Every Thursday, I buy different kinds of beverages for myself to try. I call it Thirsty Thursdays for myself. There was a time when I buy various kinds of milk teas in different stores. One large cup of brand X for one thursday, then one large brand Y for next thursday, and it goes on and on. Also, there was an instance when my boredom led me to the grocery store and made me purchase different brands of fruit juices to know what’s the best. Ok, you might think I’m weird but I have a relationship with myself to make life more interesting. Hahaha! That is just one of the things I do when boredom strikes. I can never be stuck at home doing nothing. If I’ll be stuck at home the whole day, I would probably blog, watch my fave series, lifestyle network or read food magazines. 🙂

One Wednesday, I, together with the club, was invited to a new hole in the wall Taiwanese cafe called Botan Bubble Tea & Cafe. We were all shocked by what the owner prepared for us. One by one, she put out the beverages on our tables. Felt like she served us almost every drink on the menu. Crazy (in a good way)! Because of this experience, my Thirsty Thursday the next day didn’t push through. I reached my weekly “quota” with all the beverages I tried in Botan Bubble Tea & Cafe. 

Tapioca Pearl Milk Tea (Php 90/100) – About half of this tall glass (no camera tricks), is full of pearls. In every sip you make, till you finish the drink, you can still get a piece of those pearls. Nothing extraordinary if you are a milk tea fan. You will just love this for its pearl generosity. 

Fresh Fruits Tea (Php 150) – I wanted to take home that tea set when I saw it on the table. Like Jane, the song that entered my head was “I’m a little tea pot short and stout, here is my handle and here is my spout. When I get all steamed up here me shout, blah blah blah”. I stopped singing because it might be stuck in my head the whole time a.k.a. LSS or last song syndrome. Wait, did you sing? Honestly? 🙂 

Anyway, their hot tea won’t get cold because of the little candle under that heats the teapot. So I wasn’t worried to get it last after all the cold drinks I tried. The tea was seriously fruity and citrusy. You have the option to adjust the citrus level by adding syrup on your cup. I didn’t add syrup anymore since I was up for the citrusy taste. 

Taro Milk Tea (Php 85/95) – Have you tasted Chatime’s taro milk tea version? If you did, this one is the lighter and more liquid compared to Chatime’s. Tastes pure and real. Meaning, it doesn’t taste cheap. Authentic taiwanese taro milk tea I must say. I like this better than Chatime’s version.

Well, how about Quickly? I’d say both since Quickly is a childhood favorite. Haha! 🙂

Sea Foam Winter Melon Tea (Php 100) – I enjoyed this drink the most! Way better than the overrated Happy Lemon drink (you know what I’m talking about). Three good reasons – the size, the price and the taste. Sea Foam Winter Melon Tea has a more unique taste and gives me a more guilt-free feeling after drinking. Compared to Happy Lemon, which has the combination of cheese and chocolate. Not good for summer! Hehe. 

Yakult Green Tea (Php 110) – I love Yakult but this one didn’t leave a mark for me. I’m not going back for their Yakult Green Tea. 

Calamansi Green Tea (Php 80/90) – We all need Vitamin C to fight sickness like cough and colds. You can’t afford to get sick this summer. That’s a big NO! Given that fact, Calamansi Green Tea is the healthy and refreshing drink for us! Not that sour, definitely not sweet. Balanced taste you may order in Botan Bubble Tea & Cafe. 

Botan serves food for you not to drown with their tea drinks. I suggest you to order their Thick Cut Toast (Php 70 each) to partner with any of your chosen beverage. The bread is thick but soft. Tastes imported! 😉 Flavors to choose from are strawberry, peanut butter, chocolate and butter. My top 2 favorites are their chocolate and peanut butter. If you are up for a light dinner, their beverages and toasts can already satisfy your hunger. If you still want rice meals, don’t get out of the cafe anymore to buy. They also have several bento box meals you could order like this one: Chicken Adobo

Don’t you just adore their interiors? About 95% of what your eyes can see in Botan Bubble Tea & Cafe are imported from Taiwan! And I am serious about that. That includes the ingredients they use for their beverages, the utensils and the furnishings. 

Cuuute authentic Taiwanese collectibles displayed. You will see this right away as you open the entrance door to Botan.

I was excited to check their fashion and lifestyle magazines then suddenly when I flipped the page, I was like “UGH, (with a straight face) I can’t understand a thing!” Even the magazines are written in Chinese! 

Thank you Botan Bubble Tea & Cafe. It was a pleasure to get a preview of what I can expect in Taiwan. 🙂 You broke my Thirsty Thursday routine with all the teas you made me try last Wednesday. Haha! 

Cheers,

Location: Basement 1, West of Ayala No. 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave, Makati City

(Entrance along Urban Ave.)

Budget: PHP120++

Rate: 8/10