BROWN SUGAR BOBA JAKARTA REVIEW

QUEEN B (ok let's not anger the Beyhive, B stands for BOBA) SPEAKING! The brown sugar boba craze is happening everywhere despite it having been around forever (remember Hop-Hop and Quickly? They were pioneers!) Now with a groundbreaking (not so) ingredient: Brown Sugar! It's not a country wide hype, but it goes deep into the Asian culture. If the western culture has coffee, we've got BOBA! The pioneers of this BobaBoom would be Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand to name a few, that even my friend who lives outside Asia is aware of it yet told me that the visuals don't look convincing and horrified with the fact that I drink these so often LOLLL! But let's see!! 

This'll be quick and condensed since there are still lots of other brand I haven't tried yet! Thanks to netijen's demand to KNOW which one is the CHAMP, let me give you my personal ranking! Anyway, this list is completely personal and HONEST, because no brand pays me for writing this review AT ALL. Awas lo julid komen endorse2 WKWKWKWK kidding, hope our taste matches!

DISCLAIMER:

again, this is my honest, personal opinion. If it differs from yours, let's just agree to disagree, since everyone's palate and preferences is different! (bukan ngomongin pemilu, bukan)

1. ONE ZO

Dirty Brown Sugar Fresh Milk M (35k) L (48k)

IN MY HONEST OPINION... Remember this is my opinion because netizens are just fierce! Until this blog post is written, ONE ZO still holds NUMBER ONE. It's kinda expensive considering the IDR 48k tag for boba drink, but it's worth the quality anyway! They're open at Ketapang Business Centre (across GPDI Ketapang & Sekolah Kristen Ketapang), and in BSD they're at AEON Mall, inside Food Culture food court. They have the perfect taste in fresh milk and brown sugar's characteristics that I look for: sweetness, creamy, chewy, and aroma are ALL balanced in harmony. 

In the bottom right is the dirty brown sugar milk tea M (30k) L (39k). I still prefer fresh milk over milk tea since the milk tea is too sweet for my liking. If you prefer tea over milk, I suggest to lower the sugar level.

Avoid diabetes.

2. GULU GULU

Brown Slurppy Boba Cheese Brulee R (33k) L (38K)

I'm SO surprised they came in 2nd, since they initially opened as a cheese tea specialist. Then, I happened to stumble upon their new Brown Boba Slurrpy Series, which made me fall in LOVE! It's different from ONE ZO because they use their specialty cheese cream on top, which is a plus on its own! It's sweet and tasty since the cheese foam gives some kind of Umami flavor. It's creamy, perfectly sweetened, and the boba is CHEWY and gigantic!! That's why they called it SLURRPPPY!!! Brown boba tasted a bit herbal-ish, which kinda adds a good aroma and depth of flavor if combined with the cheese. It's GOOD! Psst, you can even choose the slurrpy level if you want extra brown sugar!

As for their available locations, check here! I bought this in Pluit Village, btw! But I think it's the same quality everywhere!

3. IN TEA CAFE

Palm Sugar Dirty Caramel Tea 38k, GOJEK 42k

WAHHHH THIS ONE ALSO SHOCKED ME, because I bet you don't really know about the brand as well, right? Yeah but they're pretty good! I'm so glad I found this hidden jewel: silently deadly! Apple to apple comparison: BANBAN! They have premium cheese on top, sprinkled with brown sugar anddd torched to a brulee, just like Gulu-Gulu, in case I haven't mentioned! This one's really good because they have this caramel effect. I think their aroma is stronger because they use this open lid compared to Gulu-gulu's regular glass packaging, where you can't smell and taste the brulee. Boba is also infused with palm sugar, which makes everything good. Overall, their score would be 8,5/10. Where? Gandaria City! I even think it's worth GoFood-ing to my place in the west Jakarta!

BEST PARTTTTTTT!!!

4. KOKUMI

Okinawa Brown Sugar Big Boba R (30k) L (40k)

If you like Paddle Pop's Rainbow ice cream, I suggest you to try this one! Taste just like that! Boba tasted great although not at Gulu's level yet. Everything tasted great until the 5th sip, and after that I was already feeling overwhelmed. Hence, I recommend ordering the Regular size. They have several outlets that you can choose from their instagram! Got mine at food court of PIK AVENUE btw!

