To enjoy additional benefits
CONNECT WITH US
Updated – May 30, 2024 02:20 pm IST
Published – May 30, 2024 01:36 pm IST
Taiwan Mami | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I am the mami and my husband, who is from Chennai is the mama,” says Theresa Hu, a Taiwanese national who is now settled in the UK, laughing, when I ask her about her cheekily named bubble tea cafe, Taiwan Maami.
Range of beverages at Taiwan Maami | Photo Credit: Thamodharan Bharath
At Palladium Mall in Velachery, we are welcomed into the cafe by a bright, cheery sign, aesthetic wallpaper, and bustling baristas. There are paintings on the walls, one of which has a bustling marketplace at Jiufen, a little town in Taipei which Theresa says is a spot famed for the origin of bubble tea.
Black tea with boba | Photo Credit: Thamodharan Bharath
“In the early 1980s, people in Taiwan began drinking bubble tea. A lot of people assume the boba, or tapioca pearls in the tea is what ‘bubble’ refers to. Boba actually was a much later addition, and bubble tea got its name from the bubbles on top which were a result of using a cocktail shaker to mix the tea and syrups or sugar,” she says.
Having grown up drinking bubble tea back in Taiwan, Theresa says she slowly saw the love for it grow across the world during her time in the UK. Soon enough, she knew she had to bring her favourite beverage to Chennai.
Boba dessert | Photo Credit: Thamodharan Bharath
Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Black Tea, all organically grown in the Nilgiris, and tapioca pearls from Taiwan are the base on which Taiwan Maami’s menu has been conceived — one that has been designed keeping with bubble tea variants that are currently trending and popular among tea drinkers in Taiwan, and other parts of the world. “The dairy products are fresh, and we do not use any artificial colours,” Theresa says.
The creme caramel oolong milk tea we start off with, comes with a generous layer of cream at the bottom. The black and oolong teas on the menu are all milk based and come in a range of flavours, which include the classic Taiwan milk teas which Theresa says are immensely popular among her regular Taiwanese customers. There is also an English cream tea latte, tiramisu latte, basundi milk oolong, and a moringa chocolate oolong latte on the menu — all the flavours conceived by them, with the syrups and other ingredients made in-house.
We decide to be adventurous, and try the Black Forest black tea latte. Cherry sauce, cake sauce, shaved chocolate, tea, and boba come together in this dessert inspired tea, where the sharp cherry sauce taste does not quite blend in with the drink. Our next drink however, is an immensely refreshing virgin mojito green tea. Green tea might be an acquired taste for many, but for fans of the beverage, this cold twist on the drink with boba is a sure palate pleaser. Taiwan Maami also has an extensive ice slush menu, a great pick for the weather in Chennai and we try the pink guava one, with boba added of course, which perfectly compliments the fruity flavours and crushed ice.
Dessert spread | Photo Credit: Thamodharan Bharath
From their dessert menu, we dive into a green tea crystal jelly, which is served on a platter of boba. The boba used in drinks and the desserts are glazed in jaggery, after being boiled and braised — something the baristas do every morning. The sweet, chewy boba here and the mildly flavoured jelly make for an interesting mix of taste and textures.
Boba teas might be growing in popularity and the choices might be aplenty, but Taiwan Maami’s authenticity which reflects in its flavours, and the effort to go beyond chocolate and biscoff is reason enough for celebration — with bubbles of a different kind. Taiwan Maami is at Palladium Mall, Velachery. A meal for two costs ₹700
The Hindu MetroPlus / food and dining (general) / food / Chennai
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
