Feeling the scorch of summer like never before? Don't sweat it! When you can't chill indoors or hit the beach without a plan, snagging a frosty cup of your go-to milk tea is the ultimate move.
So, if you’re needing a cool down from the intense heat these days, cruise on down to SM Supermalls because we've got all your beloved milk tea joints lined up and waiting just for you. AND because we want you to always feel cool and refreshed this summer, we have amazing deals for you to enjoy your favorite milk teas even more!
Here’s a new list of some of the best milk tea places to check out at the ultimate hangout destination this summer—SM Supermalls:
Homegrown Milk Tea Shops
Black Scoop Cafe
Photo from Black Scoop Cafe Facebook page
Here is a local shop that was founded because of the owners’ love for coffee, tea, and ice cream. Black Scoop serves up winners like:
- Cheesecake Milk Tea — an exquisite combination of something salty from the cheesecake, and something sweet from the milk tea;
- Okinawa — another creamy milk tea made even special with that unique Okinawan caramel.
Black Scoop is available in SM City Sucat, SM City Dasmariñas, SM Mall of Asia, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown, SM City Legazpi, SM City Tuguegarao, SM City Sorsogon, SMDC Sun Mall, and SM City Baguio.
International Milk Tea Shops available here in the Philippines
Tea Live
Tea Live is a Malaysian milk tea brand that opened its first store in the Philippines at SM City North Edsa in 2022. Their best sellers include:
- Bang Bang Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Warm Pearls — the classic milk tea, elevated with soft, chewy, and warm brown sugar pearls
- Aren Palm Sugar Pearl Milk Tea — from their Aren Palm Sugar line that uses “Aren,” which is a natural sweetener derived from a plant that can be found in Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.
Tea Live is available at 14 SM Supermall branches including SM City Tanza, SM City San Lazaro, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Manila, SM City Grand Central, SM Southmall, SMDC Jazz Mall, SM City Dasmariñas, SM Hypermarket Lapu-Lapu, SM City Sucat, SM City Cebu, SMDC Green Mall, SM City North Edsa, and SM Cherry Shaw.
R&B Tea
A Singaporean sensation is also finally here in the Philippines. R&B Tea has over 1,000 stores worldwide. In 2020, they opened their first-ever branch in the country in Quezon City, which also happened to be the first milk tea store with a drive-through service. Their best sellers include:
- Signature Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Pearls and Cheese Brulee — a delightful twist to milk tea, this crowd favorite combines both sweet and savory flavors—a must-try delight!
- Plant-based Milk Tea — craving for milk tea but want to make it cleaner? This plant-based drink from R&B uses soy milk, coco sugar, and Carrageenan pearls.
Grab your R&B drink from one of these branches: SM City Cauayan, SM City Tanza, and SM City Tuguegarao.
Island Tea Company
This milk tea shop originates from Sri Lanka, which is one of the countries that pushed for the establishment of the International Tea Day. Beverages from this brand use 100% Ceylon tea, which is the finest—if not one of the finest—tea in the world. When at R&B, do try their:
- Perfect Ceylon Brown Sugar Milk Tea — a unique blend of authentic pure ceylon tea and their secret brown sugar recipe made with muscovado sugar just screams perfection in a cup.
- Halo Halo Milk Tea — here comes the classic Filipino dessert with a milk tea twist. Their Halo Halo Milk Tea is made with premium ceylon earl gray tea, mixed with premium dairy milk, and topped with sweetened beans, coconut jelly, and ube ice cream.
There are about 150 branches of Island Tea Company worldwide, three of which can be found in these SM malls: SM City Baguio, SM City Cebu, and SM City Butuan.
Thai milk tea, anyone?
Many milk tea fans are also in love with the distinct taste of Thai milk teas. Thankfully, we have quite a few options here in the country.
Baa Baa Thai Tea
Started in 2019, and has grown to 50 branches nationwide since. Their ingredients sourced straight from Thailand and their traditional pulling method are what makes their beverages truly special. Aside from the classic Thai Milk Tea, their Banana Milk Tea is a must try. The banana puree that goes into the drink is the perfect complement to Baa Baa Thai’s signature black tea.
Head on over to SM City Rosales, SM City Urdaneta Central, and SM City Grand Central to get your Baa Baa Thai Tea fix. Check this link for the full list of SM malls where you can find them.
Cha Tuk Chak
Photos by Cha Tuk Chak’s Facebook Page
Cha Tuk Chak has been operating since 2017, which is why they are one of the go-to places when craving for authentic Thai milk tea. One sip of their best seller, the Cha Yen or the authentic Thai milk tea, will instantly transport you to the streets of Bangkok. It has that rich flavor that only freshly brewed teas have.
Cha Tuk Chak’s Cha Yen doesn’t come with pearls though, so keep that in mind when you line up for a cup at one of these branches: SM City North Edsa and SM City Fairview.
ChaTraMue
One of the OG Thai milk teas, ChaTraMuehas been in existence since 1945! Travelers coming from Bangkok would usually bring home sachets of their teas. Now, all you need to do is hop on to SM Mall of Asia to get a taste of the Thai milk tea that has been around for almost 80 years. Made with steeped black tea along with other spices, their Thai tea has that addicting bitter taste that is complemented really well with the subtle sweetness that comes from condensed milk.
Milk teas from the Land of Milk Tea
When it comes to milk tea, these Taiwanese brands are certainly top of mind—and they’re here at SM too!
Tea 101
Here’s another shop where you can taste the most potent flavors of quality and authentic Taiwanese tea. At Tea 101, you can rest assured that their teas are brewed only in the traditional way—no machines involved. This gives it that fresh tea taste made even better with your choice of sinkers such as pearls, QQ jelly, nata crystals and more.
Tea 101’s bestseller is their pearl milk tea—a concoction of flavorful tea, creamy milk, and chewy pearls in one big (choose from their tall, sky, or empire sizes) ice-cold cup. Their tangy Yakult Teas are also another crowd favorite. Imagine the health benefits of green tea and all the probiotics that come with Yakult. It’s definitely one yummy drink that is both thirst-quenching and guilt-free.
Tea 101 is available at SM Mall of Asia.
The Alley - It’s Time for Tea
The Alley opened in 2013 in Taiwan, and has since opened to over 300 stores all over the world. Their first Manila branch opened in 2019. Since then, Filipinos now have easy access to their best-selling Royal No. 9 milk tea. What makes this drink special is that it uses black assam tea leaves, blended with fresh milk, rich cream, and The Alley’s secret syrup. All these make for a refreshing beverage that perfectly balances the bitter and the sweet.
Grab your Royal No. 9 milk tea at select SM malls.
Xing Fu Tang
Xing Fu Tang claims to be Taiwan’s number 1 when it comes to brown sugar boba—and many can attest to that! Their tapioca pearls with their signature stir-fried brown syrup are made fresh hourly, so your Brown Sugar Boba Milk will always taste exceptional. The pearls are almost velvety and tender, which elevates the drinking experience even further. Xing Fu Tang is currently only available at The Podium, but here’s hoping we see it in more SM branches nationwide soon!
If you’ve reached this point of the article, consider this as a sign to start planning that milk tea adventure. And don’t miss out on the coolest deals we have in store for you! Check out the “Summer Deals for You” section down below so you can beat the heat without beating your pockets.
While you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X so you can be updated on the latest milk tea shops that are running promotions or will open at an SM Supermall near you.
