Koi Cafe Singapore: The Bubble Tea craze

June 3, 2010 | 123 Comments

Koi Bubble Tea

I don’t get it. I don’t get the fuss over KOI Cafe’s Bubble Tea, but here I am queuing up for it behind twenty people. Please keep your calm, but I have to confess that this is my first time having bubble tea in Singapore.

I know there are plenty of bubble tea shops like Gong Cha, I love Taimei, Sweet talk and Each a cup that have been around for some time, but I wasn’t really tempted to have bubble tea even during the bubble tea craze a couple of years back.

Okay, stop looking at me like as if I’m a weirdo. Even though I only have my first bubble tea in Singapore last month, I’ve tried bubble tea when I was in Taiwan two years back. The milk tea was great; smooth and silky and wholesome, with lots of big chewy black pearls. The size of the drink is huge and it’s very cheap too – now that’s what i called a true Taiwan bubble tea.

KOI Cafe

Speaking of that, I asked a very silly question on twitter: Why is bubble tea called bubble tea? From the response, I was told that the marbled-size pearls resembled little pops of bubbles, but is that really the reason? (Corrected after comment by btlover)

Sorry for the rants and lets get back to Koi cafe’s milk tea. There’s so many different flavors available on the menu but I had the original Pearl milk tea on both occasions that I went to the Koi cafe outlet at Marine Parade. Are they worth the queue and price? The Pearl milk tea is almost a dollar more than the other bubble tea shops in Singapore. It’s good, but I wouldn’t queue up specially for it.

Will all the Koi Cafe lovers stand up and tell me why is Koi Cafe’s bubble tea so awesome?

I still don’t get it.

* * *

List of KOI Bubble Tea Cafe in Singapore

// Updated with KOI Cafe Clementi, & KOI Cafe Tampines

Koi Cafe Ang Mo Kio
Blk 704 Ang Mo Kio Central #01-2545 Tel: +65 6459 1518

Koi Cafe Bishan
513 Bishan street 13 #01-503 Tel: +65 6258 1729

Koi Cafe Clementi
Blk 442 Clementi Ave 3 #01-101 Tel: +65 64405845

Koi Cafe Illuma
201 Victoria Street #01-15 Iluma At Bugis Tel: +65 6884 6817

Koi Cafe People’s Park
1 Park Road #01-16 People’s Park Complex Tel: +65 6536 8330

Koi Cafe Marine Parade
Blk 83 Marine Parade Central #01-562 Tel: +65 6440 4869

Koi Cafe Toa Payoh
190A Toa Payoh Central #01-562 Tel: +65 6256 1169

Koi Cafe Tampines
Blk 510 tampines central #01-250

Category: # Restaurant Review, * East Singapore, Dining Guide Singapore, Food Photography, Singapore Food Blog
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Comments

123 Responses to “Koi Cafe Singapore: The Bubble Tea craze”

  1. Camemberu
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

    I don’t get it either. But someone told me their hazelnut milk tea is nice, and to ask for mix of big and small pearls! Hazelnut sounds good… Especially in Nutella and Loacker, so I will try that next. But I still don’t get it…for now.

  2. hahazZ
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:07 pm

    cos they made the milk tea there? not like those pre made ones from sweet talk.

    the tea is also very smooth and taste very rich.

    it’s actually very similar to another bubble tea chain called Cup Walker. and cup walker offers these alovera bits which go well with the pearls.

    but for now, i heard this place called Gong Cha (found at city square mall) is better. (heard from furryphotos and daphnemaia)

  3. btlover
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:14 pm

    The name has got nothing to do with the pearls. Back then before the drinks were blended, they were mostly shaken with the cocktail shaker hence creating lots of froth and bubbles, hence the name.

  4. Calvin
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

    Bubble Tea, also known as ??? in Chinese is smartly coined up name for it to market it in the modern world today.

    Going back to the past, it’s just hot red tea + milk and being shake till bubble foam up at the top just like teh tarik. That’s the origin of ???? invented in Taiwan coffee houses long time back.

    Later, the cold version of it came out. Someone improvised it by adding pearls into it and it was known as ???? aka Pearl Milk Tea which is what we get today.

    Also, many flavours using syrup was introduced and got many people addicted to it.

    The craze of Koi’s bubble tea still remain even though the bubble tea craze is long over probably gotta be their standard of their milk tea as well as their soft chewy pearls. As well as the option of choosing less sugar in the bubble tea for the health conscious people out there! =)

  5. Claudia
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:36 pm

    I love Koi!!! Love the Ovaltine flavor!

    Why I love koi? Hmm… cos I can choose not to have too much sugar, and the tea is fresher (imo) and the pearls are nicer to chew on!

    Now you make my craving even deeper! Haven’t drank Koi for more than 3 weeks! I need Koi!

  6. CL
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:19 pm

    KOI is actually a bubble tea shop from taiwan. they changed the name from to KOI in singapore. they’re actually called ’50?‘ in taiwan.

  7. Irony
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:21 pm

    Perhaps you can try the hazelnut milk tea in half or 3/4 sweet..I was not very convinced by the ravings at first, but after sipping on the hazelnut milk tea, I just cannot stop mouthfuls after mouthfuls. The pearls are really addictive. The tea is fragrant, the milk is smooth, no powdery residue like Sweet Talk or other random ones.

    Maybe the popularity of it stems from the hunger for some authentic milk teas similar to those in TW. This is the closest you can get in the extremely hot and humid Sg..

  8. stella
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:23 pm

    it’s the creamer. that’s their secret. MY GUESS!!! :)

  9. Fairy
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 2:31 pm

    L?ve KOI bubble Tea! Honey Green Tea!

  10. zy
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 2:31 pm

    Hi ladyironchef,

    I’ve tried Koi’s pearl milk tea only once. But decided it wasnt worth the queue.

    The pearls are chewy and of the right consistency. easily one of the best around in singapore. I am not much of a fan of pearls and my concern is more on the milk tea itself.

    the milk tea is smooth but I do not find it particularly special. my taste buds cant duscern if that they used high quality milk or tea. imo it is not worth the steep price.

