Hi Tea - Calgary
Updated: Sep 3, 2023
Hi Tea is an absolute must if you are in Calgary’s Chinatown. Keep reading to find out more about bubble tea and what you should order when you go!
Bubble tea (also commonly known as boba or tapioca milk tea) has absolutely dominated the Canadian beverage scene and for good reason! It’s sweet, fruity, great for any weather as it is often available hot or cold, and has an awesome textural component of tapioca pearls or jellies! If you are from Canada and haven’t had bubble tea I would be surprised because there is probably an abundance of bubble tea shops in your city and it is n absolute must try! If you live elsewhere and are confused don’t worry, I will explain what bubble tea is and why you should check out Hi Tea for bubble tea if you live in Calgary!
WHAT IS BUBBLE TEA?
Bubble tea is a Taiwanese milk tea brought to North America in the 80s that, in its simplest form, consists of a black milk tea with little tapioca balls that are referred to as “pearls” or “boba”.
This is hardly the whole story though, as most bubble tea shops in North America now offer a variety of tea bases, for example oolong tea, as well as bubble teas without milk and other beverages like slush/smoothies.
Not only has the base of the drink changed but also what’s inside. Aside from tapioca pearls the second most popular mix-in is probably jellies. There are a bunch of different flavours of jellies, some common ones being coconut or lychee. You may also see “popping” pearls at bubble tea shops, I have even seen them at frozen yogurt shops! These pearls have a thin outer layer and pop in your mouth when you bite into them, with flavours often being similar to those offered for jellies. You may also see other toppings like mung bean paste, grass jelly, foam, or even whipped cream. Many places also let you customize your sugar level now as well.
CALGARY'S CHINATOWN
Calgary is the first city that I lived in when I immigrated to Canada at about 13 years old. Despite not being a major tourist destination year round many people still come to Calgary to spend time in the Rocky Mountains, specifically national parks like Banff and Jasper, as well as to see the yearly Stampede rodeo. For those who do come to Calgary, or for those who live in the city but have not visited Chinatown, Calgary’s Chinatown is truly a gem in the city that I have spent a lot of time in.
It may look unassuming at first but there is loads to discover! First, visit the Dragon City Mall where you will find Hi Tea (on the outside to the left of the main entrance) along with multiple other bubble tea shops, a Korean restaurant, a convenience store with some cool exotic snacks, a massive Chinese restaurant that occupies the entire top floor, and a variety of other shops with things like traditional Asian attire, comics, and anime merchandise.
After you can find many small malls surrounding Dragon City Mall, like the one across the street which has bubble waffles, Korean food, vegetarian Asian fare, and other restaurants. These small malls in the surrounding area and outdoor store fronts comprise the core of Calgary’s Chinatown but that’s not all!
Travel up center street past rotary park or take the stairs up to McHugh Bluff for an amazing view of the city! From here, if you keep traveling up center street you will pass a bunch of Asian stores and restaurants up what is essentially an extension of Calgary’s Chinatown. Eventually you will know you have reached the end when you see the Central Landmark Mall, which is another Chinatown mall with a grocery store as well as some restaurants and other shops with Asian attire and baked goods.
Doing a full circle from Dragon City Mall down center street to Central Landmark Mall and then through the community to McHugh Bluff and down the stairs back to downtown Calgary is one of my favourite walks in the city!
SO... WHAT SHOULD I ORDER?
Hi Tea has a ton of food and drink offers, like most bubble tea spots, so it can be intimidating deciding what to order if its your first time. If it is your first time ordering bubble tea in general I would highly recommend trying a Taiwanese Milk Tea. The one at Hi Tea is not the best one I’ve had but its still really good!
Alternatively, if you want something with a bit stronger of a flavour you can try the Hong Kong style Milk Tea. On the other hand, if you have had bubble tea before I would recommend trying their fruit bubble teas or slushes. If you want to go with safe flavours that most people seem to enjoy, try the mango or passion fruit, both are awesome. If you want to try my personal favourite, get their taro slush! Not only do I think Hi Tea makes some of the best slushes but I think their taro flavour is also one of the best. Trust me, once you try it you will absolutely be coming back for more!
As for their food, I haven’t tried any of it but maybe in the future I will get the opportunity and I can update this blog post then. Overall just go out and try bubble tea, specifically the classic Taiwanese Milk Tea first or if you want to give my favourite a try grab a taro slush and let me know what you think!
You can find Hi Tea at 312 Centre St S, Calgary, AB T2G 2B8.
That’s all for this post! If you haven’t already, go grab a bubble tea and checkout my other posts while you’re enjoying it for more recipes, restaurants, and other content for all you foodies out there ;).
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