A tasting tour of Ōtautahi’s many boba shops.

I tried bubble tea for the first time two years ago, when I went with my brother to Gong Cha on Riccarton Road for a treat. I quickly fell in love with the cold, fresh tea, mixed with the slightly sweet, chewy pearls. The drink became a regular treat for me, one I would often spend my $7 weekly allowance on. As time went on, I began to realise that bubble tea was so much bigger than my regular store. It was everywhere. After passing what felt like hundreds of shops (there are 11 between my house and school alone!) I found myself wondering: what is the best bubble tea shop in Christchurch? 

So, I did what every financially unstable school student would do. I set out on a mission to taste every one. 

I compiled a list of all of the shops I could find, picked one location for each chain, and got to work. At each location, I ordered a regular pearl milk tea with half sugar and less ice (70%). Prices ended up ranging from $6 to $11.40, and the flavours were very varied. Here is what I found, ranked from worst to best. 

16. GELATO&TEA

$8.50 – 96 Oxford Terrace, Riverside Market
Rating: 2/10

As a dedicated fan of the Momo restaurant next door, Gelato&Tea has always been in my periphery as I wait for my hot and sour momo soup. And this tasting tour gave me the perfect opportunity to try it! After a 20 minute wait for my tea, I was hopeful that the taste of the drink would make up for it. But, as much as I hate to say this, it did not. Unmixed, the tea was overly bitter, and the pearls crazy sweet. Mixed, which I hoped would be a harmonious balance, was insanely sweet. It tasted like pure sugar, and for $8, I certainly didn’t sign up for diabetes. Unless you are a diehard sweet drink fan, I don’t think this drink is worth the price, but I will be back to try the delicious looking ice cream.

15. SWEET OASIS

$7.40 – 33 Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 3/10

Having tried the chicken from the same food truck before (Yang’s Fried Chicken), I came into this tasting with high expectations. But, I was very disappointed to discover that the tea did not get anywhere close to the delicious chicken. The tea took over 10 minutes to make, and it came out lukewarm. Maybe the taste would blow me away, I thought – but it didn’t. It was insanely sweet, even despite me asking for half sugar. The pearls were hot and grainy, and the tea tasted expired. On the plus side, this was very affordable? I recommend coming here for the great chicken and food, but I personally would pass on the bubble tea.

14. CHATIME

$8.88 – Shop 2, Peerswick Mall, 388 Riccarton Road, Upper Riccarton
Rating: 3/10

I was looking forward to my visit here – my friend in Dunedin raves about their location there. Unfortunately, my pearl milk tea tasted as if it had been sitting in the backroom, unrefrigerated, waiting for its next victim. The pearls were slimy and the tea had suspicious grainy remnants. The flavour was average, but the textures and temperature overwhelmed that factor. The packaging was cute, but not enough to distract me from the lacklustre drink inside the cup. Your cute cups show your potential, Chatime: I believe you can up your game!

13. PHAT PHILLIP

$7.90 – 129 Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 3/10

To me, this tea falls under not bubble tea, but bubble drink. It tasted nothing like tea, just like pure vanilla and overpowering sweetness. The pearls also were drenched in sweetness, but the texture of them was nice. This tea in general tasted like a liquidy milkshake, not anything like boba.

12. BOBA LAB

$11.40 – 283 Lincoln Road, Addington
Rating: 6/10

I had never been to this place before, but had heard good reviews, so I was looking forward to my visit. But, it ended up being more than one visit, since the first time I went they were out of pearls. Once I did end up with the full drink though, it was average tasting and the pearls were very… unique. They were handmade and instead of the perfectly circular balls I was used to, they were irregular and very chewy, making them hard to eat. The packaging was super cute though, and the cup is reusable (you also get a discount if you reuse the cup when you visit)! But, the price was by far the most expensive in this whole tour, a whopping $11.40. I thought $9.50 was insane, but this is crazy for a regular size drink… I guess the price you pay for homemade? I won’t be back for their regular tea, but I think that the specialty, novel flavours are what makes this place stand out – so I may have to try those.

11. J-BINGS

$7.50 – Lichfield Street, Christchurch Central City
Rating: 6.5/10

Here, the tea flavour was quite mellow and tasted more like milk. The size was average and the pearls were a pleasant texture. The drink itself was quite sweet, as sweet as the lady working there, who even brought the rubbish bin over for my straw wrapper! The atmosphere was modern and bright, so if you like sweet drinks, then a visit here might be what you’re looking for!

10. TEASME

$8.90 – Church Corner Mall, 376 Riccarton Road, Upper Riccarton
Rating: 6.5/10

This bubble tea was alright – the tea was not particularly flavourful, but still good! The tea itself didn’t taste super fresh, it tasted a little tired. The pearls were too small, and the straw was too big. This caused issues for me, most notably hurting my sensitive teeth as well as giving me way more tea than I anticipated with each sip. I didn’t have any interesting shaped pearls, thankfully, but I did have no pearls left when I was only halfway done with my drink. This left me quite sad, as I wasn’t guzzling pearls (there were only one or two per sip) and I had to pay extra to get them in the first place.

9. BEN GONG QUEEN’S TEA

$9.00 – 127 Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 6.8/10

This store is one I have seen around a lot – and certainly knows where to make money. They have a food truck at my school events, and almost always sell out. But, I hadn’t tried it until I began this tour. The royal milk tea was AMAZING and had me in awe at the very first sip until… the pearls. Unfortunately, the pearls subtracted most of this magnificence with their gummy texture and overly sweet flavour. Compared to other locations, I thought the tea here was overpriced, not just considering flavour, but also the very small size (I finished it in about 10 minutes, and I’m a slow drinker). If you’re a sucker for a great milk tea, this is a place to look out for!

