We Try Plano's New Famous Boba Tea Shop, The Whale Tea

Whales and boba tea are an unlikely pair, but after expanding to over 300 locations around the world since 2018, The Whale Tea has made a name for itself with unique and visually appealing drinks made with high-quality ingredients.

Whales are the face of this bubble tea shop, as they embody the brand's ethos of boldness and purity. But also, the word whale in Mandarin is jing, which is phonetically close to the shop's city of origin, Nan-jing.

Nine different tea series divide the menu, and customizations are the usual standard: limitless. Bridging them all is a spectrum of drinks that range from sweet to refreshing, all of which are hand-measured with precision and use premium tea leaves and all-natural ingredients.
The most indulgent is the crème brûlée series, which comes with a torched caramelized brown sugar top, an ideal avenue if you’re walking in with a sweet tooth. Lighter options go beyond the milk teas to the milk foam fresh and fresh fruit tea options, where fresh juices and fruits are combined with varying types of tea for something refreshing and slightly sweet.

Other blends on the menu come with more experimental ingredients but warrant curiosity like the fresh fruit milks, slushes and Oolong teas.

Personalizations are taken to the next level, with additions ranging from lychee jelly to tao jiao (amber-hued crystals made from Chinese peach tree gum), aloe vera, chia seeds and the house-made tapioca pearls. Toppings range from $0.75 to $1 extra to make your drink one of a kind.

We started with the most striking choice of the two, The Whale Crystal, which has a base of golden amber jelly, a center of creamy coconut milk and a blue-hued rim to top things off. Spirulina, a type of algae and acclaimed superfood, is used to create the signature blue color.

The staff made sure we shook both our Whale Crystal so flavors mingled before we dove straight into the boba rite of passage: the straw plunge.

As much a statement as this drink makes, the flavor is surprisingly very mild. The bulk of the flavor comes from the coconut milk, and the spirulina is undetectable in case it raises any hesitation. Even the amber jellies are on the delicate side, making this option different from the typical offerings, which are more rich and milky.

The Crème Brûlée Taro Tea, our second order, uses fresh taro. The nuttiness and vanilla notes of the taro complement the decadent base without being overly sweet. If you want to bring it up a notch, add the slow-cooked tapioca pearls for extra richness. Again, be sure to shake well after getting your photos.

We were pleased to discover this was more than your average boba shop visit, and from the first sip we could understand why it’s beloved worldwide. And, yes, the whale murals inside make for a photo op worthy of a spot on the ‘gram.

The Whale Tea, 1009 14th St., No. 600, Plano. Wednesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday – Monday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; closed Tuesday.