A Side Trip To Dakasi

This post is actually an extension of my feature re: Kebab Turki Baba Rafi which you may find here.

As my friend and I walked back to the car after our sumptuous excursion to a newly discovered and wonderful kebab land that is KTBR, we spotted a huge star from a distance that was perfectly illuminated to twinkle, sparkle and wink at us. It was so inviting that we haphazardly swerved our paths towards it as our next destination. I found it funny that we followed a star only to give in to the urge of finding out what it had in store for us. "Follow the star, follow the star!" yeah, that.

I was already in Makati and it would take days before I go back so we thought of giving it a shot. When we got in the premises, we found groups of people swarming around their respective tables with drinks either in their hands or on top of the table. It was then that we knew that we just got ourselves inside a milk tea place.  It was just too obvious and too stereotypical for anyone not to find out in a split second. My friend and I just looked each other in the eye and non-verbally agreed to just stay in and try their drinks out even if our tummies were still full.

Milk Tea choices, choices

Halo-Halo Milk Tea, anyone?

The star that twinkled an invitation

Pick-up Counter

Dakasi customers

Dakasi's interior

Dakasi is a Taiwanese milk tea brand that means "big cast" in Chinese language. It was wittingly called as so due to the wide array of milk tea concoctions that they have. They offer hot, cold, to very cold beverages like slushies whilst catering to all milk tea and anyone in between fanatics. It's a you name it, we have it kind of thing, they claim. For more information about Dakasi, checkout their website, www.dakasiphil.com.

When we got to the counter, I asked if they had wintermelon milk tea which is my favorite aside from taro milk tea. Lo and behold, I was informed by this all-knowing cashier guy that they didn't have it. I shrugged the idea of pinning him down for his bravado when they didn't have what I wanted but he seemed so sweet and apologetic about it that he was quick to offer alternatives like the okinawa milk tea and their best seller Dakasi Bubble Milk Tea (Php100 for Large with tapioca sinker), which I decided to get in the end. My friend ordered the Peach Yakult Tea (Php100 for Large without sinker) without any sinkers as apparently you'll have to pay extra for it. Just to cut all the sweetness, we decided to try their Nacho Chinito (Php150) as well. What's different about Dakasi is their mixes are pre-determined. They wouldn't bother asking their customers about their preference on sweetness level, contents and all that jazz. I personally like my milk tea to have the lowest sugar content, usually set at around 20% to 30% max so I was sure to make it specific when I placed my order. Another is that all of their ingredients are made/opened fresh on the same day to guarantee a top-notch milk tea experience. FYI, wifi is on the house, techie friends! Just ask the counter for the password and they will happily give it to you.

Right after we settled in our seats, it didn't take long before our orders arrived. My Dakasi Bubble Milk Tea was in uniformity with other large-sized drinks from other milk tea places. I was informed by the staff to shake the milk tea before I take a sip which I obediently did. My verdict? This particular drink tasted fine, it was just okay. The tapioca pearls were smaller and I found it much easier to chew. The drink wasn't milky enough at least velvety that it won't compromise the flavor of the tea. It was rather flat, in my honest opinion. I still prefer my milk tea with full-cream milk though, just like the ones from Gong Cha. Well, Dakasi's version was good too but there's nothing exceptional or over the top about it. I was expecting for my eyes to roll back thinking okay fresh ingredients pala ang pinagmamalaki niyo ha! At least they obliged to my request of keeping the sugar level at bay so they get plus points on that one.

Large Dakasi Bubble Milk Tea, Php100

A soft reminder before plunging the straw into the milk tea!

My friends's drink was okay too. I took a sip of her Yakult Peach Tea and found it too sweet for my liking. But that's just me because I could see that she enjoyed her drink sans any sinkers.

Yakult Peach Tea (Php100)

The Nacho Chinito happened to be the show stopper of the night, I must say. It was served warm and I could judge that it was just made right before service because it tasted really fresh and awesome. My stomach was so full from all the food that we ate prior to this but it just had to give enough room for all this. I give my four thumbs up primarily because the chips were big and crunchy, the meat topping was perfectly seasoned, and the cheese sauce was muy delicioso! The chip to meat to cheese ratio was enough that I didn't feel running out of any of those components. I was assured of a well proportioned bite each time. It's safe to say that it was a great contrast from the milk tea, all levels crossed. I think I just found another favorite!

Nacho goodness 

Nacho Chinito

So if you're looking for a quick milk tea fix, I would still recommend Dakasi. They have a large scale of milk tea flavors that you can choose from which may suit your craving (except for wintermelon). Just don't expect to be swept away as they are one of those run of the mill milk tea places that appear to be winging it in the market. If given the chance, I would still go back just to try their halo-halo milk tea and for those delicious nachos! Go try Dakasi, if you can!

Dakasi Milk Tea

www.dakasiphil.com

Instagram: @DakasiPH

Twitter: @DakasiPH

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)