When you are feeling down, tired and restless, you only want to crawl in your bed and relax and think of happy thoughts. Gone are the days when you would call your friend and invite him/her for a talk over a case of your favorite beer; or maybe it does still count – especially if your goal is to people-watch and girl/guy-hunt.
But people are more concern about their health, and even though coffee shops are everywhere, tea salons are making a huge following nowadays. Gong Cha is now here in the Philippines and is out to take the competition seriously.
Gong Cha may be a new kid in town, but it does have alot of customers which are mostly Chinese and from other Asian countries. It is no surprise, as Gong Cha was first launched in Taiwan in 2006. Right now, there are over 100 outlets worldwide spreading from Taiwan, to Hongkong, Singapore, Macau, China and now Philippines.
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| Gong Cha now opened in Mall of Asia. |
A combination of the characters “gong” (貢) which means reward or contribution and “cha” (茶) referring to the tea plant, Gong Cha refers to the best tea offered to the Emperor in ancient China.
Gong Cha only serves quality drinks, as the tea is brewed and is disposed after 4 hours, if not served.
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| The team which brougt Gong Cha in Manila. |
I was lucky to have a talk with the people who brought Gong Cha in the Philippines, and they said they wanted to focus on giving quality drinks to the consumers. When they mean quality, they mean getting all the materials (even the straws) straight from abroad to ensure that they are bringing the true Gong Cha experience to the Philippines.
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| The cup they use for Large-sized drinks is so thick – you can re-use it! |
What I love about the store is that their staff is well-trained that they even ask customers the level of sweetness they want for their drinks.
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| Gong Cha Milk Winter Melon Tea with Pearls – Bestseller |
I tried one of the best-sellers and it is indeed relaxing and calming. When a friend ordered the same, they suggested to try it by sipping the foam first, and then supping the tea using the straw. I had mixed mine and is it just as perfect – it is not too sweet and there is that yummy after-taste, which I really like.
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| They also have drinks with ice cream! Yum! |
The price is really cheap. The store may be a little too intimidating but the price is just affordable.
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| House Special reasonably priced at Php80 to Php90 only. |
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| Small store with 4 crew on shift – they mean business and quality! |
