New bubble tea shop wows with Instagram-worthy drink options

Strawberry matcha lattes with fresh pureed strawberries, salted caramel milk teas with ice cream, cold foam Vietnamese iced coffees and hibiscus rose iced tea with fresh orange slices are only a fraction of the delights waiting at East Nine Mile Road’s newest café, Tru Teas.

The new bubble tea shop located at 960 E. Nine Mile Road, Suite 2, was the place owner Susan Pham needed when she was in college studying to be a nurse practitioner. A spot where she could claim a corner to spread out, that was quiet enough to concentrate and had snacks and teas on standby when Starbucks just wasn’t cutting it.

"I just wanted to be able to sit and sip my tea and just sit there and study and no one bother me," Pham teased.

Now that she has graduated and owns Med Spa down the road, Tru Teas is a part-time job and passion project.

Her husband's business I Heart Bento across the street was where she got her creative wheels turning for boba flavor combinations. But Tru Teas was a project all of her own imagination.

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Together though, they got to work in transforming her space with emerald green couches, white tile backsplashes pink florals, wood furniture and an eye-catching neon "spill the tea" sign.

Not only will Pham serve a variety of milk tea flavors but has expanded the menu to offer drinks unlike anything else in the area, like her summer teas chilled with fresh fruit.

The teas radiate with fresh colors and flavors, as the tea is brewed fresh in-house, versus artificial flavoring. Customers can taste every flavor in her signature drinks, like her creation, Starry Night, made with butterfly pea tea, lemon, guava green tea and fresh lemon slices.

Customers can also build their own drinks from a list of unique flavors, such as kumquat or sakura rosa tea, honey boba or green tea jelly.

Although the bubble tea trend has taken on a new wave of popularity in America in recent years, the practice was nothing new to Pham, who has been drinking it within her Vietnamese family for years.

"People knew about it, it just wasn't big yet. Now, it's becoming a thing," Pham said.

Similarly, Vietnamese coffee has been a staple in the Asian community for it robust beans and creamy condensed milk. But Pham is giving hers a more modern twist through specialty drinks like the Egg-licious Vietnamese coffee, topped with egg foam, coffee jelly and cocoa powder.

She has a variety of fluffy Belgian styled waffles to choose from with plans to add more food items to the menu with time.

Although Pham considers her waffles to be a “snack” that can be nibbled on or shared amongst friends, they come piled high with ice cream, fresh fruits, Nutella and syrups for under $10.

As the winter months roll in, she plans to offer warm tea by the pot for customers to cozy up with.

She hopes the café will be a space for working, studying and friends gathering to catch up.

"Just a place for people to come and sit and like really spill the tea. You can gossip with each other or just sit and study," Pham said.

More updates and information can be found on the Tru Teas Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola bubble tea shop Tru Teas open on Nine Mile Road