Foodholic Niko @ Taipei
Recently, the super popular UG Tea has opened near Taipei Station. I found out that there are already four branches in Taipei; their expansion speed is incredible!
Here's a fun fact (that surprised me as well): UG Tea is actually a new brand from the established beverage shop, Rest Stop!
The branch located near Taipei Station is the South Yang Branch on Nanjing Street, where many students gather, so it's no wonder the business is booming.
The South Yang Branch opened on October 8. When I passed by on October 12, I thought about getting a drink, but probably because they were still in the trial operation period, the line was quite long. We only ordered one drink and had to wait 40 minutes 😱
P.S. However, the staff did inform us of the waiting time when we ordered, and they estimated it pretty accurately. After ordering, we strolled around nearby and returned to pick it up when the time was almost up, so it didn’t cause any inconvenience.
The Jasmine Milk Tea (L) for $75
The character "窨" is pronounced yìn. Just to clarify, this name is indeed quite pretentious 😂
This drink is considered UG's signature item, and I chose it for my first try, emphasizing the jasmine aroma.
We opted for less sugar and less ice. The first sip immediately brought a strong jasmine fragrance into my nose and throat; it has a subtle elegance to it and doesn't have an overpowering artificial flavor. It’s indeed a delicious milk tea, and I would be willing to repurchase it, although I want to try the unsweetened version next time.
I want to specifically mention UG's straw. The straw the staff gave me today was a "three-hole straw" (see the attached photo). It’s thin and flat, with three holes at the top, which means you can drink very little at a time. I'm not sure what the purpose is, but it’s quite cool.
Overall, UG’s Jasmine Milk Tea is tasty. If I didn’t have to wait in line, I would absolutely repurchase it, but given the long wait, I might skip it for now and come back when the hype dies down.