A different kind of fix

CEBU, Philippines - Imagine dark chocolate oozing down an ice cream's slope, placed in a blender and topped with rock salt and cheese. Yes, this is no joke. It's a hit beverage offered to you by Bubble Tea Station at the Banilad Town Centre (BTC) that defied the standards of taste.

The Bubble Tea Station does not only offer milk tea with pearls at the bottom, they also offer specialties that are sure to rock one's taste buds. In fact, their dark chocolate rock salt and cheese specialty is sought after. It is a unique one-of-a-kind drink.

The first ring of the word chocolate tickled my mind. Who would not die for chocolate? But the thought of salt plus cheese atop the glorious beverage sounded like a disaster. True enough, the outcome looked like a fight of colors in a cup. A huge blob of black lay at the bottom of the cup while the dark chocolate concoction filled it. Melted cheese was poured followed by a dash of rock salt. It was a beverage which I have never seen.

Yet, a quick sip changed everything.

Bubble Tea Station's Dark Chocolate Rock Salt and Cheese tasted better than a chocolate drink. It smelled like cheese was smeared all over a bar of dark chocolate. A zesty feel was its signature aftertaste. The lines of saltiness and sweetness met in a must-try beverage for chocolate lovers out there!

The Dark Chocolate specialty comes in a regular cup which costs P85. If you wish to have pearls, you add P15. Although the price may not be that friendly, every sip is worth your peso.

The Bubble Tea Station is just after the main entrance. Most of the people take their bubble teas out but for those who wish to chill while enjoying their bubble tea, tables and chairs are available.

Aside from the dark chocolate rock salt and tea speciality, Bubble Tea house also offers a healthier alternative to the conventional milk tea - Yakult. Yes, two bottles of Yakult and a spoonful of your chosen syrup shaken in a cup. Your childhood drink in your lunch box is now the drink of the town.

Every sip stirs up a memory from a childhood molded by Yakult. The Lemon Yakult is their best seller but there are other fruit choices such as grapefruit and passion fruit, all citrus fruits to compliment Yakult's unique taste.

To add more flavor and texture, extras are available to be added to your drink such as pearls, egg pudding, coffee jelly and a lot more. You're sure to enjoy your mixing and matching moment.

The milk tea craze is an alternative to the typical coffee fix. But in Bubble Tea Station, it is more than an alternative. It is a beverage statement that'll rock your taste buds away. (FREEMAN)

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on August 21, 2012