Michelle Yan: The internet has been going crazy
for this bubble-tea stop based in Taiwan.
And it's finally Manhattan's turn,
with people in New York waiting hours to try it.
Customer: I've been waiting in line for an hour.
Customer: We've been waiting for an hour.
Customer: I've been in line for about four hours.
[laughs] So.
Michelle: Hey guys, so, I'm Michelle,
I'm a huge boba fan,
and today we are at Tiger Sugar
in Chinatown.
They're actually a boba chain
that's already based in Asia,
but they came overseas
and they opened up three locations in New York City:
in Flushing, in Brooklyn,
and, finally, in Chinatown.
And the best part is:
I get to learn how it's made.
So let's go!
Lotta people in my way,
but that's Chinatown.
Tiger Sugar's name comes from the stripes
that form when the signature brown-sugar syrup
drips down the inside of a plastic cup
and swirls with the milk.
Shops have been cropping up in the boroughs
of New York since early 2019,
and the demand is high.
Kit Lee: We have the first store open in Flushing,
in May 11,
which also created a line
of almost two hours and 40 minutes waiting.
So then we found that we should
need to open one more.
And then, the second one would be in Brooklyn,
also at least one and a half hours waiting.
What makes our bubble tea special
is because we make our boba
at least three hours preparation,
and also that our drinks have tiger stripes.
The tapioca, it is all imported from Taiwan,
and then also we have a special formula.
Customer: Like, you can actually see the flavor in it.
And then, it's very Instagrammable.
Customer: If you love brown sugar,
then you'll really like Tiger Sugar.
Michelle: Kit, I'm so happy be here,
thank you for having me.
I love boba,
and I actually went to the Flushing location
and the Brooklyn location,
and I'm really happy to be in the Chinatown location
to learn how to make this.
So, here, first part.
Kit: Yes.
Michelle: We're gonna do something,
which is secret, I'll see you in a second.
The first step to making
a perfect cup of Tiger Sugar
is to coat the cup
in their signature brown-sugar syrup.
But the exact method is a company secret.
Was not as easy as it looks, so.
All right, next part,
we are going to put in the tapioca.
Kit: What is the difference
between the boba and the pearl?
This is the most question people ask,
the customer ask.
The boba, our size is bigger one,
and the pearl is the mini one.
So then, when they add together,
it will be a very amazing, chewy texture
when you're drinking.
Michelle: Adding some ice.
We're gonna fill it up to the top, right?
Kit: Yes.
Michelle: Next, we're gonna put our organic whole milk,
then, we're gonna seal it.
Ohhh!
It's automatic! [laughs]
But look at that.
Kit: Wow, it's nice.
Michelle: It's nice?
Kit: Yes. It's good.
Michelle: I think you're just being really nice to me.
[laughing]
These look like,
more like tiger paws.
When done by one of the pros,
this whole process takes only 10 seconds,
from ordering to receiving
a cup of boba in your hands.
So, I finally got Tiger Sugar's
brown-sugar boba and pearl with cream mousse.
I'm super excited to try it.
You can really see the difference in size
between the tapioca and the pearls.
And look at those stripes.
I have to shake it 15 times,
so here we go.
We're just gonna shake it back and forth.
Woo, look at that!
And don't forget,
just have some confidence
as you're sticking in your straw.
Customer: The first thing that really sticks out
is that the bubbles are
very well made.
You know, very, like, balanced,
and very, like, excellent depth of flavor
with the caramel as well.
Customer: This is the best boba I've ever had.
It's boba-tastic.
Michelle: Mmm!
Perfection. OK,
if you are really into milk and tea,
and different-size balls in your mouth,
this is it.
It's really fun.
You never know what you're gonna get.
I could really feel the balance
in this whole drink.
Between the milk,
between the tapioca and the pearls,
it's just great.
Overall, I really like Tiger Sugar's addition
of the pearls to their brown-sugar drink.
For a little over $5,
it's a pretty solid cup of boba.
And it really is great for the 'Gram.
So if you don't mind waiting in line,
I definitely think it's worth
trying at least once.
[car beeping]
Yep, thank you.
♪ Beepity beep beep beep ♪
OK.