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| Serenitea at Eastwood |
Milk Tea is all the rage these days! Remember back in the days when it was only Quickly that offered mass-commercially palatable milk tea? Those days are gone now. This means, Milk Tea is now a fad. Soon it would dissipate into the niche it once occupies once the fad turns to fade and demand dies down. For now, here is a review of one of the hotly discussed tea-serving place: Serenitea.
Note: this review has been updated since I last wrote it with new pictures and a final verdict. Updates are written in blocks of italicized text so it would be easy for those who have read this to discern which parts have been updated.
Note: this review has been updated since I last wrote it with new pictures and a final verdict. Updates are written in blocks of italicized text so it would be easy for those who have read this to discern which parts have been updated.
Specifics
Location: Eastwood Cybermall, imposing on the entrance door, impossible to miss (there are other locations all over Metro Manila, but this one gets my review)
Concoctions: Tea
Type of Service: Pay and Claim
Target Market: Yuppies, Tea Drinkers, Chinese
Price Range: 75 pesos to 120 pesos~
Concoctions: Tea
Type of Service: Pay and Claim
Target Market: Yuppies, Tea Drinkers, Chinese
Price Range: 75 pesos to 120 pesos~
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| Thingamajig for getting your ordered item |
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| The new thingamajig when I revisited. So much better. And cuter |
The idea behind Serenitea is to make it as authentic a tea experience as possible without having to deviate from experimenting here and there. The menu board is littered with authentic-looking tea items from various parts of Asia and some experimental ones (Exciting Yakult Tea!). Their bestseller as I was told was the Hokkaido Milk Tea. Unfortunately for me, I wanted to experiment and ordered something else. So I ordered the Large Wintermelon Milk Tea. A very tall cup sets you off 105 pesos. Not bad, considering you get a smaller size at 100 bucks in Happy Lemon and 125 in Bubble Tea (without egg pudding). The furniture and ambiance of Serenitea, is well, serene and a bit minimalist. Though this one in Eastwood is very in-your-face and out in the open, it suggests that you take your drink for a walk through the expanse of Eastwood City.
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| Large Wintermelon Milk Tea at 105 pesos |
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| Open-faced store here at Eastwood |
Service was quite on the slow side given that I managed to argue about Contagion with my friends and end up agreeing on disagreeing before my thingamajig buzzed. Took around 10 to 15 minutes. It also didn't help that the couple in front of me were being meticulous and at the same time clueless. At some point the people at the counter were uninstructive and very trusting of their customer's judgment of what they are ordering. You can tweak the ice and sweetness and for 105 you get add-ons to your drink like my favorite "egg pudding" or pearl. You can apparently add some toppings for no cost, but the counter person made it sound like I would need to pay something so I said no to it, to which he strongly suggested that I add some "sinkers" and I was like, OK, give me the egg pudding.
The second time I was here, service is recognizably faster--given the meticulous couple has probably been busy elsewhere that night, although I noticed how their crews remain to be apathetic. These people don't seem to love working and seem to loathe customers silently. I mean seriously, frown at me much when I have been smiling at you since I got to the cashier? Very friendly, sir. Very friendly.
I got the Wintermelon Milk Tea as mentioned above on a relatively friendly price. It was, well, throat-bustingly sweet and was more than sorry that it did not completely agree with my taste buds. Some people will like this drink but the sweetness (at the default 100% level) makes me wonder if their other teas are as sweet. Something tells me Milk Tea isn't their specialty and that specialty still belongs to Bubble Tea. The tea is also a bit on the strong side, kind of like Cha Time. But hey, it's as authentic as they promised.
For the second time I was here, I owe it to myself to order the bestseller. The Hokkaido Milk Tea is actually really good with just the proper sweetness. The tea strength is also proper, with each component (tea, milk, and caramel, etc) perfectly combining into a seamless discernibly distinct taste. If it is your first time in Serenitea, this is the drink to buy. This or the Royal Milk Tea--which is the simplest most enjoyable tea on any menu.
As I have said earlier, the fixtures and furniture used in Serenitea is classy. But what I noticed is just how badly ventilated Cyber Mall is. I could not wait to get off Serenitea, actually, because it was incredibly warm where I was seated--I was sweating loads and it didn't look like I was enjoying at all. I hope Serenitea would find time to address this as the temperature is unwelcoming.
