58 per cup (sans pearls), I’d say it’s a very good deal with no compromise in flavours. A very convenient product when you desperately crave bubble tea (I have that sometimes). I made a hot milk tea and it was very satisfying. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Where to Buy Online

Did you know that you can buy Chatime Milk Tea bags online? Find out more in my post here.

Chatime Kerrisdale Now Open: Hidden Gems on Menu

March 5, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Exciting news for Chatime fans as Chatime has opened their sixth location in BC. The newest shop is in Kerrisdale at 6075 West Boulevard, Vancouver. Originally from Taiwan, Chatime has over 1200 locations worldwide including Abu Dhabi, Miami, London and more. Chatime Kerrisdale is currently in a soft opening phase but will be having their grand opening next week on March 10th. There is a buy one get one free grand opening special on March 10 – 12 (three days) where the free drink is a Pearl Milk Tea or Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea. Yesterday, I attended a media tasting organized by Chinesebites.com.

Disclosure: I sampled various drinks from Chatime which were complimentary. Photos are full-size versions.

Artful Space

The newest Chatime location has an attractive, artful space. I liked the colourful murales on the walls which added to the atmosphere.

There are quite a few tables along the wall and high top tables near the front.

At the back, there is a small lounge area with cozy banquette seating. In the photo below, we had the tasting there but you can imagine what it could look like on a regular day. It seems to be a popular place where students can work.

Chatime Kerrisdale Menu

Chatime has a wide selection of drinks organized by category including Milk Tea, Fresh Tea, Smoothie/Slush, Chatime QQ, Refreshing Juice, Fruit Tea, Mousse and more. Drinks typically range between $4-$5. You can decide on the ice level (regular, less, no ice) and sugar level (extra, regular, less, half, slight or not sugar). Click on the image below to see the full image.

Topping options include pearl, grass jelly, coconut jelly, red bean, coffee jelly, aloe vera, and rainbow jelly, pudding and more.

Chatime Menu Hidden Gems

While many bubble tea lovers enjoy sticking to their usual order, you might want to try some of the “hidden gems” on the Chatime menu. I was able to sample some of these hidden gems at the tasting.

1. Butterfly Pea with Grapefruit Juice

Butterfly Pea is a wildflower in the Pea family. Its name is inspired by its expanded shape which resembles a butterfly. The flower is best known for its vibrant, blue-violet colour and this bluish color is released when brewed with water. The liquid then changes colour based on the acidity level of the drink. For example, adding lemon juice to butterfly pea flower tea results in a rich violet. The whole experience of creating these drinks is like watching a mood ring change colour. Aside from its novelty factor, butterfly pea flower is said to have high antioxidants. Other health benefits claimed include blood circulation, eye sight improvement, skin and hair nourishment, premature aging prevention, body slimming, and immunity enhancement.

While I have tried Butterfly Pea tea elsewhere in Vancouver, Chatime’s version of the drink is really good and refreshing. I enjoyed the very citrusy taste from the grapefruit juice. It is recommended to have these drinks in ice versions and to not have additional topping to fully enjoy the flavour of the butterfly pea.

2. Oolong Tea Mousse

Another favourite of mine from the tasting was the Oolong Tea Mousse. It had a very nice oolong flavour on the bottom with a nice foamy mousse on top. Loved the creaminess of it. I would recommend it.

3. Hazelnut Milk Tea + Coffee Jelly

The hazelnut milk had a very obvious hazelnut flavour which is good. The coffee jelly is the ideal topping for the hazelnut milk tea to compliment the nutty taste.

4. Strawberry Au Lait + Pudding

The Strawberry Au Lait tasted more like a dessert drink for me. It had blended strawberry syrup, coconut jelly and milk, and then topped with more coconut jelly. A drink that kind of has a summer feel to it.

5. Kumquat Lemon Juice + Aiyu Jelly

The Kumquat Lemon Juice is a rather citrusy drink. Fresh kumquat is used when available, but due to it being a seasonal fruit, real fruit syrup may be substituted. Aiyu jelly is a favourite Taiwanese dessert that is made from the seeds of various fig found in the mountains of Taiwan. Aiyu jelly is usually served with honey and lemon juice as well as fruit tea.

Overall Impression

Chatime Kerrisdale has a very comfortable, inviting space and it makes for a great place for students to hangout or study. I would recommend trying the Butterfly Pea and Oolong Tea Mousse the most.

Instagram: @chatime_kerrisdale

Bubbleteagressing at Chatime Broadway

February 5, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Chatime. I enjoy their selection, ability to customize and their flavours are great too. Located at 1545 West Broadway (near Broadway and Granville), Chatime Broadway is one of five locations in Metro Vancouver (others are at Robson, Surrey Central, Richmond). I stopped by Chatime Broadway on two occassions recently to pick up a few bubbleteas and here are my thoughts.

