Traditional Wintermelon with Fresh Milk – Kingyo

Yesterday was my last day in Hong Kong! I spent my time there being taken around by extended family, and had an amazing time. Apparently they heard I liked boba, so they sweat out of their way to bring me to some boba shops! A bit shoutout and thank you to them 🙂 Everyday has been packed with things to do, so I’m finally getting around to writing this post. This was actually yesterday’s drink. A day late, but better than nothing! (I did get a drink today, but I’ll write that post tomorrow.)

We had just finished a day at Ocean Park, and were heading to eat claypot rice for dinner. I technically didn’t have a drink with actual boba yet on the trip, so on our last day, we stopped by a place on the way to dinner. In the fresh milk section, I spotted wintermelon tea as an option. It was getting pretty late, and I needed to wake up early for my flight the next day, so a yummy noncaffeinated option was sounding pretty good. I guess the fresh milk items can’t adjust ice for some reason.

The drink was a nice wintermelon latte! The fresh milk just added some flavor, and the drink wasn’t overly creamy or heavy. I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, but I think I could have done one sweetness level down. The boba was nice and chewy, but on the smaller end for boba. As expected of “pearl”, I guess.

Details: Traditional Wintermelon with Fresh Milk; half sugar; with pearl; from Kingyo

Oh, and I got a milk tea from another place the day before. That one doesn’t get a post, because no boba. Because the shop doesn’t have boba.

Some lore: I was in Singapore and walked by Chagee on Orchard and it smelled super good. I already had a drink plan for that day, but since they had multiple locations around, I figured I’d try another location. Turns out, after checking out a few the next day, most of the locations with the exception of the Orchard one was app order only. I was quite bummed, but resigned myself to not trying it.

Turns out, when I was hanging out with my Aunt and Uncle after lunch one day, we passed by three milk tea shops next to each other: Naixue, which I technically had at the Singapore airport, Heytea, which I tried in America, and a Chagee! Fascinating how three mainland China milk tea places set up shop next to each other. So even though Chagee is the only one without boba, it was the only new one.

The shop was giving out samples of the Camellia oolong milk tea, which was supposedly a new item. It tasted pretty good, and I’ve never had camellia before, so I went for that.

It’s kind of in the Osmanthus oolong and Gardenia oolong flavor profile family. A light floral combined with tea flavor, paired with a not-too-creamy milkiness to make a milk tea. It was very good.

Details: Camellia Oolong Milk Tea; large; half sugar; no ice; from Chagee