Swap the pearls for pickled cockles? I try Takagi Ramen's latest milk tea with shellfish topping

Bubble tea is one food item that allows for, and encourages even, customisation.

Beyond the many flavour options, you can tweak your orders when it comes to sugar level, amount of ice or choice of add-ons.

But has Japanese chain Takagi Ramen taken it too far with its most recent launch, the Salted Cheese Milk Tea with Pickled Cockles?

More well-known for their wallet-friendly noodle bowls, the Japanese chain claims that giving their latest drink a try would provide for a "truly special" experience.

Launched on July 20, Takagi Ramen's latest addition to the menu is in conjunction with National Day, which it said celebrates Singaporeans' love for cockles in many of our local hawker dishes.

With shoyu-marinated pickled cockles replacing the typical tapioca pearls, I knew I was entering uncharted territory. 

Before placing my order, I attempted to psych myself up to try the admittedly bizarre-sounding drink.

"Bubble tea is great and I don't mind a few more cockles in my orh luak (oyster omelette) or char kway teow. This could work," I told myself.

First impressions

Before taking a sip or making my order, a key element of the drink caught my eye — and it wasn't the cockles.

Ever the Singaporean, I noticed it was actually a decently priced drink.

An order of the Salted Cheese Milk Tea with Pickled Cockles is $4.90.

Without pointing fingers, I could barely remember the last time I paid under $5 for a cup.

Takagi Ramen wasn't stingy when it came to portioning either.

It was a sizeable cup and would probably be similar to a large-sized order from your regular bubble tea shop.

So with price and portion all settled, it was time to delve into the component people would likely be most interested in: taste.

Where my cockles at?

I cautiously took my first sip, trying to detect any familiar flavours, but was disappointed by how watered down the drink was.

I was at least hoping for a solid milk tea base.

The salted cheese foam added a tinge of flavour but overall, the milk tea itself was off the mark for me.

It then hit me that I did not actually taste any cockles.

I twisted and twirled my straw in hopes of getting a better chance at munching on some cockles (sounds odd, I know).

But it felt like there weren't that many in my drink.

Verdict?

Milk tea and cockles might sound like the most ridiculous food combination, on a par with the likes of bubble tea hotpot or chilli coffee, but (amazingly) it actually wasn't all that terrible.

Now, it wasn't a life-changing experience nor will I be raving it to my friends. But the cockles were moderately palatable.

For one, they do replicate tapioca pearls texture-wise, so you could probably trick your friends by swapping their regular bubble tea order with this one.

While it would be unlikely that I crave for cockles in my milk tea any time soon, this was an interesting one-time experience, nonetheless.

Now give me my tapioca pearls, please.

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amierul@asiaone.com

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