Milksha

One of the largest bubble tea chains in Taiwan, Milksha (known as Milkshop in Taiwan) has opened its first Australian flagship store on Elizabeth Street in Melbourne.

Founded in 2004 by a third-generation Taiwanese dairy farmer, Kevin Lin, who decided to open a bubble tea store using fresh milk rather than non-dairy creamer, Milksha has grown to over 240 outlets in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, and now Melbourne.

Voted as the best bubble tea brand by readers of popular Taiwanese news website PopDaily in 2018, Milksha has set itself apart from its bubble tea competitors using 100% fresh milk, flash-frozen freshly squeezed fruit juice, cane sugar and premium selected ingredients without preservatives or artificial colourings.

Milksha’s Australian menu features five bubble tea categories; Fresh Milk (pure milk blends), Tea Latte (loose leaf tea and milk), Specialty (seasonal juices and teas), Tea (Jasmine Green, Earl Grey, Light-roasted Oolong, Oolong and Barley teas) and Yoghurt Drink (Strawberry, Avocado and Mango).

Supporting local farmers is a focal point for Milksha with the company partnering with award-winning St David’s Dairy for all its fresh milk. 

Milksha also makes its own signature honey pearls toppings. The tapioca pearls are freshly cooked in honey without any additives until the translucent pearls turn golden, then are frozen before being shipped to Melbourne using quick freeze technology to maintain the chewy texture and consistency. Other Milksha toppings include milk pudding, red bean and herbal fairy-grass jelly.

Another key ingredient is Milksha’s fresh taro milk where the unique taro is imported from the Dajia District in Taiwan, famous for its taro farming, is smashed by hand and then blended with fresh milk. Milksha also uses 100% premium Valrhona cocoa from France, a premium chocolate brand established in 1922 focusing on high-grade luxury chocolate, and matcha from Izumo Tousuien, a century-old matcha specialty brand from Japan.

Keeping in line with Milksha’s environmental focus, they use 100% biodegradable bamboo straws which are grown and made in Taiwan and are completely free from plastic, bioplastic, and PLA, not to mention never get soggy. 

Location: 134, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

Link: www.milksha.com.au