Ipohites are having a whale of a time ever since The Black Whale Malaysia launched its first outlet in the Silver State (and seventh branch nationwide) on July 20.
From boba, non-boba, dairy-free to sugar-free alternatives, the handcrafted premium drink shop caters to all, thanks to its many series offered: Brown Sugar Series, Milk Tea Series, Whalcano Series, Dirty Series, Refreshing Summer Series, Cheezo Series, Snowy Tea Series and Whale Hot Drink Series.
“Refining our recipe to suit Malaysian’s taste buds, we are one of the first to incorporate avocado and peach gum in our creations. After you have finished your drink, you can add on our other specialities handmade in-house: ice cream or creme brulee which you don’t really see that much in the market. Of course, there will be seasonal additions to the existing menu from time to time,” W K Wong, Director of The Black Whale Ipoh Branch explained.
The tapioca balls are cooked in-house daily. Made of natural ingredients with no artificial additives, the brown sugar pearls need to be brewed, boiled and stirred continuously for up to three hours for the fragrant scent of brown sugar syrup to be absorbed entirely by the pearls. With a chewy yet tender texture (won’t stick to your teeth!), a new batch of pearls is prepared every few hours to ensure freshness.
“Using low-fat milk, we hand-whisk the milk foam on the spot. The high-quality tea leaves originate from Taiwan and Yunnan. Four sweetness levels are offered for selected drinks at 100%, 75%, 50% and 25%,” he highlighted.
Here are their top ten best-sellers:
- Fiery Brown Sugar Black Whale Milk
(Layers of brown sugar pearl, fresh cold milk and hand-whisked milk foam with a burnt caramel top) - Brown Sugar Black Whale Avocado Milk
(Made of fresh ripe avocado, avocado lovers definitely cannot miss this!) - Royal Whale Milk Tea
(Milk tea with golden pearls) - Brown Sugar Black Whale Shizuoka Matcha Latte
(With aromatic matcha specially imported from Japan) - Dirty Mango
(Milk-based drink with mango puree made of mango flesh and whipping cream, mashed up by hand) - Grapefruit Whalcano
(Ice-blended fruit tea with peach gum and real grapefruit flesh, served with a LED light stand to make a dream-worthy picture) - Brown Sugar Black Whale Dark Choco
(Brown sugar pearls with fresh milk and iced chocolate) - Brown Sugar Black Whale Milk Tea
(Milk tea with brown sugar pearls) - Cheezo Mango
(Mango with hand-whisked cheese foam) - Passion Dragon Fruit Whalcano
(Passion fruit with peach gum)
Meanwhile, the creme brulee is prepared daily and served in small cups. You may opt for (Fiery Black Whale Creme Brulee) or without pearls (Fiery Creme Brulee). Do take note that the pairing of hot pearls and cold chilled creme brulee is arresting!
Equally yummy is its hand-whipped Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream or Dark Choco Ice Cream mounted on a charcoal cone. For instance, the Dark Choco Ice Cream is crafted from high-end cocoa powder and sprinkled with edible gold glitter on top for that Instagram-worthy shot.
“To date, we have received positive, all-rounded feedback on the ambience and drinks especially the service provided. Customers complimented our very helpful service staff. In addition, we provide both mineral water and wifi free-of-charge. This makes us stand out,” Wong added.
The team can produce over 250 cups at peak hour with a long queue comprising of people of all ages stretching all the way across the road in an L-shape.
A notable mention is its green initiatives in which single cup takeaway is carried in a recyclable cup holder made of cloth while double cup takeaway is packed in a reusable PVC cup holder.
“This is my first visit and I ordered the Black Sugar Black Whale Milk Tea. It’s very creamy and its pearls are chewy. I will return!” a student from Malacca shared.
“I like the Fiery Brown Sugar Black Whale Milk because it has a generous amount of rich cheese layer on top. Even when you have finished the whole drink, there is still cheese remaining which I love. We can also modify the sugar level so it’s not too sweet and according to your preference. The pearls are chewy yet tender. At the same price, I can get a large size here while other brands, for that price, will only get me a small size. Not too pricey and good for the calories, it’s a win-win!” a student from Selangor enthused.
With a capacity of over 200, the outlet has a cosy setting of comfy couches, coffee tables and larger tables complete with whale plushies of different sizes in photo-opportunity corners.
Headquartered in Mount Austin In Johor Bahru, the Ipoh outlet is located at Block A, G-4, Soho Ipoh, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. It opens from 12pm to 1am every day.
For more updates, check out The Black Whale MSIA’s Facebook page and Instagram account.
Mei Kuan
