Boba tea Kuching: Top 8 places in 2023

Boba tea is such a staple in Kuching now, especially among the young crowd who have more of a sweet tooth.

But there are seriously so many milk tea spots in Kuching, that it can be hard to settle on just one. Luckily for you, I have a serious weakness for a good boba tea.

In my article, you’ll be able to find out where boba tea comes from and the best places to get them in Kuching.

To make things easier on you, I’m also recommending what I usually order, so you, too, can enjoy my favourite drinks.

(And if you’re more of a coffee person, then I’ve got another list for that too!)

Boba tea origins

Boba tea, also known as pearl milk tea or bubble milk tea, originated in Taiwan back in the early 1980s.

If you’ve never heard of it, it is basically milk tea accompanied by tapioca balls, which are the “boba” or “pearls”.

Nowadays, there are many types of milk tea toppings and milk tea flavours, but boba tea is still a classic drink that I always end up going back to.

Boba tea places in Kuching

A Half Tea

A locally owned milk tea brand, A Half Tea is an unassuming yet cosy little spot located in Gala City, right by Enviar.

While most of their tea offerings are pretty good, their top drink is definitely the Signature Melacca Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea, which has the slight fragrance of palm sugar.

I have to recommend the Coffee Cube Milk Tea Ice Blended as it has got the slight bittersweet-ness of coffee and the lovely fragrance of milk tea, perfect for a hot day.

Opening hours: 11AM-11PM (Mon-Sun)
Address: GALA CITY PRIME GF, Lot 424, sublot 3, Jalan Tun Jugah, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Hicaa

Hicaa or H!CAA has a long history in Kuching as it is opened by the same people who launched the milk tea and dessert store Hilxon’s 21 at Viva City Megamall back in 2014.

Nowadays, they’ve got branches all over Kuching, at Emporium, TT3, and ICom Square. What’s great is that you can also bring your Borneo Talk card for a small discount, or your own tumbler for about RM1 off.

My favourite drink at Hicaa is probably the Oat My Roasted. It is a unique drink with sticky oats at the bottom of the drink, giving it a silky texture and taste.

Opening hours: 11:30AM-4AM (Mon-Sun)
Address: G982+9W Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Macao Imperial Tea *Most affordable!

By far my favourite milk tea spot in all of Kuching, I love this place because not only are the drinks good quality, but the prices also start at RM7!

Yes, you read that correctly. While most milk tea places range from RM10+ these days, Macao Imperial Tea has milk tea offerings as low as RM7, talk about affordable.

My favourite drink at Macao Imperial Tea is the Ali Mountain Milk Tea, but you can totally try one of the Yakult Fruit Teas as they taste just like Vitagen.

Opening hours: 12PM-10PM (Mon-Sun)
Address: Saradise, Jalan Stutong, 93250 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Oriental Tea

Whenever I walk by Oriental Tea, it is always packed with people, both young and old. This is because other than milk tea, they also have desserts like waffles and cakes.

They have a huge variety of drinks here, from smoothies to cheese tea and fruit tea to coffee. Chances are if you’re looking for a certain drink, they’re likely to have it.

You should go ahead and try their Oriental Black Milk Tea as it is slightly more fragrant than their regular milk tea.

Opening hours: 11AM-12AM (Mon-Sun)
Address: Level 1 Lot 31 Block A2 Saradise, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Tea Can Thin

Tea Can Thin’s name is a little odd, considering how many calories milk tea usually has (don’t worry, I won’t get into that).

But their milk tea is silky and creamy, and they also serve food like fried chicken chop and other greasy snacks, perfect for when you want to cheat on your diet.

My favourite drink has to be their Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea with added mochi. Seriously, after trying mochi in milk tea, I’ve developed a constant craving for it.

Opening hours: 11AM-11PM (Mon-Sun)
Address: GalaCity, S12 Grd Floor Plot 24, 93250 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

TeaPack *Most popular

Chances are if you’ve passed by one of the many locations of TeaPack, you would see that there are always tons of people lining up for it.

This is because while their tea is deliciously fragrant, they also sell seriously yummy Foochow pastries like Mangi and Jun Nv Piang. If you’ve never had these, you should seriously try them, as some people often go for the pastries alone.

The Brulee Milk Tea has to be the most decadent option on their list, as it has rich cream slathered all over the sides of the drink. My tip? Add on some pudding for extra richness.

Opening hours: 11AM-10PM (Mon-Sun)
Address: 93250 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Tiger Sugar

One of the newer places in Kuching, having opened in early 2022, it quickly got on my list of favourites due to their brown sugar soaked boba pearls.

Although their boba are on the softer side and less chewy, they still have all of the deliciousness. The biggest downsides are that their drinks are quite expensive at RM12+ and they don’t give a lot of boba…

My favourite drink at Tiger Sugar is their Brown Sugar Boba Milk with Cream Mousse, which is a lovely light topping almost akin to cappuccino foam.

Opening hours: 11AM-9PM (Mon-Thu & Sun), 11AM-10PM (Fri-Sat)
Address: Ground Floor, Lot 10516, Block 16, KCLD, 801-2B Jalan Tun Jugah, Kuching (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Wushiland Boba

Wushiland Boba is pretty unique because while it is a global milk tea brand, its only Malaysian branch seems to be located in Saradise, Kuching.

It is one of the few places which offer both boba and pearls, you can no doubt fulfil your milk tea fix here as their portions are enormous. Seriously, if you’re used to getting large, just stick with the medium. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You should order their Golden Oolong Milk Tea with added boba for nice, roasted tones in your tea.

Opening hours: 11AM-10PM (Mon-Sun)
Address: Level 1, Lot 43, Block C1, Saradise, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak (Google Maps)
Contact: Facebook | +6012-813 6781

Featured image: baes_food_everything