Boba Milk Tea Mania: Tawau Edition (Part 4)

Yes people, I’m back again with the latest edition of the local boba crazed and even though the RMCO has been extended until end of the year, that does little in dampening the spirits of local entrepreneurs to open their own boba joint (or in some cases, open a popular franchise). Also, I do notice (from the local social media) the emergence of home-based bubble milk tea businesses & will probably be doing a post specifically for that in the future.

(Disclaimer: Similar to my previous boba posts, I will be listing these out mainly based on the tastes of their chocolate drink line unless stated otherwise. And if you guys are curious about my previous posts, here are the Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)

So without further ado (and in no particular order)…

GOLD TEA

Where?  1-A1-GF, 1Arena (Pusat Komersil BDC), Jalan Chong Thien Vun (has now moved to Kubota Square area - as of 2022)

Originated from? Hong Kong

What I had? Iced Bear HK Silk Stocking Milk Tea

The Good? I know I know… Technically this silk stocking specialized franchise is not exactly a bubble tea milk store but still they do add pearls upon request so there. Plus I’m just loving the very ‘kawaii’ ice bears (literally bear shaped iced milk tea) that comes in 5 poses and the ‘eggwich’ that I had (they also provide instant noodles, buns, toasts and other snacks in house).       

The Bad? Despite me loving the cute ice bear so much, unfortunately that does not saved their actual milk tea taste (at least for me). It wasn’t bad or anything, it was just that it tasted like an ordinary ‘teh nai ping’. But then again, maybe that was how silk stocking milk tea supposed to taste like.

TRUEDAN

Where? TB27, Block E4, Ground Floor, Kubota Sentral, Jalan Chong Thien Vun (has been closed - as of Sept 2022)

Originated from? Taiwan

What I had?  Milk Cream Bubble Chocolate Latte

The Good? The drink that I had definitely did not disappoint, especially coming from a big name franchise such as this (or originally known as Jenjudan). Plus, you can also order their drinks if you’re dining at the eatery attached to this place called Horizon Cafe (they shared the same lot but the owner had creatively divide the place into 2 different connecting sections)

The Bad? Well, technically what I had was a bubbled latte so here’s to hoping that they will add a chocolate milk tea variety within their menu in the future

 CO. DRINK

Where? 318, Ground Floor, Block 37, Fajar Complex

Originated from? Tawau (I guess)

What I had? Co.Drink Chocolate Belgium Brulee

The Good? The latter did not differ much from other similar drinks from other bubble tea stores but that was probably why I actually like the drink very much. And it is also a very good thing when you’re treated with a polite & cheerful staff upon entering & ordering said drink. And they also have light snacks available in house.  

The Bad? For now I guess the biggest problem that I had with this place is that they’re located right beside a busy main road within the Fajar Complex hence no immediate parkings nearby.   

 GEN.Z

Where? Shell station, Jalan Sin Onn (near to the Fujimart  area)

Originated from? Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

What I had?  Premium Choco Milk Tea & Double Chocolate Milk

The Good? Since I have previously tried them out when I was in KK, I have excluded their Charcoal Chocolate variety because I wanted to try some other chocolate-y options within the menu (and I’m pretty impressed that they have more than one option for their chocolate drink)

The Bad? The obvious one has got to be the location of this store. I mean, it is not uncommon for petrol station owners to open an eatery of sorts within their premise but this particular Shell station actually had limited spaces to begin with so having them there might not be a smart move (in terms of customer convenience). Also, I was surprised to find that both of the drinks that I’ve tried were virtually tasteless, unlike the ones that I’ve tried in KK.

LET’S BOBA

Where? Lot 18, Ground Floor, KM30, Jalan Kalabakan (Merotai Besar)

Originated from? Tawau, Sabah

What I had?  Brown Sugar Dark Chocolate & Brulee Dark Chocolate

The Good? I discovered them accidentally while doing some errands within the Merotai Besar area & I just wanted to say that I’m glad to see a local bubble milk tea store opening at a fairly uncommon & out of town area (albeit within a new commercial area).

The Bad? Other than the remote distance from the main town area (you literally need to drive around 30 minutes or so just to reach the area), the drinks that I had also needed improvement as both drinks literally tasted like those typical ‘gerai tepi jalan’ drinks. But then again they’re very new in this business so I’ll give them time. Also, it does take them quite awhile to prepare said drinks so staff training might also be needed. 

Yoyo Cafe Suria Sabah (KK FoodieVenture #155)

From a (previous) internationally famous franchise (post), we now move on to a locally famous bubble tea chain. I did post a review of their Centre Point branch before but sans any mentioned of their actual selling point; their bubble tea line. They have been around for a very long time (way before we caught on to the ‘bubble tea fever’) so their drinks were more old school and one should not expect any of those fancy cheese or brulee toppings here. But I got all nostalgic while passing by their Suria Sabah branch (on the lower ground floor of said mall) and decided to see whether or not they still retain the same tastes as before. And sure enough, my all time favourite Chocolate Milky Tea (plus coconut cubes) still tasted as good as I’ve remembered it. Although for some reason, I thought that it was way sweeter now than I’ve previously preferred. Oh well… must be an age thing… again! But hats off to the franchise for being able to withstand any competition coming their way and still managed to maintain their drink’s very affordable prices until now.   

Tiger Sugar (KK FoodieVenture #154)

Among all of the big name bubble tea franchises that I’ve tried thus far, this is the only one that had actually lived up to its reputation. The main reason why I hang out at the Lintas Square area a lot during my most recent trip to KK (they’re at the back row of the commercial area) was to ‘stalk’ this place. I went there the first 2 times and they were unfortunately closed (the first time it was because we were too early and the second was because they were off for the day). But thankfully our third time was a charm and I finally got a chance to try out their drinks. I was fully aware that the franchise does not have a chocolate option within their menu but I was glad that they’re promoting this new version of their drink called the Milo Brown Sugar Boba Milk and it was superb in taste. Everything blends really well together and you can definitely taste the quality in their drinks. My only (slightly) negative comment about the place was about the unfriendly person manning the counter. He looked a bit annoyed when I asked him questions regarding the drinks and only answer a simple yes or no without any further explanation. Customer service is also a very important part in any business so hopefully they can improve on that.  

The Whale Tea (KK FoodieVenture #153)

Okay so what’s the deal with bubble tea franchises being so fascinated with whales (or any other animals for that matter) nowadays? I mean, there seems to be at least 2 other boba places that are using the mammal as their mascot as well (click HERE and HERE to see my previous posts). Nevertheless, it got me curious and a bit eager to see whether or not they were any differences between the brands and I must say that it does. The drink that I’ve ordered was the Coco Milk and it was just okay at best (as compared to one of the brands mentioned). The tapioca pearls were sweet and chewy but the milk itself was just so-so. My partner was more interested in their soft served and have a go at their Golden Coco Gelato. Despite the very yummy look, the gelato tasted more like a charcoal soft served rather than anything chocolate-y (or did they really gave us a charcoal gelato instead?). Also, once out of the air-conditioned waiting area, the gelato melted at lightning speed so you do need to eat them up as soon as you can (or end up a mess like my partner did – not that I did not enjoy watching him getting all frantic and messy like that for once 😏).