Those who have travelled to Bangkok would probably be familiar with ChaTraMue, the country’s ubiquitous tea shop best known for its sweet Thai milk tea beverage. And while global borders remain close for the foreseeable future, you can, instead, relive your holiday memories in Thailand with a visit to ChaTraMue’s new local outpost at Paya Lebar Quarter.
The flagship store, located on the first floor of the mall, marks a return for the Thai tea brand. It previously had three outlets around town, under the ownership of a licensee, but the agreement expired and the shops shuttered. It is now back, as a direct outlet from ChaTraMue itself, and will open its doors to the public on August 29, Saturday, 10am.
On the takeaway-only menu is its iconic cha yen, or Thai tea mixed with condensed milk ($3.80). The drink, which is known to be overly saccharine, has been tweaked to suit local tastebuds. General manager Jerls Su shares that a 100% sugar level here is equivalent to a 70% sugar level in Thailand. Each drink is also prepped fresh upon order – by a team of Thai staff, no less. It’s a move which might result in a slightly longer wait time, says Jerls, but is key in maintaining the quality of each drink.
Beyond the classic Milk Tea series, mixed with condensed milk, there is also a Signature Milk series ($5.60) that comes made with fresh milk instead. Here, the tea fragrance comes through more strongly, with options that include Thai milk tea, matcha milk, and Assam red tea. Toppings ($0.60) of pearls and brown sugar jelly are also available. The non-milk-based concoctions are worth a try, too. Choose from Thai black tea ($3.60), plum red tea ($4.60), or our favourite, the honey lemon oolong tea ($4.40) which makes for a refreshing thirst-quencher.
And to help beat the heat (only alfresco seatings are available), ice cream in the form of soft serves ($3.20) can also be found on the menu. Try it plain, in flavours of either Thai tea or green tea, or swirled together to enjoy the best of both worlds.