#1 BUBBLE TEA BRAND IN THE WORLD

To start, here are a few fun facts about Chatime. Chatime is originally form Taiwan and has over 1200 locations worldwide including Abu Dhabi, Miami, and London to name a few. 100 million cups of Chatime bubble tea are sold annually – now that’s a lot of bubble tea!

QUALITY IS A PRIORITY

To ensure the perfect drink, Chatime tea is brewed fresh in store. Their emphasis is on *natural*, using real tea leaves and natural ingredients. They rely on natural flavours, rather than using preservatives, pre-made tea and tea powder. Real fruit juice is used rather than powder and pearls are discarded after a few hours in order to ensure freshness. Chatime tea leaves are sourced from Taiwan including from their own tea farm.

CHATIME MENU

Chatime has quite the selection of drinks which is organized by category. There are Smoothie & Slush, Signature Milk Tea, Special Mix Tea, Fresh and Espresso Tea, and Mousse & Tea Latte. Drinks are mostly between $4-$5. Zomato has decent pictures of their menu.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR DRINK

Chatime is about making the drink right for you. You can decided on the ice level (none, less, normal, extra) and even sugar level (0%, 30%, 50% and 80%). They also have 8 toppings available at $0.50 each: pearl, grass jelly, coconut jelly, red bean, coffee jelly, aloe vera, and rainbow jelly, pudding.

Chatime drinks come in regular (500 mL) or large (700 mL) for cold drinks and regular (500 mL) for hot drinks.

Chatime Broadway

The Chatime Broadway location is chic and modern with a long cozy banquette and some smaller dining tables.

What I Tried

I have tried several flavours from different locations (Robson, Surrey Central, Markham, Montreal). My top three of all-time are the Pearl Milk Tea, Taro Milk Tea and Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea. These flavours are conservative, classic and delicious! The Taro Milk Tea has blended taro flesh. I also ordered the Taro Pudding Milk Tea from Chatime Broadway though I wasn’t a big fan of the pudding. I much prefer the Chatime pearls which are big, soft and chewy.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF CHATIME Broadway

The Chatime Broadway is less busy compared to the Robson but I find that their interior is much more cozy. Chatime drinks are great as usual. You can’t go wrong with one of the top 10 ones. Rating: 4/5

For more information, visit Chatime BC at their website and on Facebook.

Chatime Surrey Grand Opening + BOGO

January 3, 2016 by foodgressing 1 Comment

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event at Chatime Surrey. All opinions are my own.

Chatime lovers can rejoice as a new Chatime location is opening today. The new addition to the franchise in BC is Chatime Surrey at 10255 King George Blvd. Chatime Surrey has a fantastic grand opening special of “Buy One Get One Free” from January 3 – 5. The free one is either pearl milk tea or grass jelly roasted milk tea. You might want to hurry because you never know when the pearls might run out!

Buy 1 Get 1 Free (Pearl Milk Tea or Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea) starts at noon at our Surrey grand opening. 10255 King George Blvd.

A photo posted by Chatimebc (@chatimebc) on Jan 3, 2016 at 11:27am PST

About Chatime

Originally form Taiwan, Chatime has over 1200 locations worldwide including Abu Dhabi, Miami, and London to name a few. In fact, 100 million cups of Chatime bubble tea are sold annually – now that’s a lot of bubble tea!

In BC, there are four existing locations: 2 in Vancouver, 1 in Richmond and 1 in Burnaby. Conveniently located near the Skytrain station, Chatime Surrey is the 5th and newest bubbletea location for the franchise.

Quality is a Priority

Chatime Menu

Chatime has quite the selection of drinks which are organized by category. Some of the categories include Oriential Pop tea, Chatime Jelly, Milk Tea, Fruit Tea, and Mousse. Drinks range between $4-$5.

Customize Your Drink

Chatime is about making the drink right for you. You can decided on the ice level (regular, less, no ice) and even sugar level (extra, regular, less, half, slight or not sugar). They also have 8 toppings available: pearls, grass jelly, coconut jelly, red bean, coffee jelly, aloe vera, and rainbow jelly, pudding.

Chatime drinks come in regular (500 mL) or large (700 mL) for cold drinks and regular (500 mL) for hot drinks.

What We Tried

I only learned about Chatime when I attended a media event at their Downtown Vancouver store on Robson last May. Since then, I have been hooked and am a regular customer.

Yesterday, I was invited by Chinesebites.com to a media event at Chatime Surrey. My husband and son joined me at the event and we had the privilege of sampling any drink on the menu. While we are regular customers of the Top 10 Chatime drinks, we took the opportunity to try some ones that we normally do not order.

We started off with a matcha mousse with pearl (80% ice, half-sugar). The matcha flavour had just the right intensity without it being too bitter. This was my son’s favourite drink of the ones we tried. Next up was the taro red bean milk tea (80% ice, half-sugar). The red beans were cooked just right – that is, not too mushy but not too firm.