8. JELS

$8.00 – 129 Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 7/10

This tea was good, but it didn’t taste like tea. It tasted less of traditional tea, more of chocolate and milk – but delicious chocolate and milk. The pearls were delicious though. The price was average, the cup was average size, everything was average. If you want something that’s less genuine tea, more sweet milky drink, then Jels is worth a visit. Otherwise, I would recommend checking out other places – some being just across the street.

7. WUCHA

$9.50 – 111A Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 7.5/10

At first I was turned off by the steep price. But when I saw the large cup with super cute packaging, I thought to myself, maybe it will be worth it! The first sip was delicious, the tea being on the sweeter side, but not too overpowering. But, the rest of the cup wasn’t as great. Even after mixing, I barely got any pearls until I was left with 5% of my drink and in the end there were many pearls without tea. Maybe it had something to do with the odd chains of pearls (I had a connected chain of four pearls in one)? Although the texture was off, the flavour itself was great and the portion made up slightly for the high price. If I am looking for a flavourful, sweeter tea, and don’t mind paying a premium, I will certainly come here again, but probably not often, given the price.

6. BOBABEAR/ANCESTRAL

$8.00 – ENTX Hoyts city mall 643 Colombo Street, City
Rating: 7.5/10

This tea tasted very authentic and had a strong flavour, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The pearls were delicious, and the balance of pearls to drink was great. My only note is that the straw was awkwardly large for the size of the cup, with almost two-thirds of it sticking out of the top. Recommend a visit here – a solid all-rounder.

5. BOBA TIME

$7.50 – BNZ Centre 13/120 Hereford Street, City Centre 
Rating: 8/10

This store, nestled on a corner surrounded by the city, is a bustling location for bubble tea. I had seen but never tried or thought much about it. After my visit, I wish I had done both of those things sooner. It was a hot day, so it was packed inside. But after about a 10 minute wait (it was very busy), this tea was the perfect thing to cool me off. The tea was super smooth and the pearls had just the right amount of chewiness. There was a slight coffee flavour in the tea itself, but it wasn’t overpowering. The price was very reasonable for the size of the regular, and with the taste of the tea, I honestly would have paid more. The 59+ drink menu may have you apprehensive, but I highly recommend this shop to anyone in the area – you won’t be disappointed!

4. MISS TEA

$9.50 – 106 The Runway, Wigram
Rating: 8.5/10

This was some of the best boba I have ever had. The flavour was perfect, and I couldn’t stop drinking. Right now you’re probably wondering, “Why wasn’t your rating higher if it was so good?” Well, the price. I don’t know who would pay $9.50 for a regular size bubble tea when there are cheaper options that taste almost identical. The place itself is very nice, cute, and the staff are very friendly – and quick! If you are in the area, this is a must-try bubble tea. But if it’s a drive, or you’re on a tight budget, I’d say this is more of a “treat yourself after getting a raise” rather than a “treat yourself because you made it through the day”.

3. GONG CHA

$7.50 – 116 Riccarton Road, Riccarton
Rating: 9/10

This is one of my favourite bubble tea shops in all of Christchurch, and will always hold a place in my heart, even after all of these tastings. Every time I come, it never disappoints, whether it is a classic Pearl Milk Tea or a more exotic option, such as a QQ Passionfruit Green Tea. The drinks are as good as the smiles the employees never fail to give. The tea itself always tastes fresh, and is silky smooth. The ratio of pearl-to-tea is perfect: you never end up with extra pearls or extra tea, making the cup enjoyable from the insert of the straw to the final sip. Although the flavours may not be complex, or life-changing, what they do works – and they know it.

The simplicity of the drink shows that they’ve found a perfect balance, with clean packaging to complement the drink. The sizes are large, and well-priced for what you get. In all of my many times visiting, I have never had to wait more than three minutes for my drink, even though there has often been a line. I highly recommend this store to anyone, experienced boba drinkers and first timers alike – especially those valuing high service, a great quality of drinks, and a new addition to your drink rotation. And if you’re lucky, like I was once, they may upsize you for free.

2. MTC MAI CHA

$7.30 – Inside Sunson supermarket 20 Main North Road, Papanui
Rating: 10/10

Not only was the tea great here, but the employee was the one of the nicest people I have ever met. They greeted me with a smile and compliments, and then proceeded to give tips to make my drink the best possible. The tea itself was great, my only comments being it could’ve had a little more pearls. The tea was delicious, the pearls the same, and the belated Halloween candy made it even better. I left with a wide smile and a verdict of: I can’t recommend this shop enough!

1. SMOOCHI TEA

$6.00 – 4/104 Staveley Street, Avonhead
Rating: 10/10

Located in a simple, bare-bones dim sum/boba place, the location had me a little skeptical. But believe me when I tell you: I. Was. Completely. Wrong. The tea got to me just seconds after I had ordered, and came with a smile and by far the cheapest price point of this whole list: only six dollars. The tea was perfectly balanced in flavour, temperature, and texture, the same going with the pearls. There is nothing I can find that was below excellent about this bubble tea, and I most definitely will be back. All I can say is: go. You won’t regret it.