There are two things that most Singaporeans can agree on: one, we love bubble tea and two, more often than not, we find ourselves too lazy to go out and get it whenever the cravings hit. This deadly combination does not go very well, Period.

There is, however, a remedy to this problem. We have here a list of bubble tea places that have delivery options so that instead of dragging yourself out to get it, the bubble tea comes to you.

ARTEASE 

Artease is a no-frills stall that sells an array of light snacks and drinks, but they mainly specialise in teas. They have a wide range of unique bubble tea concoctions that definitely will leave you hooked till the very last drop.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

BOBER TEA

Bober Tea is one of the newer bubble tea places in Singapore that serves up adorable cups of bubble tea that come in a variety of interesting flavours. Their strict philosophy of serving beverages that take on the pure authentic flavours of their ingredients is what makes them stand out from many of the other bubble tea stores in Singapore.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

Photo Credit: Blackball Singapore

BLACKBALL 

Blackball is famous for its refreshing desserts and their incredibly addictive yam balls. Aside from that, they also sell really solid cups of bubble tea. We recommend getting their Duo Cup so that you can try 2 amazing flavours for the price of one.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

GONG CHA 

Gong Cha is not an unfamiliar name in Singapore and is one of the OG brands for bubble tea. Many of us were devastated when they closed down for a while in 2017 and the queues for their drinks when they reopened again were insane. With their wide range of drinks and affordable prices, it is no wonder they are so popular with us Singaporeans.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda, GrabFood,

HEETEA 

Not to be mistaken with the newly opened HeyTea, HeeTea is another bubble tea stall that sells deliciously sweet and savoury cheese teas for people who don’t fancy overly-sweet teas. Aside from cheese teas, they also have other interesting flavours such as their Yakult milk tea range.

Delivery Options: Foodpanda

Photo Credit: iTea

ITEA

iTea is popular for their fresh, fragrant brews that use only the best natural ingredients for optimum taste and flavour. Their premium cups of tea are sold at surprisingly affordable prices, which makes them one of our favourite places to get bubble tea from.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda, GrabFood

LIHO 

One of the more well-known bubble tea brands in Singapore is definitely Liho and every store we go to never fails to have painfully long queues. Luckily, with a delivery option, you can wait for your bubble tea in the comfort of your own home instead.

Delivery Options: Foodpanda

Photo Credit: Muyoo Singapore

MUYOO CAFE 

Muyoo may not be as famous as other bubble tea brands in Singapore such as Liho and Gong Cha, however, they don’t let that stop them from pushing out refreshing cups of bubble teas. Their cheese drinks have their cheese made from naturally derived milk powder instead of an artificial creamer.

Delivery Options: Foodpanda

SOD CAFE 

SOD Cafe is popular for its wide range of sweet treats such as their waffles and ice cream. Aside from that, they also sell a number of deliciously addictive teas that are perfect for those days when you need a pick-me-up in Singapore’s sweltering hot weather.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

Photo Credit: Sharetea Singapore

SHARETEA 

The popular bubble tea brand from Taiwan is a well-loved favourite amongst us Singaporeans and they have never failed to serve high-quality bubble tea that comes in a variety of exciting flavours. The ingredients they use in their teas also come straight from Taipei, so you know that you are getting only the best in each cup.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

Photo Credit: Deliveroo

This humble store tucked away in heartland Bishan sells no-frills cups of bubble tea. Their interesting and colourful array of drinks are sure to appeal to any bubble tea lover, both young and old.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo

TEA TREE CAFE 

Despite selling both desserts and tea, Tea Tree Cafe still specialises in deliciously sweet cups of bubble tea. We have to admit that we are pretty addicted to their pearls; they’re tremendously chewy and bouncy!

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

Photo Credit: Woobbee

WOOBBEE 

Woobbee’s aim is to serve up healthier cups of bubble tea so that people can enjoy the goodness of a cup of bubble tea without feeling too guilty about it. They also use natural raw sugar in their drinks which isn’t as bad as the chemically processed sugars that most bubble tea brands use.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda, Woobbee themselves 

Photo Credit: vickychan123

YOCHA TEA AND DESSERTS 

Yocha Tea and Desserts are not as well known as compared to most of the places on this list. However, their bubble tea is legit and satisfies our cravings nonetheless.

Delivery Options: Deliveroo, Foodpanda

So there’s a running joke that Asians have bubble tea running through their veins than blood, and there’s no denying that we do absolutely love our bubble tea.

From regular milk tea to cheese tea to fruit tea, with a variety of pearls, we love them all, and yet we still can’t seem to get enough, if it wasn’t already evident enough from the magnitude of bubble tea shops popping up all over the place.

Here some people have gone the extra mile to plate up bubble tea in ways we’ve never considered before. Genius or insane? We find out.

Photo Credit: Celest Lim

BUNS

We don’t suppose it requires much more of a description once you’ve seen the image. It’s an earl grey tea-infused fluffy dough bun filled with earl grey tea-infused cream and the classic chewy tapioca balls.

