Remember that time when we were all scared to drink milk tea because of an incident that happened near UST? Well, things have definitely gone up for the beverage. Not only has the qualm to drink it vanished but it seems like there’s a feverish need for it now. Just look at the many tea shops popping up in your neighborhood. Our side of the map is definitely on the pro-milk tea agenda. I’m not complaining, of course! While Serenitea and Chatime are still my favorites, I can say that these milk tea places in Northern Batangas are just as good.
Tea Classic
We tried Tea Classic because it was the first milk tea place quite close to where we live. We’re glad we took the chance because it ended up being one of our go-tos now. The drinks are not overly sweet, the pearls cooked just right, and you taste real tea — the best part. It helps that the people manning the place are quite approachable, too.
Gotcha-a Tanauan

This was the first milk tea place we tried when we moved to this side of Batangas, and we were pleasantly surprised. We’ve had bad encounters with small brands before (sorry if that sounds snooty), so we didn’t expect much. We were definitely proven wrong by this place. Their selection is quite wide, but we stick to the usuals. I also feel like going for the classics makes for a good gauge of whether or not the drink is actually good. In this case, it is. We’ve been back many times and we’re surely come back again.
Gossip Sto. Tomas

This one was another pleasant surprise. We also loved how their offerings are not as sweet as others’, so, of course, we frequented it a lot. But we haven’t been back in a while because their Lifestyle Strip branch keeps serving more ice than milk tea. Hopefully, they see this as a reason why some may not opt to come back and rectify it.
RELATED: A Lipa Must-Visit: Fourth Steaks and Kebabs
Luna J Bubble Tea Tanauan

We chanced upon Luna J while looking for a place to work when our internet at home was wonky. Finding a milk tea place that has sockets is quite rare, so we were really glad when we found this place. Their Tanauan brand (they have one in Sto. Tomas now, too) also has decent internet connection, which is a plus. Aside from the perks for remote workers like us, their offerings are really good, too. Their signature, of course, is what you must try.
Frotea Sto. Tomas

We’ve never heard of Frotea before so we were skeptical to try it at first. But, in the end, we’re more than happy we did. Their offerings are at par with mainstream ones but the prices are incredibly affordable. A large cup of their regular milk tea costs just P65! Try their classic milk tea, which already comes with pearls, and their Dark Chocolate Rock Salt and Cheese drink. It’s slowly becoming one of the best milk tea places in Northern Batangas for us!
What’s your favorite milk tea place?