Starbucks Teavana launched in Asia including the Philippines

Starbucks is launching Starbucks Teavana Handcrafted Beverages and Full Leaf Tea Sachets as a core offering in more than 6,200 Starbucks stores across China and the Asia Pacific region, including the Philippines starting September 14, 2016.

Who would have thought that Matcha and Espresso is one of the best combinations ever?!

Starbucks Philippines' introduction of this modern tea experience with the world’s finest teas and botanicals is great for its growing customers looking for new, different and exciting tastes and experiences from Starbucks.

Starbucks Teavana Full Leaf Tea Sachets

This modern tea experience provides all of their custimers the opportunity to enjoy a range of unique iced and hot tea beverages with bold, layered flavors, handcrafted the way only Starbucks can. Starbucks is offering three new Starbucks® Teavana™ Handcrafted Beverages:

1. Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls (Tall ₱130, Grande ₱145, Venti ₱160) - The combination of the hibiscus Starbucks Teavana tea and busting pearls of real pomegranate juice gives a  refreshing beverage that has a kick of flavor. Pomegranate juice is a good source of antioxidants.
2. Iced Shaken Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit and Honey (Tall ₱130, Grande ₱145, Venti ₱160) - Combines a traditional western black tea experience with a creative twist that is delicious iced with bites of pomelo fruit, grapefruit and honey for a touch of added sweetness. The beverage contains star ruby grapefruit, which is a good source of vitamins A and C and is rich in bioflavonoids and antioxidants
3. Matcha & Espresso Fusion (Tall ₱155, Grande ₱170, Venti ₱185) - Easily my favorite, this drink combines Starbucks' Matcha powder layered with milk and our Espresso Roast creates a beautiful layered beverage and is an inventive combination of coffee and tea, to be enjoyed hot or iced. Matcha is full of catechins, which are some of the most potent and beneficial antioxidants.

Also coming out in the Philippines this September 14, 2016 are the new Starbucks Card, the Autumn Leaf Cards and the Mid-Autumn Festival Card. In a press release Starbucks welcomes "another change in season with these delightful leaves in every shade of the autumn spectrum - red, yellow, orange, brown and green. These cards are available for an initial consumable load amount of ₱500 per card. On the other hand, in celebration of the Moon Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival, where the time of the year when the moon is at its brightest and fullest, Starbucks celebrates with everyone with the release of a card dedicated to the festivities. The card is available for an initial consumable load amount of ₱300.

Purchase limit of two (2) activated Autumn Leaf Cards and (2) activated Mid-Autumn Festival Card per customer per day.

Taipei's #1: Share Tea in San Juan

Share Tea is a Taiwanese tea-beverage store which specializes in milk tea and tea. It started in 1992 and has since expanded to over 180 stores worldwide, including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, United States, Dubai UAE, Brunei, the Philippines, and is still expanding rapidly.



Share Tea is most loved for its classic pearl milk tea drinks as well as for their other specialty drinks like rock-salt cheese drinks, natural fruit teas, and handmade taro with fresh milk, which are all exclusive at Share Tea.



My second cousin, Christy, invited me to try out Share Tea. One Sunday, before going to Victory Greenhills, we passed by the tea shop to try out what they have to offer. Since Share Tea is new to me, I let them decide what they wanted me to try out.

Menu of Share Tea
I tried the (a) Rock Salt Cheese with Cocoa - a mix of sweet cocoa drink with salty cheese cream; (b) Taiwan Classic Pearl Milk Tea - an all-time favorite, they say that no other milk tea comes close; and (c) Handmade Taro with Fresh Milk - A must try, handmade yam drink.



The three drinks I have tried are really good and refreshing. I personally like the Cocoa with rock salt and cheese. It's comparable to Happy Lemon, or actually even (arguably) better.

The pearl milk tea is another staple. I think you can judge if the shop is good from this most basic drink they offer. After the first sip, I can safely say that Share Tea is one of the milk tea places worth going to :)

The hand-made taro drink, on the other hand, was interesting. It's refreshing and unique, but it's not for everyone I would think. For me, it lacked sweetness and texture.



