Read CHATIME: What We Can Learn from the Market Leader in International Bubble Tea Industry
Serenitea introduced Manila to the “Bubble Tea” experience (using fresh tea). Happy Lemon showed Manila how milk tea can be a healthier alternative to our coffee habit with its wide array of innovative flavors. And now, there’s Chatime.
The owners of the French Baker group decided to bring in Chatime, the #1 Bubble Tea store in Taiwan, to our local shores. I like it because it is more like Happy Lemon than Serenitea in terms of the variety of fruit and tea drinks. You can expect to see Chatime beside every French Baker store in Manila soon.
With the Frozen Yogurt craze starting to taper off and decline, the Manila dessert scene is setting its sights on these funky bubble tea stores.
Flavors of Taiwan Series:
- DIN TAI FUNG Experience @ Taipei 101!
- TAIPEI 101: On Top of the 2nd Tallest Building in the World
- Tian Wai Tian Hot Pot – The BEST Hot Pot I’ve Ever Tasted
- The Making of Tea (Nantau, Taiwan)
- CHATIME: What We Can Learn from the Market Leader in International Bubble Tea Industry
The Chatime branch in Pioneer Center is slightly hidden and its entrance looks a bit small from the outside. But don’t let first impressions fool you — there is a nice and cozy bubble tea lounge on the second floor. It is very conducive to chitchat, plus, free wifi is available. 🙂
So whenever you are in the Pasig area (maybe for Cafe Juanita or Charlie’s), the best place for an after-meal sweet treat is Chatime’s Pioneer Store.
Click here for the Chatime Menu.
The menu might seem overwhelming or confusing at first, especially for Chatime newbies. You can order the safe Milk Tea versions or go for the unique Chatime Special Mix drinks or Chatime Mousse drinks.
You can add extra toppings (better to choose only one with your drink), which include:
Pearl, Grass Jelly, Pudding for P15, and Coconut Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, Red Bean, Aloe Vera for P20.
You can have the following ice options (I suggest you go for less ice):
0% No Ice, 70% Less Ice, 100% Normal Ice, and 110% Extra Ice.
Lastly, you can specify your sugar options (30% sugar is still good):
0% Sugar, 30% Sugar, 50% Sugar, 80% Sugar, 100% Normal Sugar, 110% Extra Sugar.
Chatime Roasted Milk Tea (Regular – P75) and Pearl Milk Tea (Regular – P80)
I personally like the roasted taste in my milk tea. Their sago is really good — soft and chewy. For me, 30% sugar is already enough to enjoy the right amount of sweetness with the tea.
Brown Rice Milk Tea (Regular – P60) and Taiwan Plum Ice Tea (Regular – P70)
The brown rice milk tea was quite unique. If you prefer the roasted taste of rice, get this drink. Since the Passion Fruit Green Tea was involved in the DEHP contamination scare*, we decided to go for the Taiwan Plum Ice Tea instead.
We enjoyed the fullness of the taste of the Taiwan Plum drink; however, we found it too sweet. Sad to say, we were informed that the tea does not have any sugar options. 🙁
Oolong Tea Mousse (Regular – P80)
We loved the Oolong tea! Among the drinks we ordered, this mousse drink with cheese mousse on top was the best one for us. We recommend drinking it from the cup to taste the contrasting flavors (instead of using the straw, where you only get to taste the tea mostly).
This is my Chatime favorite drink: Oolong Tea Mousse Regular with 50% sugar, less ice and extra pearls. 🙂
What’s your favorite drink in Chatime?
Chatime Pioneer Center Store is the best chill-out bubble tea place in Pasig. Check it out!
Chatime
Pioneer Center Store
Operating Hours:
Sunday to Thursdays 11am to 11pm
Fridays to Saturdays 11am to 12mn
Note: You have to enter Pioneer Center because you can’t see it along Pioneer St.
(Chatime also has branches in Banawe, Robinsons Galleria and Landmark Makati. You’ll soon see it in all the places where French Baker is located 🙂 )
Related Blog Posts:
Jane Chua’s Between Bites | Chatime Tea, Why Don’t Cha?
Manila Hot Stuff’s | Chatime Addiction
Foodie Manila | Chatime
Sunset Goddess Manila | Chatime Tea
Flavors of Taiwan Series:
- DIN TAI FUNG Experience @ Taipei 101!
- TAIPEI 101: On Top of the 2nd Tallest Building in the World
- Tian Wai Tian Hot Pot – The BEST Hot Pot I’ve Ever Tasted
- The Making of Tea (Nantau, Taiwan)
- CHATIME: What We Can Learn from the Market Leader in International Bubble Tea Industry
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Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. We paid for our drinks and we are not connected in any way with the owners.
*Note: There was a health scare recently when it was discovered that Taiwan’s largest food additive supplier was found to be adding the harmful chemicals di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which are used to make plastics more flexible and durable. But both the Taiwan and Hong Kong authorities have cleared Chatime of DEHP contamination.
P.S. Is is true that Chatime will introduce Bonchon-style chicken wings to their menu?
I used to love their Taro Milk Tea with Pudding (or something like that), but they’ve been out of taro for the longest time. As in weeks now. Does it have to do with that ingredient recall happening in Taiwan, I wonder?
I just tried the Chocolate Mousse with extra pudding and it was heavenly. It was like sipping liquefied chocolate mousse, but not in a gross way.
BTW, Chatime also has a branch in Galleria.
My favorite are Taro Pudding Milk Tea, hope they get it back in stock. Their grass jelly is also great either with fresh milk or milk tea. TieGunayin Latte is also a winner, supposedly with caffeine equivalent to Red Bull.
http://www.talesfromthetummy.com/2011/04/my-new-addiction-chatime.html is my take on Chatime.
