Richmond’s Union Square has been going through a wave of turnover lately.
But even with all the changes, it still remains the most concentrated bubble tea plaza in the province.
And that pattern continues with the signs of a new player to the plaza.
The new player: Chayan, a London-based bubble tea shop that claims to have the “Best Frappe and Milk Tea from UK,” according to its bold signage.
One of our community members (@alannnbu) recently spotted that Ricey Yogurt had shut down in the plaza, making way for Chayan to take over.
After doing some digging, we found that in London, this brand operates under the name Tastea and has been well-rated by locals, earning 4.6 stars on Google.
Many customers seem to rave about their milk tea, so it seems Chayan’s bold claims might have some merit.
However, with only about a year under their belt, it will be interesting to see how they fare as the newest contender in Richmond’s crowded bubble tea market & plaza.
If Chayan mirrors its London outpost, Richmond locals can expect a boutique-style tea room offering a mix of traditional and modern tea vibes.
Their best-selling Frappe drinks is the Black Tea Frappe featuring Jinjunmei (金駿眉), a celebrated black tea from Fujian Province.
This tea has a fruity, flowery flavour with a sweet aftertaste. It’s topped with whipped cream and pecan chips.
This isn’t your typical brown sugar milk tea or fruit-based boba drink.
The items at Chayan are heavily influenced by the trending bubble tea scene in China.
That means a focus on fragrant teas with a more refined flavour profile and less sweetness, which could be a refreshing change for those seeking something new.
As HeyTea also prepares to open in Union Square, the bubble tea competition is only heating up.
With MACU Tea currently dominating the plaza, it will be interesting to see if Chayan and HeyTea can disrupt the status quo.
So far, there’s no word on Chayan’s official opening date, but we’ll keep you posted.
Don’t forget to share this exciting tea news with your boba-loving friends!
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Address: 8328 Capstan Wy #1108, Richmond, BC V6X 4B6