Street Eats: Dive Into These 3 New Milk Tea Shops in Sanlitun Soho
Think we've got tea ennui? Never! No matter how stuffed we feel, we Beijinger editors would never say no to milk tea. Although it's only been two months after our roundup of Beijing's best milk teas and cheese teas, we recently happened upon three new milk tea shops in Sanlitun Soho.
Zen Tea (庄·茶)
We went to this neat tea shop in the wee hours, because everyone either needs some morning caffeine, right? This small place with a modern café vibe has limited seating, save for stools and a counter by the window. Highlights include their signature cheese foam queen of green tea (RMB 23), which was fit for royalty thanks to its dose of longjing green tea. Compared to the numerous teas we've tried over the years, this cupful had a refreshingly abundant flavor that balanced out its salty and sweet cheese top. We quite liked the coconut milk, which was RMB 26 for 500ml. It was made with sugary coconut milk and a generous heaping of blended coconut flesh. The only downside: you have to be patient as the staff blends and foams it right in front of you. Trust us, it's worth the wait.
Daily 10.30am-11pm. 2-132, 1/F, Bldg 2, Sanlitun, 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (5391 5221)工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO2号商场1层2-132号
Datcha (搭茶)
This one was the winner among the three SLT Soho tea shops we tried. Its seating area has lots of Instagramable items like cushions in light grey and baby pink, a mural of classic movie scenes (from Pulp Fiction and La La Land, among others) and more. Their teas are equally impressive, especially their soufflé milk tea (RMB 20). Its foam bubbles will cover your tongue gently. Better yet: it's just sweet enough to be satisfying, instead of being overly sugary. We also loved how it smelled like a soufflé, what with its rich and creamy aromas. Datcha's attention to detail is also apparent on their cup sleeves, which are shaped like tropical leaves and have an emerald shade that matches the sprouts in their logo, amounting to what might be the best design among the milk tea shops in Beijing. Yes, we will come back!
Daily 10.30am-10.30pm. 3115, 1/F, Bldg 3, Sanlitun, 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (183 1116 8505)
工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO3号商场1层3115
Regiustea
This must be the world's most spacious tea shop - and they don't even serve food. Telling ourselves to go big or go home, we ordered their signature durian flavored tea (RMB 19) and their jasmine green tea. We assumed the latter would be quite light in flavor, making us wonder if it would be a match for the heavy, stinky durian. The waiting staff promised that they matched perfectly, and when they arrived we sipped with slight hesitation. Oh my, the durian tea was too strong, even for a durian-lover like me. Its dominating stench rendered the green tea barely noticeable. After another tentative sip, we put the lid on and took it back to the office. Upon arrival, without even lifting the lid, we saw one colleague quietly open the window, while the others demanded we abandon it straight away. Sorry Regiustea, even the 2-meter tall teddy bear cutely perched in your entryway wouldn’t win our hearts back.
Daily 10am-10pm. B1336, B1, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Soho, 9 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (8590 0959)
工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO3号商场B1层B1336
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang
