Tiger Sugar's Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar is Now Available in Manila

Tiger Sugar was a big hit when it opened its first store in Bonifacio High Street back in 2018. Its hour-long lines didn't discourage locals and patiently waited just to get hold of its popular brown sugar milk drinks. And just when we thought its hype was dying down, it released something perfect to beat the Manila heat.

Hello, Tiger Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar!

Milk tea ice cream is not exactly new. We've seen several brands come up with versions of this crowd favorite flavor but not everyone was successful. 

First Bite: Cold Layers

Rainy days in Manila doesn't necessarily mean sweater weather. With the humid air we have in the city, it's not surprising to see people feast on ice cream, shaved ice or boba. And since a cold treat is always a good idea, I decided to swing by Cold Layers.

Hello, Cold Layers.

Cold Layers is known as a shaved ice shop. But it offers more than just those fluffy snow-like treats. Aside from it joining the boba craze, it also offers savory dishes perfect for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner!

Love at First Bite: Ya Chou

I love manthou. I often order some when I see it on the menu or grab a plateful at Chinese buffet. Just thin‌king about these freshly steamed buns smothered with butter makes me drool for hours. And I'm so thankful to discover a shop that allows me to have my favorite snack anytime I want. 

Hello, Ya Chou. 

Ya Chou is a small shop in Quezon City that specializes in Taiwanese delicacies like dumplings, peanut balls, radish cake, sausages and machang. Being in the food business for over two decades, Ya Chou has gained loyal patrons who would drop by its store to grab hold of its sweet and savory products. 

First Sip: One Zo

Milk tea is everywhere and it is so close to turning me into the same shape as tapioca! But it's just too hard to resist especially when new brands keep opening here and there. And just a few weeks back, a boba shop also from Taiwan opened in Promenade Greenhills. But unlike all the other milk tea joints, this one makes its pearls from scratch and cook fresh batches every day. And did I mention that it comes in different flavors?

Hello, One Zo. 

Named after the Mandarin translation for playing with balls of dough, One Zo is known for its freshly made flavored pearls. 

Love at First Sip: Alishan at The Alley

Milk tea has been part of Filipinos diet for a few years now and it seems to be taking a bigger chunk of the food pyramid. We even ranked as one of the top countries in terms of milk tea consumption. And it's getting harder and harder to avoid this addictive drink when you see a shop or two in almost every corner. But I might have to sign up for Milk Tea Anonymous for I found myself braving the traffic one Saturday just to get hold of Alishan at The Alley's talked about milk tea.

Hello, Alishan.

Alishan at The Alley should not be confused with The Alley which first opened in Mall of Asia. The former is managed by Dean & Deluca and has nothing to do with the milk tea shop with reindeer in its logo aside from sharing "The Alley". 

First Sip: Chachago

I’m so hooked with milk tea these past few months. I always grab one or two whenever I see a boba shop (with manageable line). And two weeks ago, I was hoping to swing by Macao Imperial to finally try Masarap Ba’s recommended drink. But R changed his mind about having his haircut at Capitol Commons and opted to go somewhere in Kapitolyo instead. And it must be my lucky day as the barber shop we went to is right beside another milk tea joint, Chachago. 

Hello, Chachago.

I’ve seen several posts of Chachago’s milk tea when it opened its first branch in Quezon City. As much as I would love to swing by and check it out, it was way too out of the way for me to just grab a drink. But milk tea gods were good to me as the barber shop R chose is right beside Chachago's newest branch. Needless to say, I was right in front of Chachago as soon as R parked his car. 

First Sip: Tiger Sugar

Tiger Sugar definitely tested how we Filipinos love milk tea. With hundreds braving the unforgiving Manila heat for hours just to get hold of this popular drink, Tiger Sugar became trending and talked about for months! I also tried to line up one time but gave up after 2 minutes when I overheard someone say "Hmm, okay lang. Not worth it." while holding a cup of Tiger Sugar. I told myself that I'll just try it when the craze for it die down. Months passed and the hype for it is still alive! I guess waiting for 30 minutes won't be that bad so I finally gave in. 

Hello, Tiger Sugar.

Tiger Sugar quickly expanded to four branches in under 6 months and I'm so glad that the locations it chose are all near the places I frequent. 

First Sip: Xing Fu Tang

I spotted a board up of a new milk tea place while taking a stroll around Podium with friends a few months back. I took a mental note to try it when it opens and I finally did last week after dinner at my favorite xiao long bao place. 

Hello, Xing Fu Tang. 

I've read a handful of lukewarm reviews about this new Taiwanese drink brand but it didn't stop me from dropping by and actually queuing for about 20 minutes. 

Love at First Sip: Gong Cha's Milk Brown Sugar

The milk tea craze doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon and everyone's hooked with different joints' brown sugar concoction. I've tried a handful but none really stood out for me yet. And next on my list was Gong Cha's Milk Brown Sugar.
 
Hello, Gong Cha!

It has been a long while since I had Gong Cha. I stopped frequenting Gong Cha after numerous failed attempts in getting the coffee-based drink that I liked.

But seeing its Milk Brown Sugar (PHP130 + PHP16 for pearls) drink intrigued me and it being part of Booky's BOGO deal further convinced me to pay one of its branches a visit.

First Sip: Milk Tea Taho

The craze for brown sugar milk tea has been around for months and it seems that it is about to get even wilder with new players coming in town. While some are dismissing how great these drinks are given that it's just "arnibal", sweets loving Filipinos are sure to continue to line up and patronize these establishments offering an alternative to our classic taho. But for those who can't decide if they want milk tea or taho, I found the perfect solution for you.

Hello, Soy Yummy!

Soy Yummy has been my go to kiosk for my taho needs when I couldn't get hold of Mr. Taho. I'd always get a large cup of hot taho whenever I spot one except one Friday afternoon when something else caught my attention. 

Worth it or Not: Happy Lemon's Tiger Milk Tea

Food trends never fail to pique my interest. One of the hyped drinks these days is brown sugar milk tea. Marketed to taste like our well-loved taho, it sure got my 100% attention as soon as the posts got to my feed. First on my list was Happy Lemon's Tiger Milk Tea. 

Hello, Happy Lemon.

It has been months (or probably over a year) since I last visited Happy Lemon. But I suddenly had this burning desire to visit a branch after reading great reviews on its "new" Tiger Milk Tea. 

After Dinner Stop: Meow Meow Cafe

Milk tea is such a craze here in Manila and every time I think that it’s slowing down, I see a packed milk tea place. But things are a bit different in the US. Perhaps the boba craze has been long over in the US so there were no long lines or waits in the shops. At first I was a bit skeptical with the taste given there was no line. But I was wrong.

Hello, Meow Meow Café!

The first thing I noticed was that the surrounding area is filled with high school students. I felt young for a moment there. :)

The place had a few customers so when we arrived, we were next in line. N and I got a Brown Sugar Milk Tea each ($3.50) and it sure was sweet. The pearls (or boba as they call it) were chewy and not the yucky gooey type. It sure was love.

I love the added texture given by the brown sugar sprinkled on top. It gave a bit of roughness and crunch. It was a tad too sweet though but since we were having it for dessert, it made my sweet tooth smile.