At Tea, 313@Somerset: “Exquisite flavour, and deserving of a gold star”

There’s a little space in our hearts reserved for towering cups of this sweet beverage in all its milky, sweet glory. So, when I found myself surrounded by more than 12 cups of bubble tea at At Tea, I knew that this was the dream life.

Lovingly dubbed “Jam Hsiao Bubble Tea” by his fans, the popular Taiwanese singer’s first At Tea outlet started in Ximending and quickly expanded in Taiwan. In April this year, they opened its first outlet in Singapore at Tiong Bahru Plaza and are rapidly expanding Jam’s signature orange hues across Singapore, with the newest outlet in Sun Plaza. Whether you’ve got a Spotify playlist dedicated to Jam Hsiao or you just want something to sip on whilst doing some Christmas shopping, this is the place to go. 

What I tried

For that dose of Christmas cheer, the bubble tea shop has launched a “Sure Win At Tea Christmas Promotion”, where every large drink purchased will be served in a special festive cup with a ‘tear-away’ portion at the bottom.

Every cup has a sure-win card included, where bubble tea fans can stand to win menu items, or get a discount on their next purchase. 

This promotion will last until 31 December 2021 and also includes a ‘Scratch N Match’’ segment, where a hidden alphabet is revealed on the scratch card. If you collect all the alphabets to form ‘AT TEA’, exclusive merch is all yours.

That’s not all! They have also launched two limited edition festive drinks to celebrate—Toffee & Chocolate Milk Smoothie 巧遇太妃 (S$6.90) and Toffee Cream Cheese Foam Cane Roasted Tea 圣诞霜降蔗香红茶 (S$5.90).

The former boasts a festive blend of rich toffee and decadent chocolate before it’s topped with whipped cream and more toffee sauce for the perfect iced chocolate we need for our sunny Singaporean Christmases.

If you’re a cheese foam fan, the latter will blow you away—what’s not to love about toffee, black tea, and savoury cheese foam all in one? I’ve never been one for cheese foam, but this combination grew on me after my second sip.  

Despite my lactose intolerance, I’ve always been a purist when it comes to that BBT fix. The classic ‘milk tea’ order remains undefeated, and At Tea’s rendition did hit the nail right on the head. The Once Upon a Milk Tea (S$3.60/ S$4.10) is brewed with tea leaves from the Assam region in India and is mixed with selected ingredients for an icy beverage that’s creamy, rich, and a treat worth the calories. We opted to add on Oolong Jelly (S$0.90), a fragrant and befitting choice for the ultimate tea-lover.

One of our favourites from their impeccable repertoire of drinks is the Summer Rhapsody Fruit Tea (S$6.90) from the Jam’s Special line. The combination of jasmine green tea, passionfruit, grapefruit, and aloe vera results in a vibrant concoction with a refreshing burst of flavour. I would prefer this with no sugar so as to enjoy the piquant citrusy notes better, but the sweeter version was undoubtedly refreshing on its own.

 Are you part of the minority that don’t really get the hype about tapioca pearls? That’s alright, because if you’re just here for the tea, then the Cream Cheese Foam Jam’s Oolong Tea (S$3.60/S$4.10) will be right up your alley. There’s a distinctive sweet aftertaste characteristic of their drinks, which creates the subtlest of contrasts with a savoury cream cheese foam topping.

Since we’re talking about ‘gram-worthy drinks, the Fragrant Lychee Rose Tisane (S$6.90) definitely falls in that category. The ice-cold deep magenta drink is dotted with actual lychee fruits for that extra burst of sweetness, and comes with a floral fruity aftertaste that will remind you of a springtime picnic in a park.

While I do enjoy a hearty variety of sweet drinks, my favourite of the lot is the Cream Cheese Foam Genmaicha Jam’s Oolong Tea (S$6.90). Deeply aromatic with the perfect featherlight touch of bitterness from the tea, this one feels refreshing in the subtlest of ways. You might consider a bubble tea run sacrilegious if your drink doesn’t actually have pearls in it, but its roasted, fragrant flavour will change your mind.

 Can you tell how maicha love this one?

They also has a range of desserts if you need something extra to keep you going for round three of Christmas shopping—there are a variety of Tea Gelatos (S$4.90) in Jam Hsiao’s favourite bubble tea flavours such as Jam’s Oolong Tea and Cane Roasted Black Tea. Add on an adorable dome-shaped Planetary Cake (S$4.90) to complete your experience. 

Final thoughts

The variety is formidable; whether you want something light, sweet, savoury, or creamy, it goes without saying that there’ll be something for you. Their tea blends have exquisite flavour; every cup is worth every drop, right down to the last sip—and that’s a promise. 

Expected damage: S$3.60 – S$6.90 per pax

*This post is brought to you in partnership with At Tea.

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