The Battle of the Chicken Chops : Serenitea vs Cha Time

When the whole bubble/milk tea brouhaha started, I immediately found myself drawn to the Serenitea brand. Then came Cha Time, Happy Lemon (my least favorite of them all), Cha Dao and what have you.  Today, Serenitea remains to be my top choice for milk tea. Other than my usual Hokkaido with pearls and 50% sugar, I sometimes also order their snacks.

Their Chicken Chops is TO DIE FOR. I’ve always had to have more than just one order of it. N doesn’t really fancy it so … yay! More for me! Sabine thinks it’s a bit peppery for her taste and Anissa, well … she doesn’t really care much hahaha. So yeah, I’m the only addict in the house.

Yesterday, I was craving for some milk tea. I don’t have it as often as I used to which was WEEKLY. In fact, it’s been probably over a month since I had a glass. But the driver was going to get Sabine from school and the only convenient place on the way home was Cha Time in Pioneer Centre. Not really a bad choice because I like their Cha Time Roasted Milk Tea too. But I also wanted something to eat for merienda, so I asked the driver to get me 2 orders of their version of the Chicken Chops. I’ve never tried them before despite their offers so this was my chance.

Flavor-wise? The taste is very similar. I guess that was really the objective on Cha Time’s part ya? To compete directly with Serenitea’s chicken. Texture-wise? Serenitea’s is crunchier, it has more breading. In terms of serving though, I would have to say that Cha Time wins. The serving is slightly more generous, it’s like a whole chicken breast fillet in there. Their prices are in tune with each other so that’s really not an issue.

So who wins this contest? (a contest I created in my bored mind hahaha) It’s Serenitea of course. Why? Here’s why…

See all that white meat? I loathe white meat. I’m not exaggerating. This is one of the few things N and I agree on nyahaha. Seriously! We will not touch white meat with a ten-foot pole, it’s just too boring and bland. The Cha Time chicken had too much white meat, I ended up not finishing what I bought, ergo, I really just wasted my money. Sabine kinda liked it, because she was dipping the pieces in ketchup, but I don’t eat ketchup --- another story.

This was a lesson learned. Serenitea is still it when it comes to Chicken Chops ... and Peppered Corn ... and Peppered Fries. Their friggin' pepper is the secret!

First Time at Tea Tap

On our way home from a lunch gathering yesterday, I wanted to have something sweet. I had attempted to go to Tea Tap several times in the past but never got around to doing so. I finally made it yesterday.

I was surprised that the place was really big, contrary to what one would expect because from outside, it always looked small to me.

I really liked the stuff they had on their walls. They kept Sabine and I entertained while waiting for our number to be called out. I thought it was funny, however, that the place was still on holiday mode haha.

I opted for the Formosa Roast and got the Wintermelon Milk Tea for Sabine. They did not disappoint. I did notice that the pearls had a slight after-taste, but not funky enough for me to not go back. The prices are also quite competitive, despite the really spanking interiors.

I wish I had the appetite to try some of the food they serve. They looked so good in the photos. I'll definitely spend more time there on my next visit. I heard their pasta dishes are a must-try.

One of the reasons people hang out here is the free WIFI signal. I'm almost 100% certain of that!

I'm glad I was finally able to try their milk teas after planning on it for the longest time. Please don't ask me to rate all the different brands I've tried so far. It would be hard for me to say which one tops my list. (sorry but I just have to say again that Happy Lemon is not a consideration)

Tea Tap is located at P.Guevarra corner Wilson St in San Juan.

The Milk Tea Madness Continues

We were in the area last Sunday and it was SO HOT

After a fulfilling but exhausting time shopping in nearby HMR on Pioneer Street (which is not airconditioned), we thought it best to cool off for a bit before heading home

Chatime in Pioneer Center was the most convenient choice for us

We positioned ourselves on the 2nd floor which was surprisingly huge for a milk tea joint

This was just my second time here and everyone else's first

I ordered the exact same thing I had when I first tried them out

Left : Pearl Milk Tea (large with extra pearls because I love pearls to death)

Right : Neal's Red Bean Milk Tea with pearls

Unfortunately, Neal took one sip of his drink and said goodbye to it. In all fairness, he's really not into milk teas. I tried it though, and it wasn't bad at all.

After this second visit, I'm still going to say that Serenitea remains at number one ranking on my list. Nothing (so far) beats the taste of my favorite Serenitea Hokkaido. I would have to say, however, that Chatime is a pretty good alternative. Definitely better than Happy Lemon, which disappointed us twice in a row.

P.S.

I wonder if Chatime's owners are thinking of sprucing up their menu with food/snacks. Their dine-in area is so big, people can actually eat there.

She Was No Happy Lemon

Both my girls know that I'm addicted to milk tea. We were in Eastwood Mall last night and after visiting Time Zone as usual with her Yaya, Sabine proudly announced that she had seen a Happy Lemon branch upstairs. She was desperate to try it out because Anissa had been talking about wanting to buy their Milk Tea with Oreo Cookies and Cream variant. Off we went. Two floors up from where we were, I saw the branch which is right beside Starbucks, outside the cinemas. The small "dine-in" area was filled with people enjoying their drinks. There was a group lined up at the counter waiting for their orders. Looked like they were still open. NOT.

We waited for a little over 5 minutes at the counter because the service crew was busy making the drinks for the group that went ahead of us. I'm very sure someone saw us standing there and waiting, but nobody said a word. After the group left with their drinks, one of the crew approached us and said, to our dismay, "Sorry, Ma'am we're close na po." When Sabine heard this, she was almost in tears and asked why. I tried to argue with the crew and told them there was no sign anywhere that they were closed and somebody could've told us while we were waiting. She reasoned out that mall management had been giving them "the eye" for staying open past mall operating hours. Shops close at 10pm on Sundays and it was around 10:18. I asked them one last time, "Just one drink for a child, can't you do it? You haven't started cleaning your machines because that previous group just ordered. Your cash register is still open. You can't make ONE DRINK???". The answer was still a NO.

The girl turned to Sabine and said, "Sorry, baby. Next time nalang ha?". To my surprise, Sabine replied, "I'm not coming back here forever and ever!" Sure, it wasn't a life or death situation. My point is, if you're CLOSED, you should atleast put something up to say so. There was no sign on the counter, no stancheons (those upright bars with retractable belts) to keep people from entering the area, absolutely NOTHING.

This photo was taken BEFORE we were told, that's why Sabine's still smiling here. She definitely didn't look this happy when we left Happy Lemon. I wish I had taken more pics of the place to prove why I had no clue they were closed. But I was too disappointed to stay.