Chatime

I only recently found out that Chatime had opened another branch in chinatown. I am really starting to like the way Grote street has changed over the years to move away from standard sit in restaurants to places where you can jump in, grab something to eat and drink and just walk off.
While Qubic will always be my number 1 bubble tea place, Chatime is really starting to attract me with their broader menu. Things like brown rice milk tea are not the typical type of bubble tea that you will find at other places selling bubble tea, so Chatime really does well in standing out amongst the competition.
Locating itself right next to a dessert place that sells Crêpe and ice cream is really for lack of a better term, the icing on the cake. A nice hang out spot in Chinatown, it sits along the main walking path and is pretty impossible to miss if you’re passing by.
The service at this Chatime is good, but some of the stafff don’t have really great english so the best way to order is normally to point at the menu while you tell them what it is exactly that you want. When ordering bubble tea, the typical way of having it is with milk and pearls and jelly, though all of these are optional.
You also have the option (for some drinks) to have it either hot or cold, which is not an option you would get anywhere else, except maybe in some restaurants that serve bubble tea.
If you’re ever in chinatown and are craving a sweet drink, swing by Chatime. If you’re newbie, don’t get freaked out by the menu. Ask the staff to recommend something and they’ll usually help you out.

For those of you who are yet to try Bubble Tea, it’s about time — even if it’s just for the sake of trying something new, or to be able to say «yes, actually I have tried bubble tea». Quick summary: Bubble Tea is basically pearl milk tea. The tea can be either hot or cold, although it is more common (and tastes better) if it is served cold. The pearls are the black tapioca balls served in the tea. Imagine drinking tea and getting the occasional chewy surprise. Sounds weird, but it’s actually pretty good.
Chatime has been around for a while in other states, but recently opened its first store in Rundle Mall. It has now opened another larger store on Grote St, with a seating area and an assortment of snacks and desserts. The first store is only a tiny bubble tea stand.
Chatime offers a range of bubble tea flavours — lychee, mango, chocolate, strawberry, to name a few. It also has your basic Jasmine milk tea as well. Plus, since bananas don’t cost a fortune any more, they also sell banana flavoured tea.
The café itself is aesthetically pleasing with bright-​coloured furniture and exterior. The staff are also polite. It’s a nice place to relax when you’re roaming the streets of Chinatown.