    I like cup walker better. it is much cheaper and the taste is to my liking. whats more, there is no queue to worry about. next on my list would then be each a cup.

  11. vlazygirl
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

    I love Koi bubble tea! Usually I drink the Bubble Green Milk Tea. I find their milk tea richer and I like that I can have it less sweet (half-sugar!). Their pearls taste nicer too. I don’t drink the milk tea from Sweettalk coz they don’t have the nice “tea” taste.

  12. Genia
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 6:17 pm

    definitely not worth the crazy Q….

    u actually had the great patience of waiting behind 20 pple!!!!!!!!!!

    Try GONG-CHA at City Square. Less Q, but works on the same concept as KOI, but they have many more interesting Cheena types of exotic tea types…:)

    BTW, KOI and GONG-CHA can be both found in HK too, and yes,the Q is crazy long there. Maybe it’s a marketing gimmick to make drinks slower and serve them slower so create more hype? Hmmm, typical SG mentality, Got Q = Good Stuff?

  13. wish
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 8:12 pm

    Had the same thoughts lately.. Commented on my fb a couple of days ago that if I just want honey green tea, I can go for Cup Walker which taste as good, is cheaper and doesn’t hv a long Q.. As for the qn: “why the craze over KOI?” Other than the reason that they’re 50? from Taiwan, I believe they’re the only BT outlet which promotes “healthier choice – as in less/no sugar option” among all BT outlets in SG, and KOI does serve pretty good tea..

    Oh well, for the KOI lovers who read this post, try Cup Walker if you have the chance. =)

  14. Life for Beginners
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

    One man’s bubble tea is another man’s poison, mayhaps? :P

  15. yl
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 11:54 pm

    try the milk tea with grass jelly-0% sugar.:) i introduced it to all my friends n everyone is full of praise ! must try!!

  16. Ju (The Little Teochew)
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:08 am

    The only bubbles I like in my tea is teh tarik. LOL!!!

  17. joeron
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:15 am

    i love KOI for their chewy pearls, u should jus stick to the non-milk tea selections, i always order pearl green tea with 0% or 25% sugar level, very refreshing on a hot day!(the so called milk tea is tea+tons of creamer=fake milk tea,lol)
    recently there was article on bubble tea in Lianhe Zaobao, it say that s’porean actually prefered milk tea more, and that in taiwan,ppl dont order milktea that much.
    and i went Taiwan last mth and patronised the KOI outlet, they even asked if i wanted ice cubes..great service!

  18. joeron
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:21 am

    btw, my colleague loves their “Cacao Barry” with pearls..he always orders a large cup!
    i ordered it once out of curiosity, it’s a rich cocoa drink.. perhaps chocolate lovers can give it a try..

  19. min
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:38 am

    Gong cha like they said. Also offers the healthier choice. Koi’s std differs by branches. Bishan is nt v gd. Try d aiyu tea. Nt bad :) I’m gg to taipei soon. Yay bubble tea land! Want any? :)

  20. Colleague of Joeron
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:46 am

    Cocoa Berry
    Half Sugar, Big size
    Superb! If i am in chinatown area, die die, will go buy 1.
    I never been to taiwan, so to me currently, Koi is the best so far.
    Good things are worth waiting!

  21. Michelle
    June 4th, 2010 @ 2:10 am

    have tried both koi and cup walker but imho, cup walker is slightly better i guess!

  22. Cheryl
    June 4th, 2010 @ 9:59 am

    After drinking KOI, I can no longer bring myself to drink the other local brands eg. Sweet talk, Each a cup… The taste is better and pearls have a nice chew. I believe KOI brings in their ingredients from Taiwan, while the rest uses Phoon Huat.There is also better quality control, heard KOI throws away their pearls after a certain duration and replaces them with fresh ones. And you can see the KOI people have greater pride in making your drinks.

  23. numnums
    June 4th, 2010 @ 10:39 am

    I was at marine parade’s Koi the other day with my friends. i’ve tried their hazelnut milk tea and was rather disappointed. It didn’t live up to my standards or what my friends have described “unbelievable”.. its just pretty normal to me.

    But they have ice cream milk tea which i felt was pretty unique! Somehow, the taste of the milk tea n icecream just compliments each other and it leaves you cool and refreshed. The AI-YU tea is nice too =) Good for people who enjoy a little bit of sour in their drink ..

    I’ll definately be back for more.

  24. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 4th, 2010 @ 12:54 pm

    camemberu: High 5! I am not alone! haha i won’t bother to queue for it, but if there’s no one around (highly unlikely), i don’t mind getting it

    hahaz: They make their own milk tea there? where’s cupwalker at?

    btlover: thanks for the correction, i was given the impression that it was called bubble tea because of the black pearls

    calvin: wow dude you really know your bubble tea well! do you have it everyday? lol

    claudia: Ovaltine flavor bubble tea? eh, that’s a bit too much for me! haha

    CL: Yeah i heard, 50 cents in taiwan right. have you tried the one over there before?

    the irony: I am a big fan of hazelnut, from what you describe, i think i am going to like it!

    stella: seriously? are u a fan too? haha

    fairy: haha what’s so special about the honey green tea? i took a sip of the honey milk tea and avocado one, prefer the original pearl milk tea

    zy: hello yeah i have to agree with you. I won’t queue if there are too many people in the line. where’s cupwalker located?

    vlazygirl: another fan of the green milk tea! haha is it really so good? what else have you tried before?

    Genia: well my partner and I had some spare time so we queued up to see what’s the big fuss over it. lol okay heard a lot about gong cha, which flavors to try?

    wish: WHERE IS CUPWALKER! hahah everyone keeps telling me to try, but nobody tells me the location! lol

    LFB: is there any bubble tea craze in KL?

    yl: but 0% sugar won’t it be kind of tasteless?

    JU: LOL! you naughty girl!

    joeron: a big fan of Koi! haha is 25% sugar level enough? how sweet is that? and does the Cacao Barry has tea inside? some sort of chocolate tea? :p

    min: i want ji pa, and taiwan sausages please!

