PUBLISHED ONOctober 16, 2019 10:34 AMByJoey Lee
Just when we thought we were at the height of the boba craze with insane creations such as bubble tea (BBT) hotpot and wasabi pearl milk tea, a new pop-up at *Scape has emerged to challenge that belief.
Running this Saturday (Oct 19) to Dec 18, The Bubble Tea Factory is truly for the boba-obsessed, where you'll not only get to consume the drink, you can experience being one.
How on earth is that possible? Through the multi-sensory installations dedicated to all things bubble tea, where visitors can pose for highly Instagrammable shots and nom on BBT-inspired treats at the same time.
Tickets are going for $24 and $28 apiece on weekdays and weekends respectively but right now, they're at a promotional price of $18 and $23 for the first two weeks.
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Think it's ridiculous to part with money for BBT you can't drink? On opening day, admission is on the house but only for the first 1,000 visitors from 12pm to 6pm.
But is it worth travelling down for or are you better off queuing for some actual BBT? Take a look inside and decide for yourself.
A MASSIVE BOBA PIT, UPSIDE DOWN BOBA TREES AND A SECRET ROOM
Spanning over 7,000 sq ft, the pastel factory has 10 multi-sensory rooms full of photo-worthy installations no matter where you turn.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the entire pop-up is a giant pit filled with 100,000 lilac tapioca 'pearls', where visitors can disappear in.
Take a strainer by the side of the pit and fling balls at your friends — just make sure someone's there to capture that moment.
In addition to playing around, The Bubble Tea Factory is an experiential gallery where you get to use every one of your senses while interacting with the installation.
Talk to your friends through the trunk of the tea-scented upside down boba trees in blue coral u-tapioca and smell the walls filled with different scents giving off the aroma of freshly brewed tea.
Swing from a life-sized boba 'pearl' and have your own Miley Cyrus moment or pose beside a BBT-filled IV because they know exactly what runs through our veins.
Feeling broke these days? Snap a shot in a gold bathtub and make it rain with some boba-dollars but keep an eye out for a full-length mirror that opens up into a secret room that reveals a hidden galaxy.
The tour will take you approximately 45 minutes to an hour to complete — depending on how long you spend at each installation and whether you're interested in completing the challenges in your Boba Booster Pack (included in the ticket).
In addition to collectible cards, completing the challenges in the pack allows you to redeem sample portions of bubble tea-flavoured popcorn and brown sugar broad beans.
Sample-sizes not enough? These snacks are also available for sale at the entrance — it's $4.90 for the popcorn and $2.90 for the beans — in addition to other boba-inspired items.
At the end of your tour, remember to redeem your complimentary cup of bubble tea from Jenjudan — the Taiwanese brand famed for their brown sugar milk tea.
After jetting off in the Air BBT through the Milk-Tea way, you can leave words of positivi-tea on their message wall and collect a print-out of photos from your time in the factory — just remember to set your Instagram profile to public and add #TBTFSG to your photos.
While we think $28 is a pretty steep price to pay a beverage and pretty backdrops just for the 'gram, one can keep in mind that The Bubble Tea Factory is the first of its kind in Singapore and you get to immerse yourself, quite literally, in your favourite drink.
Where: 2 Orchard Link, *Scape, Singapore 237978
When: Oct 19 to Dec 18
Price: $24 (weekday) and $28 (weekend)
joeylee@asiaone.com