Popular Taiwanese Bubble Tea Brand Unveils Experiential Concept Café at Tampines 1

Hi Huneybees,

Ever wondered how bubble tea is made? Or wished you could adjust every little detail—like the amount of sugar, boba pearls, or milk? Maybe you've asked for “less sugar” before, but it still ended up too sweet. Well, what if you could finally be the one in control?

Now you can—with Create by The Alley, a brand-new experiential concept café by the beloved Taiwanese bubble tea brand, The Alley, located at the newly refreshed Tampines 1 Mall.

Launched on 9 January 2025, this exciting flagship outlet isn’t just about drinks—it’s a full-on hands-on experience. You can take part in interactive workshops where you’ll get to create your own bubble tea and desserts, all inspired by The Alley’s iconic menu. Whether you're a casual fan or full-on boba enthusiast, you can customise your perfect drink from just $7.90.

The idea behind Create by The Alley is more than just a fun activity—it was designed to complement Tampines 1’s modern makeover, offering a dedicated space where “people can come together to do something special.” And special it is.

Since The Alley first landed in Singapore in 2019 with its now-iconic Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk, the brand has grown to 11 outlets islandwide, becoming a beloved name in the local F&B scene. Known for its hand-crafted beverages, The Alley has always stood out for its attention to detail—from premium ingredients like highland Taiwanese tea leaves to its signature Deerioca pearls, which are freshly made every few hours for that perfectly chewy bite.

“At The Alley, we understand the joy a beverage brings, and we’re excited to elevate our beloved customers’ experience to the next level. With Create by The Alley, we’re offering our customers a chance to unleash their creativity and make their own drinks and desserts from a selection of The Alley's top global favourites!” --- Mr Alvin Youw, Director of The Alley Singapore.

I tried the Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk myself, and since I’m not big on sweet drinks, I was thrilled to adjust the syrup level to my taste. My husband opted for the Strawberry Green Tea, which came with juicy strawberry chunks and surprisingly refreshing zero-calorie green tea jelly. Pro tip: we mixed the two drinks together and created a whole new flavour combo—it was so good!

And it doesn’t stop at drinks.

Create by The Alley is also launching a brand-new ice dessert series, making its world premiere right here in Singapore. If you’re a fan of the Royal No.9 Milk Tea, you’ll love its new soft-serve version—blueberry-infused milk tea in creamy soft serve form, perfect for sunny days. I even added my own freshly cooked, sugar-coated boba pearls into the soft serve, which added an extra layer of texture and fun.

“We have noticed that Singaporeans are increasingly seeking memorable experiences to enjoy with their loved ones. This is why we wanted to create a curated space and offer so much more by allowing customers to create their drinks and desserts with the experiential session at the revamped cafe.” --- Samantha Lim, Brand Manager of The Alley Singapore.

But what truly makes this café stand out is its celebration of local creativity. The Alley actively collaborates with Singapore-based artists, entrepreneurs, and creators to turn their outlets into spaces that inspire. At the launch, we were introduced to adorable boba-themed stickers ($3 each or 5 for $10) designed by local artist Dylan (@dchtoons)—I picked some up and used them to decorate my The Alley tumbler. It’s such a sweet way to support local art.

The Alley Merch
Deerioca Keychain ($6.90) / White Glass Cup ($7.90)
Large Deerioca Plush ($45.90) / The Alley x Nodspark Nail Stickers ($16)

So whether you’re in the mood to CREATE a personalised drink, looking for a cozy spot to chill, or just want to try something new, Create by The Alley is the perfect destination. Come for the drinks, stay for the experience—and yes, it’s totally Instagram-worthy.

I’ll definitely be back for more workshops. Keep an eye on their socials for the latest updates!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Create by The Alley

🕙 11am - 10pm daily
📍 Tampines 1, 10 Tampines Central 1, #02-K3, Singapore 529536
🎟️ More info & updates: https://www.instagram.com/create_bythealley/

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My Digital Shilin Market 2020 Experience

Hi Huneybees,

Missy Coronavirus has made traveling overseas restricted and I was craving for a Taiwanese fix, that's why last Friday, I was on standby mode waiting for Digital Shilin Singapore 2020 to "open up" at 3pm.

Being stuck at home since the start of Circuit Breaker, this event has been on top of my radar as I was super curious about how this digital night market experience would be like.

Kudos to Invade.co in making the whole Night Market a digital experience in such short notice, I can only say it was a somewhat satisfying as there were some disappointments for me since I didn't manage to fulfill everything on my 'wishlist' at this digital event.

