Overview
There's a new kid on Brisbane's bubble tea block, but this one's no amateur. In fact, Milksha is one of Taiwan's leading bubble tea chains.
First launched back in 2004 — and now boasting hundreds of outposts across Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Canada — the company originally made its debut Down Under in Melbourne in 2019. Now, it's has finally headed to another Australian city, opening the doors to a shiny new Albert Street store in Brisbane in early April.
Known as Milkshop to its Taiwanese fans, Milksha was founded by a dairy farmer and sets itself apart from competitors by using fresh milk. It took almost two decades, but now those creamy bubble teas are on offer in Brissie.
With hopes of winning a new legion of local bubble tea fans, Milksha Brisbane is serving up its signature milky drinks, seasonal juices and specialty teas. So, what exactly will you find in your Milksha drink? Well, if bubble tea's your thing, you'll want to check out the honey pearl toppings — tapioca pearls cooked in honey and flash-frozen before being shipped to Brisbane.
There's also matcha from century-old Japanese brand Izumo Tousuien, fresh taro milk made with taro imported from Taiwan's famed Dajia District, Valrhona cocoa. and a range of vibrant toppings such as milk pudding and herbal fairy-grass jelly
Other tea flavours include brown sugar, wintermelon, earl grey and barley, as well as mango and orange green tea blends.
When it first hit Melbourne, Milksha sold more than 1000 cups a day during its initial two weeks — if you're wondering just how popular these milky bubble teas are.
Images: Tim Harris.