The Bubble Tea phenomenon has hit Canberra hard and fast over the past few years and it is not stopping any time soon. Canberra is home to over 13 different Bubble Tea companies to choose from, meaning that there is something new to experience for the whole family. Whether you are a traditionalist or an experimentalist, the choices and flavours are endless with Bubble Tea.
What is Bubble Tea?
Originating from Taiwan in the early 1980’s, Bubble Tea is a type of milk tea that is blended with fruit and fruit juices. This is then topped with tapioca pearls that sink to the bottom of your drink. Bubble tea also known as boba tea, has taken the world by storm over the recent years and is a favourite choice of drink for some, whether they choose to have it hot or cold. Bubble tea gets its name from the tapioca balls that float at the bottom of your drink from vigorous shaking during the blending process. Drinking bubble tea is an interesting experience if you haven’t tried it before. It is usually served in a transparent glass or cup with a thick straw that the pearl’s or boba can be sucked up into and then chewed until you hit the liquid inside of the tapioca balls. This milk tea is still super popular in Taiwan and China today and became famous as a post-work pick me up drink.
So what does bubble tea taste like? The iced tea itself just tastes like iced milk tea or green tea. You can add in different kinds of syrup (such as peach, strawberry, lychee, etc.) to suit your taste buds and your desired end product. Though the boba pearl’s add an interesting look, feel and consistency to the drink. These popping pearls have a chewy feel and can be placed on a scale between chewing gum and jelly in terms of texture and feel. There are many different flavours of these tapioca pearls. The bubble tea pearls are made with brown sugar and tapioca. It can be replicated at home though if you’re wanting an authentic boba tea experience, we suggest you check out one of the best bubble tea places in Canberra as listed below.
The best bubble tea’s of Canberra
Chatime
Founded in Taiwan in 2005, Chatime now operates in 38 different countries across the globe. In Canberra alone, the bubble tea franchise has five different locations in Canberra:
- ANU Childers Lane
- ANU Chifley Lane
- Westfield Woden
- Westfield Belconnen
- Gungahlin Marketplace
Chatime only has three distinct bubble tea drinks to choose from, although you can add in the tapioca pearls into any of their drinks.
Sharetea
Sharetea has been in Australia since 2012 and now has over 80 locations across Australia wide. This popular bubble tea store has eight locations across Canberra:
- Canberra Centre
- ANU, Marie Reay Teaching Centre
- Dickson
- Westfield Belconnen
- Gungahlin Marketplace
- Canberra Outlet Centre
- Westfield Woden
- South Point Shopping Centre
Bubble tea varieties are high on Sharetea’s priorities and they offer 13 different types of distinct bubble tea drinks to choose from.
Super Emoji
Super Emoji is a bubble tea brand specific to Canberra. They aim to infuse human emotions into their bubble tea, hence the name Super Emoji. The franchise has four locations across Canberra.
- Westfield Belconnen
- Dickson
- Garema Place, City
- Gungahlin
Oritea
Oritea is known for their original cheese series which includes cream cheese floating on top of the milk tea. It is one of their most popular drinks available in their two Canberra stores.
- Batman Street, Braddon
- Majura Park Shopping Centre
The Whale Tea
The Whale Tea is one of kind in Canberra. Located on City Walk in the city, the Whale Tea has a very extensive menu of bubble tea which includes sugar level options as well as ice and heat levels to customise your bubble tea to your liking. While the Whale Tea is not as well known as some of the others, they also get honourable mentions for their desserts (which some people travel for specifically).
KoO
Located on London Circuit, KoO brings a different vibe to the bubble tea scene in Canberra. Originally called Shook, KoO packaging is sweet but also Instagram worthy. Their flashy colours and cool glass jars make it a different kind of experience within bubble tea that is not super common.
Machi Machi Australia
Starting off in Sydney in 2019, Machi Machi has over 25 stores across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory. Their Canberra store is located in the Canberra CBD on Bunda Street and their tapioca pearls are homemade on site and are brewed and stewed each morning for the best sweet boba taste and chewability.
Gong Cha
With over 1,500 stores across the globe, Gong Cha gets its name from ancient China times. The words “gong cha” is the act of offering tea to the emperor of the time. It has been the fastest growing tea brand within Asia and has now graced Australia with it’s presence. Gong Cha has three different locations to choose from within Canberra.
- Canberra CBD
- Gungahlin Marketplace
- Belconnen Westfield
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice
Founded in 1997, the name of CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice comes from their concepts on bubble tea around consistency and continuity. CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice has over 4,500 stores worldwide and have been open in Canberra since April 2021. The bubble tea shop is located within City Walk in the Canberra CBD.
Corner Canberra
Located on London Circuit, Corner Canberra offers a variety of traditional bubble tea options as well as some alternative westernised bubble tea options to choose from.
Champion Chicken and Tea
This fast food restaurant which is located within the Belconnen Westfield’s food court offers what you could call an Asian take on the westernised KFC. Serving fried chicken and bubble tea, you can get your fix of guilty pleasures here.
Milk Flower
Established in Sydney 2018, Milk Flower have a variety of different style drinks to other bubble tea stores. Their main focus is on bringing health to everyone in the community without the use of fat and additives. They have two stores in Canberra to choose from
- Belconnen Westfield
- Dickson (coming soon)
85C° Daily Café
Located in Acton on Childers Street, 85° Daily Café has the one store in Canberra as well as multiple stores across New South Wales and the world. Their core values are execution, quality, trust, service and innovation. They are not just a spot you can get your boba tea fix, you can also grab delicious café treats here for the whole family to enjoy.
