Chatime in Chinatown London is my stop for a cold bubble tea on this evening visit. The queue does not look too long when I arrive, but ordering turns out to involve quite a few decisions. Tea, toppings, temperature, ice and sweetness all need an answer before the drink is ready.

From the Roberts London archive: this film was first published on 2 November 2016. The menu and ordering choices described here are those shown during that visit.

Ordering at Chatime in Chinatown London

I joke in the film that a bubble tea shop is one place where a queue can be useful. It gives you time to study the menu before reaching the counter. Without that pause, the number of choices can feel rather bewildering.

The first decision is the type of drink. On this visit, the menu includes milk tea, fresh tea, ice blends, fruit tea, tea lattes and coolers. Even after choosing milk tea, there are several flavours to consider. I settle on roasted milk tea, in a regular size, served cold.

Pearls, aloe vera and coconut jelly

Next come the toppings. I find the name amusing because these additions sit at the bottom of the cup. The options I discuss include tapioca pearls, grass jelly, pudding, coconut jelly, rainbow jelly, red bean and aloe vera.

My order includes three additions: pearls, aloe vera and coconut jelly. In the commentary, I compare the pearls to little sweets and describe the combination as something between a drink and a dessert. The coconut jelly is another flavour to try alongside the tea.

There are still two decisions left. I choose regular ice because it is warm out, then regular sugar. The menu also offers other ice and sweetness levels. These are the options at this particular shop in 2016; I note that different bubble tea shops use different systems.

A sealed cup and a very wide straw

After preparing the drink to order, the staff seal the cup with a machine. I remark that the neat sealed top makes a customised drink look mass-produced. Then comes the wide straw, which makes more sense once I start trying to reach the toppings.

Outside, I work my way through the different pieces in the cup. First I notice the aloe vera and jelly. Then I push the straw right down to reach the pearls. They do fit through it, and I describe their texture as soft and very chewy.

Trying the tea on a Chinatown evening

This is an informal taste test on the street, with the illuminated shops and passing crowds around me. I enjoy the drink and recommend Chatime at the end of the review. Much of the appeal is being able to choose the combination you want.

The film then turns back towards the rest of the evening. With tea to hand, I say I am going to find somewhere to try one of the mooncakes I have bought. This short video finishes with the Chinatown walk, leaving that next food stop for the wider visit.

Watch the original Chatime visit

The five-minute film follows the ordering decisions, the finished drink and my first reactions to the toppings. It also preserves a small slice of Chinatown at night in 2016.

For another sweet stop from the same period, see my Chin Chin Labs ice cream visit in Camden Market.