Share Tea (They Deliver!)
Wilson, Greenhills: +632-7278888
Pioneer, Pasig: +632-6545555
Facebook: Share Tea Philippines

Drink Tea 水研社 at The Podium

If last year was the frozen yogurt or "fro-yo" year, this year is definitely the milk tea year. More and more Filipinos drink tea and milk tea today. More and more milk tea and tea shops open at every corner and turn possible. Among the shops that have opened are: Serenitea, Moonleaf, Chatime, Gong Cha, Happy Lemon, Cha Dao, Raintree, and a lot more... :)

Recently, I came across another tea place, Drink Tea 水研社, a Taiwanese tea shop brand, that opened at The Podium in Ortigas. What's unique about Drink Tea, and probably one of their trademarks, is their pink pearls made from Roselle plant extract, which has medical qualities.



I ordered the Pearl Milk Tea, with 25% sugar, and normal ice. What's good with the tea and milk tea shops now is that you can customize the sugar level put in the cup you're ordering. Drink Tea also allows you to customize the ice that they put in your drink.



The star of the drink, besides the really good tea that they have, is the Rose Pearls, or the Roselle Pearls. Not only does it add color and liven up your drink, it has this nice rubbery bite to it, which I like most. Roselle Pearls, comes from the Roselle plant extract. Roselle is associated with traditional Chinese medicine which is used for treatment to reduce hypertension, treat urinary track infections, enhance rejuvenation and reduces fatigue.



Menu of Drink Tea 水研社 :)



Drink Tea 水研社
Contact: +632-6871686
12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
1550 Mandaluyong

Zen Tea at EGI Taft Tower

Zen Tea, located at the EGI Taft Tower along Taft Avenue Manila, is a hangout place near De La Salle University (DLSU), where people have their tea fix and pass time with their friends. It's a hole in the wall stall, similar to the ones in the UP Shopping Center (SC), but it's much more cozier and cooler.

You'll have to order and pay at the cashier, then wait for your order to be called out. They have a second floor where you and your barkada or friends can sit and relax while you enjoy your tea.

They offer several tea drinks, like the Green Tea Iced Tea, Personalitea, and the Milk Teas with pearls. As you can see in the photo below, they are served in two sizes (L and XL), and with the corresponding prices.


I only got to try the NaiCha or the Pearl Milk Tea (XL at Php 50), which was supposed to be their bestseller. I can't help but compare it to Serenitea (the tea place I instantly fell in love with). I have to say it's miles away from Serenitea. I don't care if it's Php 40 cheaper, but this didn't even come close to Serenitea's Hokkaido Milk Tea. There was just something odd in the mix.

I guess I have to give it the benefit of the doubt. The other tea we got, for Tracy, was the Lemon Green Iced Tea (Php 40). I hope it was much better than their milk tea. I have to go back and try out their other tea-concoctions. Until then, this is my review. P.S. I miss my Serenitea-fix! :))

Serenitea's Hokkaido Milk Tea with Pearls

I visited Serenitea, the milk tea craze in San Juan, recently. I was surprised to see improvements to the establishment. The tables and chairs were renovated. They now have original and better looking cup labels. The Hokkaido Milk Tea with Pearls, great as ever! :) I heard that they will open another branch in Robinson's Place (RP) Manila soon, so watch out!

Starbucks Lemon Hibiscus and Lemon Green Tea Blended Drinks

Starbucks recently launched their newest blended tea drinks - the Lemon Hibiscus and the Lemon Green Tea. As I am currently in the process of turning my best friend into a foodie, I brought him to Starbucks last week to try the new flavors.

I liked the Lemon Hibiscus more than the Lemon Green Tea, just because it offered a different tang to the drink; but over-all, I would say that the new blended tea drinks are just normal. It's a break from the coffee drinks, but I expected a lot more from Starbucks. Sadly, I didn't get impressed.

Figaro Coffee's Dory Provencal

Figaro Coffee offers this delectable food treat, the Dory Provencal, a pan-fried cream dory fish-fillet infused in zesty Provencal sauce. It comes with your choice of pasta (Arrabbiata, Al Tonno, Carbonara, Classic Chorizo and Pesto), green salad, and a choice of 12oz. Iced Tea or 12oz. Iced Coffee all for Php 199. :)