Bubble Town Bubble Tea in Bicol (Naga finds!)

Although it may seem self-serving to be writing about Bubble Town, I think this blog deserves to have a piece (or more) on Naga City’s first bubble tea house.

Several other blogs have written reviews on the place and I’m positive that there are a good number of happy comments on Facebook – so, I’ll take the liberty to write about BTown from another point of view.

 

Perhaps one of the best things about Bubble Town is the fact that it is a family initiative. My happiest memories of this young store are the first few weeks. Opened in early May (2011), Manay Kat (the owner of the store), Karen and I dove into being baristas – mixing tea drinks, cooking tapioca pearls and brewing tea. JJ and Tom would spend the evenings throwing trash, wiping tables and loading the things that ought to be brought home for refill/cleaning/replacement. The best floor mopper has got to be Tintin. The green tea connoisseur – PJ.

In our previous lives, we were bubble tea lovers. Customers. Happy payers for the refreshing drink. Tom and Manay Kat would frequent bubble tea places in Vancouver. Over the years, as Manay Kat would come home to Naga, she’d crave for it but not have anywhere to go for it. I have always been a Quickly child (which is not the same, I know) – but being introduced to bubble tea in Vancouver, I made the connection. Then you have the many many milk tea places that are booming all over the metropolis up north in Manila.

So early this year, we all made the transition from mere bubble tea lovers to sharers as well.

Because it’s a start-up company, the growing pains are felt in each and every aspect of the work. Labor pains they call it. It’s Manay Kat’s third child. Or maybe her second – the third came out last October.

So many things had to be taken into consideration: the amount of ingredient A into the drink, the number of seconds the tea should shake, the design of the chair ought to be like this and not like that. Franchising in the future. More stores in the future.

It was fun and amazing to see how someone’s dream (or craving) to lead into something like this that the whole family can enjoy (on whatever side of the bar you’re on).

We all have our personal favorites. Tom definitely loves his Original Milky Tea with 100% sugar. JJ has been shifting from Mango Green Tea to Lychee Green Tea and I’ve been following suit. All drinks come with tapioca pearls – just the right texture, made with love, all fresh and newly cooked. And the tea? Brewed every morning with just as much love as the pearls. I can attest to that.
For the first time, I tried the Lemonade Jelly with 100% sugar, and I must say it’s pretty good. Quite a contender for my number one spot. I’m staring at my empty glass now and thinking of getting one more.

Or oatmeal cookies. Hmmm.