Koi Cafe (Chinatown)

Actually I have seen it at Taiwan, Tai Zhong, at one of the Nite Market (so-called).  I didn't go and buy it because I was at opposite street.  I am quite scared to cross over the street especially heavy traffic.  So when it first opened at Singapore, my first buy was at Chinatown.  Subsequently when it expanded to many branches.  I will buy it whenever I see it.  My fave ever since, with the cost that match the drink size and with its chewy black pearls.

The first thing we looked out for when we were nearby was whether this stall had a snaking queue from it. There were three times when the line was extremely short and we promptly joined it.

Our initial experience with 珍珠奶茶 (奶绿) (bubble milk green tea - medium $2.40) was somewhat a letdown. The tea was strong and fragrant but the pearls were overly firm and chewy, resulting in tiring jaws. They also proved to be a huge distraction from enjoying the tea.

The second time around, we queued for the 绿茶玛奇朵 (green tea macchiato - medium $2.10), which turned out to be quite interesting as a small plastic knife was given to slit the lid. The tea was covered with a thick layer of foamy cream and the tinge of saltiness went well with the aromatic tea.

For our third drink, we decided to try something with ice jelly. The 爱玉冰茶 (ai-yu iced tea - medium $3.50) was the most expensive. The slight sourness was very refreshing on a hot day while the jelly was silky smooth and offered a bouncy bite. This drink definitely brought back memories of the dessert typically sold in food courts, the 文头雪.

We always had the drinks at 70% sugar level, which I found to be sweet enough without going all the way.