As an avid boba lover, I am always on the lookout for the best boba milk tea. However, recently, I got the opportunity to go to Taiwan for a family reunion, and the first thought I had was BOBA (since Taiwan is known as the inventor of boba). After finding the location of the restaurant that created boba milk tea, I knew I was going to go add Chun Shui Tang — literally the home of boba — to my bucket list.

Where Is Chun Shui Tang?

coffee, tea
Alice Wen
Pearl milk tea was specifically created in 1987 at the founding shop in Taichung, Taiwan. Fortunately, there are plenty of Chun Shui Tang (translated in English: Spring Water Hall) locations throughout Taiwan and even in nearby countries such as Japan. Specifically, I visited a Taipei restaurant, so I had just had the milk tea and not the complete DIY boba milk tea experience.

Original Boba Milk Tea Review

Ordering

wine, beans, pizza, coffee, tea, beer
Alice Wen

Upon entering the cafe, I was immediately greeted with a nice waiter, but since I had just eaten lunch, I was led toward the to-go counter. At the counter, I saw the long menu of both drinks and small dishes. Of course, I, being the most basic tourist possible, ordered the first original boba, the best-selling, Pearl Milk Tea. Just like most milk tea places, you have the option of customizing your sweetness and ice levels. I chose to keep it as original as possible.

The Pearl Milk Tea

beer, coffee, tea
Alice Wen

For my first sip of the pearl milk tea, I got a mouthful of perfectly boiled, chewy yet crunchy in the middle, small boba balls. As for the milk tea, I was surprisingly not a fan. The tea is okay, but not even close to what I was expecting. The milk tea was bland and in my opinion, tasted like sweet water with only a hint tea flavoring. Okay, but not my kind of milk tea.

chocolate, milk, coffee
Alice Wen

Personally, I will not be going back for more Chen Sui Tang Milk Tea, even though it is the original boba inventor. It was a fun tourist activity, but when I return to Taiwan, I will be grabbing my boba from someplace else. If you are looking for a boba place in Taiwan, try some of my favorite boba chains: 50 Lan and ComeBuy.