    Colleague of Joeron: Is it like those hot chocolate drinks? how does it taste like? i can’t imagine chocolate and tea together

    michelle: really? how much is the milk tea at cupwalker?

    Cheryl: wow where do you get all the behind-the-scenes info from? if it’s really true, then thumbs up to Koi!

    numnums: maybe your expectations are too high! i think it’s a love-it-or-hate-it situation with koi. I didn’t realize that they have ai-yu tea too, shall try that next time!

  25. hahazZ
    June 4th, 2010 @ 1:01 pm

    Oh like for sweet talk, they actually pre-make the milk tea. like it’s one whole tub already mass made. but for koi, they make each cup there and then, hence makes it taste creamier (+ the longgg queue.)

    as for cup walker, i know there’s one in pasir ris. not sure where are the rest. :)

  26. chelley
    June 4th, 2010 @ 3:21 pm

    I Love KOI bubble tea! It has to be the BEST-EST Bubble Tea I have ever had! I love that you can choose the sweetness of the tea and how generous they are with the tapioca pearls! The pearls are so Q and yummy! I love that my red pearl milk tea is so creamy and well, everything is just perfect about it!! At one point, I was drinking it everyday and james was hooked too!!! Hahahahaaa

  27. Wen Xiu
    June 4th, 2010 @ 5:49 pm

    i dont get it too. overpriced bubble tea. i prefer my $1 bubble tea opp parkway parade haha.

  28. joeron
    June 4th, 2010 @ 7:58 pm

    ladyironchef, i think i might have confused you..lol!cacao barry contains no tea in it at all, it’s a cocoa drink (think Van Houten cocoa drink?)

    actually, i love KOI because of their pearls. i’m a pearl addict and i must say that their’s is the BEST in SG! but their tea is of course of better quality than Sweettalk etc…so it’s kinda like the best of both world. being a tealover too, i find that it’s great KOI actually let u decide how sweet you want your drink.
    does cupwalker serve their tea with pearls as well?

  29. arhnana
    June 4th, 2010 @ 10:31 pm

    yes, yes to cup walker!! cup walker cup walker! I find their milk tea more flavoursome compared to the above-mentioned one.

  30. pammiez
    June 5th, 2010 @ 11:58 am

    did u noe that if u tilt the word KOI it is actually the chinese word dou(4). haha

    I always buy their honey milk tea, 70% sweet. NICE. But their pearls will harden if u keep it over night

  31. Jo
    June 5th, 2010 @ 2:41 pm

    There are lots of taiwanese-style bubble tea shops springing up all over Bedok actually. well with a crazy weather we’re experiencing now, I’m happy with a cup of milk tea anytime in Sg actually.

  32. Ah Bui Bui
    June 5th, 2010 @ 11:00 pm

    OMGosh..
    i was also debating earlier on with my friends over what so special about koi..
    my fav bubble tea will be eskimo at doby ghaut xchange, i tried koi and i cant stand it..

  33. noodles
    June 6th, 2010 @ 5:45 am

    The best bubble tea I have ever drank was in HK. The pearl was nice and chewy and the drink had several different types of tea leaves in it. Simply the best milk tea. KOI cannot compared with it at all.

  34. Michelle.L
    June 6th, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

    Cupwalker is available at Pasir ris and Toa Payoh, from what i know. They have Pudding milk tea!

  35. chelle
    June 6th, 2010 @ 6:13 pm

    OMG OMG OMG. Bubble tea! I’m like a (kinda) fan. I need my fix once in say a long time cos they are simply awesome! Even when I was in Aussie studying, my friends and I willingly parted with AU$4-$6 per cup just to get our fix!

    I’ve also tried the TW style bubble tea when I went there couple years back. It was so cheap over there! And nice of course. The pearls are just the right texture. I hate it when I get soggy or non-chewy pearls, I’ll be like all bummed out hahaha.

    One of my taiwanese friend introduced the “zhen zhu nai lu” which just beans mixed green and milk tea with pearls. It taste very similar to milk tea, just with a slight diff taste. Try it if they have it here in Sg…

  36. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 7th, 2010 @ 8:29 am

    hahazZ: when i was at sweet talk, i did noticed that they have buckets and buckets of milk tea already prepared before hand

    chelley: hahaha mich you sounds like you are in love with Koi bubble tea! yea i like the adjustments of the sugar level too! what level do u usually have?

    wenxiu: HAHAH! i only have koi milk tea when i am with my partner, otherwise i don’t really mind Sweet talk bubble tea

    joeron: Oops! so it’s a chocolate drink eh? i think i will like it! chocolate + tea just sound weird :p

    arhnana: Really? what do you always order from cupwalker?

    pammiez: 70% is it a bit too sweet? i always has the 50% and it was already quite sweet! but how come you still have leftovers to keep overnight? shouldn’t you finish it on the spot? lol

    Jo: really? as in other smaller bubble tea shops eh? any particular good one that stands out?

    Ah Bui Bui: what do you order from eskimo? can’t stand it as in can’t stand the drink or can’t stand the hype? haha

    noodles: is it gong cha in HK? i heard they are opened in Singapore!

    Michelle.L: Oh man! both places are so so far away! what happens if my cravings strike! haha

    chelle: You sound like a (big) fan! hahahaha it costs A$4-6? that’s crazy! okay i know what i am going to do, i am going to fly to aussie and sell bubble tea! hahahahah

  37. Ah Bui Bui
    June 7th, 2010 @ 12:04 pm

    cant stand the over milky taste.
    i usually order Eskimo milk tea, half sugar with big pearls..

    their big pearls usually ran out pretty fast. they say they have to cook over 1 hour and they keep it for around 3-4 hours for quality control.

  38. Ade
    June 7th, 2010 @ 1:42 pm

    seeing u blogging abt Koi Cafe Bubble Tea making me craving for their bubble tea nw.. My ex colleagues used to ordered bubble tea delivered to us..

  39. ct
    June 7th, 2010 @ 5:09 pm

    my colleague always order:
    milk tea with ice-cream and extra pearl. 25% sugar/syrup.

    da BOMB!

