Oldest Taiwanese Tea House Landed Hong Kong

Taiwanese Tea House Chun Shui Tang (春水堂) just landed Hong Kong. Let’s see how this oldest bubble tea house has built more than 50 stores in Asia!

Taiwanese tea house is nothing new in Hong Kong. A number of Taiwanese bubble tea houses landed Hong Kong by storm in 2018. The oldest bubble tea house, Chun Shui Tang (春水堂), also joined the wagon to set up first store in Hong Kong recently.

Chun Shui Tang (春水堂) HK not only serves its signature Taiwanese bubble tea, but also a variety of traditional Taiwanese street food. 

 

 

 

 

Origin of Taiwanese Bubble Tea 

Bubble tea has a number of names – boba tea, bubble milk tea or pearl milk tea. Back to 1980s, Taiwanese is the founder of bubble tea. It’s a tea-based drink with chewy tapioca balls. 

Originally, bubble tea started as a street drink in Taiwan and then has spread quickly to Asia, USA and Europe. After few decades, Taiwanese tea house has become very popular around the world.

In Hong Kong, many Asian restaurants have already put bubble tea in their drink menus. While a number of tea houses from Taiwan and China have landed Hong Kong by storm, which has made the Taiwanese tea house become a star in the food & beverage industry which is never seen before. 

 

 

 

Story of Chun Shui Tang (春水堂)

Chun Shui Tang was founded in Taichung, Taiwan in 1983.

Several tea companies including Chun Shui Tang claim to be the creator, so it’s not clear who is the original founder of the Taiwanese bubble tea.

But most people accepted that Chun Shui Tang is the first shop in Taiwan selling bubble tea. Also, it’s no doubt the first Taiwanese tea house to use cocktail shaker for hand-shaken iced tea and bubble tea.

In early 1980s, the founder of Chun Shui Tang first came up with the idea of bubble tea in a sudden occasion. Perhaps it’s by luck or by imagination. But it happened on one day like this:

When a staff brought with the founder a tapioca pudding in a meeting, then she poured the tapioca balls into her iced tea for fun. It tasted good. At last, this tea drink became the first bubble tea in Taiwan.

After 36 years, Chun Shui Tang has already developed into a franchise restaurant chain which serves a variety of drinks and foods with bubble tea as signature.

 

 

 

 

(1) Chun Shui Tang, Taiwan

Chun Shui Tang originated in Taiwan. Over 36 years, it has expanded rapidly in various districts in Taiwan with more than 40 shops.

Apart from its signature bubble tea, Chun Shui Tang in Taiwan also serve hotpots, meal sets, traditional noodles and a variety of side orders. 

In Taiwan, Chun Shui Tang organises regular training classes for bubble tea. It would be fun to make your own glass of tea in the birthplace of bubble tea!

 

 

 

 

(2) Chun Shui Tang, Japan

Chun Shui Tang opened its first shop in Japan in 2014. Only in 5 years, it has expanded rapidly in Japan with 12 shops. 

Japanese like sweets. Chun Shui Tang in Japan serves more than traditional Taiwanese bubble tea. New favours, such as matcha and white chocolate milk tea, can be found in the drink menu.

 

 

(3) Chun Shui Tang, HK

In 2019, Chun Shui Tang landed Hong Kong with 2 new outlets. One is a huge restaurant with 200 seat covers in APM, which is a high traffic shopping mall in Kowloon. Another one is for takeaway drinks only in West Kowloon Station.

This taiwanese tea house in Hong Kong serves traditional bubble tea and Taiwanese food. To name a few, its signature dishes include beef soup noodles, pork knuckle rice, minced pork rice and deep-fried taro balls.

 

 

Will the Tea Trend go on?

Lacrucci has witnessed a number of  Chinese and Taiwanese tea houses to set up their stores in Hong Kong. As a result, they have successfully brought in different tea culture and favours from bubble milk tea, fruit tea to cheese tea for us to try.

Apart from Chun Shui Tang, another famous tea house from China has also established a store in Hong Kong. 

Heytea is a tea house from China which is the first to add salt cheese into Chinese tea. Recently, it has set up the first shop in Hong Kong. Currently, Heytea are operating over 100 stores in China and Singapore. 

Not only do the local tea houses introduce more variety in their drink menus, but also more overseas brands are setting new stores in Hong Kong with innovative tea concepts by adding street food elements in it. Let’s keep a close watch!

 

 

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