Gulaman, sago and Quickly pearl shakes (bubble milk tea)
Ice cold drink with pearl (tapioca) balls is nothing new in the Philippines. It’s been around for ages. When I was a schoolgirl, tapioca balls — or sago, as they were simply called back then — were sold by the glass with ice water flavored with arnibal (melted sugar) and, sometimes, with diced gulaman (gelatin) mixed in. Gulaman at sago, they were called. If the ice water wasn’t brownish and flavored with arnibal, it was milky white with gata (coconut milk). They’re still very much around — quite cheap when sold by ambulant vendors and often overpriced when served in restaurants. My husband swears that the best gulaman at sago drink can only be had at the Coop in U.P. Diliman. Funny, in all the years I studied in U.P., I never experienced the gulaman at sago at the Coop.
But gulaman at sago was not my daughters’ first introduction to pearl balls.
It was their Dad who introduced the girls to pearl shakes. In the mid-90s, Speedy discovered Orbitz, brought home some and the girls went ga-ga over flavored milk mixed with crushed ice and served with pearl (tapioca) balls. They came in oversized plastic cups with a hole in the domed cover to accommodate an equally oversized straw that was fat enough to allow the pearl balls to be sipped through it.
After Orbitz came Zagu. Thereafter, smaller and less known pearl shakes sellers would mushroom all over Metro Manila in pretty much the same way that billiard halls seemed to sprout overnight after Efren “Bata” Reyes became an international celebrity. Powdered flavorings could be bought just about anywhere — in the wet market, in the pricier supermarkets and even in some sari-sari stores.
Despite the girls’ addiction to pearl shakes, I never liked Orbitz nor Zagu. The artificial sweetener left an aftertaste that didn’t quite agree with my mouth. I wouldn’t develop a craving for pearl shakes until we discovered Quickly at the Tutuban Mall sometime during the late 1990s.
It was a hot and humid day and the girls wanted cold drinks. We couldn’t find an Orbitz or a Zagu stall but there was this stall with an unfamiliar name selling pearl shakes. We bought and we all got hooked. While Zagu and Orbitz offered the usual fruit flavors, Quickly offered more exotic blends. Mixing and matching was possible too. And if one got bored with pearl balls, nata de coco or pudding could be substituted.
Orbitz and Zagu became a thing of the past for the girls.
As far as I know, Quickly originated from Taiwan. Not only did it introduce new flavors without the over-the-top sweetness that I found so objectionable with Zagu and Orbitz, it also brought in new technology. No more domed covers with a hole on top. Quickly stalls had special machines that sealed the cups with a plastic sheet.
The bestseller at Quickly has always been the taro ice. It was Alex’s favorite (and mine too) for months until we realized we might be missing a lot by not trying other flavors. It was after graduating from taro ice that I discovered the wonderful combination of pudding (not bread pudding but a sweet and milky gelatin-like concoction with the texture of taho) and milk tea.
When I was in Taiwan last month, my eyes went wide at the seemingly endless varieties of bubble milk tea. I wanted to try them all, one after another, but I only have one stomach, so never mind. I don’t think all the flavors they have there would be popular in the Philippines though. Whatever. If I can’t enjoy them all in the Philippines, at least, there’s Quickly and that’s good enough for me.
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35 Responses to “Gulaman, sago and Quickly pearl shakes (bubble milk tea)”
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We have a place called “TT Lounge” here in Virginia and the presentation of their bubble tea drinks is similar to that of Quickly. They use the thick straw and the sealed plastic cover thingie. I am currently attending a university that has a predominantly Caucasian population but bubble tea has become REALLY popular over here after students would see the asian kids drinking very colorful concoctions through those thick straws. Its amazing, really, how the fad is catching on here too. =)
I love quickly. there was a branch in morayta when I was in law school and I would often go there. They also happen to have an internet shop in there and they served meals too. Tasty and affordable meals too. I miss it. I returned to the place about last year and it was already closed
jamba juice would be nice to try there in the philippines.