  40. arhnana
    June 8th, 2010 @ 12:14 pm

    ah… nothing beats the original pearl milk tea: rich and creamy. well-balance between tea and milk! calories well wasted on!

  41. orbiter
    June 8th, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

    There is a cupwalker inside Carrefour of Suntec, another at Sengkang. You should try their Yam ice blended – they are the only ones which uses REAL YAM and not yam powder/syrup. Crazy good stuff.

    My staple, however, is the green bean ice-blended (w/o sugar) from each-a-cup. Don’t think many people know it exists…

  42. stella
    June 8th, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

    i didnt really like it the 1st time i had it.But aft trying few others (wannabe KOI)i have to say KOI is one of the better 1s out there. Keat is addicted to it now. goodness me!!!!!!!!

  43. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 8th, 2010 @ 1:35 pm

    Ah Bui Bui: okie dokie! will check out eskimo next time

    ade: KOI has bubble tea delivery too?!?

    CT: i don’t really fancy the pearls, can i have more milk tea instead? haha

    arhnana: yeah i agree! always go for the pearl milk tea : )

    orbiter: there is a cupwalker at Suntec?!? I am so going to try it next! thanks for the info : )

    stella: hahah which ones have u tried so far?

  44. m.Ru
    June 8th, 2010 @ 5:28 pm

    KOI is my favourite. You get to choose the sugar level and the amount of pearls you want.

    The teas are really potent, the last time I drank jasmine green tea with pearls, I couldn’t sleep till 2am.

    My favourite drink now is ice-cream milk tea with pearls, 25% sugar @ AMK Central.

    I’ve tried Marine Parade, AMK, Chinatown and Illuma. Somehow feels that the quality at AMK is still the best. :D

  45. Ade
    June 9th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    Yes, they do deliver.. U hv to hit a min amt, I can’t remember hw much cos usually my ex colleague will sent an email to ask us what do we want to hv.

    my ex colleague will ordered in the morning so they could deliver to us in the noon. We try to ordered after lunch b4, but they will say they deliver next day cos they are too busy and shorthanded bt depends on luck too. We once order after lunch and they deliver to us ard 4p.m..

  46. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 10th, 2010 @ 9:06 am

    m.Ru: wow you are such a light sleeper? but then again i wouldn’t know since i never drink coffee and tea often, much less to drink them at night :p there’s a difference in quality between the different branches? okie dokie, if i ever go to ang mo kio.. hahah

    ade: i suppose the minimum order amt shld be quite substantial for them to deliver! looks like i must gather everyone and lets have a koi party! lol

  47. BanBan
    June 10th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    It’s the gentle tender goodness of the silky smooth milk tea. And fun when experimenting with eating those pearls in hundred ways -> bite them into half, swallow all at one shot, nibble the outer later…. Drinking tea is so much fun!

  48. merlinda
    June 11th, 2010 @ 9:19 am

    hi, give Gong Cha a try (two outlets, one in City Square Mall basement, and the other at Square 2, Level 1 near taxi stand) and let us know ur tots. I was a KOI fan, now converted to Gong Cha fan ;) Gong is famous for ???, which I felt is quite unique! Think bubble tea ala cappuccino style :)

  49. icecoke12
    June 11th, 2010 @ 10:13 pm

    because there is ice oolong tea with pearls…

  50. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 12th, 2010 @ 11:58 am

    banban: hahahaha i like it because they have different sugar level!

    merlinda: Ooh sure thanks for the info! Will check out Gong Cha real soon, everyone is talking about it! haha

    icecoke12: ice oolong tea with pearls? that’s the reason for bubble tea?

  51. Nicolette
    June 14th, 2010 @ 7:40 pm

    Okay, happen to chance upon this blog coz was googling for Koi outlets. lol. Contemplating if I should go buy a cup now. :p

    Anyway, there’s another cupwalker at Kovan Heartland Mall and Rivervale Mall at Seng Kang.

    Loved Cupwalker…until Koi comes along… Somehow Koi just taste better, though Cupwalker is nice too. Maybe the pearls at Koi are smaller and it just feels nice to have many small pearls swirling in the mouth before chewing them into bits.

    Now you guys mention Gong Cha…Maybe will give it a try if I’m in the vicinity. :)

  52. taufulou
    June 15th, 2010 @ 10:06 am

    by reading the response sounds like a pretty good cup to try on..

    never notice on my last trip to sg. . .hmm..i guess should try out too, to check out what is the craze about it~

  53. Cikolat
    June 15th, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

    Many have been telling me that k*i is a must try and long queue.. and i went to tried their milk pudding tea, its rather disappointing for the queue i have waited..its nothing special.. normal tea i would say..Oo, did someone just mentioned that they have different standard at different K*I outlet? Hmmm.. thats not too good..

    As for sw**t talk, I tried their oreo something, its so diluted and yes i threw away the whole cup away..

    As for E*ch a cup, many health conscious friends of mine have been telling me that their drinks is good and healthy for the price..so tried their fruity red milk tea, and yes long queue but oo well, come think of it, at least im not queuing for syrup and the taste is decent. I guess its the most value for money.

    G*ngcha? heard about it, generally from i heard that its just another new bubble tea shop, nothing special thou..hmm.. no comments on G*ngcha for now.

  54. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 15th, 2010 @ 3:52 pm

    Nicolette: wow really? you are cupwalker-to-koi convert? haha try gong cha and let me know which one u prefer ok?

    taufulou: after trying it for a few times, i still have no idea what’s the craze about. Please enlighten me on yr next trip to Singapore :p

    Cikolat: i had sweet talk and koi a few times, but haven manage to get anything from Each a cup yet. go and check out gong cha next!