5. BANBAN CHEESE TEA

Miruku Boba Cream Brulee 36k

I gotta give it to them because they were the reason I started drinking boba drink! Their boba is the best because it's most chewy! Since I tried them, they became the benchmark of my boba standard. This one consists of torched cheese cream, fresh milk, and boba. I have to put them in number 5 because unfortunately I prefer to eat them separately since in drink they don't have a good proportion HA! That's why I prefer their BOBA PAN since its their specialty, together with cheese tea! Their outlets are in Grand Indonesia and Lippo Mall Puri.

Anyway I just realized I never took any proper photo of them despite having had theirs a few times, soo this photo credit goes to: BANBAN WKWKWKWK

6  TIGER SUGAR

Brown Sugar Boba + Pearl with Cream Mousse 38k

Since I've tried their Singapore outlet, the one in Indo is (sorry, being honest), nothing compared to its origin. It's so watery with so little cream mousse. Some of you might have read my review on instagram post! Kinda bummed since I had high expectation, because the one in Singapore is legendary for a reason. Can't blame them because they even use different milk brand since it's not sold in Indonesia. Anyway, since I tried this one during soft opening, maybe they haven't stabilized and worth another visit someday. I hope they'll improve in the future since they have this huge potential and product recipe that only needs better QC! This one is at Mall Kelapa Gading 2 (near FoodHall)

7. HEYCHA

Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea (GOJEK 30k)

Boba doesn't taste like brown sugar, not chewy despite separated ice in Gojek, BUT at leasttt they have really great milk tea! It's located in Wisma AKR (Museum Macan) and in Local Strunk PIK Avenue. I was kinda curious because of the raving review of others, but I personally am giving them 7,5/10 compared to others!

8. DISTRICT 7

Black Sugar Milk Tea 20k

This one wins the bubble battle! Chewy and sweet, I swear I can just munch on the bubbe alone! Ckckckck, this one's located at Rukan Mediterania PIK & Mall Kelapa Gading 3 Basement floor!

9. OLD CHANG KEE

Left: Brown Sugar Milk 20k + bubble 2k, Right: Brown Sugar Milk Tea 20k + bubble 2k

This one isn't brown sugar bubble, but brown sugar milk. Get it? The boba is a regular one, and anyway this drink's direction tastes kinda like cendol. Bubble was good but not that impressive. But anyway, you get what you paid for! It's considered really good for their price, but if I were to choose, I prefer their milk tea!

10. DIAGON ALLEY INDONESIA 

Left: Brown Sugar Matcha Milk Tea 37k, Right: Brown Sugar Milk Tea 35k

This one caught the crowd's attention because everyone thought it was The Alley, which is renowned worldwide (or should I say, Asia-wide). Apparently this one is local brand called Diagon Alley bepp, which doesn't even have any relation with The Alley! Anyway, bubble did NOT taste brown sugar, which is a let down because they said it WAS. PLEASE GET THIS RIGHT: BROWN SUGAR BOBA MEANS: BROWN SUGAR. INFUSED INTO BUBBLE. Milk tea wasn't close to the word aromatic, and matcha is the kind of bitter taste. Anyway, I think I just didn't order it right, because most people like their brown sugar milk, not milk tea. Also, they have soft swerve brown sugar boba, which is kinda exciting! Might give another try if I were in Central Park next time.

11. PINKU TEA BAR 

PALM SUGAR BOBA HOKKAIDO MILK 26K

It's actually in Trans Studio Mall Cibubur, not Jakarta but close enough! Boba is smaller than other brand's overall size. Anyway, I was in love in the first few sips since Hokkaido milk tastes awesome! It went down quick right up. I was kinda curious what made the flavor kinda sickening, and found out that they added creamer to enhance milk's creaminess. If I were to say, this tasted more like Dancow hehe hehehee.

12. CHATIME

Brown Sugar Fresh Milk R (23k) L (26k)

Similar to Old Chang Kee, bubble is just their regular bubble and they used brown sugar syrup for the fresh milk. Tasted like cendol and it appeared that they gave a lot of these brown sugars, HOWEVER it didn't taste as strong! What a bummer. Bought this at Mangga Besar. Bubble and milk were sold out (what's new in chatime? 99% of the time, their ingredients are NEVER complete. They don't even bother, because promotion makes up for their lacking!) Anyway, their signature roasted milk tea is still better, and verdict says that they just don't know what this brown sugar craze is about and just jumping on the trend wagon. Shame.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! After this review, I'm having a fast on brown sugar boba and its kin, because Puri Bugar can't save me from diabetes HAHAHAHA! If you don't get the receh joke, catch up with me on instagram!

Queen Boba out!