Welcome to Back to Basics, where us classy ladies try to establish just how basic one can be in the Orlando area. Each month, we’ll be taking on a new theme and we’ll be searching for the best in basic trends. We’ve all heard some of the most recent popular foodie trends: charcoal, galaxy and unicorn as well as familiar classics such as pumpkin spice and peppermint. We hope we can inspire the rest of the Nonahood to embrace their inner basic.
This month, we’re featuring drinks and food themed around this year’s hot color: Millennial Pink! First, we visited a quaint tea house called Krungthep Tea Time located in Winter Park. Upon walking in, we were greeted with beautiful vanity lights and a quiet and cozy aesthetic.
Krungthep Tea Time
Order: Nom Yen
Final Review Nicole: Krungthep is known for a drink called Nom Yen simply because of its color, PINK! It’s a Thai classic, and having only been here once before, I knew I had to embrace the hype. The menu is a short description of pink milk, which is caffeine free. Once I ordered the drink, I was told it was a bit on the sweeter side. As soon as the drink arrived, I’m pretty sure I let out a little squeal. For those of us who love a colorful drink that can be photographed so easily, this is it. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Nom Yen is an attention grabber. The drinks are brought out in a large glass mug with crushed ice (my favorite). The Nom Yen is pretty much iced strawberry milk.
Final Review Vanessa: I am not usually one who likes drinks that are overwhelmingly sweet, and Nom Yen CERTAINLY fits the category of a kind of drink that is great for those with a major sweet tooth. The drink tastes a lot like strawberry milk, which is something that can easily be found in your local grocery store, but it is the style and aesthetic of Krungthep that makes the trip worthwhile. The drink is great for photographs, as is the entirety of Krungthep, so if you’re a “hipster photo junkie,” this is definitely something to put on your list of Orlando stops to make.
Taste: 8/10
Aesthetic: 10/10
Environment: 15/10
Price: 7/10 $3 (the mug is a decent size, but $3 for strawberry milk seems like a bit much)
Proximity to Nonahood: 5/10 (I-4…need we say more?)
Chibi’s Boba
Order: Petite Pink (secret menu)
Final Review Nicole: It’s boba time, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic! To go along with the basic theme, guess what song played while we were here? The Queen of Basic: Taylor Swift. I walked in expecting to order the rose boba, as it’s one of my favorite flavors they offer, but the owner suggested Van and I get the works, which I never knew existed. Behold, the Petite Pink! It’s a secret menu item that consists of rose boba tea, vanilla syrup and sweetened condensed milk. It’s definitely on the sweeter side, but it was so delicious! Van and I got the iced version. I’m a HUGE floral fan, and this drink didn’t disappoint. The rose notes are a bit perfumey, but I like that. The vanilla taste is pretty faint, but this will probably become a new go-to drink of mine when I visit Chibi’s. Other pink flavors available are strawberry and raspberry, which are both just as yummy. All of the boba teas are available in an iced or slushed version. I can’t wait to return! You can never have too much boba!
Final Review Vanessa: I’ve always had a soft spot for boba, as it’s one of the things my boyfriend and I really like to treat ourselves to when we have a free afternoon. Rose boba, though it sounds like an interesting flavor concept, actually proved to be quite delicious when made in the way of the secret menu. The vanilla from the sweetened condensed milk of this drink is a lot more subtle than the rose note, more like an undertone and less of a prominent flavor. The rose, when drank in large quantities, could taste a bit perfume-like, but you’d be surprised that is tastes less like a flower than you might have originally thought. Boba is always a highlight for me.
Taste: 9/10
Aesthetic: 7/10
Environment: 9/10 (If you enjoy Anime, this is your scene.)
Price: $3.75 for a small
Proximity to Nonahood: 8/10
Dunkin’ Donuts
Order: Strawberry Lemonade Coolatta
Final Review Nicole: This is my first time trying the strawberry lemonade coolatta, and it lived up to its expectations. Nothing screams beating the Florida heat more than a sweet and tart refreshingly cold slush, but be aware…this drink is extremely sweet. The strawberry lemonade flavoring is spot on, though. This is the drink I imagine all of the kids want before they get dropped off at school because it gives them a sugar rush (ahem, I mean energy), and they’re not allowed to have Red Bull or any other type of energy drink.
Taste: 8/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
Price: 7/10 $4.99 for a large
Proximity to Nonahood: 10/10 (it’s within walking distance for some of us!)
Tag along with us girls next month when we feature some of your favorite fall classics such as pumpkin spice, vanilla chai, maple and others! (Because what’s more basic than that?)
