The bubble tea craze in Hong Kong is not stopping anytime soon. Following the Beatlemania-esque openings of HeyTea in Sha Tin and Causeway, a ridiculously popular chain store that specialises in cheese-topped tea and other hand-shaken beverages, Hong Kong’s very own tea brand Ying Kee Tea House is hopping on the bandwagon and has opened a new shop offering its take on the bubble tea.
With more than 130 years of history in Hong Kong, Ying Kee is keeping up with the times by launching its first concept store, iTea, in Tsim Sha Tsui. The big hook here is its nitro-infusion, which gives beverages an extra smoothness, as well as Ying Kee’s signature tea brews like pu'er and oolong tea. From the menu, you can enjoy creative concoctions including the one-of-a-kind nitro rose and chenpi pu’er ($118), Hong Kong’s first Tea Coffee with clear or black crystal ($34) – think Pu’er tea meets Arabica coffee with bits of red bean – as well as a vast range of cheese-topped drinks and fresh fruit teas.
So if you survive on Taiwanese drinks, why not include Ying Kee for your daily top up?