This is the Velvety Matcha Boba Tea ($9.50, regular ice, 70% sweetness) from Molly Tea. It was one of two drinks released in mid-January as part of a collaboration with Shang Mei Ying, a boutique creative house known for poetic illustration and incense work, drawing on traditional Eastern aesthetics interpreted through a contemporary lens.
The drink presented with a clear layered gradient: brown sugar boba settled at the base, followed by a pale tan champaca tea blended with cheese milk and salted cheese milk, and finished with a vivid green matcha layer on top.
When consumed chilled, the pearls were evenly cooked, tender yet satisfyingly chewy, carrying a gentle molasses-like sweetness. This sweetness was well tempered by the cheese milk and the earthy bitterness of the matcha, resulting in a more rounded, grounded profile than Molly Tea’s standard milk teas. The cheese element was not identifiable as cheese in flavour, with none of the savoury funk sometimes found in earlier cheese foams. Instead, it contributed a velvety, smooth richness that allowed the floral notes of the champaca to emerge while giving the drink a slightly thicker body, enough to feel indulgent without tipping into heaviness.
Overall, a smooth and indulgent boba tea that balances the earthy bitterness of matcha with the creamy richness of cheese milk, complemented by tender, sweet brown sugar pearls—an elegant, layered drink that feels both comforting and refined.
This Velvety Matcha Boba Tea was purchased from Molly Tea in Sydney, Australia in January, 2026.