MANILA, Philippines – There’s a new tea brand in town, and it’s Cha Yi, serving authentic Chinese tea at its first branch at the second floor of Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo, Manila.
The beverage concept aims to introduce “authentic tea essence” to Manila, bringing over authentic Chinese ingredients and showcasing China’s centuries-old tradition of making tea.
During the media launch on Wednesday, December 4, Cha Yi said that they are a brand that “takes honor in being a haven for slowing down and savoring the art of tea.” They want to remind customers to take a moment and enjoy their tea-drinking experience.
Birth of the brand
Cha Yi was founded by tea visionary Winchell Tan, who wanted to share his Chinese heritage through storytelling and the serenity that comes with every sip of tea essence.
Growing up in a household deeply rooted in the traditions of Chinese tea, Tan fondly recalls his father brewing tea, whether at home or during business meetings. He sees tea as more than just a beverage but a symbol of culture, family, and connection.
To solidify his knowledge of tea, Tan went to China and studied tea.
“I studied several kinds of tea there. I studied in February but we just opened now because we are addressing a lot of things, like study the brand, study the tea, and study how to market in the Philippines because it’s actually hard to explain what tea is in the Philippines because the mainstream tea in the here is milk tea,” Tan told Rappler in a mix of English and Filipino.
Tan also mentioned that he discovered tea latte, which the brand offers, when he was studying in China.
“Doon ko narealize na it tastes like tea talaga. Hindi siya artificial sugar. Wala siyang ginagamit na artificial sugar so all na nalalasahan ‘nyo is all coming from tea. ‘Yung fragrance niya and all ay from it. Doon ako na-inspire na ang ganda nito so I wanted to share it in the Philippines,” Tan shared when asked what further inspired him to build the brand.
(That’s when I realized that it really tastes like tea. It’s not artificial sugar. It doesn’t use any artificial sugar, so everything you taste comes from the tea. The fragrance and all of it come from the tea. That’s when I got inspired, and I thought it was great, so I wanted to share it in the Philippines.)
This led him to create Cha Yi, a tea brand that bridges the rich traditions of Chinese tea with modern innovations.
“Our goal is simple. It is to bring serenity and connection to every sip by blending and honoring traditional Chinese tea and modern innovations that come with it,” Tan shared.
Cha translates to “tea” in Chinese and Yi translates to “essence,” together forming “tea essence” — the reason behind the name of the brand.
Authentic tea bases
The brand offers six bases for its tea: White Peach Oolong, Osmanthus Oolong, Artisan Ceylon, Pu’er, Da Hong Pao, and Oriental Jasmine.
White Peach Oolong is a pale amber-colored tea with a fruity and floral aroma. This sweet, smooth, and peachy base originated from Anxi County in Southeast Fujian, China. This is a modern twist that combines dried peaches with oolong tea.
Osmanthus Oolong also comes from Anxi County in Southeast Fujian, China. It gives a smooth, sweet, and fruity taste with a floral and sweet aroma. This tea base is golden yellow.
Artisan Ceylon is a bright amber-colored tea with a rich, citrus aroma. This bold and brisk flavor comes from Sri Lanka.
Pu’er is a dark reddish brown base with an earthy and woody chocolate aroma. It also has a smooth and mellow earthy flavor which originated from Yunnan Province, China.
Da Hong Pao, also known as Big Red Robe, is deep amber with a roasted, earthy aroma. This base gives a rich complex taste and comes from the Wuyi Mountains of Northern Fujian, China. Tan shared that this is a revered Chinese tea with notes reminiscent of chocolate.
Oriental Jasmine is a bright yellow-green-colored tea base with a sweet floral aroma. It has a delicate and fresh sweet taste. This tea base originated from Fuding County in Fujian, China.
True tea experience
Cha Yi offers a wide selection of teas for every type of tea enthusiast.
“When we first curated the tea selection, we started with around six. It was meant for different kinds of markets. We have somebody who might first try tea, we have something very light, we have something very familiar like the Da Hong Pao, for those that have tried when they traveled to China or maybe when they go to some Chinese restaurant,” Tan said.
“We have something more medium for everybody,” Tan’s partner, Arianna Kaw, told Rappler.
Cha Yi’s tea latte series in Peach Harmony is made from White Peach Oolong, Spring Jasmine from Oriental Jasmine, Autumn Osmanthus from Osmanthus Oolong, Yunnan Pu’er from Pu’er, and Wuyi Rock Tea from Da Hong Pao.
Cha Yi’s Snowy series includes the Snowfall Latte from Artisan Ceylon and the Floating Cloud Red Robe from Da Hong Pao. These are served with whipped cream and chopped pecans, which are essential in how the drink should be enjoyed.
This series can be enjoyed by eating the whipped cream with the pecans, and then sipping a bit of tea and mixing it to have a full experience.
Cha Yi also offers modern cold brews that are chilled to remove some bitterness, as compared to traditional hot brews which stay true to authentic Chinese methods.
These cold brews have zero calories, as they are made from authentic tea leaves while the tea lattes only have 200 calories since they use blended milk.
Cha Yi emphasizes mindful tea experiences. At its flagship store in Lucky Chinatown, Tan said that tea is brewed in front of customers which allows them to see, smell, and appreciate every step. This allows customers to experience the process of tea-making firsthand.
The owners also said that the choice to open their first branch in Lucky Chinatown was intentional.
“Lucky Chinatown is a very cultural landscape. It is where Chinese culture is much more prevalent so it’s the best place to start a Chinese tea latte shop,” Kaw told Rappler.
Looking ahead, Cha Yi plans to expand across the country, with more branches set to open next year. – Rappler.com