I rarely use "hidden gem" to describe a restaurant or store, but I think Now Tea is a true hidden gem for bubble tea and coffee. Commerce Gate is famous for being packed with countless bubble tea shops. Most are famous franchises, such as Chatime, CoCo, Tiger Sugar, Yoyo , etc. Now Tea seems so different among them. I had never seen this store before visiting Commerce Gate. After Googling it, I found that it is also a franchise, but it operates only in Ontario, with three stores in total. Being low-profile alone does not qualify it as a hidden gem. That just means it does not spend much on marketing. What really impressed me was the flavour of its bubble tea. We tried the Milk Green Tea and Milk TieGuanYin, both with bubbles. The tea flavour was strong and full of the unique aromas of green and oolong tea, but it was also smooth going down. The bubbles had been boiled for the perfect amount of time: not so briefly that they had hard centres and not so long that they became too soft. They were very chewy, among the best bubbles I have ever had. The inside of the tea shop is spacious and has plenty of tables and seats. The lighting is bright, and I always see customers working or studying there. Other tea shops usually have very few seats and dim lighting; basically, they do not want to give you a Starbucks vibe and let you sit for too long. Another interesting fact: if you come to Commerce Gate early in the morning, before 11:00, Now Tea is the only tea shop that is open because it also serves coffee. The drinks are also less expensive than those at more famous brands. I guess they save a lot of money on marketing: lower prices and higher quality. I tried this store for the first time this week, and we have already been here three times. As a tea lover, I ask everyone reading this review: you must come here and try their drinks! read more

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Reviewing 2oz of Coffee (located inside Now Tea) This coffee counter is known for doubling up their espresso shots in their lattes, so get ready to be well caffeinated. I arrived right when they opened, and there were already a few people waiting in line. The menu is small & curated, focusing more on the coffee than specialty flavours. However, they do have a good selection of flavoured lattes. I wasn't able to see which beans they used for the espresso, but overall, their roast seems to be a bit darker/stronger, which balances out a sweeter latte well. I tried the iced biscoff and pistachio lattes. The biscoff is slightly sweeter and nuttier - definitely my fave of the two. The pistachio latte, in contrast, was disappointing. It was $1 more than the biscoff latte, looked nothing like the photo on the counter, and didn't taste much of pistachio at all. Although it looks like a separate counter, I realized that you can order drinks from either "shop" from their one main counter. I also found it a bit confusing to figure out the hours of operation, as Google said 2oz of Coffee opens at 11am, but the Now Tea shop isn't open until 12pm. read more

Now Tea - 2oz of coffee counter - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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First time trying this and I was extremely impressed. The interior has amazing decoration to it! The service was great, she was very patient with us as we were trying to figure out what to get. The drinks were perfect, exactly as ordered and the tapioca was good! Definitely coming back here! read more

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Family really enjoyed the tea here. Theres a lot of choice, including several options that we have not seen before. Prices are a little lower than the other tea places. There's a few tables. They were all occupied when we visited late Friday night. The toughest thing about Now is that the plaza is super busy, so parking can be a challenge. There is more available in the underground lot. read more

Walked in and it was fairly empty. The menu was vast and the service was fast. The ambiance is nice open cafe with bright backgrounds to compliment. Opted for the basic milk tea, and unfortunately just tasted like luke warm tea with a slight sweetness. The brown sugar comes from the pearls and so it needed to sit in it to get the flavor. A bit lacking unfortunately read more

During my recent visit to Toronto, Now Tea pleasantly surprised me as one of the few boba tea shops open late on a weeknight. The accessibility and convenience were definite draws, but what truly impressed me was the overall experience. Now Tea boasts an extensive menu with a plethora of drink options to satisfy any craving. What stood out was the reasonable pricing, making it affordable without compromising on quality. My got the Now Tea Trio (Milk tea with boba, agar jelly, and grass jelly), perfectly sweetened to my preference, surpassed my expectations in taste and freshness. Did not have an artificial flavor and I could taste the tea, which is what I look for. The boba pearls were also cooked perfectly, and it was consistent the 3 times I've gone. My friends ordered the passionfruit qq and wintermelon milk foam, they also enjoyed their drink choices. The interior had a good amount of seating space, good for groups. The inviting atmosphere coupled with friendly service made my visit all the more enjoyable. Whether you're a local or a visitor, I highly recommend stopping by! read more

Now Tea - Now tea trio, passionfruit qq, wintermelon milk foam. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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Now Tea never misses with its bubble tea, and I find myself going back for the Hojicha Red Bean Milk Tea with tapioca again and again. It's a decent spot to do some work as well if you don't mind sitting in chairs instead of booth seating. The service is quick and simple, and you get your drink quickly. If you're going for takeout, the wait certainly won't be long! read more

