Boba Battle: Brown Sugar Boba Milk Showdown Part 2.

Alright you tapioca ball enthusiast you, its time for round 2!

If this is your first time here, I strongly recommend that you read part 1 first, as I will lay out the basic rules of the game and also lay on the verdict for our first round of combatants. So without wasting more time, lets get to it!

Roasted Brown Sugar Pearl with Fresh Milk (RM13.90)
Daboba, SS15

Front of the house

We now make a return to the notorious battlefield. This one in particular, bring the word "battle" to another level. When we arrived, the line was already long and we had to wait for about 45 minutes. Luckily enough the inside of the cafe is quite cozy so we lazed around on a sofa while going through our milky concoction.

Double trouble

This experience really blew everything out of the water so far. The milk was so so but, it was pulled several notches because of the cheese cream that was mixed into it. It gave the overall drink a cheese cake quality. A slight savoury touch added a depth of feel and texture too. It was more like a custard sort of creaminess rather than whipped cream sort of creamy. And the burnt bits on top gave it a smoky taste too. Superb.

Tasty! 

The syrup was also very nutty and had a caramel-like kick back. And while going through it, it had hints of floral after tones. And the boba was good too. Very chewy but not springy. The center was abit plain, but at least the other parts was sort of "marinated" with the brown sugar. An outstanding drink overall.

Men at work

So after going through this amazing concoction, I am now putting this at top seed! But the line was terrible and I started lining up about 8.30 pm. When we left the premises about 9-ish, the line doubled in length. Quite scary.

You gotta be kidding me. 

Pros: Everything about this was good, and the cheese cream was a good touch.
Cons: Waiting can be horrendous. And slightly pricey considering the portion size.
Notable points: The earlier mentioned cheese cream.

Overall scoring : 8.5/10

Brown Sugar Bubble Milk (RM6.90)
Family Mart, Menara Citibank

Finally the "out of stock" sticker has been removed. 

This was an absolute hassle to track down. I have been to several outlets but to no avail and finally was able to get a hold of it after weeks of tracking it down. But being a convenience store outlet, I did not put my expectations very high. But then will it boba?

It was actually not bad at all. Even though the syrup and tapioca balls came from a plastic cup heated in a microwave, it was not bad. The syrup was sweet and deep, but not as good as most of the ones I have tried so far. Still a good attempt. The boba was kinda mushy, but still held its shape. This I did not really like. The milk is so-so, the usual stuff that you can get from your supermarket.

Cheers!

Not a showstopper, but a noteworthy attempt. However, I have to give it some demerit points as it was so hard to get and the effort of finding it did not really commensurate with the final product. Still, a good sugar rush option.

Pros: Nothing wrong with it and its price.
Cons: Nothing outstanding either although the ingredients are of a lower quality.
Notable points: Its Family Mart, which means it could be easily obtained, or so you might think. Also the cheapest among the lot.

Overall scoring : 6/10

Brown Sugar Fresh Milk (RM9.80)
KOI The , KLCC

Now come one of the old timers. KOI has been around for years but with the new brown sugar surge, they have to keep up with the pace too. So how is their rendition compared to the new comers?  Unfortunately, not too great.

Will this boba?

Their main star maker is their golden pearls, which unfortunately their downfall here. The pearls are notable for their springy texture but does not go well for this kind of drink. Also, as it is too springy, it does not absorb the brown sugar that well.

The milk looks veiny...

The brown sugar syrup also felt like standard fare. It is sweet and nutty, but that is to be expected in any brown sugar syrup. It felt more like that brown sugar you get in ais kacang. Not to knock anything away from KOI on their other products, but this one does not sing well. Its saving grace is that the milk is of good quality.

Pros : Nothing wrong with it, but then again has been overtaken by so many others.
Cons: The pearls are too chewy for this kind of drink.
Notable points: Maybe you might rank it higher if you like chewy pearls.

Overall scoring: 6.5/10

So with these new contenders in mind, here is the new grand scoring:

Grand Scoring (for now)
1. Daboba @ 8.5/10
2. The Alley @ 8 /10
3. Xing Fu Tang @ 7.5/10
4. Tiger Sugar @ 7/10
5. KOI The @ 6.5/10
6. Family Mart @ 6/10


Looks like we have a new captain in the leader boards! But will the bear hold on to its top spot? There are still a few more contenders to go before we can call this battle to a close. So keep your eyes peeled for the third installment of this epic saga. But for now, I am going to take a break from all this sugary insanity. I think I let all the glucose get out of my system first before I get sick of it or my kidneys fail. So do come back probably in a week or two to see who is left standing in part 3!