When in Manila and you’ve grown tired of the usual blend of coffee concoctions in your favorite cafe, why not try a healthier tea drink alternative instead? I am a coffee drinker myself but I do have a particular liking for milk teas and lately there have been an abundance of tea drink places here and there. One of the most affordable bubble tea drinks I’ve had were the ones from Cha Dao Tea Place. The branch that I went to was at Maginhawa St. inside the UP Teacher’s Village in Diliman. You really can’t miss it because it’s very near the barangay hall and the storefront includes a red on white signage with Chinese characters on the side.
The name of the Tea place itself is from a Mandarin phrase which literally translates to “Tea Way”, signifying just how serious the folks here are with their tea recipes. My impression of the establishment upon entering was that it had a predominant green and white color scheme with the green being a pleasant and lively shade of lime. In just four months, there have been already 4 branches up for the Cha Dao Tea Place line and that for me is a sign of good business. The Maginhawa branch was still in the process of a soft opening but there have already been a warm reception from satisfied customers.
I was very glad to meet with one of the owners, Ms. Claudine Baron, who was very accommodating as soon as we walked in. She immediately set her crew to work on getting our drinks done. The store is small but cozy, with at least 4 seating groups inside and another 4 in their Al Fresco area. I was told by Ms. Claudine that the recurring theme among the branches are the lime green color scheme and the mural of stylized vines and leaves which was also part of the drink packaging.
The tea drinks menu included a variety of tea drink flavors and additives (which they call sinkers) that you can include in your drink. Aside from the teas, they also serve cookies. In just a little while, we were given the chance to sample four of their best sellers.
Looking at the photo from the left is the Wintermelon tea drink, Cha Ron (Thai Tea), Peach Mango and Assam.
Among the four, it was unanimous that the Wintermelon Tea Drink tasted best because of the blend of Wintermelon tea and the Lychee-flavored Popping Bubba which was just delightful to pop inside your mouth. The drink was very refreshing too!
Next for me is the Cha Ron which definitely tasted as the Thai Tea that I remembered and loved. The Assam is your basic black milk tea which also tasted wonderful. Would you believe that the Peach Mango had one whole Yakult in it? It was the first time that I’d had a tea drink with Yakult in it, however the peach flavor overpowered the mango and the drink for me was a bit too sweet.
It’s easy to see why many loyal customers prefer Cha Dao teas from other tea places because just the sheer variety of tea drinks available will make you want to just come back, try them all and choose a favorite. It’s also an at an affordable price of Php65 for a large-sized drink and Php75 for an extra-large one. When in Manila and you need a healthy drink to cool you off, I highly recommend getting one at the Cha Dao Tea Place.
Cha Dao Tea Place Branches:
– Cha Dao Tea Place KATIPUNAN, QC: #42 Esteban Abada St. corner Rosa Alvero St., Quezon City (Beside Kostka and Fruit Magic)
FOR DELIVERY OR PICK-UP: 2100765 / 0905-2236039
– Cha Dao Tea Place DON ANTONIO, QC: #64-D Holy Spirit Drive, Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City (Beside Don Enrique village gate, across the Pure Gold)
FOR DELIVERY OR PICK-UP: 2100677 / 0905-2236040
– Cha Dao Tea Place KAPITOLYO, PASIG: Unit 2, FADI Building, #5 West Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City (Beside Cebuana Lhullier and main Kapitolyo gate)
FOR DELIVERY OR PICK-UP: 7388719 / 0905-2236041
– Cha Dao Tea Place MAGINHAWA, QC: 111A Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City (Between Burger Project and Barangay Hall)
FOR DELIVERY OR PICK-UP: 6227076 / 0917-8636644
– Cha Dao Tea Place EMERALD-ORTIGAS, PASIG: B-1 Food Plaza, Wynsum Corporate Plaza, F.Ortigas Jr (formerly Emerald Ave), Pasig City
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Cha Dao Tea Place: Affordable and Yummy Bubble Tea Drinks in Manila
