Trust us, you’re MANGOing to enjoy it, too!
Sticky rice and mangoโwhat a great combination. Or at least for a mango lover such as myself. Made with glutinous rice, fresh mango, and a generous amount of coconut milk, this traditional Thai dessert is creamy, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying! And although the rice makes it filling, the mangoes add a refreshing factor that cleanses the palate at the end of every meal.
[Also Read:ย 8 Mangonificent Stores to Get Your Mango Sticky Rice Fix From]
But if you’re looking for a twist to this classic dessert, we found one… in the form of a drink! Same sticky rice, same pieces of mango, but with tea this time around.
And you can get it from none other than Mama Cha!
Mama Cha, or ๅฆๅฆ่ถ in Chinese, is a milk tea and fruit shop located in Makati. This shop prides itself on using fresh fruits from both local and imported fruit producers. That’s fresh fruits paired with authentic tea and real cream! As for the pearls? Why from the land of boba itself!
Beyond just a drink, Mama Cha aims to elevate the milk tea experience. That’s why this shop puts a lot of thought into the ingredients that it uses, the way the tea is brewed, and basically, everything that goes into making its handcrafted drinks. The result is a distinct tea taste in your drinkโthe kind that stands out from all the cream, and yet seamlessly blends well with the fruit.
Mama Cha’s Selection
To date, Mama Cha offers a wide range of milk teas and fruit teas to choose from. But aside from the usual choices (dubbed as Originals by Mama and Basics by Mama), Mama Cha offers refreshing fruit teas (Fruit Tea Coolers) or tea drinks with frothy cheese on topโthe latter of which is dubbed as Mama’s Cheese Cap Series.
Photo from Mama Cha
But the series that caught my eye (and stomach) had to be Mama’s Sticky Rice. Not only is sticky rice a sinker that you don’t see every day, but it’s something worth trying, too. On its own, sticky rice is simple and bland, but when paired with a sweet drink, the drink itself has more body, making it more filling. And best of all, you don’t need to chew it like boba or grass jelly. It’s smooth, uninterrupted drinking all the way!
My Favorites from Mama Cha
I got to try 4 of Mama Cha’s bestselling drinks: the Earl Gray Milk Tea with Pearls, Yakult Green Tea, Mango Cheese Cap with Sticky Rice, and the Strawberry Cheese Cap. And if you were to ask me which one I liked best, it’s hard to decide. Not only did all these drinks have a distinct taste of tea (a bonus in my book), but they were all light and refreshing. Not too sweet, and not too heavy on the tummy.
Starting off, we have the Earl Gray Milk Tea with Pearls. For those who like their teas to have a floral taste, this one’s for you. Beyond the elegant taste of earl gray, you get a light taste of milk and a subtle splash of sugar. The pearls in this drink are springy but softโthe kind of satisfying chew you’d get when eating jelly. And yes, that in my books, is boba cooked just right.
On the other hand, the Green Tea Yakult is a drink for both lactose intolerant folk or even those who like their probiotic drinks. Pleasantly sour and sweet, the Green Tea Yakult comes with an earthy splash of tea to balance out the flavors. Just make sure to shake well once you get it since the particles tend to settle.
Next up, we have the Cheese Cap series. These fruit teas come with a cloud-like cheese froth on top. It is, overall, a visual treat, and a feast for the stomach. The earthy tea taste is still present in the base, yes, but the additional sweetness of the fruit paired with the slightly salty cheese cap gives the overall drink complex flavors. But that’s not all. These drinks come with fruit chunks too, which are cut so finely, you don’t need to chew on them.
The strawberry version is slightly tart but mostly sweet and the creamy cheese cap serves to amplify its flavors. It’s almost like drinking a deconstructed milkshake, but the kind that’s infused with tea.
On the other hand, the mango version is a standout because of the sticky rice element. If anything, drinking it can be likened to having the popular sticky rice with mango Thai dessert. The rice is soft and sticky, but the kind that breaks apart when shaken. Pair this with a mango-infused tea (with mango chunks, too!) and a foamy cheese layer that mimics cream, and I daresay you’ve got a Sticky Rice with Mango tea drink on your hands!
How to Order
Mama Cha’s drinks range from PHP 120 to PHP 180. To get your very own tea drinks, you can visit FoodPanda and order through their site or the app. Mama Cha is open for deliveries every Monday to Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 8 PM. The last call for orders is at 7:45 PM.
Mama Cha (ๅฆๅฆ่ถ)
Instagram: @mamachaph
Address: Ground Floor Techzone 213 Senator Gil J Puyat Avenue Barangay Palanan 1st District
[Also Read:ย LOOK: These are not your ordinary milk teas, as told by your resident TEAta]
Which milk tea flavor would you like to try next?
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