Red Mango Parfait
For health nuts craving a creamy, fruity meal, skip the standard cup o’ fro-yo and grab this fruit and granola-laden parfait instead. Includes layers of frozen yogurt, fresh fruit and organic flax seed granola teeming with healthy Omega-3s. ($4.95, www.redmangousa.com)
Tapioca Express Yogurt Frost
Color me happy! The icy texture mixed with fresh fruit and colorful syrup makes this drink a must-taste for yogurt aficionados. Choose between strawberry, mango or kiwi, or combine all three flavors in one cup. (prices vary, www.tapiocaexpress.com)
Pinkberry Smoothie
The store that launched the American yogurt craze has come up with a new spin on their tart staple. Ditch the spoon for a straw to gulp down this toothsome smoothie, a blend of fresh fruit and tangy fro-yo. Also offered in Green Tea. ($4.50, www.pinkberry.com)
Lollicup Milk Tea Boba
Milk tea-and-boba is a simple, classic union that never disappoints. The milk tea is a gentle mix of brewed tea leaves, cream and sugar, loaded with tapioca balls previously soaked in brown sugar and honey. Delish. ($2.25, www.lollicup.com)
Intelligentsia Ginger Plum Oolong Tea
This iced tea merges two distinct flavors—ginger and plum—and is almost too pretty to knock back. The oolong tea infuses the strong flavors well, bringing out the sweetness of the plum and slightly softening ginger’s fragrant zest. ($3, www.intelligentsiacoffee.com)
Coffee Bean Chai Mate Ice Blended
Craving the cinnamon-y taste of chai? Using the company’s classic Chai and blending it with ice into slush, this milky drink offers a trio of spices in one cooling cup. Drink it too fast—and you will get brain freeze. (starts at $3.45, www.coffeebean.com)
Jinro Jin-Ger Spirit
This light concoction is made from Bundaberg ginger beer, soju and lime. Following the latest cocktail trend that experiments with Asian flavors, the spirit’s ginger taste mitigates soju’s slight bitterness, while adding a carbonic tic to the drink. (find recipe at www.jinrousa.com)
Jinro Pepper Infusion
For those daring enough to add some extra heat to their soju, slice up some jalapenos or serrano chiles into a infuser, pour in the soju and let the flavors marinate for days. When the drink achieves the desired spicy kick, remove the peppers and serve. (find recipe at www.jinrousa.com)
Tapioca Express Thai Iced Tea
Refreshing and delightfully sweet, this classic drink perfectly marries Thai leaves and condensed milk. It’s a sweet tooth’s ideal choice for a sweltering day. Those who need a boba fix can add chewy pearls to their drink. (prices vary, www.tapiocaexpress.com)
—Julie Ma