  55. bel
    June 17th, 2010 @ 12:45 am

    came across this post while googling.

    i like to enjoy a cup of bubbletea now & then, but its getting hard to find a cup that doesnt disappoint. for ST, i find that theres little quality control & sometimes the pearls are overcooked & it gets big & very soft (u should know what i mean). thats bad cos usu the pearls get stuck together or they get stuck in the straw when you’re drinking (very annoying). EAC is just okay but i prefer to get KOI because in terms of the pearls & taste, it has yet to disappoint me.
    yes i agree that its nothing fantastic or super delicious, but compared to the other bubble tea shops? i’d choose koi anyday!

    just my opinions :)

  56. Gastronommy
    June 17th, 2010 @ 5:23 pm

    I think its popularity might have something to do with the otherwise current lack of good bubble tea choices. I have yet to try Koi (so out of the way for me), but all of the other bubble tea spots I’ve tried in Singapore are pretty miserable.

  57. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:48 am

    bel: hello to our koi fan! hahah yea i know, especially in our weather, a cup of bubble tea is always good! i don’t mind paying slightly more for koi (but if only there’s no queue)!

    gastronommy: which ones u tried before? how about the latest gong cha? a lot of people have been raving abt that one too

  58. Eileen
    June 20th, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

    I am not a big bubble tea fan… but am just drawn to koi’s milk tea. one of the reasons why i like it is the nice combi of milk and tea and the Q Q taste of the pearls. I like the fact that I can choose the amount of sugar in my drink..which is something what other local bubble tea shops can’t do. :)

    just my two cents :)

  59. Eileen
    June 20th, 2010 @ 2:47 pm

    oh..i have tried gong cha too.. it’s very similar to koi ..just that there is only one outlet * i think* which is at city square mall

  60. mike
    June 20th, 2010 @ 8:15 pm

    personally, i think the quality here is above the other bubble tea places, and i like the black pearl they use, not too big , just the right size. and they cooked it just perfectly
    plus the option of having less sugar is also good

  61. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 21st, 2010 @ 4:02 pm

    eileen: yea i also like the sugar level idea. There’s only one branch of gong cha? I reckon they will open a few other branches very soon :p

    mike: shouldn’t bigger pearls be better? haha i don’t really enjoy sucking them though, i like the milk tea on its own

  62. SS
    June 28th, 2010 @ 8:57 pm

    so so only dun know why so many people crazy about it..

  63. SUPERADRIANME
    July 6th, 2010 @ 11:59 pm

    Not much of a bubble tea fan. But well I tried it at the Koi outlet at Iluma tonight because my friends had a craving!!

    When I saw the queue to purchase and the queue to wait…. I was stunned…

    Personally I wouldn’t queue for it.
    100% of syrup is too sweet. Think 50% sugar suffices.

    Well I couldn’t help it but tweet on SUPERADRIANME:
    ” Koi Cafe is overrated but for $4+ it’s actually ok. But I won’t queue to pay and wait for it. Maybe i’m just old. http://ow.ly/i/2rUG “

  64. bearybeads
    July 8th, 2010 @ 9:22 am

    go try gong cha alisan tea or camelia tea with WHITE PEARL, sugar level 30%… white pearl is more expensive than the normal black pearl, but according to the staff, its a healthier option.
    i personally prefer gong cha to koi, but do like koi milk tea with grass jelly and the ai-yu one… after gong cha and koi, i haven’t had sweet talk for a long long time…

  65. ladyironchef
    July 9th, 2010 @ 11:01 am

    SS: Looks like we are one of the few who think alike! haha

    Superadrianme: hahaha yea i always had the 50% sugar! $4+ is way too ex, I have the original milk tea with pearls for $2.5-

    bearybeads: Gong cha! Gong cha! Gong cha! If only they open one branch nearer to me! haha

  66. MrAngel
    July 22nd, 2010 @ 4:07 pm

    Just tried green milk tea today after my lunch at people’s park complex while on my way back to office(Intership ^^). Also this is my 1st time trying BT from koi.

    The taste can say quite soothing, would rate 4 & 1/2 star out of 5 stars. As for their price abit higher then each a cup or other BT outlet probably due to the freshness which they make in front of you watching them. They amount of pearl they give is quite generous.

    I used to be weekly drinker of each a cup bubble tea in NYP(Poly) south canteen. Cause price fixed at $1.50 with pearl included and yoghurt blended at $1.80, compare to outside outlet that charge more then $1.50 and charge for pearl.

    Anyway i guess i would go for KOI once in a bluemoon due to high price charges. =)

  67. Drac
    August 7th, 2010 @ 6:18 pm

    KOI is actually ‘Dou” in chinese if you tilt the cup slightly

  68. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    August 14th, 2010 @ 11:26 am

    MrAngel: wow, 4.5 stars! haha weekly drinker? yea but each a cup bubble tea differ from branches. they cost slightly more in the popular areas. try the other flavors! i always have their pearl milk tea though :p

    drac: hahaha yea i saw that on the first time i had koi. lol!

  69. Mel
    August 14th, 2010 @ 3:58 pm

    I tried Koi once, the ice cream milk tea with 50% syrup, but it disappointed me, as I expected way more with all the hype about it.

    On the other hand, I’ve been a fan of cup walker since I first tried it in Suntec! My staple is the honey milk tea, and I love the consistency of the pearls. I was delighted to find out there’s an outlet in pasir ris as I live in tampines :D

    I tried the pudding milk tea a few days ago as my friend recommended it, but I was so disappointed! The pudding is quite tasteless and not a lot is given. There are also no pearls in pudding milk tea. ):

  70. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    August 20th, 2010 @ 12:46 am

    mel: cup walker is better than koi?!? haha but is there a long queue at cup walker? is there any cup walker in the West? i always forget that it’s in Suntec whenever i passed by the area! got it, honey milk tea, and don’t choose pudding. lol

  71. Mel
    August 22nd, 2010 @ 4:18 pm

    Nah, cup walkers kinda underrated. Seldom are there any long queues.
    I think the closest one to the west is in Suntec though, inside carrefour.