The Shilin Market is split into 4 virtual zones - there are things to eat, things to buy, and also entertainment and games to keep you occupied and spend the weekend in songs and workshops.

I started first with the 'PLAY' section as I expect there would be some digital flash arcade games like shooting balloons or throwing darts. Regrettably, it wasn't the way I expected it to be as I felt the section was more like promotional games for SingTel GoMo and Bubble Tea Factory. 

The consolation was I won myself a plushie from the 'Lost in Shilin' game and I am currently waiting to be contacted for the collection. 

And in case if you are interested in getting a new mobile plan, check out the promo code above.

My favourite zone was the 'SHOP' zone, who can resist shopping right? Especially when you can do all of it from the comfort of your sofa, scrolling, clicking and checking out with your credit cards!

There are several local brands that are supported by Shopee featuring handiworks like accessories, customer made pouches, Taiwan snacks, and even virus-be-gone products. But my focus was on those Taiwan exclusives products that you can get via iCarry. 

Not only did I find a new shopping platform, but I also managed to buy those Taiwanese snacks and souvenirs that I've been craving for. I've bought several items and it's already been a week, I'm still on pending delivery, I'll share again when I receive them. iCarry even has Japanese products too, but I'll explore that another time.

'EAT' Zone was my most anticipated one, yet it was also the most disappointing one for me. The selection of Taiwanese food was pretty minimal and not all of them delivers to my place here in Yishun. After so long, I thought my bubble tea craving could be satisfied with "Playmade by 丸作", only to find out that they don't even deliver to my area ~~~ 

In the end, I didn't get to buy any food for the delivery charge was a little too much too. Each stall had their own minimum target amount to hit before they would deliver and on top of that, delivery charge was $10 EACH STALL! 

Which means, if I wanted Pancakes from Taiwan Waffles, Iberico Pork Lu Rou Fan from The Masses and Sandwiches from Egg Stop, my delivery charge alone would already be $30! It was a little costly, I really envy those who managed to get to have cheaper delivery charges. Should I try ordering from a stall this weekend? Just to satisfy my taste buds?? What you think?

Digital Shilin Singapore 2020 will be back again this weekend June 19 to 21; and under the ‘FUN’ Zone, you can look forward to Cooking Segments by Aaron Wong, Home Workouts with Jamie Teo, alongside song performance by Circo, The Moonhouse, etc.

😊😊😊😊😊😊

I know today marks the opening of Phase 2 of Singapore's post-circuit breaker (Congratulations everyone!), but please don't all rush out immediately. If not needed, why not stay home and check out the Digital Shilin Singapore 2020. Stay safe my Huneybees!

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Craving For Gong Cha @ Pop-Up Shilin Market Again

Hi Huneybees,

Yes I'm up and awake, all excited and craving for another cup of Gong Cha from the Shilin Market pop-up at Turf Club. Knowing that Gong Cha has made an exclusive collaboration with my favourite artist - Simone Legno, hubby and I purposely made a beeline over to the special event on the first day last week!

Converted out from an open carpark space at Turf Club, the Shilin Market pop-up really got us all excited as it brought back some fond memories of the Taiwan Street snacks that we missed so much. But sadly, not only was the weather not being that friendly, but it was also overcrowded.

With the food street being packed to the max, it was difficult to maneuver around and with the lack of seatings, we literally wanted to give up and head home instead.

But luckily, the Gong Cha booth saved the day for us. It was well placed right at the entrance of the fairground, with area crowd control well-handled by the friendly Gong Cha staff that kept everyone's morale high despite the rain and overcrowding effect from other stores. 

For Huneybees, Gong Cha booth is made up of 2 different sections, the usual over-the-counter order corner and the Funhouse, with the payment booth smacked in the middle.

You can find Gong Cha x Tokidoki merchandise there as you make payment for your drinks, featuring Boba Bob and Boba Betty on a specially designed tumbler and cup sleeve. There are 3 brand new and exclusive flavours launched at this Shilin Market pop-up, featuring an innovative mix of ingredients beautifully incorporated using the art of ‘茶墨’ (Chá mò), also known as Tea Ink. 

Made popular in Taiwan, ‘茶墨’ refers to the technique of creating a splashed look across the bubble tea cup using strokes of contrasting colours. There's the Rosa Latte, Berry Biscotti ad Bambu Boba waiting for me to try when we return to the Shilin Market pop-up for a second chance this weekend.

