OneZo Tapioca adds yogurt drinks to menu

MANILA -- OneZo Tapioca, known for making their pearls in-store, has launched its line of yogurt drinks.

The store has developed a following by sticking to its no-preservative standards with regards to its ingredients. It uses fresh milk for its drinks and fresh yogurt for this new series.

OneZo yogurt is the base of the drink and real fruit are sliced and mixed into the Mango Madness, Banana Delight, and Fruity Strawberry. 

If you want to be a little indulgent with your yogurt drink, try the Oreo Loco, and the Dirty Yogurt, which is yogurt with brown sugar syrup and OneZo’s freshly made pearls.

“We recognize our responsibility to continuously launch yummy drinks, yet they should be healthy. We also recognize that there is a market craving for such drinks,” said Christopher Chua of Unibev Enterprises, owner of the OneZo Tapioca franchise in the Philippines.

The yogurt drinks will be available in all OneZo Tapioca branches starting this week.

OneZo Tapioca can be found in the new East Wing of Estancia in Capitol Commons, Banawe, Promenade in Greenhills, with branches in Araneta Center, Landmark Trinoma, and Kalayaan Avenue in Makati opening soon.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taiwan's One Zo banks on freshly made pearls to shine in crowded milk tea market

MANILA -- Milk tea is here to stay with one shop opening one after the other.

While it seems that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, some concepts just have something different that separates them from the rest. One such shop is One Zo Tapioca, which has been getting rave reviews for its fresh flavored pearls.

One Zo got its name from its parent brand from Tainan, Taiwan.

“If you read the two Chinese characters, it’s basically pronounced 'one zuo.' So, it means the use of hands to create drinks and fresh pearls,” explained One Zo Tapioca's general manager Christopher Chua.

According to Chua, they first found out about One Zo on Insider, which had a story on the Vancouver branch. Shortly after, Chua and Unibev, the company that holds the One Zo Philippine franchise, met up with the owners in Taiwan that resulted in a partnership and the opening of their first branch.

The fresh pearls are the draw of OneZo. The pearls start out as a big batch of dough that is made in-store. Each store has its own machine for making and forming the popular sinkers.

When cooked, the pearls have a distinct mochi-like texture that are soft and chewy. This ability to make their own pearls gives the local operation the flexibility to make many flavors, some which are exclusively available in the Philippines.

Aside from the usual brown sugar pearls, One Zo shops have mango, strawberry, coffee, taro and matcha. The taro and matcha pearls are only available here in the Philippines. These pearls can be combined with One Zo’s fruit or milk teas.

Chua mentioned that other countries have exclusive flavors of their own like chrysanthemum and sesame pearls. There are plans for One Zo to offer these for a limited time to test if these unique flavors will appeal to the local milk tea drinkers.

One Zo Tapioca’s newest branch at 779-A Banawe Street in Quezon City opens on Saturday, November 30. For its opening promo, guests who buy any drink get one free medium milk tea.

One Zo has another store at Promenade in Greenhills. Other branches in Estancia and Araneta Center are set to open before the year ends.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

This new milk tea shop offers Thai drinks and more

MANILA – Julia Barretto may have called it quits with her “baba,” Joshua Garcia, but this new “Baa Baa” is here to stay.

Baa Baa Thai Tea is the latest to join the milk tea craze in the Philippines, attracting long lines in Panay Avenue, Quezon City for its refreshing Asian-style drinks. 

The owners wanted a space where people can be comfortable and have a good time. Baa Baa Thai Tea is named after a term of endearment “that implies closeness of relationship” – totally unrelated to JoshLia, but fans of the now separated love team can feel free to live out their fantasies here.

For the drinks, chef-founder Joe de Ramos took inspiration from the busy streets of Thailand, where milk tea is taken seriously. 

He takes pride in Baa Baa Thai Milk Tea (P70) – also known as Cha Yen – which is made with strongly brewed black tea that is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk.

The Original Milk Tea (P65) is a lighter option of Baa Baa’s signature item, ideal for those who prefer delicate flavors. 

“We’ve seen the resurgence of international chains, so I just knew it (milk tea craze) is not dwindling soon. While we don’t rely on the hype, I was inspired to bring this (Thai milk tea) to the country as this is a drink that’s typically enjoyed by people of all ages in Thailand,” De Ramos said. 

Other offerings at Baa Baa Thai Tea include the familiar lemon and green teas, brown sugar milk tea, and cheesecake milk tea, to name a few. 

Customers who are looking to get a buzz can try the Thai Iced Coffee (P65), which is a nice mix of strong and sweet. 

Perhaps the most unique item on the menu – and what most first-timers order – is the Sala Milk (P65). The drink gets its pink color from sala syrup, which approximates the taste of a palm fruit native to Thailand.

Filipinos who get to taste Sala Milk will easily be reminded of Iskrambol, that local street dessert composed of shaved ice, milk, syrup, and a variety of toppings. 

Baa Baa Thai Tea’s main branch is located beside St. Mary’s College at Panay Avenue in Quezon City. Other shops can be found in Sampaloc and Santa Mesa in Manila.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bubble tea brawl: Taiwan brands face mainland boycott over Hong Kong gesture

BEIJING - Internet users on the Chinese mainland have blacklisted popular bubble tea brands from Taiwan after a Hong Kong franchise urged solidarity with street protesters in the Asian financial hub.

The online furore began when Yifang Fruit Tea, a maker of the tea-based drink, closed one of its Hong Kong shops for a day and put up a sign that said in Chinese: "Stand together with Hong Kongers".

