Ya Kun is the go-to breakfast and kopi chain for many locals, but although bubble tea popularity has peaked, Ya Kun has yet to flex its muscles on a signature BBT drink — until now.
Over in Thailand – where the 75-year-old Hainanese coffee chain has set up several outlets – Ya Kun unveiled a millennial-friendly zhng-ed up drink, banking on a blow-torched black sugar crust on their signature teh peng back in August.
The drink is best paired with Boba Kaya Toast, similarly flame-toasted and heaped with sweetened tapioca pearls and fresh milk cream.
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Ya Kun’s offerings do seem like a bid to draw in the younger crowds in Thailand, who have embraced it with open arms. This has left us wondering why the menu hasn’t been brought to Singapore yet.
But first, let’s take a closer look at Ya Kun’s version of boba toast & brown sugar pearl milk tea.
The flame-toasted crust of Ya Kun’s drink is created by adding generous amounts of ‘black sugar’ or brown sugar to the surface of the milk foam.
Gently torching the rim will brown the surface and caramelise the crust. The topping is offered on 5 iced drinks at Ya Kun Thailand, as well as their version of the typical ‘Fresh Milk’ at similar BBT outlets.
On a side note, we noticed Ya Kun offers Matcha drinks in Thailand for some reason — promptly adding that to a list of things we hope to see on Singapore’s menu too.
According to pictures from the same reviewer, it seems you can also add pearls to a hot version of the milk tea too.
Ample amounts of boba – a larger, softer version of regular tapioca pearls – is layered at the base of the drink to add much needed texture to these familiar beverages.
Ya Kun’s signature brown toast, grilled-to-order at each outlet, is first spread with either chocolate or kaya, then topped with copious amounts of boba and fresh milk cream.
In a similar fashion to the drinks, the surface is toasted to create charred flecks of black sugar. The boba toast is also cut into smaller pieces, for easy serving.
Now, which of us adventurous few would like to volunteer as tribute to try dipping that in half-boiled eggs with soy sauce?
Here’s where to locate 8 Ya Kun outlets in Bangkok, if you want to judge the merits of the dishes yourself.
We’ve linked the Google Map pins are directly to each branch’s name.
Whether you’re absolutely psyched by the idea of pearls in your morning teh peng, kopi, or kaya toast, or feel flabbergasted by the food blasphemy that’s occurring, it’s fascinating to see how our cuisine resonates in other parts of the world.
Would you give pearls on your kaya toast a try? Or is it a hard pass for you? Let us know in the comments.
We’ve reached out to Ya Kun Singapore to check if the menu will be brought here any time soon.
Featured image from @i.ameat via Ya Kun Thailand on Facebook.
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