  72. Sarah
    August 29th, 2010 @ 11:27 pm

    there are a couple of new KOI-similar concept bubble tea cafes opened in CBD area, namely KAWA and Mao Kong. Their prices and quality are comparable to KOI, both originate from TW too. Long queues during lunch time!
    personally recommend Pearl Milk Tea with GrassJelly <3

  73. Nat
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 8:30 pm

    i nv got it too. but yet i still queued and paid for it everytime i happened to be at toa payoh central. but my last trip there. i decided to try something different. grass jelly milk tea with a little bit of pearls.
    and it was AWESOME. i’m like thinking about it now as i type this comment. contemplating if i should travel to te nearest koi cafe to grab one of those. moreover, i paid 5 freaking dollars to get the large cos i was feeling pretty hungry. and i think it was worth every cent. i could have bought 2 packets of chicken rice with that.

  74. apez
    September 16th, 2010 @ 1:01 am

    new KOI branch in clementi central next to giordano :)

  75. Shinigami Hime
    September 19th, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    I’m an avid bubble milk tea lover and have tried almost every popular brand of bubble milk tea is Singapore before Koi Cafe came…

    I can tell you, Koi’s bubble milk tea is the best I’ve had so far because the taste is just right and the tea taste is proportionate with the milk taste.

    This is the reason why koi cafe is easily the best in Singapore at the moment. I personally think $3.50 for a large cup is just right because all the rest of the bubble tea out there is selling at $2 per cup with little pearls, lots of ice and very little milk tea. With koi’s large cup it takes me up to 2 hrs to finish it so definitely worth it…

  76. Fern
    September 20th, 2010 @ 9:53 am

    Happy lemon at ion is good too, but price is a little pricey, around the price of koi. The milk tea at happy lemon is very thick n smooth n the pearls r v nice!

  77. Una
    September 22nd, 2010 @ 9:21 pm

    Well, they just opened a new outlet at Clementi this afternoon. I swear, the people from my school (CTSS) totally swarmed that place like bees. They should be glad we’re the nearest school ahaha.

    Okay anyway, they actually set up the stall a shop away from another bubble tea shop. It’s called “Bubble-Q”. I’m not too sure whether the milk tea quality is good or not, but it’s prices surely beat Sweet Talk’s.

    I mean, $1.20 for a cup of milk tea/green tea/red tea/ice blended? Tell me that’s not worth it. (it used to be $1 until it was upped recently.) The price ranges from $1.20 to $1.80 for standard ones (as in, no add-ons or stuff).

    This is just imo, but I think the milk tea tastes LOADS better than Sweet Talk’s, and the pearls are really nice and chewy too. (the shopkeepers at th Clementi branch are nice, they stuff loads of pearls in one cup 8D) And the amount of ice is just nice, since the drinks may be too sweet sometimes, so you can leave th ice to melt.

    I won’t really recommend Bubble-Q to health-conscious people who prefer less-sugar drinks though, cos Bubble-Q is more for people who have sweet tooths. (they’ve recently started adding sugar water into the teas too, it doesnt taste any sweeter than if it were added with the tea itself in the beginning though. You could probably request to not have th sugar water added.)

  78. Lyun
    September 22nd, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

    Don’t understand the fuss over Koi either. Way overpriced, long queue/ waiting time. And I notice that they add much more ice than the other chains (or maybe it was just my bad luck the two times I was there). Overall, thumbs down for me :)

  79. Cherie
    September 23rd, 2010 @ 11:36 am

    Many of my friends are debating over this question too! From the comments above, I can see why so :) I’m not exactly a Koi lover but Koi could very be one of the better few in Singapore. However, they pale in comparison to the ones offered in Taiwan or Hongkong.

    I think it’s the way Koi is ‘marketed’ from a business viewpoint :) They have the preconception that as long as there’s a queue, it is the best. But it never occured to them that the staff might be slow. hahaha which I think it is the case. I’ve been to the one at Marine Parade, trying out my very first cup and there were more than 20 in front of me in the queue. I loitered around that area and observed that the staff were not doing their job fast enough :) OOPS they were playing, chit chatting, idling…etc.

    Do you realise that many Singaporeans like to queue up for food/drinks but they might not necessarily be the best? Thoughts on this?

  80. carmen
    September 23rd, 2010 @ 1:25 pm

    I absolutely love Koi. If you can’t fly to Taiwan/HK everyday, then you gotta make do with what you get. Pastries and sashimi here may be a far cry from their counterparts in Europe (ooh trust me on this) and Hokkaido but we still slurp them up heartedly, don’t we? I say, stop comparing it to what we don’t have here.

    Anyway, I totally disagree with that notion on queues. I queued up once at the famous donut shop (can’t remember the name) with a bunch of friends because we had loads of time to spare, and never went back. Very much prefer my local bakery simple sugar-coated donuts.

    Back to the topic, I love the caramel milk tea at Koi. The smell reminds me of pancake syrup, which then makes me think of pancakes. And I like how you can get less sugar in it since I’m not exactly a fan of sweet stuff. So I definitely think Koi is here to stay.

  81. Xawn
    September 25th, 2010 @ 7:26 pm

    Hello! I always refer to your website for the address for the Koi outlets! Haha

    Anyway, there’s a bubble tea shop called Q-essential in Bedok Central. I find the taste is somewhat similar to Koi but of course Koi is better for me xD They have the same queueing and sugar level system. The price.. Hmm, Q-essential is just slightly cheaper than Koi’s. You should try! :)

    I’ve only tried Chocolate milk tea from Q-essential and Koi. Maybe I should try the other flavours as well ;)

  82. kia
    October 2nd, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

    hi! there’s a new tea shop in toa payoh, called comebuy! can try that and share with us what you think about it! seems like they wanna challenge koi eh, opening in toa payoh

  83. Donno ?
    October 3rd, 2010 @ 10:19 pm

    i am going to buy 13 koi milk tea tmr for my friends ! and always when the koi shop at clementi open , the long long queue is there already. . . and yesterday me and my friends only broguth 5 and i took us like 5 -10 mins to wait for the milk tea and we are the first somemore .. i think tmr i am going to wait for very very long~

  84. Emilia
    October 4th, 2010 @ 7:46 pm

    There’s a new bubble tea shop @ The Arcade, its called Taiwan Maokong, they have lots of variety of drinks and I find the most unique is their magic soy.Its a pearl like jelly when you bite the juice will burst out.Its the first time I see it in singapore and they have lots of flavours too.

