DISH OF THE WEEK

DISH OF THE WEEK: Brown Sugar Boba Milk at TIGER SUGAR

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

There were some things I didn’t even realize I missed during the lockdowns. Many of my favorite foods and cuisines, I attempted to cook. And so I had tastes of Szechuan food and Japanese soups. But the sheer joy of a sweet bubble tea had slipped my mind.

Tiger Sugar is a Taiwanese chain of bubble tea shops that opened a location in Chinatown not too long ago. It had been on my radar but either the lines were way too long or it was the wrong time of day or there was a pandemic.

They have recently re-opened with safety protocols and I found myself in Chinatown without a huge line out the door. So I excitedly ordered from their non-contact touch screen and waited for my yummy concoction to be ready.

The specialty here is something called brown sugar boba milk. Streaks of dark brown sugar syrup drip down creating what looks like tiger stripes. Hence the name.

Brown sugar boba milk sounds incredibly delicious. And it lived up to its name.

The roasty brown sugar flavor is rich and caramel-like. It plays beautifully with the decadent cream topping and milky base. And, of course, those chewy boba pearls at the bottom, are such a joyous experience.

Yes, it’s sweet and sugary. But it was so yummy and cooling on a hot day. I sucked it down way too fast but now I won’t soon forget how much I miss bubble tea. Price: $5.51

TIGER SUGAR
197 Canal Street (between Mott and Mulberry Street),
Chinatown
(646) 590-6299
facebook.com/TigerSugarNewYorkNY/

AboutBrian Hoffman

Brian Hoffman is a classically trained actor who is now a full-time tour guide, blogger, and food obsessive. He leads food and drink tours around New York City, which not only introduce tour-goers to delicious food, but gives them a historical context. He has written food articles for Gothamist and Midtown Lunch in addition to overseeing this blog and a few food video series, including Eat This, Locals Know, and Around the World in One City. His latest series is an international cooking show with his son which can be found on this site.