Popping Off: 3 of the best places to get your bubble tea fix in Cork
It’s the coolest way to cool off.
If you’re wondering what’s inside those colourful cups all the teenagers are slurping from these days, your tastebuds are in for a treat.
Bubble tea, also known as ‘Boba’ has finally taken off on Leeside, bringing a Taiwanese favourite to our shores just in time to catch the tail end of a worldwide trend.
A fun alternative to your usual latte stop, Boba shops are big on choice so you can expect jam-packed menus full of toppings, textures, flavours and additions to truly customise your drink.
Juicy or milky? Zingy or sweet? Smooth or bubbly? It’s all up to you.
Here are three places to try first:
1. NANA’S TEA
Where: 21 Paul St, Cork City Centre
For one of the best bubble tea selections in town, head for Nana’s Tea on Paul Street. From simple fruit teas (these are a great gateway drink – try the Orange Smash or the Lime Boomer) to Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Cheezo (a kind of cheesecake foam topping that tastes way better than it sounds) and ‘Pudding’, an unctuous custard-type addition, the menu is mouthwatering.
They do outrageously fancy Bubble Waffle cones too.
Open Monday-Sunday, 12pm-8:30pm.
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2. BREWBA
Where: Ashe Street, Clonakilty
Run by 20-year-old local entrepreneur Eva Shanahan, Clonakilty’s first boba tea spot was an instant hit when it opened at the start of the summer. New flavours include a Cherry Milk Tea, Lemon Bubble Water and a pleasingly purple Taro Tea made biscuity taro paste with tapioca pearls and jasmine tea.
Coffee lovers can get a caffeine fix with an iced caramel boba coffee too.
Open 11:30am – 4:30pm
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3. SENSEI CAFE
Where: Dyke Parade, Cork City Centre
This fabulous Filipino café opened at the start of August, with a full menu of tantalising baked goodies, coffee, and bubble tea on offer. For Boba Tea obsessives, Sensei has franchised the Taiwanese milk tea brand Ochado for an authentic experience – expect cheesecake toppings with rock salt and brown sugar too.
Don’t leave without a Braso de Mercedes, a Filipino/Spanish dessert involving creamy custard rolled in rich, fluffy meringue dusted with sugar.
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