I think I first tried out bubble tea when a wave of popularity swept through Australia when I was at university. Over a very short period of time, there was suddenly a huge wave of bubble tea shops opening up in Sydney and people were going crazy about the imported Asian alternative to hot coffee and tea. However, I was (and still am) a strong coffee drinker... and despite the fact that the cold drinks were a nice alternative to the hot beverages in the heat of the Australian summer, I never really got into the bubble tea craze.
I have no idea why, but I think it was the chewy tapioca balls at the bottom of the drinks that just didn't really get me excited...
Anyway, fast-forward a decade or two... and my kids have just heard about bubble tea and have been talking about it all the time! I have no idea where the hell they heard about it... kids at school these days, they talk about taboo subjects like bubble tea, the sort of things that we would NEVER have talked about when we were young!
So, I did a quick google on a particularly warm day and looked for the best recommended bubble tea place in Den Haag. After all, if you are going to try something for the first time, you want it to be a good experience! Plus, I wanted to give it another go... perhaps I just had a crappy first experience!
SiSi Bubble Tea was the place that everyone recommended... but more interestingly enough, we haven't been to the centre of Den Haag for quite some time and everything has changed! Most notably, there are quite a few bubble tea places... and I swear that there were none when we had left the immediate area!
The Space
The service area is cramped... and it is hot. There are fans and all of that... but if you are here on a hot day (and likely you are if you are here for a cold bubble tea), then you will want to order and then get outside fast!
There are a couple of stools for seating inside, and a handful of tables outside. Given the popularity of the place (especially immediately after school!), it isn't likely that you will get a place to sit down. So, it is handy that there is a little park around the corner that you can take your cold drinks to...
The Menu
Luckily, you can order online, in person or using the machine... I recommend doing anything other than the in-person queue. The queue is often out the door... and if you don't really know what you are ordering, then you will have lots of people waiting impatiently behind you!
... and let me tell you, ordering bubble tea is a overwhelming flood of choices! Different tea styles, flavours, bubble types... and bubble flavours! Do it at the machine... or know what you want!
There are additional food options as well, from the traditional Asian dim sims and snacks, through to some weird fusions of crepes and bubbles?!?!?!?!? My children want to eat that... I'm not sure that it isn't a crime against.... something.
The Food
So, we managed to escape out of the hot service room... and away with our bubble teas. My girls chose a cherry flavoured milk tea with cherry popping bubbles and a watermelon ice tea with grape popping bubbles.... they were awesome! I got a brown sugar milk tea with lychee popping bubbles... it was okay, but I really liked the kids ones better! Next time...
The Experience
So, this is more of quick food service point... there isn't too much place to sit around, and so don't expect to be able to be seated. It is popular with a young school/university crowd... most of the oldies are next door at the pub instead.
So, after so many years in between my first and second bubble tea experience... well, I have to say that I'm a convert! I LOVE bubble tea... even though I didn't get the best flavour, I have to say that it is a brilliant alternative to an afternoon coffee! When I get back to Australia, I can definitely see myself having more of these on a regular basis... or making them at home!
.. but my wife tells me that they are full of sugar...
Opening Times
Maandag 11:00 - 20:00
Dinsdag11:00 - 20:00
Woensdag11:00 - 20:00
Donderdag11:00 - 20:00
Vrijdag11:00 - 20:00
Zaterdag11:00 - 20:00
Zondag11:00 - 20:00
Contact Details
Address: Wagenstraat 54, 2512 AN Den Haag
Website: https://www.sisibubbleteadenhaag.nl/
Phone: 06 83826877