Milk Tea iTea Admiralty Place Review

Nothing fancy, no pearls, no pudding, no grass jelly, no add-ons. Just a straightforward large milk tea from the brewed tea/coffee section. Sometimes I feel like toppings are nice, but other times they make the drink too heavy, especially if you’re just thirsty and want something to sip while walking around. This was one of those days where I didn’t want to chew, I just wanted drink.

The iTea outlet at Admiralty Place is the kind of neighbourhood bubble tea shop that feels very familiar if you stay in Singapore. Not atas, not trying to be some trendy new brand with super complicated drinks and Instagrammable cups, but dependable. You know roughly what you’re going to get, the prices are usually still quite reasonable compared to some other bubble tea chains, and it’s convenient when you need a quick drink. Admiralty Place itself is also very heartland, so the whole vibe was quite casual and practical. You see people buying drinks, running errands, passing through after lunch, that sort of thing.

I ordered a large milk tea at 25% sugar with no topping, and the price came up to $4.20. For a large drink these days, $4.20 is still acceptable lah, especially considering how bubble tea prices have slowly crept up over the years. Of course, if you start adding pearls or other toppings, the price can go higher, but since I kept mine plain, it stayed pretty reasonable. I personally don’t mind paying around this range for a large drink, provided it’s made properly and doesn’t taste too diluted.

The staff member who took my order was friendly, which is always nice. You know how some bubble tea counters can feel very rushed, especially when there’s a queue and everyone is just shouting drink names and sugar levels? This one didn’t feel unpleasant at all. The service was quite smooth, and I got my order quite fast. I didn’t have to wait long, which I really appreciated because I was not in the mood to stand around for ages just for a milk tea.

One small thing to note: I wanted to use PayWave, but they didn’t accept it. I know nowadays many of us are so used to just tapping our card or phone that when PayWave is not available, there’s that tiny moment of “huh, cannot ah?” But thankfully, they do have PayNow, so payment was still manageable. Not a huge issue, but if you’re someone who usually relies only on card tap payments, just take note. Better to have PayNow ready, or some cash just in case. Nowadays in Singapore, PayNow is quite standard already, so it wasn’t a big problem for me, just slightly less convenient than tapping and going.

Now, on to the drink itself.

The milk tea looked exactly like what you’d expect from a classic iTea milk tea. That familiar beige-brown colour, not too dark, not too pale. Since I ordered it at 25% sugar, I wasn’t expecting it to be sweet-sweet, and thankfully the sweetness level was exactly what I asked for. I always appreciate when bubble tea shops get the sugar level right because sometimes 25% at one shop tastes like 0%, and at another shop it tastes like 50%. Here, the sweetness was mild and quite controlled. It didn’t feel like they overdid the syrup, and it was easy to drink without becoming jelak from sugar.

That said, the overall flavour was on the mild side. The tea taste was there, but not very strong. I could tell it was naturally brewed tea rather than some super artificial-tasting powdery milk tea, but the tea fragrance didn’t really stand out as much as I would have liked. For people who prefer a softer, milkier milk tea, this might be perfectly fine. But for me, I usually like my milk tea to have a bit more tea presence. That slight bitterness or roasted tea aroma that balances out the milk. This one leaned more towards the milky side.

Actually, if I had to summarise the taste in one phrase, I’d say: a bit too milky.

Not bad, just too milky for my personal preference. The milkiness made the drink smooth and easy to sip, but it also covered up the tea flavour quite a bit. At 25% sugar and no topping, there was nothing else to distract from the base drink, so the balance became very obvious. The first few sips were pleasant enough, but after a while, I found myself wishing the tea flavour had more strength. It wasn’t watery, which is good, but it also wasn’t as gao as I hoped.

Some people may actually like this kind of milk tea, especially if you don’t enjoy strong tea or bitter notes. It’s very gentle, very safe, and not aggressive at all. I can imagine students, aunties, uncles, or anyone who just wants a mild cold drink enjoying it. But if you’re the type who likes your milk tea to have that strong black tea kick, then you might find this a little underwhelming.

The no-topping choice also made the drink feel lighter. Usually when you add pearls, the chewiness gives the drink more texture and makes it feel more satisfying. Without toppings, this was really just a simple beverage, which was what I wanted that day. And to be fair, the shop got my order exactly right: large size, 25% sugar, no topping. No mistaken pearls, no wrong sweetness, no weird mix-up. Sometimes that’s all you need from a neighbourhood bubble tea shop. Just make what I ordered correctly and quickly.

I also liked that it wasn’t overly sweet. In Singapore weather, especially around afternoon time, super sweet milk tea can be quite sian after a while. You drink halfway and feel like you need plain water. This one, because of the 25% sugar, stayed drinkable from start to finish. The mild sweetness made it easy to finish even though the milkiness was stronger than I preferred. I wouldn’t call it refreshing in the fruity tea sense, but it was smooth and simple.

If I were to order this again, I might consider adjusting it slightly. Maybe still 25% sugar, but perhaps I’d choose a different tea-based drink from iTea if I want more tea flavour. Or maybe add a topping like grass jelly if I’m feeling like I need more texture, though on this visit I was quite happy with no topping. Another option is to try their other brewed tea/coffee drinks to see if some have a stronger tea profile. The basic milk tea is safe, but maybe not the most exciting item on the menu.

Overall, my experience at iTea Admiralty Place was positive, especially from a convenience and service point of view. The staff was friendly, the order was made correctly, and I got my drink fast without having to wait long. The payment side was okay because PayNow was available, though I do wish PayWave was accepted because it would make the process even smoother. The drink itself was decent, but taste-wise, it leaned too milky and mild for me.

For $4.20, a large milk tea with 25% sugar and no topping is still a reasonable heartland bubble tea option. I wouldn’t say it blew me away, but it did the job. It’s the kind of drink I’d get when I’m nearby and want something simple, reliable, and not too sweet. If you like your milk tea creamy and gentle, this might suit you better than it suited me. If you’re like me and prefer a stronger tea taste, then maybe manage expectations a bit or try another drink on the menu.

My personal rating for this visit would be around 4.2 out of 5. The experience was smooth, the service was friendly, and the order accuracy was spot on. The only thing holding it back was the drink balance. Just a bit too milky and mild for my taste. Still, for a quick bubble tea stop at Admiralty Place, iTea remains a convenient and dependable option. Not every drink needs to be life-changing lah. Sometimes, you just want a fast, affordable milk tea in the neighbourhood, and this one delivered exactly that.

Photos from the visit

These are the photos submitted with the review: the cup, the shop and the receipt.