3.5 STARS Came here for girls night with two others. Drinks were okay, I ordered the fruit tea, and it was refreshing with a grapefruit aftertaste. I had a scary situation happened to me this last weekend. Please be careful if you notice people/person who do not buy anything and just sit there by the door and just stare at you. As I was leaving, that person tried to swing her bag at my belly and I am 8 months pregnant, thank god she missed. No cops were called and I think they kicked her out, but I am not sure as I was too scared and shocked to stay around. read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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Wonderful bubble tea spot! Now Tea has a cozy atmosphere with plenty of seating all around to hang out. They either play Mandopop jams or they have upbeat EDM, which are all quite nice. If you're looking to study, definitely have some noise canceling headphones/earbuds though. The inside is actually very warm/humid, more that any regular restaurant or shop--which is very unexpected (especially in the winter). I haven't been here in the summer, so I wouldn't be able to tell you how the temperature changes it, but they are blasting that heat in the winter for sure. The staff are all polite and pretty chill. They are studying or playing on their phones during downtimes, but immediately get up for service if there are customers. The drinks are pretty good overall. One of the rare few places that carry hojicha, which I'm happy about! Oolongs are always a good choice and they are pretty good quality. I recommend going for 50% sugar ideally for all drinks, as 25% actually feels like too little. Sometimes the low sugar levels can impact the taste of the tea, as was the case for when I got the hojicha tea latte. The hojicha at 25% sugar tasted kinda watery, while 50% was much better. It's possible it may have just been the day I got the 25% they added less hojicha, but I'm not going to risk it haha The bubble tea here hasn't gotten price hiked as much as your Cocos or Chatimes, floating around $5 for regular sized drinks, $6 for large. Definitely recommend dropping by for a great hangout spot with fairly priced drinks! read more

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Part 3 of many in my series called eating through the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) TL DR: Friendly staff and opened later than other boba places. This review is for the commerce gate location. A standard milk tea establishment. More environmentally conscious - use of paper straws. Price on par with competitors. Pros: The establishment is really clean. You're welcomed by friendly staff. Later evening hours. Great place to hang out with friends or do work. Now the drinks themselves. A) The milk tea itself is fine. It is not something that mind blowing or game changing. The boba was cooked well and seemed fresh. The quality of the milk tea was really standard amongst what you'd expect from most boba places in the GTA. B) The lychee oolong tea was better in my opinion. The perfect balance of sweetness and tea. You're able to customize drink according to varying levels of sweetness and I found that 25% sweetness was plenty. If you're looking for late night milk tea establishment this could be a place to try. Is it going to be the best milk tea you've ever had or be the game changer? No...But is it something that can satisfy a craving. If I could provide 3.5 stars I would but I rounded them up to 4 for the cleanliness and friendly staff. read more

Now Tea - Pearl Milk tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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With the many bubble tea shops at commerce gate, Now Tea was one of the only shops with indoor seating. It was my first time ordering from Now Tea so I asked the tea-rista what they recommend and what their top drinks are. She asked me if I liked milk tea or green tea, and I chose milk tea. She then recommend their classic pearl milk tea or their tieguanyin milk tea. I chose the pearl milk tea with 50% sugar once again to compare this place's standard milk tea to other bubble tea shops. I was overall satisfied with the drink. They used a black tea base and the drink had a subtle but strong tea flavor. I usually order my bubble tea with 30-50% sugar and I thought 50% was on the sweeter side, so I'll definitely get 30% next time. The pearls were soft, chewy, not too sweet and complemented the drink. I don't have any negative things to say about this drink, however nothing blew me away. I do however like the aesthetic packaging and the interior of the shop. It was also unexpected that they had their soft opening so I received 15% off. read more

Now Tea - Pearl milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Checked out this new bubble tea place at Commerce Gate. The outside looks a little sketch cause there's no sign. They're waiting for the permit to put the sign up. They currently have their soft opening promo of 15% off. We tried the strawberry milk foam drink with 75% sugar and the white peach milk foam slush with 25% sugar. Both were delicious! The flavour is very strong and true to taste. Service is excellent. Very friendly and fast. Love discovering new boba shops, especially good ones! Definitely will be back to try their other drinks. read more

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New tea shop at commerce gate! Tried their trio milk tea (grass jelly, brown sugar tapioca, and agar jelly) and their rose oolong tea with agar bubbles (+0.80). The milk tea base has a pretty good flavour but even with slight sugar a bit on the sweeter side. The tapioca is done well! The rose oolong yessssss. Finally a rose oolong where I can taste the oolong! The rose is not too strong or sweet but definitely a bit more than just subtle. The agar bubbles are good too. Will come back and try other drinks for sure :) read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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Cute shop and great service. Loved the extensive menu. Went for a relatively standard drink, and they delivered! The taro balls were fresh, chewy, and soft, and so were the boba. read more

Now Tea - Duo - taro and boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

This is located in commerce gate along with many other bbt spots. Love the strawberry smoothie, it's blended with real strawberries. I get it with low sugar. Tapioca is nice and chewy. It's quite spacious inside with many tables to sit down. read more