Hi Allison, great to know that bubble milk tea is not being treated like some fear factor material there.
honey, wow I had no idea that some branches served meals!
noemi, what’s jamba juice?
i like bubble tea always…now i just make my own iced tea version with lapsang souchung black tea from http://www.teacuppa.com with milk, sugar and iced cubes.
Bubble tea drinks are very popular in US cities that have a large Asian community, like L.A. There are big chains like Boba-Loca, and Lollicup, as well as little Mom and Pop stores. The big chains usually serve not just milk tea but also fruit smoothies and ices. My American husband used to hate the boba (pearl balls), but now he always asks for an extra helping.
wala yatang Quickly dito sa Cebu, but I like Zagu especially the black forest flavor.
There’s a Japanese franchise of Bubble Tea at SM Megamall and The Block. The Green Tea variant that I tried was really good and sinful, like a thick milkshake. They serve meals too
When we do our weekly grocery at Shopwise, we always pass by Zagu to buy gulaman, but that was 6 years ago. On another note, I have problems viewing most of the pictures from your recipes. I tried using internet explorer, safari and firefox, but all the same. In this post for example, i don’t see any pictures at all. I don’t see this problem at your pinoyfoodtalk site. Any comment/suggestion? thanks…
I soooo love Quickly. Iba talga sya compared to the 2 others mentioned beforehand. I once had 2 glasses of their Choco Loco in one sitting! Sarap sya kasi it’s chocolate-flavored taro ice with chocolate pudding, tapioca, and nata de coco! (All for 65 pesos the last time I had it early this year.) I’m so gaga over this!
Connie, Jamba Juice is a popular fruit shake stand here in the US.
I love Quickly too! This became the rage in 2000, when I was a senior at UP Diliman. I missed quickly when I moved to NYC, however, one summer day in SoHo, I glimpsed a girl carrying the familiar Quickly cup, and immediately went up to her and asked where she got it from. Of course, Quickly was in Chinatown, so we’ve been regulars ever since.
I found Quickly in Cebu when i was home in 2004. It was in Ayala Center, where specifically I can’t remember.
Jamba Juice is the craze here in the US right now. I think it started in California, and is mostly fruit smoothies (shakes) made with fresh/frozen fruit and juices. Their gimmick is the boost that they add to the smoothie, whether it’s a fiber boost, a protein boost, an immunity boost, etc.
I’m not noemi, but I am familiar with Jamba Juice, which is a chain of smoothie shops in the US. Very tasty but VERY overpriced. When I first started going there in college about 6 yrs ago, a 16 oz cup was 2.75 and now it costs 4.75 for the same thing!
Funny story about boba - I almost choked in a store trying to use the straw I was given to suck up one of the balls. My BF hit my back & it came flying out though
Though I’m not the sago addict in the family (my eldest sister is), there’s something about its consistency that makes you keep on coming back for more.
I love Quickly’s shakes bec. they have a hint of tartness.
I like Quickly over the other brands (Zagu, etc) because their drinks seem healthier and more natural, i.e., hindi powdered and sugary lang. Their fruit drinks are really satisfying also, if you don’t want any of the tapioca, taro or pudding (sometimes a bit heavy if you want a cold drink/shake after a meal). All our kids love them too. Buti na lang there are two branches just walking distance (opposite directions) from where I work so I can satisfy my craving anytime!
romina, congrats to you for introducing your hubby to pearl balls.
brenda, see gelo’s comment in this thread.
Carol, tukso! tukso! hahahaha But I’m giving in to the temptation. hahahaha
Jane, try changing the browser preferences. There is a setting for images.
annmariemarie, ah ok. thanks for the info.
Gelo, so Quickly has gotten to the other side of the world.
Jo, 4.75 is something like 200 pesos. Wow, for a glass of smoothie.
soloops, yun, tartness. kasi zagu and orbitz are uber sweet.
Nikita, lucky you! 2 pa! We don’t have quickly in the boondocks.
jamba juice is what they have here in the states. here’s their website jambajuice.com
bubble tea is my favorite. but sometimes they call it boba.
