New bubble tea shops in Kuala Lumpur
Image adapted from: Like Tea & @ponilicious_cct
Many of us fell in love with bubble tea when Chatime cropped up years ago, but we wouldn’t have imagined a day we’d see 50 more chains springing up in just about every mall and street in KL. While the OG boba joints have done a stellar job in introducing us to milk tea with pearls, newer brands are making a fast climb to the top.
Here are 9 newly opened and coming soon bubble tea shops in KL to help you on your conquest to becoming a true and proud BBT fan:
1. LOHASS – additive-free fruit tea for the health conscious
If you’re concerned about consuming too many sugary drinks, LOHASS’s offers a healthier option of milk and fruit teas, so that you don’t have to go cold turkey on your favourite drinks.
Image credit: @ummmdeliciousfood_hunter
The Taiwanese brand specializes in additive-free fruit teas, using only fresh fruits and milk in all their beverages. If you’re looking to give their menu a try, go for their bestsellers, Orange Green Tea with Aloe (RM9.90) or Strawberry Bubble Passion Fruit Green Tea (RM9.90)
Bubble tea enthusiasts aren’t left out as they have the Signature Blackball Milk with Cream Mousse (RM11.90) and Signature Blackball Thick Milk (RM11.90).
Image adapted from: LOHASS
LOHASS
Address: A-GF-11 Sunway Nexis, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, 47810 Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: 12PM-1AM, Daily
SS15 outlet coming soon.
Website
2. Like Tea – Taiwanese soy milk bubble tea
Those of us who are lactose intolerant often have to face unfortunate consequences each time we fancy a cup of boba. Like Tea has heard these cries and created a soy milk-based beverage — the Fragrant Soy Bean Red Tea. While we can freely choose our preferred sugar levels and toppings at every BBT joint, this place is one of the first to have lactose-free options.
Image credit: Like Tea
When the founder decided to open up a bubble tea shop, he journeyed to the province of Yunnan to source their gourmet red tea. So Like Tea tends to use more traditional ingredients in their beverages, like soybeans. Their fresh soy milk is perfect for days when you want to take a break from sugary drinks.
Like Tea
Address: 23, Jalan Rimbunan Raya 1, Laman Rimbunan Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: 10AM-12AM, Daily
Telephone: 017-960 1397
Website
3. Wowtea – fruit blends topped with mozzarella cheese foam
Citrus & strawberries, cheese foam dragon fruit, and cheese foam peach beverages.
Image adapted from: @wowteamalaysia
Wowtea is one of China’s most popular fruit tea brands with over 500 outlets in the country. Take a glimpse at their menu and you’ll see that their wow factor lies in their creative fruit blends.
Their signature drinks include their dragonfruit, mango, and strawberry-based teas and each drink is topped with a layer of mozzarella cheese foam. They first landed in George Town and after winning the hearts of Penangites, they’ve opened an outlet in the up-and-coming boba street of Sri Petaling.
The staple brown sugar bubble tea is also on the menu
Image credit: @foodie_feeder
Wowtea
Address: 17, Jalan Radin Bagus 1, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 12PM-1AM, Daily
Telephone: 010-9772099
Website
4. Sugar Mummy – freshly brewed coffee boba
With a name like Sugar Mummy and a logo that looks like the landlady from Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, it’s no surprise that Malaysians have been flocking to this joint even when they were still a pop-up store.
Image credit: @naeust
Name and logo aside, their menu has spiced things up in the boba world with offerings such as the Brown Sugar Boba Latte (RM13.90) which swaps the usual milk tea out for boutique coffee in a satisfying cup full of steamed milk and a pool of chewy pearls at the bottom.
We stan a superb alternative to your regular cuppa joe.
Sugar Mummy Setapak
Address: No.14 (Ground Floor) Jalan 14/27B, Desa Setapak, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: 1PM-11PM, Daily
Telephone: 012-4512895
Sugar Mummy Bukit Bintang
Address: SE1, Side Entrance, Lot10 Shopping Mall, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: 1PM-10PM, Daily
Telephone: 012-4512895
Sri Petaling and Damansara Uptown outlets coming soon.
Website
5. The Whale Tea – volcanic lava milk tea & black cone soft serve
Aptly named Volcanic Sapphire, the layer on top is a striking blue with the “volcanic” peach gum as a topping
Image credit: @ponilicious_cct
We now have a pod of whales that’ve made their way to our shores with The Whale Tea being one of them. They’ve turned heads with their Volcanic Lava range that has a bubbling lava effect created by their signature jelly-like peach gum.
Image credit: @thewhaletea_official
In addition to their beverages, they serve black cone soft serves for times when just one dessert doesn’t cut it. They have 3 flavours you can sample, Coco De Creme, Hail The King, and Blue Lagoon.
The Whale Tea
Address: The Curve, Ground Floor, 6,Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: 10AM-10PM, Daily
Website
6. King Kong Bubble Tea – 2-in-1 bubble tea and mobile phone store
Apart from regular bubble teas, they have funky-looking fruity flavours as well.
Image credit: King Kong Bubble Tea
Homegrown boba shops are stepping up their game by coming up with innovative ideas, and King Kong Bubble Tea is doing just that with their 2-in-1 concept store.
Image credit: King Kong Bubble Tea
While waiting for your bubble tea order, you can browse through a large selection of phone cases and other accessories. They also offer phone repair services, so you can sip on your drink while you let the technicians do their thing.
From brown sugar bobas to fruit teas, their menu has all the staples of a good ol’ BBT joint.
King Kong Bubble Tea
Address: No.18-G, Jalan Puteri 1/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
Opening hours: 9AM-11PM, Daily
Telephone: 03-8051 9828
Website
7. LiHo – cheese tea from Singapore
Image credit: @rainraineeataway
Lovers of cheese foam beverages will find solace in this bubble tea shop from Singapore. Exchange rates haven’t affected its affordability either, and you can get their classics like the Milk Tea + Pearl for a reasonable RM6.50.
They’re a big name over at our neighbouring country and have garnered a massive following of loyal fans who swear by their speciality cheese teas. But if you prefer your cheese to be on a slice of pizza instead, you can have a go at their regular bubble tea range instead.
Image credit: @liho_my
LiHo Tea
Address: F-029, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 10AM-10PM, Daily
Website
8. Raion – Brown Sugar Oreo Milk from Taiwan
Image credit: Raion Malaysia
We’re excited to welcome more Taiwanese bubble tea chains to our ‘hood and we have high expectations, considering how well Xing Fu Tang and Tiger Sugar have fared with Malaysians.
Raion will be one of the newest ones to join the ranks with 7 outlets coming soon to hot hangout spots like SS15 and Genting Highlands. Their must-try drink is the Brown Sugar Milk Oreo that’s topped with Oreo crumbles, so that you’ll get an added crunch alongside the chewy pearls.
See all upcoming outlets here.
Website
9. Lion Boba – caramelised brown sugar bubble tea
Image credit: Lion Boba
Lion Boba recently made the announcement that they’ll be setting up their first outlet in Damansara Uptown. From the looks of it, their signature brown sugar bubble tea comes with a caramelised top like the one you’d find at Xing Fu Tang.
This upcoming bubble tea shop might just give the beloved XFT a run for their money.
Damansara Uptown outlet coming soon.
Website
Newest bubble tea joints in KL
We Malaysians obviously can’t get enough of bubble tea. And if you find yourself looking for some variety to shake up your daily boba runs, you can make a short detour to these new outlets. From coffee-based boba to affordable cheese foam fruit teas, you’ll have plenty of options for months to come.