I wish they’d open one in the south soon. Btw, happy centennial to the Green Archers, Animo La Salle!
I personally love the red bean milk tea with 30% sugar! Large please!
Is it freshly brewed tea also?
I love Chatime! It’s the best hang-out place after I’ve disposed of the kids to school and get a quick “me” time, or chill after doing my groceries, banking, paying the bills, or having something repaired at Pioneer Center. I am currently loving the light Jasmine milk tea 🙂 Thanks for linking your story to my post! Have a great one, Anton, Rache and the boys!
I love Chatime! It’s the best hang-out place after I’ve disposed of the kids to school and get a quick “me” time, or chill after doing my groceries, banking, paying the bills, or having something repaired at Pioneer Center. I am currently loving the light Jasmine milk tea 🙂 Thanks for linking your story to my post! Have a great one, Anton, Rache and the boys!
Yes, it is! They make their teas fresh everyday!
Do they have any other branches for us people from The South?
Hi Anton…
sorry a little bit off topic… i was just really angry with my experience with claire dela fuente restaurant at seaside dampa.. a bunch of scammmers..
Public Warning: Huwag po kayong magpapaluto sa Claire Dela Fuente restaurant sa may Seaside ha… magnanakaw po sila don.. garapal kung magbawas sa paluto… ingat lang po mga kaibigan….
http://chinoyeater.blogspot.com/2011/06/oatmeal-prawns-of-nasi-lemak.html
I prefer fresh tea on the spot
also is this a dessert drink, i see it more of a snack or when its hot or you want to hang out and have a drink instead of coffee type of service.
wow, it’s just near my workplace. The place looks cozy too!
Anton!!!! you have to try the Red Bean Milk Tea!!! yummmm
http://www.frannywanny.com/2011/04/chatime-at-pioneer-center-mandaluyong.html
They have a new branch at One Archer’s Place, a new condo beside DLSU – Taft 🙂 They just opened last week 🙂 May promos pa sila until next week! 😀
their staf are very dumb, You can’t blame your customer even he/she does’nt have coins to have their change.
Serenitea is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than chatime – for me though.
I love Chatime better than Serenitea! Chatime uses fresh tea, not powdered. In my opinion, the ranking is: 1) Chatime; 2) Happy Lemon; 3) Gongcha; 4) Bubble Tea; and 5) Serenitea. But that’s just me 🙂
Their coffee’s very good too, so you can have serious drinks like hot tea/coffee or dessert drinks that are not TOO sweet.
my top 5 favorites:
1. chatime
2. Bon Appetea in Strata 2000 Ortigas Center
3. serenitea
4. teatalk in BF homes
5. Moonleaf near Xavierville Katipunan area
Who knows a good place/store to buy real tea? Loose leaf tea preferably. Although I love milk tea, sometimes it just seems so… junky. Aside from this store in Rockwell Powerplant, I think its name is Bacchus, where else can I buy luxury tea (tea that isn’t the Lipton/Twinings tea bag type that you can buy at the grocery)? I heard Chinatown/Binondo might have good tea but I don’t just want Chinese tea. Can you, Anton, or anyone help me please? 🙂
Mica,
Daude sells really good premium tea for a tea master. They were selling in Mercato Centrale a few months back and I think you can contact them directly.
Anton
Happy Lemon is a must try also esp. their Cocoa rack salt with cheese 🙂
Cocoa ROCK
salt with cheese 🙂
The staff in Chatime Pioneer Centre are the worst! I went there, just yesterday. DI SILA ACCOMODATING. They don’t smile, say good morning or even pull up the door for you when they’re standing next to it. We were asking for the best seller, and the people just stared at us impolitely. And from my situation, we were carrying a lot of grocery bags. I mean wtf? Chatime, you just lost yourself a customer.
I don’t like Chatime. Their tea is mapakla maybe because they use an espresso machine to extract the tea. I also ordered the Taro drink once. It feels maalingasngas sa bibig and too creamy like they put gata in it – it felt like sipping ginataang halu-halo – sorry. I also drank yogurt green tea which I say is the ultimate test if a tea shop is OK(also Yakult Green Tea). No.
I have a question. Why does Chatime Banawe look different compared to other Chatime branches?
I don’t like Chatime. Their tea is mapakla maybe because they use an espresso machine to extract the tea. I also ordered the Taro drink once. It feels maalingasngas sa bibig and too creamy like they put gata in it – it felt like sipping ginataang halu-halo – sorry. I also drank yogurt green tea which I say is the ultimate test if a tea shop is OK(also Yakult Green Tea). No.
I have a question. Why does Chatime Banawe look different compared to other Chatime branches?
So far, of all the milk tea places we have tried, Chatime ranks way up there 😀 !!! Anything we have ordered and at any of the branches, it has always been consistent. After a while, even 50%-30% sugar on any of the tea variants is enough. QQ Milk Tea and their toasted rice green milk tea has been the winner so far 😀
http://www.lynne-enroute.com/2011/11/08/chatime-pioneer-mandaluyong-city-philippines/
Chatime has a new outlet at Eton Centris! Friendly crew, helpful to suggest drinks to first-timers, cozy ambience, wi-fi enabled, plenty of parking slots in the area (free-of-charge pa!). They can deliver via 212121…..try it out and be convinced!
Oooooh..ChaTime Chatime Chatime…
They have in Trinoma na daw. Gotta try..kasi ive been going to Galleria just for it.
😀