Competition
Price point suggests that they are competing with Cha Time. What makes Serenitea more viable is that the menu board is not as unfamiliar as Cha Time. I managed to visit Cha Time three times and so far, everything I ordered is regrettable. Serenitea comes off on the safer side, and even if I got a very sweet drink, I can say people will rather order a very sweet drink than a bland one that Cha Time serves. Happy Lemon on the other hand is a different story as that one is more on the experimental and on the slushie side of things. You go there for the "fun" drinks not strictly for tea. If you want tea, your best bet is Serenitea. They have all sorts of tea at the best price.
Verdict
What to say of Serenitea? Well, mixed. The fixtures are good, but the service and store temperature is just utter crap. Not bad, utter crap. You can put up with it, though, because you're getting good value for money. I mean 105 pesos with "toppings" or sinkers as they call it on a VENTI size cup is not something you can pick up in say, Bubble Tea or Happy Lemon. They offer the most stuff for the same price compared to competitors and if I want tea, I know this is my stop. But other than that, why should I go here instead of Happy Lemon? I mean larger does not always mean better, right? Perhaps the long line? That's the only thing I can think of against Happy Lemon's favor. Not to mention, Happy Lemon offers friendlier service and has a wider range of offerings compared to Serenitea. I really think Serenitea (at least in Eastwood) can do better, and how I wish they would already.
Service - 2
Product - 4.5
Ambiance - 3
3.17 out of 5
The second time I was here, service is recognizably faster--given the meticulous couple has probably been busy elsewhere that night, although I noticed how their crews remain to be apathetic. These people don't seem to love working and seem to loathe customers silently. I mean seriously, frown at me much when I have been smiling at you since I got to the cashier? Very friendly, sir. Very friendly.
I got the Wintermelon Milk Tea as mentioned above on a relatively friendly price. It was, well, throat-bustingly sweet and was more than sorry that it did not completely agree with my taste buds. Some people will like this drink but the sweetness (at the default 100% level) makes me wonder if their other teas are as sweet. Something tells me Milk Tea isn't their specialty and that specialty still belongs to Bubble Tea. The tea is also a bit on the strong side, kind of like Cha Time. But hey, it's as authentic as they promised.
For the second time I was here, I owe it to myself to order the bestseller. The Hokkaido Milk Tea is actually really good with just the proper sweetness. The tea strength is also proper, with each component (tea, milk, and caramel, etc) perfectly combining into a seamless discernibly distinct taste. If it is your first time in Serenitea, this is the drink to buy. This or the Royal Milk Tea--which is the simplest most enjoyable tea on any menu.
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| Cozy furniture |
Competition
Price point suggests that they are competing with Cha Time. What makes Serenitea more viable is that the menu board is not as unfamiliar as Cha Time. I managed to visit Cha Time three times and so far, everything I ordered is regrettable. Serenitea comes off on the safer side, and even if I got a very sweet drink, I can say people will rather order a very sweet drink than a bland one that Cha Time serves. Happy Lemon on the other hand is a different story as that one is more on the experimental and on the slushie side of things. You go there for the "fun" drinks not strictly for tea. If you want tea, your best bet is Serenitea. They have all sorts of tea at the best price.
Verdict
What to say of Serenitea? Well, mixed. The fixtures are good, but the service and store temperature is just utter crap. Not bad, utter crap. You can put up with it, though, because you're getting good value for money. I mean 105 pesos with "toppings" or sinkers as they call it on a VENTI size cup is not something you can pick up in say, Bubble Tea or Happy Lemon. They offer the most stuff for the same price compared to competitors and if I want tea, I know this is my stop. But other than that, why should I go here instead of Happy Lemon? I mean larger does not always mean better, right? Perhaps the long line? That's the only thing I can think of against Happy Lemon's favor. Not to mention, Happy Lemon offers friendlier service and has a wider range of offerings compared to Serenitea. I really think Serenitea (at least in Eastwood) can do better, and how I wish they would already.
Service - 2
Product - 4.5
Ambiance - 3
3.17 out of 5
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