"The Magic Tea - Zhongshan Store" is located on Zhongshan Road in Yongkang, Tainan. Tea Magic is a well-known bubble tea shop, even referred to as "the Dominator of the South." However, to be honest, this place is not my first choice. I've had the drinks a few times before, and the taste and texture were disappointing, so I usually avoid it.
But once, a friend recommended I try the blueberry jelly milk tea, and I unexpectedly found out that this drink is actually quite good. The texture of the blueberry jelly is chewy, combined with the richness of the milk tea, it's really nice👍 However, I once offered it to another friend, and they thought it was grass jelly milk tea😆
Additionally, Tea Magic is relatively cheap for a beverage shop, and you can get a discount of 5 NT dollars for bringing your own eco-friendly cup, a lifesaver for those on a budget!
Overall, the blueberry jelly milk tea is worth a try, but it's best to avoid other types of tea, especially because you need to be mindful of the sugar content and the distinct Tainan flavors!
Qingxin Fuyuan Sanxia Dayi store is located on Dayi Road in Sanxia, next to a bend after passing through the second bridge of Sanying while walking from Yingge and around the Bei University campus.
After feeling a bit thirsty and fatigued from dining nearby, I decided to visit Qingxin again to refresh myself.
Today, I enjoyed the Red Bull Iced Tea, priced at 80 TWD.
Red Bull Iced Tea:
The strong taurine flavor of Red Bull pairs well with Qingxin's basic iced tea. Since Red Bull is already rich in taste, I usually avoid adding sugar to these kinds of drinks; it’s not only refreshing but also quite delicious.
In fact, Red Bull's unique flavor has a significant presence in many special cocktails.
Overall, it’s a stable and quality chain store branch. Due to its remote location, I think it’s unlikely I’ll visit again. However, this chain provided a sense of relief for my fatigue at the time, which I will find hard to forget.
In recent years, Qingxin has launched collaboration beverage cups with various IPs, and the current cat-themed activity is nearing its end, so if you want to collect them, you should act fast.
I recommend it to everyone.
The corner by the roadside is quite large, and there’s almost always a long queue. The average spending is around $60. You must try the Grapefruit Awakening 307; I think this drink is the best! When ordering drinks, I always get them with less sugar and less ice. No sugar or just a tiny amount of sugar takes away some flavor. However, the grapefruit oolong tea is somewhat pricey at $67, which is a strange price. The best time to enjoy it was during a collaboration with a bathhouse, adding jelly, which was amazing.
Drawbacks -
Perhaps because it’s very busy, the staff's attitude is quite poor, and their phone etiquette is also lacking, which makes you feel impulsive and reluctant to order.
Still, having it every once in a while is okay. There are parking spaces nearby.
The most famous drink at Jiale Lemon should be its lemon juice because all the lemons are grown in their own orchard, so the owner is very confident in their beverages.
Their winter melon lemonade has a moderate sweetness and is not too sour, yet you can still taste the freshness, with a delightful sweet and sour flavor. Additionally, their Aiyu jelly is also made fresh on-site, so it’s equally authentic and fresh.
Besides drinks, the shop also has a large selection of farm products for sale or consignment, and I immediately bought some duck eggs when I saw that the store offered them at the same price as chicken eggs. It’s quite rare to find duck eggs in the market, and the types of eggs available are from red-faced ducks and mallards. The owner is also very thoughtful; they used a few extra kitchen paper towels to ensure the duck eggs wouldn’t break on the way home.
If any friends are coming to enjoy Wanluan Pork Trotter and want something refreshing afterward, I think Jiale Lemon would be a great choice.
Located on the second floor of the South Gate Market, the beverage shop has plenty of seating in the food court area. Some seats are by the window, allowing you to enjoy the view.
I ordered the signature pearl milk tea, small size, for $50. The shop provides a glass cup that needs to be recycled, and you must return it to the recycling area after you're done.
