Bean Code distinguishes itself from the numerous other boba stores around Sydney by specialising in organic soy milk bubble tea and handmade soybean pudding cooked in-store. This is their 100% Shizuoka Hōjicha Soy ($6.50, half sugar, no ice, + $0.80 for brown sugar pearl).

The drink was a dark brown-grey colour with brown sugar pearls at the base. Consumed chilled, the soy milk was ice-cold and countered the warm brown sugar pearls. The flavour of soy milk came through with a prominent beany plant flavour that did not pretend to be a dairy milk substitute. Yet, its beany plant flavour paired incredibly well with the roasted notes of the hōjicha that built to a rich prominence by mid-sip. The drink itself had a creamy mouthfeel with a minor grittiness that came only from fresh soy milk, while a higher sugar level would’ve likely delivered an even richer flavour.

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by the Bean Code. Both the soybean and the hōjicha came through generously in equal measure, and the high quality of both ingredients was evident in the tasting.

100% Shizuoka Hōjicha Soy was purchased from Bean Code at K405 Westfield Chatswood, 1 Anderson St, Chatswood NSW 2067.