Beverage Review + Ex-Job Insights (KOI)

Here is a food/job review under Drinks/Beverage category.

I worked at KOI for 3 months in 2017 before university started. Hence, I will try to be as objective as I can and not reveal any confidential information.

I basically did kitchen work (cooking pearls, brewing tea, grass jelly, macchiato cream and squeezing lime, lemon and grapefruit etc.) Although the kitchen work is physically draining, the quality of the ingredients is not compromised. Rest assured that the ingredients are made with greatest quality and quantity. The golden pearls are of a higher grade tapioca pearls and these pearls would be discarded after 1 and half hours usage period. Moreover, the brewed teas (black, oolong, green and silan black tea) would also be changed within 3 hours regardless if there are any leftovers.

In my opinion, KOI has the best pearls in terms of texture. The pearls have the optimal balance between chewiness and softness. They also have minimal stickiness as compared to other pearls. However, the sugar syrup accompanying the pearls may be a tad too sweet and it may affect the overall taste of the drink. Tip: if you do not like the sugar syrup, you could ask the staff to wash the pearls for you.

I also feel that KOI's grass jelly has a really smooth mouthfeel and an even consistency. The grass jelly is made from "scratch" with quality techniques. I would recommend drinking plain black/green/oolong tea with grass jelly as a topping. As the grass jelly is relatively sweet, I would recommend a lower sugar level %.

The macchiato cream is also made from "scratch" with a specific technique. The cream has a thick consistency and creamy mouthfeel. It really complements the plain teas. It is a shame that the macchiatos are not allowed to have toppings. This is because macchiatos are supposed to be sipped from the rim of the cup so the toppings would interfere with this experience.

The ratios of the drinks are tailored to maintain the drinks' quality (less ice, no ice and less pearls etc.) I learnt till preparing of ingredients like pearls, lime, lemon and grapefruit and the latte ratios. It was quite mentally draining as you have to remember and adjust the ratios to tailor to the consumer's needs. For part timers, you have to pass certain tests to increase your pay per hour. Full timers are also sent for evaluations and training to maintain the quality of KOI's products. This shows KOI has high standards for skills, quality and hygiene.

Here is some of my experience/opinions regarding the additional requirements of the drinks:

• If you order "less ice" for any milk tea, the volume of the drink will be compensated with more tea. Hence, it will somewhat dilute the milkiness of the drink and have a "blander" taste
• If you order "less ice" for flavoured milk tea like hazelnut milk tea, the taste will be compensated with more hazelnut flavoured syrup

The prices of the drinks are quite affordable if you take the quality in consideration.

My personal favourites:

• Cacao Berry (Dark chocolate) with/without Ice Cream
• Oolong Milk Tea 
• Yakult Black Tea 

Rating: 8/10

Price: 6/10

Worth: 8.5/10

Credits to the owners of the pictures above.