CHOCOLATE MALT TOAST

For slightly more, you can also get a Chocolate Malt Bubble Tea Toast. Kind of a cross between Horlicks and Milo in the form of a Nutella spread, it oozes nothing but sweet decadence with a pop of surprise in each bite.

Photo Credit: Nini

DORAYAKI

If you grew up watching Doraemon, you’d know his absolute favourite snack would be dorayaki, a Japanese pancake stuffed with fillings such as Azuki paste. Over in Taiwan, you’d find a stall called Quolofune selling Pearl Milk Tea Nama Dorayaki apart from regular dorayaki flavours. It’s a winning combination of sweet black sugar tapioca and freshly whipped soft cream.

Photo Credit: Nini

EGG TARTS

We’ve had chocolate egg tarts, passion fruit egg tarts, so why not bubble tea egg tarts? We don’t just mean tossing a spoonful of tapioca on top of a regular Portuguese egg tart though. Found inside a train station at Liang Liang Hao, they serve up hot pockets of eggy goodness with tapiocas almost all but melting into the egg mixture.

Photo Credit: Nini

PANCAKES

Combine a Japanese’s fluffy souffle-style pancake with tapioca pearls and you’ll get a dish that looks like someone plucked it straight out of your mid-day office daydreams. Described as a lovely mesh of milk tea-infused cream with black sugar pearls atop the fluffiest, airiest pancake ever that even guys would enjoy as it’s not overly sweet.

Photo Credit: Nini

PANCAKES..?

Before you question why pancake appears twice (maybe thrice, if you consider Dorayaki one too), there are so many different types of pancakes served with tapioca we couldn’t help but give them their own individual spotlight.

Photo Credit: Nini

PIZZA

Regardless of whether you think pineapple belongs on pizza, this might be enough to spark a new debate. While the idea of chewy black sugar balls in a bed of melted cheese and crust might seem sacrilegious since dessert pizzas are already a thing, what’s there to lose with tapioca on pizza?

Photo Credit: Shopaholicdeb

ROLL

Another creation by our very own Breadtalk is their Earl Grey Bubble Tea Roll to wrap up their Taste of Taiwan release. The same earl grey tea-infused cream and tapioca are wrapped within a light and airy Swiss sponge cake with little flecks of tea leaves added to the mix. It’s sure to make everyone say “wow” when you bring it to the table.

Photo Credit: TP Tea

SOFT SERVE

You’ve probably also already heard by now that TP Tea sells their signature soft serve with tapioca as toppings. You can expect a satisfying creamy bite of milk tea in the form of ice cream that contrasts perfectly with the thick chewy tapioca pearls.

Photo Credit: The Benjamins

TOAST

Picture two slices of crispy bread with chewy tapioca pearls stuffed in the middle, drizzled in a sauce of your choice. Sounds crazy? You’ll be surprised to know that some people love it.

As the saying goes, “Things are not beautiful because they last.” This is the very unfortunate fact to take in as we bid farewell to our beloved Gong Cha.

With LiHO now proving to be a game changer in the bubble tea industry—having taken over all 84 Gong Cha outlets islandwide—an answer that we are all curious to find out is if LiHO is really better than Gong Cha.

Is their highly acclaimed Cheese Tea really that out of this world? Or would we still want Gong Cha back? Read on to find out our honest opinion.

The arrival of Gong Cha in 2009 revived the bubble tea craze in Singapore. Even till today, we still see daily queues at (the better) bubble tea kiosk.

To be fair, LiHO’s offerings are similar to Gong Cha’s, with the addition of new-to-market cheese teas that come in various flavours. But just what on Earth is cheese tea?

Cheese tea is basically tea that is topped with a layer of frothy whipped cheese and milk.

None of us is avid bubble tea aficionados but we can honestly say that the difference is pretty straightforward.

Taste

If we talk about the taste in an overview, we actually very much prefer LiHO’s innovative creations despite the menu being more streamlined.

The Cheese Ovaltine Smoothie (S$6.90) that we tried was simply amazing. Although it was super indulgent and filling, we must admit that it was delicious. The savoury foam goes surprisingly well with the sweetness of the Ovaltine.

Imagine having a baked cheese tart but in liquid form—rich, decadent and probably not that good for your waistline but who cares?

And there is the classic Cheese Guan Yin (S$4.10) that we are now addicted to. A smooth creamy foam tops aromatic Guan Yin tea, and you either sip the cheese form before enjoying the smooth tea or you mix them all up for a savoury-earthy drink.

Verdict: LiHO Wins

Customisation Options

We think both LiHO and Gong Cha faired pretty similarly in this area.

Both brands offer more than 10 varieties of toppings and add-ons to pimp up your tea—ranging from Oreo bits to coconut jelly, Pudding jelly to Aloe Vera cubes.

Verdict: Draw

Price

Where price is concerned, Gong Cha is most definitely the cheaper option.

A cup of standard Milk Tea at Gong Cha is priced at S$2.20, whereas at LiHO, the same beverage goes for S$2.80 for medium size and S$3.80 for large size.