The hazlenut latte was the first hot drink I tried from Chatime. When I removed the lid, I was a bit surprised to find the drink not filled to the top. It was a regular size and I guess they don’t have regular sized cups? The drink was hot but still drinkable and I even had red beans as a topping. Overall, it kind of felt like red bean and hazelnut dessert soup!

The last drink we tried was a banana milk tea with rainbow jelly. I have to admit that this was not an ideal combo. The banana flavour was very intense and did not go well with the mixed flavours of the rainbow jelly.

Overall Impression of Chatime Surrey

As a fan of the Chatime franchise, it is exciting to see a new Chatime location being opened in Metro Vancouver. The drinks I tried were overall very good but I would personally stay away from the rainbow jelly; it adds too many complex flavours to the drink. Rating: 4/5

For more information, visit Chatime BC at their website and on Facebook.

Chatime Robson Street

May 27, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Chatime, known as the #1 bubble tea brand in the world, has opened two new locations right here in Vancouver. One location is at Robson and Broughton which is convenient for people looking for a break after an afternoon of shopping. The other is on Broadway and Fir which could be a great stop for anyone commuting on the 99 B-line. I was invited by ChineseBites.com to attend the media event at the Robson location to try out their handcrafted beverages.

#1 bubble tea brand in the world

Originally from Taiwan, Chatime has now over 1200 locations worldwide including Abu Dhabi, Miami, and London to name a few. 100 million cups of Chatime bubble tea are sold annually – now that’s a lot of bubble tea! I had not heard of Chatime until they launched in Vancouver, but I expected them to be experts in making the perfect bubble tea drink given the size of their franchise.

Quality is a Priority

Chatime Menu

Customize Your Drink

Chatime drinks come in regular (500 mL) or large (700 mL) for cold drinks and regular (500 mL) for hot drinks.

Top 10 Chatime Drinks

The Top 10 Chatime Drinks are:

Pearl Milk Tea
Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea
Taro Pudding Milk Tea
Brown Rice Green Milk Tea
Taiwan Mango QQ
Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea
Mango Smoothie
Red Bean Pearl Milk Tea
Matcha Tea Latte
Chocolate Mousse

My husband and I tried 5 of the top 10 drinks: Grass Jelly Milk Tea, Taro Milk Tea, Red Bean Pearl Milk Tea, Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea, and Taiwan Mango QQ.

The Grass Jelly Milk Tea consisted of black tea, QQ and grass jelly and was my favorite of the bunch we tried. I never had grass jelly in bubble tea before and it was interesting to slurp such large pieces of jelly up the straw.

The Taro Milk Tea had black tea, QQ (a mix of pearl and coconut jelly) and milk powder. It was a nice, light and refreshing drink.

I love red bean in food so naturally I enjoyed the Red Bean Pearl Milk Tea the most. It had no pearls but a delicious mix of red bean, taro powder and milk powder. I was on the fence with the Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea. I regularly drink matcha tea and matcha lattes, but I wasn’t in love with matcha mixed with red bean flavour.

The Taiwan Mango QQ consisted of mango and QQ . It was my least favorite because the mango flavour seemed too intense.

Chatime Rewards Program

You can pick up at Chatime Rewards card at one of the Richmond, Broadway and Robson Chatime locations and start earning points! You earn 1 point for every drink you purchase and redeem 10 points for one regular sized drink with one complimentary topping. You can also receive a free regular drink within 7 days of your birthday.

Overall Impression of Chatime Robson

I like that Chatime uses more natural ingredients and natural flavours in their bubble tea drinks. Allowing customers to decide on the ice and sugar level is also a plus. On my next shopping trip on Robson, I’ll be sure to pop by Chatime for a refreshing drink.

Website: http://www.chatimeca.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chatime-Vancouver%E6%97%A5%E5%87%BA%E8%8C%B6%E5%A4%AA/559699700808978

Bought from T & T

Making Tapioca Pearls

Where to Buy Online

Artful Space

Chatime Kerrisdale Menu

Chatime Menu Hidden Gems

1. Butterfly Pea with Grapefruit Juice

2. Oolong Tea Mousse

3. Hazelnut Milk Tea + Coffee Jelly

4. Strawberry Au Lait + Pudding

5. Kumquat Lemon Juice + Aiyu Jelly

Overall Impression

#1 BUBBLE TEA BRAND IN THE WORLD

QUALITY IS A PRIORITY

CHATIME MENU

CUSTOMIZE YOUR DRINK

Chatime Broadway

What I Tried

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF CHATIME Broadway

About Chatime

Quality is a Priority

Chatime Menu

Customize Your Drink

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Chatime Surrey

#1 bubble tea brand in the world

Quality is a Priority

Chatime Menu

Customize Your Drink

Top 10 Chatime Drinks

Chatime Rewards Program

Overall Impression of Chatime Robson

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