Photos of the sign circulated on mainland social media this week, angering users who accused the firm of backing Hong Kong independence. Calls for a boycott spread to other Taiwanese bubble tea brands like Gong Cha, HeyTea, CoCo and A Little Tea.

Yifang and the others were blacklisted by users of China's microblog Weibo. A white list promoted "good" brands.

"Rest assured, I won't spend another cent on you. Yifang is rubbish," a Weibo user named ProfiteroleK wrote in a comment that received more than 1,500 likes.

Hong Kong is facing its worst crisis since returning to China from British rule in 1997, as sometimes violent protests since June against a now-suspended extradition law have become a direct challenge to the city's government and Beijing.

Invented by Taiwan, a self-ruled island considered by Beijing as a renegade province, bubble tea is a flavored milk tea topped with chewy tapioca balls, also known as pearls.

On the mainland, Weibo posts containing the hashtag "Taiwanese bubble tea shops" were read 350 million times in recent days.

The run-in with Chinese social media users is another example of how companies can get caught in political issues.

In January, Apple and Amazon were called out by a mainland state think-tank for "incorrect" Taiwan and Hong Kong references.

The mainland franchisee of Yifang Fruit Tea said in social media posts the company fired the part-time staff who put up the notice and permanently closed the outlet.

However, Amigo Cheung, the brand manager of the Yifang franchise in Hong Kong, told Reuters by phone that nobody had been dismissed yet and no outlet had been shut.

HeyTea and Gong Cha, on their social media accounts, affirmed their support for "One Country, Two Systems" or "One China", in hopes of distancing themselves from the backlash.

CoCo and A Little Tea could not be reached for comment.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote in a Facebook post this week that "China's political power has invaded into various nonpolitical areas," citing tea as an example.

"For people living in a society with freedom and democracy, we need to stay on high alert for issues like this," Tsai wrote, along with a picture of a cup of ice fruit tea.

Jennie, a mainland student studying at a Hong Kong university, said she had sympathy for protesting students but also felt caught in the middle.

"Seeing the locals around disliking mainland people so much, I fear I'll be driven out (from Hong Kong) by them in the future," she told Reuters. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in TAIPEI; Editing by Ryan Woo and Darren Schuettler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Probers hit DOH findings on killer milk tea

MANILA - Investigators of the Manila Police District (MPD) yesterday criticized the Department of Health as ''irresponsible'' for going public with an initial report that stated that the milk tea that killed two people tested negative for four toxins.

A source, who asked for anonymity, said MPD investigators were surprised that the DOH held a press conference to apparently put an end to their investigation, when autopsy results clearly showed that ErgoCha teahouse owner William Abrigo and customer Suzaine Dagohoy died after ingesting toxic substances.

“They know they only have initial results in such a sensitive case, but they wanted to look good before the press. Someone died. We should be more sensitive,” the source said.

Dagohoy’s family, according to the source, went to the MPD and said they are losing hope to get justice for her death because of what the DOH did.

“What are they trying to do? Convince the public that there was no foul play here? That the investigation is over?” the source added.

What the MPD investigators could not understand is why the DOH, led by Secretary Janette Garin, held a press conference first before talking to the police.

“They did not even give the MPD the results. In the first place, the police requested the examination,” the source said.

Autopsy reports conducted by two different government physicians show that “shock secondary to ingestion of toxic substance” was the “cause of death” for the two victims.

GARIN: CRIMINALIZE SALE OF SUBSTANCES WITH CYANIDE

Meanwhile, despite finding that the milk tea samples collected from the teahouse tested negative for cyanide, Garin urged legislators yesterday to criminalize the sale and dispensing of substances with cyanide.

She said there are alternatives to cyanide-based solutions, particularly those used for cleaning silver jewelry.

Garin urged the public to be aware of the initial signs and symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness and loss of consciousness.

“If you smell or taste something unusual in your food or drinks, don’t eat or drink it anymore. If ingested, spit it out,” she said. – Aie Balagtas See, Sheila Crisostomo

Read more on The Philippine Star

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Heading to Boracay? Try Chatime's 3 exclusive drinks

BORACAY – Planning to go to Boracay this summer? You might want to try the drinks served exclusively at Chatime’s branch at the White Beach.

The well-known Taiwanese milk tea chain recently launched a branch in Boracay, just a few steps from the White Beach shoreline. The new store offers all of Chatime’s bestselling products as well as three drinks that are served only on the island.

Taking a cue from the popularity of fruit shakes in Boracay, Chatime offers drinks made with crushed ice, tea and fresh fruits in season to beat the summer heat.

The Watermelon Lychee Fruit Tea is the most refreshing of the bunch, which also includes the sweet Mango Green Tea and the thick and creamy Banana Mango Milk Shake.

“These items are only for this store,” Chatime Philippines’ Chris Cua said as he showed the new products to selected members of the media. “For now, it’s mango, banana and watermelon. We’ll try using other fruits soon.”

“Over there is a famous fruit shake bar, and this is our take on that,” he added. “It’s not really a smoothie because we use crushed ice. You can chew on it and you get that added texture.”

Aside from the fruit shakes, Chatime has also introduced milk tea smoothies, which are only available in Philippine branches. Variants include Banana Milk Tea Smoothie, Strawberry Milk Tea Smoothie and Honey Oolong Tea Smoothie.

“The base is milk tea and it is made into a smoothie,” Cua said. “These are some of our bestselling milk teas.”

Soon to be available in the country is the global Chatime product Tea Air, which mixes tea with carbonated water.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com