CHICHA San Chen, an award-winning tea brand now has a Toronto location. The world famous brand is renowned for their expertise in tea brewing and Michelin-approved teas from Taiwan.

Founded in 1998, CHICHA San Chen's success has brought Taiwanese milk tea to another level.

Known for their superior tea quality, the brand offers a selection of teas that are awarded 2 to 3 stars by Michelin International Taste Institution (iTi), a worldwide certification evaluated by experts verified by Michelin Guide and other organizations.

To extract the most authentic tea flavour, each cup of tea is brewed freshly by their teapresso machine called LION.

Each tea has its own customized brewing recipe, from the weight of tea leaves to brewing temperatures, to maintain its flavour consistency. 

As for the cafe itself, one of the main attractions is their patio space designed to be a modern addition to Chinatown. 

The use of wooden furniture, with a touch of greenery alongside their patio creates a sense of simplicity. The rattan chairs provide a serene escape to drink tea in what is otherwise a bustling neighbourhood.

At CHICHA, you can find a selection of tea-based drinks, caffeine-free options and also non-dairy alternatives like oat milk.

If Taiwanese tea is something new to you, there are little jars of tea leaves near the cashier, and you can pick your choice by smelling their aromas.

All drinks come in one serving size to make sure customers are not indulging in too much caffeine. 

The regular sugar is also 30 per cent less than what you'd find at most tea shops.

I tried one of the top sellers, Bubble Milk Tea ($7.95) which is their classic black tea latte that has a silky texture and prominent tea flavour.

Freshly made every 3 hours, the bubbles are warm, tender and slightly chewy.

I'd also recommend the High Mountain Pouchong Tea with Cream and Bubble ($7.95) which has a creamy mouthfeel like ice cream.

Reconstituting lemon tart into a liquid version, their Lemon Wonderland ($7.95) drink uses Pouchong Tea as the base. Topped with mousse, its creaminess helps balance out the acidity from the fresh lemon juice.

Cassia is commonly used in Chinese medicine. The unique chocolate aroma of their Cassia Black Tea ($6.95) is a solid match with the light airy mousse it comes with.

The unsweetened Green Tea with Fresh Milk ($6.95) truly reflects the flavour of their award-winning green tea if you're looking for something a little more straightforward.

The rustic string with cup sleeve is one of the highlights of their packaging.

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Since each cup of tea is freshly brewed, make sure to allow extra time during peak hours and weekends.

CHICHA San Chen is located at 60 Huron St.