Bee's Dessert House
After my dim sum lunch, I decided to treat myself to dessert. What better place to visit than Bee's Dessert House. Located at the food court at 99 Ranch Market, Bee's is very well known for the tasty "bubble drinks" that they serve.
I was told about 7 years ago, that this drink first originated in Hong Kong, made it's way to Taiwan, where it's hugely popular, and slowly migrated here. The most popular offerings at Bee's are the taro and honeydew pearl cream teas. Today, I have the jasmine pearl cream tea (US$2.25). This is made by combining jasmine tea, cream, ice and mochi balls in a shaker, then serving cold with lots of ice. You need to have the big straws so that you can suck up all of the mochi!
Wanna know the reason that sets this drink at Bee's apart from everyone else's? It's the pearls! They're not too mushy, but have just the right "firmness" to them. Nice bite...and very chewy!
Since I'm going to be taking this with me, I also sit down to have the shaved ice with azuki beans, green beans and mochi balls (US$3.10). This is all topped with some evaporated milk. Mmmmmmmm! Just look at all the toppings! I like the fact that this dessert is not too sweet, although the amount of beans is a little too much for me....
Bee's is one of the best bubble tea places that I have visited and has become one of the shops that I must visit everytime I shop at 99 Ranch Market.
Bee's Dessert House
1151 Mapunapuna Street
Telephone: 808.834.8888
wow, that version of our local shaved ice dessert "ice kacang" looks so good... very generous with the bean topping : )
I always thought (or at least that's what the papers here used to write) that the bubble tea phenomenon started in Taiwan, before spreading throughout Asia, then to Australia, Europe and US.
about 3-4 years ago, these bubble tea places were truly sprouting like mushrooms after a rainy day all over Singapore.
it was unbelievable.
then just as quickly, the fad died, and now there are but a handful left...
I tell you... the S'pore foodie can be so fickle.
Posted by: Renee | May 02, 2004 at 10:54 PM
Ice kacang...ahhh! Can't wait to have some. All this is missing is the gula melaka. =) Bubble tea is not as popular as it once was here either. The next time I go to another shop, I'll be sure to take some photos. This one has a huge Taiwanese crowd!
Posted by: Reid | May 03, 2004 at 09:09 PM
just as a friendly note, bubble tea did indeed originate in taiwan, not hong kong. it's also still really popular in taiwan and there's a bubble tea stand pratically every couple of blocks :)
Posted by: Eva | January 30, 2005 at 06:04 AM
Hi Eva,
Thanks for dropping by my site.
The information that I received was actually from a Taiwanese shop owner here in Hawaii. She's been in business selling bubble tea here since 1995.
In this short blub here in the local paper, the owner of this shop also indicates that bubble tea started in Hong Kong.
http://starbulletin.com/1999/03/17/features/stuffs.html
Posted by: Reid | January 30, 2005 at 02:58 PM