From stiff drinks at Loof to bottled pudding at Jay Chou’s choice spot, Machi Machi, splash out on a deluxe sugar hit

Ah, bubble tea, nectar of the gods. Stores peddling a smorgasbord of takes on the Taiwanese classic are dime a dozen these days, and happily for plebs, run at an affordable price range. Rare is the boba that’s a little more luxe, but these joints offer cuppas a cut above: think tipples, Insta-pretty bottled brews, and chic interiors. What better way to sip your sugar?

Related: 5 Most Instagrammable Cafes in Singapore

1. Lychee Bubble Tea, $23

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Above Lychee Bubble Tea/Facebook

Loof

Probably Singapore’s most expensive boba of all time, nurse yourself a potent, after-work pick-me-up at this rooftop bar perched atop Odeon Towers. Skip the dizzying array of Southeast Asian-inspired cocktails on the drinks menu and dive straight into the heady Lychee Bubble Tea—dark rum, lychee liqueur, calamansi, lemon and vanilla, plus tapioca pearls. Or hit up the Loof Bubble Tea ($22) comprising vodka, gin, rum, orange liqueur, sour plum, citrus, yoghurt, and tapioca pearls. Cushion the libations with elevated local dishes: chilli crab waffle fries, crispy satay, the house spin on a Ramly burger. You’re in good hands: Loof’s owned by the Lo & Behold Group, the same guys behind three-Michelin-starred Odette and favourites Tanjong Beach Club, The White Rabbit, and Clan Cafe.

Loof | 331 North Bridge Road #03-07 Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop S(188720) | 63379416 | loof@loof.com.sg

2. VSOP Chocolate, $10.60, Signature Koi

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Above VSOP Chocolate/Facebook

Signature Koi 

Skip awkward counterside hovering at this longtime BBT player’s upscale concept. Claim a low table, or perch at the bar and watch them mix a decadent concoction of VSOP brandy, chocolate milk and chocolate ice cream, finished with crushed biscuits. If bubble tea without the bubbles is blasphemy, pile on brown sugar mini pearls and coffee jelly or add oomph with a cognac shot. Launched on July 1, VSOP Chocolate is the latest in Koi’s lineup of boozy boba, which includes VSOP Ruby ($14.90) and Whiskey Oriental ($14.90). Feeling fancy? Go the whole nine yards with Chocolate Guinness and Whiskey Carrot cake, plus Bailey and Merlot-flavoured macarons. The Ion store boasts Orchard Road repute, but there’s also Jewel Changi Airport, Star Vista, Tangs and Suntec City. 

Signature Koi | 2 Orchard Turn #B3-15/16 Ion Orchard, S(238801) | 6509 3084 

3. Northern Lights, $8.80

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The Alley 

Not the classic brown sugar milk, but this fruity, gradient-hued puppy is arguably the Taiwanese chain’s most unabashedly aesthetic offering. In fact, it’s written right there on the bottle. Expect layers of apple cider vinegar, grape whizzed with crushed ice, and butterfly pea tea in a clear flask—a distinctly millennial take on the bucket-list staple. Another option, Morning Dawn ($8.80) employs jasmine green tea, butterfly pea tea, and sunny yellow mango slush. Don’t dismiss this saccharine mixture just yet, not least because it lacks pearls: The Alley’s trendy drinks have been dubbed ‘Internet celebrity tea’, enjoying the same overnight fame. You pay for star power. Pick from nine locales, though the Jewel Changi kiosk offers lush greenery and a giant waterfall for that inevitable InstaStory.

The Alley | 78 Airport Blvd, #B2-273, Jewel Changi Airport, S(819666) | 1@alley.sg

4. Fresh Strawberry Latte with Panna Cotta, $8.50

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Above Fresh Strawberry Latte with Panna Cotta/Facebook

Machi Machi

Famously backed by Mandopop king Jay Chou, the local owner of this hot franchise is singer-songwriter Hong Junyang, who runs a handful more F&B concepts and rubs shoulders with JJ Lin. The panna cotta drinks are popular among customers who can't resist the pretty bottles they're housed in. Creamy, wobbly Italian pudding is topped off with one of three brews: black milk tea, coca latte, or strawberry latte. The berry option involves fresh fruit and is sold only to walk-in customers—in limited numbers. More Asian, but equally fetching, is black milk tea with grass jelly ($8) and milk latte with grass jelly ($8). Or try something with savoury cheese foam, which Chou loves; the priciest options are blueberry and strawberry with cream cheese foam ($8), or oolong tea with cream cheese foam and mochi ($8). Outlets at Bugis and Serangoon.

Machi Machi | 25a Arab Street 01-01, S(199724) | 96565375 | machimachisingapore@gmail.com

5. Signature Fruit Tea, $8.20

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Artea

Decor-wise, it’s ladylike: oversized paper flowers accentuate blue and white interiors. Here, “seven fruit tea king” involves a one-litre, daffodil-yellow cup that sings bright, tart notes. With the thoughtfully-supplied fork, nibble on a septet of fruits (watermelon, honeydew, strawberry, mango, orange, lime slices, passionfruit pulp) swimming in a honey-hued, citrusy mix of orange juice and roasted jinyan oolong. Too healthy? Pick from brown sugar, earl grey, matcha, mango, and strawberry tiramisu at VivoCity, served in marble-patterned paper boxes on golden trays. Its Causeway Point and Bedok Reservoir outlets offer souffle pancakes in the same flavours, including brown sugar boba with cream cheese and fruit, and strawberry with gold foil. 

Artea | 1 Harbourfront Walk#01-100/101 VivoCity S(098585) | 83052712 | hello@artea.sg

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