It tastes pretty good; the pearls are very chewy, and the milk tea isn’t overly sweet, making it suitable for those who prefer a less sweet drink. It's generally served cold, but you can request it hot if you let the shop know.
It's nice to order a cup and sit in a window seat, taking a break while watching the passersby.
The store on Lane 30 of Yongji Road is quite popular, and I had to wait in line for a bit when I went to buy something. I ordered the brown sugar tapioca milk as recommended by the staff in the normal ratio. It's quite rich in flavor, with a strong aroma of brown sugar that pairs nicely with the fresh milk. The tapioca pearls are small, making it a great icy drink for the slightly cool weather we've been having lately. Next time, I want to try the iced black tea, as it should pair well with the fried foods nearby.
Comments from customers: Takeout only, no restrooms.
Yao De and Qing Cao Hao on Dihua Street is an old shop with over 70 years of history. However, after a redesign, the interior decoration has a modern touch and a fresh, comfortable atmosphere that completely hides any signs of its history. They mainly sell herbal teas, such as herbal tea, rhizome tea, honey aloe vera tea, and bitter tea, at very reasonable prices—small cups range from 25 to 35 NT dollars, while large cups are double the price of small cups. I chose the bitter tea (small cup 35 NT dollars); although it has a notable bitterness upon tasting, it feels very refreshing and is especially suitable for summer. In addition to on-site drinks, the shop also offers a variety of brewed tea bags and herbs, providing a rich selection, making it a great place for those wanting to experience herbal tea culture or purchase herbal health drinks.
Located on Tamsui Old Street, this hand-shaken drink shop is quite unique as there are not many modern hand-shaken drink places around here; most others are traditional beverage shops.
This one allows you to use cash at the street corner but does not provide a unified invoice.
The overall decor is fresh and cute. I wasn't sure what to drink when I went and hesitated for a long time, but the staff were quite patient and offered suggestions. In the end, I ordered tea jelly milk tea with 30% sugar and light ice. The tea jelly itself isn't sweet and has a nice tea fragrance, which pairs perfectly with the slightly sweet milk tea with 30% sugar. Plus, they really pack it with tea jelly, so you can enjoy it in every sip! 😍
Conclusion: Super disappointing, not worth the wait at all
Actually, before Ba-Yo and Tea opened in Taipei, I had no idea about this drink shop. I only learned about this so-called "Japanese-style" elegant tea shop from the Japanese police YouTube series by Domino Doro 😂
Recently, they just opened a new branch in San Chong, and the line is like something out of a horror movie every day... There were even people who queued for 8 hours just to get their drinks (just how good could it be?).
When I went to Taichung, I happened to see many branches that hardly had any lines, so I bought a few cups to try... they were truly disappointingly bad.
———
Here’s my ranking of the drinks from least to most memorable:
And after drinking it, the aftertaste in my mouth was just that fake bathroom scent.
This certainly made me feel “awakened”.
I tried several more sips and thought, if I had spent several hours waiting for this drink, I would be so mad 😡.
And even with one sugar, it was still way too sweet.
It feels like other drink shops' caffeine-free barley tea is also decent, so there’s no need to specifically come here for it.
———
Overall, I was mostly disappointed after trying these drinks, but on the bright side, I'm glad I didn't wait in that long line. I can only say that Taiwanese people really flock to everything, as if they're always afraid of missing out on something. I don't understand why so many Taiwanese people love to wait in line.
In short, this drink shop is a total fail 💣.
I won't be visiting again!
The text translated to English is:
"Is there a mix-up or confusion about being silly and overly happy??? The signature menu looks the same in all aspects, and the honey lemon flavor that I had is just as delicious as before!
Compared to before, there aren't as many people, which might be due to the light rain. Overall, the atmosphere is great, bright, clean, with plenty of staff, clear flow, and a variety of options. The food comes out quickly, and it's even more convenient since it's closer to the MRT station. Coming here can reduce waiting time, and it's easy to grab a few cups to take away before heading back on the MRT."
