Milk tea, green tea, sparkling tea, shakes, bubbles, jellies – the East Asian bubble tea craze has entered the mainstream food scene of Sydney and become popular not just among Asians.
For bubble tea lovers, the drink could be our daily cuppa, an afternoon wake-me-up, a weekend treat, or a satisfying after-meal wash-down. However, there seems to be just a few places around Uni that could satisfy our needs… or is it?
After a long quest of trying to find the perfect refreshment to help us get through classes and work, here is our (still generating) review on the five places to get bubble tea around Sydney University campus, arranged in no particular order.
(New to the scene? Check out this article on 15 things you should know about bubble tea!)
1. EasyWay
There is a reason this place comes up first because of its proximity and popularity for a bubble tea right on campus. EasyWay has a general menu offering popular milk tea favorites and different flavors. They also have a 15% discount for Access members, which makes the price a little bit competitive.
- Pros: on campus, fast, able to select sugar and ice level, competitive prices (with Access)
- Cons: taste is mediocre at best and lacking any tea flavor; lines could be long
- Price range: $4.60-$6
- Where to find it: Opposite of Café Azzuri on the lower floor of the Wentworth building
2. Cheers Tea (彩茶)
The little gem near Broadway is a secret spot that offers more modern and trendy options for a bubble tea around Sydney University. Drinks are served in a tall cup which to enjoy… the CHEESECAKE milk foam! They do claim that they have the best cheesecake milk foam, and while it does taste like cheesecake, it does not offer anything different from the average fare of cheese milk foam elsewhere.
Their specialty teas are the colorful fruit teas that look quite Instagram-worthy. Taste varies across selections, but they brew fresh teas and put real slices of fruits inside. What else to ward off the mid-day heat? And although the price for the large cup (700ml) is a bit expensive, they do offer 12% off for students.
- Pros: cheesecake milk foam (duh!), fresh fruit teas, 12% off
- Cons: a bit further away from campus (1 minute from Broadway), a bit of a wait for drinks, not a lot of toppings selection
- Price range: $5 - $8 (before student discount)
3. 小零煎餅 Griddle King
Griddle King actually specializes in Chinese fried pancakes (煎餅), which make cheap and awesome lunch options with various toppings. As with many other Chinese hip fast food places, Griddle King offers traditional Taiwanese-style teas and milk teas. There are no toppings and the drink selections are quite small, but they actually brew the tea from scratch (no powder).
- Pros: quick takeaway, no-frill menu with traditional options (milk tea, black/jasmine, winter melon, hot/cold), good taste, cheap.
- Cons: no toppings, only one size.
- Price range: $2.5 - $4
- Where to find it:
21 City Rd, Camperdown NSW 2050
4. Chatime (Broadway)
Chatime is the one to go for a bubble tea around Sydney University as a popular franchise with reliable quality. Plus, they sometimes have discounts for special holidays. If you are a StudentEdge subscriber (which you should, for free) you could also get a 2 for $8 deals from them too.
(Photo courtesy: )
- Pros: reliable brand, good selection
- Cons: the original price could be quite steep (but then all bubble tea in Sydney is)
- Price range: $4 - $7
- Where to find it: Level 2 of Broadway Shopping Centre
5. 85 degrees daily Café
85 degrees is another bakery-café chain similar that is similar to Breadtop but with a good selection of drinks. The milk foam deal at 85 degrees is the “sea salt” topping, which is on the rather salty side of taste, but balances well with your mildly sweet/bitter drink. They also have coffee options for those who just one an average Joe, or… sea salt caramel coffee anyone?
- Pros: range of teas and coffees together with breads and pastries to make a good combo; reasonable price
- Cons: A bit further away near Redfern station at Gibbons street exit
- Price range: $4 - $7- Where to find it: Located inside Spar Supermarket, Level 2, 7-9, Gibbons St, Redfern NSW 2016