Japan is going through an unprecedented tapioca boom right now, and Harajuku is no exception, with tapioca stores opening left, right and centre. With so many to choose from no matter which you go to on a weekend there will be a huge line. I visited KOI Thé, a new shop that just opened on November 25.   It’s located right near the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Tourist Information Center where you’ll find us.Head through Takeshita Street from Harajuku Station and go down the path between New Balance and Murasaki Sports.   Follow straight down and you’ll find KOI Thé on your left. Look for the big tapioca drink outside - you can’t miss it!   It’s quite spacious instead and has simple decor rather than being stylish. Guys can line up without worry too.   This is how the menu looks. You can adjust how much ice and sugar you want in your drink.I went with the classic tapioca milk tea!The tapioca balls here aren’t black but in fact golden. The reason they are gold is because they don’t use food colouring.Tapioca that is transparent like this is cute too. The balls are comparatively smaller and are chewy and taste delicious!   I ordered the drink with the normal amount of sweetness and it tastes even more refreshing than at other stores. It’s a simple tapioca drink made for adults.   If you’re a little embarrassed at lining up at a tapioca shop then I recommend getting it from one for grown-ups in Omotesando!

Hi, everyone. Midori here, editor at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON.   Have you heard about 'cheese tea'? It's a drink that's getting a lot of attention right now. It's tea topped with cheese foam which results in a perfect match of sweetness from the tea and sourness from the cream cheese.   Related Article:Drink Tea in Style With FORTUNER tea-box’s Cheese Tea Tapioca in Harajuku   I heard that The Alley, a well-known bubble tea cafe recognised by its deer logo, released its own cheese tea so I took a trip there straight away!   I went to the branch in Omotesando. There are lots of other branches too so head to the closest one to you. The one in Omotesando sits right next to Gong Cha, another bubble tea store. Cross the intersection at Laforet towards ICE MONSTER and turn the corner at the flamingo (pictured above). You'll come to a road with Cafe Ron Ron on the left and Gong Cha on the right.   Turn right at the FamilyMart at the end of the street and you'll find The Alley! The photo above was taken on a weekday before opening hours so there was no line,  but it was a different story in the afternoon on the weekend! Ta-da!   The line is so long it's hard to know where the end even is! It sure is popular. According to the staff working there, the line is constant on weekends from opening hours to when they close, so if you don't want to line up they recommend visiting during the week. There's also a stylish indoor section where you can enjoy your drink. Other menu items include the following: Bonsai bubble tea and aurora drinks are really popular on Instagram in Japan right now! When talking about The Alley you've got to mention the deer! There was a big one drawn on the wall inside. I went with the brown sugar tea from the cheese foam series. I recommend drinking cheese tea without the lid. If you drink it with the lid on it's hard to get the cheese foam and tea at the same time. The Alley is best known for its tapioca bubble teas, but they have other ranges too like this one.   Now, onto tasting! Mixed in with The Alley's famous fragrant tea is brown sugar. It has a smell that is sure to make you happy. The cheese doesn't have that super sour taste, it's a mellow flavour. The drink isn't served hot but "mild hot" so you can get to drinking right away without burning yourself. It's safe for those with sensitive tongues too. I have to let hot drinks cool down first before drinking them too so I was glad with my choice.   Head to The Alley to try out their new cheese tea yourself!