Why didn't I try the 3 drinks out? Well, coz we opt for another option that I think was more exclusive to the pop-up event. Hubby and I spent all our time in the 512 sq-metre Funhouse where we got to personalize our very own Boba brews at the DIY stations within the Funhouse’s experiential zones. Kids and those who are looking for insta-worthy shots can also chill out at immersive Boba ball pit. 

Knowing Funhouse at Gong Cha booth was my Tokidoki Wonderland, hubby did not stop me from taking photos at every corner. If only I could wake up to these cutesy designs every morning and make my own cuppa to start the morning, this would definitely be the "blueprint" I would give to my next home decorator!

DIY Gong Cha Brews begin with the payment in the middle booth, then queuing to enter the Funhouse, where you can get a Gong Cha cup to fill up with all your favourite toppings, flavour syrups, and lastly tea brews. The friendly Gong Cha staff will be around to assist. 

For me, I pile up on the Rainbow Jelly, Pearl Boba and gave my Milk Tea a lychee twist before sealing it at the machine for my enjoyment...wee...

The Shilin Night Market will be back for Round 2 at The Grounds @ Kranji, Carpark B at Singapore Turf Club, 1 Turf Club Ave from April 26-28, 3pm-11pm. Admission is free. 

See you there as I will definitely be back for more Gong Cha x Tokidoki goodness and hopefully get to try more of the Taiwan Snacks too!

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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Thanks Honeymill For Solving My Unhealthy Craving For Bubble Tea!

Hi Huneybees,

You have worked so hard, why not take a break and enjoy a nice, sweet cup of honey? 

We all love our bubble teas but, as you all know, bubble teas are actually full of sugar that's unhealthy to our body. The better alternative without sacrifice our craving for bubble teas is to try the honey drinks from Honeymill that are naturally sweet and better for our health. 

Known as the "Food of Gods" or  "Liquid Gold" for thousands of years, honey is actually a treasure chest of hidden nutritional and medicinal value. With benefits such as anti-inflammatory effects, a natural antibiotic and also a good sleeping aid, it is my perfect subsittute for sugar!

Located at basement 2 of Marina One The Heart, Honeymill is a local startup that operates the first-of-its-kind honey concept store that serves honey drinks and honey treats by a very interesting "staff"! 

This interesting "staff" actually recalls any recipe from the honey drinks menu in an instant and has this amazing ability to prepare your drink in under 2 minutes! With such "staff" around, Honeymill is ever ready to serve the busy office crowds anytime with its fast and consistent service.

This interesting but amazing "Staff" is called Honeybot and "He" is the brainchild of Sophia Lim, the Founder of Honeymill. 

Coming from the honey distributing business, Sophia is always looking for better ways to promote honey to the community but has always been constrained by manpower issues as well as the challenge in the inconsistencies of making good quality honey drinks until she conceptualized Honeybot one day and took her team spent nine (9) months in developing and programming this robot arm.

VS

Just to demonstrate how efficient Honeybot is, I took up the "Man vs Machine Challenge" to compete with Honeybot in creating a honey drink and as expected, by the time I could finish stirring and blending the honey with water, the Honeybot has already completed and sealed the drink for serving! Check out the video below and you can see how fast it operates!

Did you know that you can create a wide variety of immune boosting food with honey at home? Simply by just infusing herbs such as garlic into a container with honey and store it away from direct sunlight at home for a few days, you basically have combined the health benefits of both the potent garlic (regulate blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar level, just to name a few) and the sweet "liquid gold" in one single bottle!  By consuming it regularly, you can say goodbye to common problems like flu and cold!! Huneybees, do try it today.

You could either order the signature Honey drinks or create your own Honey Drinks and get it in less than 2 mins!

Making a Honey drink can be time-consuming as you need to dissolve liquid Honey in a cup of water not hotter than room temperate but Honeybot can create it in under 2 minutes, thanks to its powerful and precise robotic arm!

Apart from your choice of chilled honey drink, there are a wide variety of unadulterated honey products such as cookies, honey sticks, and cakes available for Huneybees!

There are many varieties of honey produced all over the world, depending on the types of nectar and where the bees collect them from, and the most famous one is the Manuka honey from New Zealand, thanks to its proven antibacterial properties that can rival some medication.

It is however very important to buy honey, regardless of its form - comb, raw, propolis, royal jelly, etc. - from a reputable source, preferably from a honey specialty store like Honeymill, as the method of harvesting and processing of honey can degrade or even "poison" the product. While honey is commonly sold in neighborhood market, it is important to note that many are actually adulterated (impure) for the commercial reason and hence may not be as good for our health. 

For a better tomorrow, let's switch our favorite bubble teas with the healthier honey drink from Honeymill today!

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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