Battle of the Boba: Must-Try Bubble Tea Brands in Singapore

Despite being around for years, the craze over milk tea shows no signs of dying down anytime soon. In fact, you can see homegrown and imported brands sprout like mushrooms in Singapore every now and then.

Also called boba tea or bubble tea, milk tea has come a long way since its humble beginnings in Taiwan. Now, you can see a bevy of milk tea flavors that range from classic to (sometimes) eccentric. If you are unsure what to order, you will never go wrong with these crowd favorites.

Must-Try Bubble Tea Flavors

Brown Sugar Milk Tea or Tiger Milk Tea

It is the best-selling milk tea flavor in the U.S. and Western countries. First-timers should not skip this flavor that originated in a Taiwan-based milk tea shop called Tiger Sugar. It is made of caramelized brown sugar, milk, and tapioca pearls.

Honeydew Milk Tea

This is the perfect flavor for those who want a slightly sweet milk tea. It tastes best when made from fresh fruits rather than powdered ingredients.

Matcha Milk Tea

Matcha means powdered tea from the young leaves of a plant. Behind its vibrant green color, matcha milk Tea is infused with various health benefits. It is believed that matcha can help boost a person’s energy, improve the immune system, and burn calories faster. It is also a well-known source of antioxidants.

Thai Milk Tea

Thai milk tea is one of the go-to favorites by milk tea lovers because of its sweet and creamy taste complemented by its bright orangey appearance. It is also called iced Thai milk tea, which is commonly made of organic tea and coconut milk with ice.

Taro Milk Tea

Famous for its eye-catching purplish color made from taro root, the Taro milk tea flavor comes in a sweet and nutty flavor with a little starchiness just like the root plant.

Best Bubble Tea Brands in Singapore

There are dozens of bubble tea shops across the city-state, with each brand offering a variety of selections. Check out our selection of the best and must-try bubble tea brands in Singapore.

Bober Tea

With five outlets in Singapore, Bober Tea is a favorite among locals. Featuring its Instagram-worthy drinks, Bober Tea is known for its fragrant tea classified into tea series, fruit series, and seasonal flavors.

HeyTea

Many Singaporeans are obsessed with the iconic cheese tea from this Chinese bubble tea shop. Despite the long queue, people wait in line to indulge in HeyTea’s premium drinks made from natural ingredients.

KOI

One of the first international bubble tea brands in Singapore, KOI gained popularity because of its membership system for loyal customers. The points you earn can be exchanged for rewards like buy one, take one, or a free drink upsize. KOI’s top seller milk tea flavors are black tea macchiato and green milk tea.

Teabar by Teabrary

This milk tea shop carefully makes its famous cold-brewed tea to ensure every drink it serves has a smooth and clean taste. It is the first bubble tea brand in Singapore to offer nitro bubble tea flavored with sweet cream. Teabar by Teabrary’s must-have flavors include foam or cream, classic vanilla with lemon and azuki beans, and lemongrass.

The Alley

One of the most recognizable bubble tea brands in Singapore is The Alley. Its packaging features a deer antler with a round-bottom cup that represents the brand’s deerioca tapioca boba pearls. The Alley’s best-selling milk tea is the brown sugar deerioca fresh milk that consists of tender boba pearls and caramelized brown sugar syrup made from in-house natural sugar canes.

The Whale Tea

Originally from Nanjing City, China, The Whale Tea’s brand name comes from the Chinese word jing, which translated to whales in English. Just likes the whales in the wild, the Chinese tea shop represents boldness and cleanliness.

Some of its recommended drinks are black crystal matcha, blue crystal coconut milk, brown sugar boba milk, flaming brown sugar, passion fruit lava, and volcanic sapphire whale.