Dylan and Katrina Pires are bubble tea fanatics, so much so that the couple even considered launching a bubble tea food truck. With The Royal Tea, an eye-catching dispensary located just a few doors down from the couple’s Stafford Road chicken, ribs and burger joint King of the Wings & Things, they’re finally making good on their goal of getting into the boba game. The concept is nestled inside the site formerly home to Phat Greens, which the front half of the venue dedicated to the dispensing of beverages and the back half converted into a commercial kitchen to assist in the prep for the Pires’ assorted food-based businesses – including their award-winning fleet of food trucks. As the name suggests, The Royal Tea leans into the regal theme set by its chicken-slinging sibling, decorating its pint-sized premises with a vibrant colour scheme comprised of lavender and pink hues, as well as creating an Instagram-worthy feature wall boasting balloons and a throne. Though grab-and-go is The Royal Tea’s main style of custom, a few low-set stools offer seating inside and out for folks eager to take a time out and enjoy their tea on site.
When it comes to nailing the bubble-tea craft, Dylan and Katrina aren’t cutting corners. Earlier this year the two flew down to Melbourne to create and perfect The Royal Tea menu under the expert guidance of their suppliers. The resulting offering boasts a stellar range of flavours, with tea-based drink connoisseurs likely to be satisfied the menu’s broad selection of styles. Fans of milk-based beverages can sip on chocolate, coconut, taro, brown sugar and rose hip teas, while those that froth a fruity sip can opt for winter melon, lychee, passionfruit and peach fruit teas. When it comes to toppings, select from tapioca pearls, white agava pearls, an assortment of jellies, strawberry popping balls and egg pudding. Drinks can be customised further with adjustable ice amounts and sugar levels. The Royal Tea’s range is fleshed out by an assortment of frappes, Vietnamese iced coffee, lychee and passionfruit sodas, and roasted oolong tea. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, consider adding a macaron or mochi to snack on, or check in soon when The Royal Tea adds doughnuts to its menu. If you’re dining over at King of the Wings and Things, you can treat yourself to some bubble-tea cocktails including the Pasito Passion (passionfruit soda tea with pearls, tequila and triple sec), Lychee Lush (lychee soda with gin and lychee jelly) and the Caribbean Coconut (a twist on a pina colada with coconut milk tea, Bacardi and coconut jelly).
The Royal Tea is now open to the public! Opening hours and social media details can be found one click away in the Stumble Guide.