yaniconquistadora: My SerendipiTea Experience

They say tea is the next coffee. Do you agree? I think I have to agree given the vast number of tea shops in and out of Metro Manila. Too many to name them one by one, but you know what very few tea shops could credibly announce and proudly say that they are using only authentic and high-quality ingredients sourced from one of the tea capitals of the world - Taiwan. The two sisters who manage this tea shop called as My SerendipiTea situated at the ground floor of the newest and posh hotel in Quezon City, Cocoon Boutique Hotel, shared us that they only sourced their raw mats from Taiwan for a more authentic feel. It's not clear to me now where exactly in Taiwan. Maybe in the city of Taichung which is a very popular place and known to be the tea capital of the country. Just a brief background, tea originally came from Taiwan and became well-known in the year 1980s until it also became pasrt of the diet of the poeple across Asia including the Philippines. Many believed that tea is a healthy alternative to coffee even the owner of My SerendipiTea Ms. Iris T. Salamat, believes so and she considers tea not a fad. Perhaps because this beverage has been with us for a long time already.

What is tea shop without these tea pots or tea sets, right?

Actually before they started their business, they positively told us that they did researches, taste testing tea hubs in and out the country, and bench marking which are all the fundamentals of having a food business. It is their first-ever branch in Quezon City which is 7 months old already and will soon open at a mall quite near where I live, SM City Sta. Mesa. Watch out too for the opening of their outlet somewhere in Pampanga.

Creative. Tick-tock tick-tock on the wall itself.

I did not really expect to get another invite yesterday from OpenRice Philippines to give way to the new ones, but when I received a text early on the morning I simply said yes because I know exactly where the place is and really accessible from my place. I haven't tried any of their drinks which made me all the more excited to go there. The event started past 10 AM. As expected the place is cute in size yet has homey atmosphere. Something for you and your close pals to visit and revisit as it is open from as early as 9AM 'til 2AM the following day.

The owners prepared some nibblers like these deli cuts and cheese for the group so that we don't easily get tired of their teas because they generously mixed for us My SerendipiTea's Top 10 Beverages. So nice of them. Below is the menu which I refer from time to time so as not to get lost with the taste test process.

My SerenditiTea's TOP 10 Drinks :)

I made sure that I drink lemon water which they promptly and friendly remind us so that we could clean our palate and extract the taste of their freshly prepared tea drinks each time they serve us a mini paper cup. That was no joke as we really had actually more than 10 mini tea paper cups of assorted variants plus we were given the opportunity to order our preferred drink in their original size. Sip. . sip. . . and sip

Cheers! Please don't topple them down :) I surely enjoyed each cup. So what can I say about My SerendipiTea's Top 10 Drinks? Here they are:

1. SerendipiTea Milk Tea with pearls and pudding tastes fine and not a common milk tea kind of drink for me. What made this special is that you can instantly notice that this bev is not made with powder because of the presence of real tea taste.

2. Royal Milk Tea has strong freshly brewed tea flavor only that this beverage is cold.

3. Oreo Milk Tea is a different kind of concoction but to me it was like a drink blended with crushed cookies that did not successfully bring out the best taste of the tea. Perhaps a little improvement with the recipe will do.

4. Dark Chocolate Mlk Tea with Peppermint reminds me of my childhood favorite, the chocolate peppermint candy; also that of a popular coffee shop which offered basically the same flavor of drink only that this milk tea has lesser caffeine. Tastes really really great that I highly suggest you order for this one.

5. Wintermelon Milk Tea with coffee jelly was quite bland for me.

6. Taro Milk Tea with black pearls has grainy texture and slightly slimy mouthfeel because of ube. Loved the aroma and overall taste. Blended well with the pearls.

7. Dark Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese has bittersweet and best to drink without using straw. Highly addictive but don't blame me if you get hoked with its special taste. Superior in taste and one of the best Cocoa with RSC drinks. Yummy!

8. Lychee Fruit Tea is one of the fruit tea series that we started to sample. You have the option to choose between black tea or green tea-based drink but for this sample they used green tea with cognac jellies (milti-color jellies). Not my type of drink as I can taste the perfume-like flavor.

9. Cranberry Fruit Tea has powerful cranberry favor that overpowered the real tea taste. More of like a juice drink for me that is not tea-based.

10. Mango Yakult is mildly acidic so it has sour and slightly sweet taste. Best if super chilled. It has no sinkers but you have the option to add if you like.

And hey there was even an 11th cup which is their newest addition to their vast tea drinks named Caramel Macchiato with coffee jelly. Selling price is PhP105 for a large drink and PhP90 for a medium-sized cup.

It has creamy taste and texture beautifully caffeinated with coffee jelly. A promising addition to their menu.

Now, our personal choice of MySerendipiTea drink. Toast!

I got Dark Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese is a 160z drink worth PhP90 from the CREAMYDESTEANY portion of the menu. Really creamy in texture particularly the top portion which I tend to sip and drink in a frugal manner. I just can't help its awesome goodness. Extreme happiness. Other promising choices are Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese and Black Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese. By the way, according to the owners which I believe one of their bragging rights is the availability of SPECIALTEA drinks that only their shop could provide. Check out this list here.

Service was nice with matching precious smile form the owners down to the staffs of this Authentic Taiwanese Bubble Tea shop :)

My friend Ann is considering this place to throw a party come August. I honestly wish it will push through as this tea shop offers a treat you could not resist. Affordable teas in a genuinely comfortable space coupled with fast internet connection. I can't wait for her birthday bash which means revisiting this feels-like-home place.

Again, thanks to OpenRice Philippines for such a fortunate stroke of serendipity here at My SerendipiTea!