  85. Bao bao
    October 6th, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

    Hi I found the bubble tea shop call Taiwan Mao kong .. I try the pudding milk tea wow.. Is nice.. I asked sugar level for 70%… To me is just nice but to other can try it at 50% of sugar level.. but I did try with the magic soy they call it in Chinese is (??) wow.. It really Burst out n they have more than 3 kind of ?? must try….

  86. dot
    October 21st, 2010 @ 9:57 am

    Koi is 50 Gang in Taiwan :)

  87. Jolin
    November 2nd, 2010 @ 3:14 am

    I tried the Maokong and i really wont try it again seriously. It tastes too milky and i suspect they dont use fresh ingridients really, gave me a bad after taste, like the bloated feeling after a fried chicken with too much msg! And the queue at Koi is really rediculous when i could have gotten the same quality and taste at Each-a-Cup outlets without all thhe hassle and buzz. Simply too long! I guess people at Koi just prolong the waiting time to get hype cos i really see them working too long over the orders when they could have gotten out the drinks much faster!

  88. Bubbletea fan
    November 2nd, 2010 @ 7:50 pm

    But I tried the tea at maokong as I’m working at raffles area.. The tea I tried is their pearl milk tea, the taste is similar to koi.. There’s always long queue during lunch hours.. Go n try if any of u working near raffles..

  89. Bubbletea fan
    November 2nd, 2010 @ 7:54 pm

    There’s a new shop at amk called shu pei.. Anyone try before? Today I tried their tea but the taste of the drink is not good! Think it’s from Taiwan too..

  90. little mermaid
    November 9th, 2010 @ 11:55 pm

    I find a new opening bubble tea at bukit merah central just beside NTUC. I had trid bubble milk tea, the taste is quite similar to koi. some of my colleagues said it nicer than koi. They have the sugar level system and one cool thing is they available Ice level system too:XD
    The price is slightly cheaper than Koi and gong cha. You should try if you been there on day!

  91. Kev
    November 15th, 2010 @ 2:15 am

    How bout Happy Lemon as mentioned in post76? its more common in HK and PRC as far as i seen . but haven tried any for a long time. i remember i liked the small version of the pearls and stronger tea taste in it.

  92. LINDA
    November 17th, 2010 @ 10:27 am

    to me,koi’s milktea is nice….love thier hazelnut milktea…..bt cupwalker is the best!!!!!! love it soo much that when i went to suntec and got to noe that its closed,i was sooooooooooooooooooooooo sad!!!!!!!!!!! cupwalker,pls open in west side PLS!!!!!

  93. Paul
    November 18th, 2010 @ 10:13 am

    There’s a Cupwalker at Admiralty Mrt station bridge. No long queue.

    There’s also a new bubble tea shop, some jap shop, in Chong Pang too..

    Koi’s Hazelnet milk tea rox..

  94. shirley
    November 24th, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

    to bubbletea fan: where exact is shu pei located at? :)

  95. mic
    November 26th, 2010 @ 3:53 pm

    which is way better gong-cha or koi cafe in terms of the quality taste of the milk tea?

  96. hey
    November 27th, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

    koi no.1

  97. Chris
    December 2nd, 2010 @ 4:02 pm

    I think its been overated just like some others things phone etc… i miss these days bubble tea when i was still small.. (cocktail shaker type)

  98. shareena
    December 10th, 2010 @ 7:18 pm

    Koi milk tea is grossly over-rated i.m.o. But it’s personal reference. Their milk tea is sooo milky, it overpowers the tea. I guess that is probably why some may feel that flavoured ones are nicer, to compensate for the lacklustre original milk tea.

  99. JK
    December 13th, 2010 @ 2:29 pm

    Try the koi bubble tea with grassjelly i think it’s the best. The grassjelly is a big piece inside the bubble tea like tofu v small n nice.

  100. Macg
    December 21st, 2010 @ 4:45 pm

    I’ve tried koi. No doubt that koi has great bubble milk tea & other products too. But,I hv concern with the service at Koi. I just went to the koi at marine parade. The cashier name is sherlyn. She’s so rude & only want to get the order done. So, she was very pushy & just want to be in a hurry. It was at 4pm & no queue at all. She doesn’t have to be so pushy as I was looking at the menu. I thought it’s probably her bad day todsy, but when I observed it more, she was even joking around with her colleagues. Not only to me, but she’s also did to other customers too.
    I’m in the customer service management in Singapore group & my advice is this:
    Go & fix the attitude of the employee first. If they need to learn the attitude to be better, ask them to go to the customer service class before letting her to work. I guarantee that if this not done, koi won’t even last more than 1 year from the time that I write this comment.
    Also, for not being biased, i highly recommend the high management to come to the place in dusguised and unexpectedly to the marine parade branch. Try to observe the place without the employees knowledge or even place an order by looking at the menu first before ordering (usual ordering procedure). I guarantee you that you will feel exactly what I’m talking about.

  101. @_@
    December 24th, 2010 @ 9:36 pm

    i neva tried koi drinks before but heard of it.is it really that good that ppl travel to far places juz to drink it?

  102. imnotgreat
    December 30th, 2010 @ 7:13 pm

    i went to taiwan recently and visited their Koi equivalent – Koi is a franchise from taiwan. there are way more branches, the tea tastes better, is about half sg’s price, and no queue – you get your tea in <5min.

    Koi is pretty good – but if you ask me to queue like mad to get one, no way.

  103. KoiSucks
    February 3rd, 2011 @ 8:09 pm

    I’m drinking Koi hazelnut milk bubble tea now , and it sucks…

  104. Food aficionado
    February 7th, 2011 @ 5:18 pm

    I personally love koi!! I myself am a frequent patron of this bubble tea chain outlet.

    As I frequent Taiwan, I am really picky when it comes to things like drinking bubble tea. In Taipei, bubble tea tastes really good. And the size they serve back home is really generous; and pricewise it is quite economical

    I personally feel that koi is too costly. And always behind a cup of koi comes a long queue. But I will still continue patronizing koi cafe, as I feel that bubble tea from koi really supersedes those produced from each a cup and sweetalk.

