Make it your drink - How to order at Bubble tea shops

Boba tea has been popular for a while.  Like it or not, it's probably the most representative beverage in Taiwan.  Even you are not a big fan of sweet thing, you could still find some decent tea over there.  However, to order a refreshing drink could be end up like "mission impossible" here in Taiwan.  Coffee is not just coffee, tea is with so many flavors and mix.  Not to mentioned those jelly/boba inside the liquid.

I saw this slogan "Make it your drink" at Starb**** Coffee.  And I think it could be a great sample to show you how to order in the local bubble tea shops or any other beverages store.

You'll have to decide:

• big/medium cup, usually it means 700cc/500cc, but recently there's 1000cc on the market...
• What kind of drink do you want?
  (And seeing sth like 30 different mix on the menu)
• Do you want to add any boba/jelly/pudding/chia seeds, and etc?
• How sweet you want?
  Since they seal it before hand it to you, instead of adjusting it on the counter, you have to decide you want 100%, 70%, 50%, 30%, 0%(sugar-free) of sugar for the original recipe.
• Hot/Ice, some shops do have "tepid" option.
• If you order ice, then there will be less ice, no ice.

To order a drink for the first time will probably sounds like this
(You may start from 0:28 if you are in a hurry):

飲料店 (beverage store) 阿兜仔不教美語！206

Here I would list the most common words you will use in ordering at beverage store:

• 大杯(da4 bei) / 中杯(Zhong bei)/ 小杯 (xiao3 bei) ;
  Large / Medium / Small
• 珍珠奶茶(Zhēnzhū nǎichá)/ 烏龍茶(wūlóngchá) 葡萄柚綠茶(pútáo yòu lǜchá);
  Boba tea/Oolong tea/ Green tea with grapefruit juice (More beverages in Chinese [1][2])
• 熱(Rè) / 少冰(Shǎo bīng) / 去冰(Qù bīng) / 溫(Wēn)
  hot /less ice / no ice / tepid
• 七分糖(少糖)(Qī fēn táng ; shǎo táng) / 半糖(bàn táng) / 微糖(wēi táng) / 無糖(wú táng)
  less sugar/ half sugar/ 30% sugar / sugar-free

Those words go together like this:
我要一杯大杯葡萄柚綠茶，去冰半糖。
Wǒ yào yībēi dà bēi pútáo yòu lǜchá, qù bīng bàn táng.
I'll have a large grapefruit green tea, no ice, half amount of sugar.

Vocabulary flash cards: http://quizlet.com/_vrdq0

Have fun ordering your perfect drink! :D

BTW, if you don't want the plastic bag, just say Bùyào dàizi, xièxiè! (不要袋子，謝謝！)

More about Boba Tea

Boba tea and the rest of beverages on the menu has been around for decades. But in my own opinion, it hasn't become so popular, not until those franchisers make it so convenient for take-out with seal machine and deliver service.  (In general, they usually deliver for free when you order 10+ cups or achieve certain amount of money, still, it varies in different areas, but it's normal to have delivery service)

How popular Boba tea can be? Well...Check this out↓