Verdict: Gong Cha Wins

Calorie Count

The thing we miss most about Gong Cha is the fact that they displayed how many calories each item on the menu contained (Including their toppings). Having the calorie count clearly stated for each beverage gave us a better idea of what we should order because while indulging in bubble tea is badass and we know it, we also need to keep our waistlines in check!

Verdict: Gong Cha Wins

LiHO vs Gong Cha, Who’s The Winner?

With a 2 – 1 win over LiHO, there is no doubt that our beloved Gong Cha is still our favourite bubble tea option. It is sorely missed.

As attractive as the hype about LiHo is (for now), there is nothing we would rather have more than Gong Cha.

Taiwan is a fantastic country with rich history, friendly locals, amazing street food and beautiful landscape. Most visitors usually only go to Taipei, and it is a shame because there are many other cities that are worth visiting.

Taichung, for instance, is a wonderful holiday destination. For a start, it is only an hour away from Taoyuen International Airport. From there, you can easily make day trips to other places like Kaohsiung, Tainan and Changhua. The main draw for tourists is Feng Chia Night Market – one of the biggest, if not the biggest, night markets in Taiwan. There are many things to see, do and eat in Taichung. The next time you plan a trip to Taiwan, you have to include Taichung in your itinerary.

Here is a travel guide on the things to do in Taichung.

Miyaharu (Gong Yuan Yan Ke)

Housed in a former eye hospital, Miyaharu is opened by Dawncake – an established store in Taichung that sells pineapple tarts and other pastries packaged in nice boxes – and it has become so popular that it is listed on most travel guides to Taichung. Miyaharu is worth visiting – even if it was just to see the shop’s interior – and to buy some gifts for friends and relatives.

No 20 Zhongshan Road
Zhong District, Taichung
Tel: 04 2227 1927

The original bubble tea from Chun Shui Tang

Chun Shui Tang Teahouse, believed to be the inventor of bubble tea, is also a must-try in Taichung. Besides having a wide range of tea-based beverages, they also serve affordable and tasty traditional Taiwanese snacks such as pig’s blood, beef noodles, and braised pork rice.

30 Siwei St, Taichung
+886 4 22297991

Calligraphy Greenway

Taichung Calligraphy Greenway is a parkway in the heart of the city which connects National Museum of Natural Science, Civil Square, Wuquan Parkway, and the LiChuan Canal. It is very liberating to take a stroll along the pavements and to simply just enjoy the greenery.

Feng Chia Night Market

Taichung’s Feng Chia Night Market is one of the biggest night markets in Taiwan. To put it simply: No one visits Taichung without going to Feng Chia. You can find the most innovative snacks here, and in fact, Feng Chia is the testing ground for most modern street food. After they are proven to be popular, they are then spread to the other night markets in Taiwan.

Coffee Appreciation Class

If you have time, drop by ‘Coffee Area’ for a coffee appreciation class. The owner is very friendly and knowledgable about coffee. A typical class (450NT/pax, minimum 4 guests) takes around 2 hours  and you can learn about the basics of roasting and coffee tasting.

165 Cunzhong Street
Tel: 04 2376 1273

Fantasy Story

Fantasy Story is an area made up of several blocks of old shophouses converted into cute cafes, slick boutiques, stylish furniture shops and cool lifestyle stores. Every shop has its own character and you can easily spend a day there. Fantasy Shop No. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 are located on 13 Meicun Road Section 1 Lane 117.

Sweet Woods – Fantasy Shop No. 7 dedicated to dining – is about five minutes walk away on 136 Xiangshang North Road. Over there, you can have tea at Wilsons English Afternoon Tea Cafe, ice cream at Bianca, and desserts from Pause Bonheur.

Visit themed restaurants

There are plenty of themed restaurants in Taichung, but if you like a romantic princessy place, you must go to Princess Annie’s Garden Restaurant at Xinshe town.

No.223 Zhongxing Street
Xinshe District, Taichung City
Tel: 04-2593 1567
Daily: 9am – 8pm

Rollin Farm (Ruo Yin Nong Chang)

Rollin Farm is a peaceful and serene spot to get away from the city for a quiet retreat. Getting there from Taichung takes slightly under two hours by car, but when you arrive, you will discover that it is worth the journey.

The rooms at the min su (homestay) are not only well-furnished, but they also come with a stunning view overlooking the mountains. If you have no plans for an overnight stay, a day trip to this scenic part of Taichung is almost as wondrous.

No 1 XueShan Road, Heping District, Taichung City
Tel: 04 2597 1218

Second Market

Head to Second Market – one of the more popular traditional markets in Taichung – for breakfast. There, you can find famous local snacks such as meatballs, fried radish cake, and wanton soup.

Sanmin Road, Central District, Taichung City

Getting to Taipei from Singapore: TransAsia Airways has daily flights – an early morning departure from Changi Airport and an evening return from Taoyuan Airport.

Tips for exploring Taichung: Qiito.com is an online travel organiser and accommodation hosting website which recommends places of interest in Taiwan.

Full Disclosure & Fine Print: I travelled to Taichung as a guest of Taiwan Tourism Board, Qiito.com and TransAsia Airways. No monetary benefits were received, only air tickets, hotel accommodation and transport were sponsored.