A store featuring Taiwan’s unique bubble tea was recently opened in Dublin and has won over the heart and mouths of the Irish in a mere two weeks.
The three founders of Bubblecity — Karl Mulvee, Ronan Murphy, and Ivano Cafolla — said they had never seen bubble tea before until they encountered it by chance in London.
The store said it prides itself on giving its customers the most authentic taste of bubble tea possible, importing everything from the tapioca, the straws and even the plastic coverings with “half sugar” and “no ice” on them.
Currently, Bubblecity is planning to expand across Ireland and let more Irish enjoy the beverage, adding the store also plans to set up in Germany.
The store owners added that they hoped to visit Taiwan one day to see the beverage at its original source.
The Taipei Representative Office in Ireland’s representative, Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), said after visiting the store that Taiwan’s tea has always been renowned, and it was due to the Taiwanese innovative spirit that tea, a beverage originally drunk hot, has now become a cold drink in many places.
Bubble tea not only represents the snack culture of Taiwan’s night markets, it now plays a role in promoting Taiwan’s fine cuisine in the international market, Tseng said.
The Taipei Representative Office in Ireland has written a special introduction on the origins of the drink in Taiwan and plans to put a copy in all future bubble tea stores so Irish people can become interested in Taiwan through bubble tea, Tseng said.
The office would also be passing out tourist flyers and information at Bubblecity in hopes to entice customers who come to enjoy their beverages to make a trip to Taiwan.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with