Gong Cha

Bubble Tea! There are so many different varieties to chose from now. It’s great. I totally gave into the bubble tea craze and still love the stuff. Yes, I know, it is full of sugar and probably not the healthiest for you. But, I think it tastes better than any soft drink.
However, I have never really been a fan of the milky bubble teas. I always go for the fruit tea kind. In fact, I generally order the same kind everywhere. Lychee iced tea.
What I like about Gong Cha is that they offer Lychee Oolong Tea. Which tastes a lot better than other bubble tea places that offer lychee with black tea varieties. The Oolong version is a lot lighter and refreshing.
Only thing I have found with Gong Cha is that the pearls are not as sweeter as other stores. Not sure why? They are not as big either. I really love it when the pearls are big, chewy and sweet. Oh well… The bonus is though that you can add diced lychee to the drink as well for extra flavour. That is really worth while.

Why is it that whenever I order in this branch, they always get it wrong? I ordered 50% sugar and ice but when I got it, it seemed like they put 150% sugar and ice. The one at Charles St is better and always gets what I want. So I’ll stick to them. The guy was even rude at telling me that «what you already ordered is OUR 50% less sugar and ice». Well. Damn.

They say this is better than cha time. I beg to differ. The staff were rude and ignored me for 5 min whilst I stood there waiting to make my order. I think they are some what prejudice to certain clientele, if you know what I mean. Dont get that at cha time. I ordered a taro coconut milk tea with sugar no ice and there was no hint of tea or sugar. It was just milk. Service also seemed slow for a team of four. Wont come back.

Sometimes i come here with my friends after school time. Oolong milk tea is one of my favourite drink here. The matcha red bean is great too and i think it is better than Chattime.

Situated perfectly in the Chinatown strip adjacent to the food court and supermarkets; this is the best Bubble Tea in Adelaide.
As soon as you walk up to the front counter you are greeted by friendly faces, quick service and a modern and clean shop front. The diverse menu to your left shows you the many options that you can choose from. Everything from the classic ‘pearl milk tea’ to yoghurt topped bubble teas.
You make your selection and are then able to watch K-​Pop on the large TV screen whilst you wait for your delicious selection. It’s a nice change of pace. Once you get your absolutely amazing Bubble Tea, you can tell instantly by the taste, the spot-​on milk and sugar levels and perfectly fresh pearls that this is the place to go to for Bubble Tea. Instantly satisfied.
To finish it off, this place is open until late every night and follows an incredibly intelligent business model, as they catch the mid to late night patrons as they leave the Chinatown and Gouger strip restaurants.
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Product: ⁵⁄₅
Décor & Cleanliness: ⁵⁄₅
Hospitality: ⁵⁄₅
Price: ⁴⁄₅ (Could be a little cheaper)
Most definitely worth a visit!

Move over ChaTime, Bubble Cup, and all you other bubble tea outlets. Gongcha is as good as it gets, and to prove I can put my money where my mouth is, I was in amongst the crazy long queue at Gongcha when they first opened in Adelaide. Because they are simply — the best — when it comes to the bubble tea business.
Let me tell you something. Bubble Tea should not be made from syrup. It is Tea. Not Syrupy nonsense. The pearls (tapoica starch balls) should be soft and somewhat gooey but still with bite. If it’s firm, hard and chalky in the middle, spit them out. Yuck. Gongcha is the only place I know that does their pearls fairly close to how it is done in the bubble tea motherland — Taiwan.
First time to Gongcha? No worries. Get their signature teas to start you off. Milk Foam anything is good. I personally adore Milk Foam Alishan Tea, Milk Foam Oolong Tea and Milk Foam Green Tea. That’s half their signature tea selection already, whoops. They also mention that you can mix the milk foam into the tea. What a waste, don’t do it! Alternate sipping between the milk foam and the tea and slipped gently into the milky foamy goodness that is Milk Foam from Gongcha. YUM.
You can also ask them to lessen the sugar /​ice etc. But I absolutely adore the fact that you can taste that they have brewed properly. It is mindblowing to have bubble tea that taste like tea. OHEMGEE.
Can you tell I love Gongcha?
Run — don’t walk! And don’t go back to other bubble tea places… save your money for the real deal at Gongcha!