    I feel that koi is best when the sugar level is at 25% as I do not have a sweet tooth. I recommend those who haven’t tried this out to try it as it tastes far better than the ones you are consuming right now. :)

  105. low
    March 5th, 2011 @ 2:18 am

    recently there r lot of bubble tea that indicate that come from taiwan…

    i been stay at taiwan for oversea support for few month & had try many type of bubble tea at taiwan..Koi cafe…to me nothing special at all compare other brand from taiwan…

    y’day i had try a new bubble tea shop from taiwan? name “Witchry Idel” locate at marine parade, their signature drink ????was damn good. one of the best bubble tea that i compare those taiwan bubble tea..& more important thing is their price is cheap <$2.00 if compare those so call "taiwan bubble tea".

    for those ppl wan try nice & cheap bubble tea, this is one of the brand that u may try it…

  106. Mar
    March 9th, 2011 @ 5:20 pm

    KOI’s makes awesome frothy milk teas, that come in a sealed cup, with munchy pearls inside — and that’s why they are so so so good.

    But it’s okay if some don’t get it, just like how Men go crazy over soccer, and some are just plain crazy.

  107. Victoria
    March 27th, 2011 @ 7:19 am

    Bubble tea, what a unique drink to say the least. My kids absolutely LOVE bubbel tea (and I think the name makes it very appealing.) When we first tried it, we all giggled when we sucked up our first great big chewy pearl. At first it was yummy, but I have to say that by the end of the drink, it started to get ugggh. It’s definitely the type of drink you can’t have too often.

  108. mackie
    April 4th, 2011 @ 10:56 am

    where are the branches for cup walker?
    any branch near orchard??

  109. koi
    April 4th, 2011 @ 7:23 pm

    i love koi!

  110. cuttiepie
    May 11th, 2011 @ 9:39 pm

    girls, go try marine parade’s M2 IT bubble tea shop next to PET shop. Love tea after tea taste n milk is so so creamy. only $1.90 for students n best of all ,no queue…..

  111. Diaphanous Dreamer
    May 12th, 2011 @ 10:27 pm

    Hi everyone,

    I have to say that after tasting koi’s fresh bubble milk tea, no other bubble tea shop is able to imitate or even produce a better tasting milk tea… Koi’s hazelnut milk tea and oolong milk tea is a must try. Simply heavenly and it is worth the long queue.

    I have been an avid customer since I got hooked last March. I’m just wondering how much kilocalories does each medium sized milk tea contains or how many tablespoons of sugar is it?

    Cause I heard some people saying a medium sized cup with 100% sugar level and pearls is equivalent to 2 bowls of rice! Some mentioned it is equivalent to 12 bowls of rice.. Staggering isn’t it? Anybody can verify the authenticity?

    Thanks thanks…

    And please try the oolong tea macchiato :) …

  112. Zi Xuan
    May 16th, 2011 @ 4:07 pm

    erm is there any outlet opening at yishun?

  113. REPLY~ZI XUAN
    May 18th, 2011 @ 4:32 pm

    No it is not going to open an outlet there. But there is Share Tea.

  114. GongCha
    June 18th, 2011 @ 1:48 am

    Theres new outlet in Tampines for GongCha! Near tampines 1. Just outside the MRT.

  115. Jasboy
    August 10th, 2011 @ 3:35 pm

    I have heard that Artease Cafe served Great bubble tea too… Should head down to Esplanade and give it a try someday.

  116. Kerylyn
    August 12th, 2011 @ 11:44 am

    The hazelnut milk tea is AWESOME. I’ve never like bubble tea so much before I tried the Koi. Koi is the most expensive bubble tea I’ve bought. However, I think it is worth it!
    ( I always ask for either less pearl or no pearl. The pearl is SUPER NICE. But if i do not request, they will give me half a cup of pearl with half a cup of tea. so note guys, less pearl! )

  117. Kerylyn
    August 12th, 2011 @ 11:46 am

    I prefer Koi than Gongcha. I tried Gongcha’s alisan tea with aiyu jelly. and i swear i’ll never try gong cha again. sorry for that.

  118. stefanie
    August 17th, 2011 @ 7:44 pm

    hi ladyironchef,

    is koi bubble tea nicer than ochado, chatime and gong cha?what makes it nicer than the rest?

  119. Rainavida
    August 18th, 2011 @ 6:15 pm

    Koi’s Oolong Milk Tea (25% sugar) is awesome!Love the strong tea taste.. For Gong Cha, it will be their Earl Grey Milk Tea with 3Js (Jelly, Pudding & Pearls, like it with no sugar)that’s worth the Q.. :)

  120. Elaine
    September 29th, 2011 @ 6:42 pm

    Regard about the new outlet which open at bedok. Ever since last year i worked in bugis i started drinking koi from iluma outlet. I have never met such people before. I ordered twice and i met the same situation. There was not much crowd, after the person had called my number, he just leave my drink there with the plastic bag and walked away. Without even saying ‘Thank You’.Is this the right attitude to serve a customer? Even other bubble tea shops like Gong Cha or Each a cup they also won’t have such problem come out. I don’t expect such things to happen again..because I really like koi a lot..

  121. nzhihan
    October 4th, 2011 @ 7:11 pm

    The milk tea in Koi is one of the best. Their quality is awesome, and with good reputation, many wants to buy. Singaporeans also kiasu, where got long queue will purposely queue up all there. This acts like a cycle… I will definitely recommend Koi, if you are those who really go for quality this will be the best choice (although value for money or time wise not very good).

  122. Crystal
    October 16th, 2011 @ 12:45 am

    Try KOI “green tea macchiato”.
    You will love green tea and macchiato after you drink it. Choose either 50% or 70% sugar level. For me, I will choose 70% because I am a sweet tooth. Strongly recommend. :)

  123. Wendy
    October 25th, 2011 @ 9:54 pm

    Koi is good, but I also discovered another good Taiwan bubble tea franchise in Singapore – Tea12. They just opened in Clementi. Good tasting tea too. Give it a try if you’re tired of queuing at koi :)

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