Baroness: A New Taiwanese BBT in Kitsilano

It is not surprising to see more bubble tea shops open in Vancouver. Baroness is located in Kitsilano at the previous spot of In Tea. It specializes in brown sugar pearls, and the franchise owner created his very own secret recipe. They are also known for oat milk beverages, which are an excellent option for people who cannot have milk.

I was invited to a media event, and I also went back to try other drinks. During the media event, Mr. and I ordered the Purple Yam Milk with Grass Jelly and Uji-Matcha Latte with Brown Sugar Pearls.

Purple Yam Milk is one of Baroness’ signature drinks, and they use organic purple yam powder to create such vibrant purple colour to the drink. I ordered 30% sweetness, and the flavour is quite light. Especially with the additional topping of grass jelly, I can barely taste the purple yam flavour. 

I chose brown sugar pearls to pair with my Uji-Matcha Latte, and similar to the Purple Yam Milk, the matcha flavour is subtle. The pearls have a good bounce and are evenly coated with brown sugar. I ordered 30% sweetness, and it is perfect. I hope to have a stronger matcha flavour in the drink though.

I came back with my friends during the long weekend, and they are doing a promotion of buy one get one 50% off. We decided to try a different drink, Thai Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Pearls. I went with the 30% sweetness, and it is still too sweet for my liking. The quality of the pearls is consistent with the ones I tried previously. I have to admit that I like this drink more than the other two I tried before, but I think I would ask for no sugar next time.

My friend ordered the Black Tea Oat Milk with Brown Sugar Pearls. This is my favourite drink of all because the subtle sweetness makes the tea flavour stand out. I also enjoy the pairing of oat milk with tea, but it is quite filling after finishing one drink. It is more like a meal on its own.

Overall Impression

Baroness has a quite different selection of drinks compared to many bubble tea shops out there. I enjoyed the Black Tea Oat Milk with Brown Sugar Pearls, and I found other drinks are hit and miss. The drinks are on the pricey side, which is smaller sizes too. But I can tell that their ingredients are premium from the flavours. Unfortunately, the shop is also too far for me, but if I am in the area, I would definitely want to return and explore other drinks on the menu. I heard they have fresh taro as a topping option, so I might want to try that next time.

Taste: 3.5/5 • Service: 4/5 • Ambiance: 4/5 • Quality-Price: 4/5