Here in Houston, Bubble Tea is everywhere, since we have a large population of Asian/Oriental community. More popular though are fruit drinks & smoothies, no sugar or sweetener added, just the fruit’s natural flavor and of course the “brownish already sweet tapioca” added. I was so into this “expensive” drink that I bought 3 lbs tapioca airtight package in a chinese market. I brought it with me to NC and gave it to a Filipina who owns a eggroll nook place. About a month later when I bumped into her, she mentioned that she has not cooked it yet because she was afraid it was “stale” or “rotten” because of the color. Well you see, in that place (Jacksonville NC), no establishment sells this drink yet. Being a military town, I bet some of the folks knows about it, but if its not there, they don’t ask. And this Filipina is one of those who didnt know that such drink exist. Anyway, another month passed and she said she threw the bag away. Owww…..
I love Quickly!
They have the best milk tea around. they have a branch in Robinsons Place where I get my Milk Tea Fix. In QC, I usually grab a red milk tea with tapioca balls at Ersao, Banawe. Not bad, too ! 
i like bubble tea, ms. connie. can be found at sm north’s the block, ground floor. yummy din ang seafood spaghetti nila.
hi! i was browsing the net looking for the proper way of preparing black sago. I was told rocking it twice in boiling water for 30 mins. is the right way. Maybe there are other steps..do you happen to know any by chance? please leave me a note at my email. thanks!
Ahhhh…. Quickly….. The first time I tried it, it was all because of curiosity. Well to tell the truth, all the times that I bought Quickly is not because I’m thirsty, its because of the addiction. I tried their fruit blends but nothing beats the combinations that made them famous, the taro mixes. Once, I paid around P70 ata because I asked the counter girl to put everything extra possible in my Quickly. Hehehehehe……
Zagu…. i think their pearl shake tastes quite good…
wow..u’ve been to Taiwan? are their milk teas good?
Taro Nago is my favorite. My husband drools over Super Taro. Alam na namin yung bill namin whenever we see a Quickly booth. 110 bucks.
My sister, from Nebraska, choked on a sago the first time she tried Quickly. We had a good laugh kasi nung itatapon na namin yung baso, she read the warning on the cup….yun caution, this product can cause choking..or something to that effect. She still craves for it though
i miss zagu na! melon with pearl and extra crystal! mmmm…
i like quickly’s taro too.
My boyfriend additively loves Taro Ice from Quickly. He buys 2 of them everytime we pass by a quickly booth.
I first had a melon sago milkshake in Hong Kong (on my last night there) and loved it so much I was sorry I hadn’t had more! I bought some sago and have been trying to find some recipes to duplicate at home – this is how I found this blog. Anyway, now I’ve heard of bubble tea, I shall have to go searching for some in the Asian precincts in Melbourne, Australia! Thanks!
Kay, better and bigger hehehehe
Can anyone help me where to buy black sago used in pearl shake here in cebu or manila? please please please…thanks in advance…!!!
i super love Quickly also, compared sa 2. brain freeze yun 2…graabe…i love the taro milk pudding.and since, its a favorite, i don’t order anything else…my aunt wanted sana to franchise it,kaso big money pala kailangan.hindi natuloy.anyway, when we were still living at bf resort, there was a Quickly stall sa labasan and that’s where i got my fix…but now that i live in cubao, parang no Quickly dito.waahhh… i saw a bubble tea kiosk at MOA. kaso, nun mag-oorder na ako, the attendant said naubusan ng ice…waahhh…
rima, mind sharing how much a Quickly franchise costs?
Good day.were looking for a business like shakes.I would
like to ask how much is the cost or franchise fee of
QUICKLY PEARL BALL SHAKES?can i know the e-mail ad
or contact number so that i can call?by the way i’am
an ex-OFW.please kindly reply to my e-mail add.
many thanks.
WILLIE P.DELOS REYES
STA.ROSA CITY,LAGUNA
CELL#0906-312-3192
I am interested in possibly franchising Quickly. I hope someone can help me and give me the contact numbrs or email address of Quickly? I can’t seem to find them in the internet. Thanks
I wanted to start my own business similar to this zagu or quickly. I already purchased a cup sealer in taiwan but I can’t find a plastic film for it. Can anyone please help me where can I buy it or where can I have it made.
09159175774. Thank you in advance..
I would like to inquire about the franchise details of quickly