Now Tea - Strawberry smoothie - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Now Tea Ratings: 4.1/5 Food: 4/5 - Decided to get boba after dinner at the Commerce Gate, and there's a bunch of boba shop in this plaza. I think Now Tea is a local shop, so wanted to try if it's any good. The drinks were solid and pretty good quality, on par compared to the other big boba chains. See the description of the drink I got below. - Roasted TieGuanYin Tea [GET]: I wanted something refreshing after dinner, so got a TieGuanYin with no sugar and herbal jelly as my topping. The tea flavor is strong, and definitely roasted for a long time. The herbal jelly was bouncy, had a nice texture, and loved that it added a hint of sweetness to my tea. They are generous with the portion of their toppings, and I almost had herbal jelly in each of my sips. Ambiance: 4.25/5 - Another cute boba shop. The interior is kind of dark, dimly-lit, clean and spacious. There's a lot of seating available, and board games too located on a shelf at the corner of the store. The ambiance was chill and calm, very quiet. There's the typical throwback Chinese music in the background. Love the cute wall stickers as well. Price: 4/5 - The medium size roasted TieGuanYin tea was around $5 after tax. The grass jelly was an additional $0.50, and some are extra for more premium toppings just depends on what you want. Service: 4/5 - The staff there was enthusiastic and friendly. I wanted something with less caffeine, but still wanted tea, so she was able to explain the differences between the teas to me patiently. She was energetic and kind, didn't rushed me to make a decision despite there's other customers waiting behind me. The packaging was cute and the drink came out fairly quick too! BLUF: Many boba places at Commerce Gate, but Now Tea is one of the few boba shops that has a nice sitting area inside and open fairly later in the night. There are a ton of unique drink options on the menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try their milk tea and bubbles next time before I leave Toronto. read more

Now Tea - Roasted TieGuanYin Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

This is definitely one of my go to bubble tea spots. It's one of the best in my opinion with multiple options and toppings. There are plenty of tables if you want to sit in and enjoy the cafe. I typically get their now tea trio because of the toppings it includes. I also really like the flavour of the tea. read more

I first heard of Now Tea from their Waterloo location. My friends are obsessed with their drinks. When I heard they had a new location at Commerce Gate, I was ecstatic. Commerce Gate has SOOO many options that you will definitely find the right place for you. Drinks pictured above: Fresh Strawberry Slush with Cheese Foam (8.3/10) - This seasonal drink is honestly a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed how the slush included fresh strawberries inside which made me feel like I was drinking a strawberry smoothie. The milk foam on top added an extra layer which made it taste like a strawberry shortcake. Sometimes, fruit slushes may be too icy but this was a good texture as it was a mix between tea and juice. There was still a subtle tea flavour in the drink which I thoroughly enjoyed. This reminded me a lot of Hey Tea from Asia which is SUPER popular for their fresh fruit slushes. I recommend getting 50% sugar. TieGuanYin Milk Tea (7.5/10) - The drink itself was average, but I wouldn't say I was disappointed. I just wished that there was a stronger tea flavour in comprasion to the milk flavour. The tapioca was spot on, soft and chewy. Some bubble tea places make their tapioca too HARD or too SOFT, but this was just right. read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Yes, a NEW bubble tea shop in Commerce Gate! I stumbled across this spot during their soft opening and decided to check it out Left - Hojicha Milk Tea with Grass Jelly Right - Black Tea Latte with Pearls Fun Fact: haven't had bbt in a while until the past Friday! read more

Now Tea - Left - Hojicha Milk Tea with Grass Jelly Right - Black Tea Latte with Pearls - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Another day, another bubble tea shop established in the hub of Commerce Gate, with Now Tea replacing the plot that was once held by Feng Cha. For their soft opening right now, they are offering a 15% discount on their drinks - it's the best time to give it a shot while the discount lasts. As with tradition, I always get the milk tea as the standard measurement to gauge a new bubble tea experience. The milk tea itself is fragrant and quite pleasant if you enjoy floral notes in your drinks. However, it definitely lacks the bold tea notes that I've come to expect in my milk tea beverages. The tapioca pearls are on the chewier side if that's your jam. Overall, while not a bad drink at all, it's definitely nothing to write home about either. Now Tea features biodegradable paper straws, but maintains plastic containers and packaging in addition to a singular disposal bin for all waste. The virtue signaling is there but branding could be fleshed out further if being environmentally friendly is what they're going for. Congratulations Now Tea on your soft opening! read more

Now Tea - Matcha Cheese Foam (Left) Pearl Milk Tea (Right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Love this place!! My top bubble tea place compared to the many others for their variety, fresh toppings and flavorful tea. read more

Now Tea - Fresh toppings with good portions and tea is flavorful. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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Gave this place a try during their soft opening and it was quite decent! Got their oolong Milk tea and it was creamy but you can also taste the tea as well! Would definitely visit again to try their other menu items. Their service is also very friendly! read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

I'm always on the search for a new bubble tea shop and I think I found my favourite yet here at Now Tea. They have so many items on their menus them at I will eventually try. I have only been here two times and each time I have not been disappointed. I have tried the following: Purple Rice Oat Latte and Rose Oolong Milk Tea, both cold. The Purple Rice Oat Latte is my favourite so far. I loved the taste and the fact that there was pieces of purple rice inside. It was something new and interesting m. I'm so glad I ordered it. It had a distinctive delicious taste. The whole thing worked magically together. The Rose oolong Milk Tea was fantastic as well. The rose tea had strong yet delicate Rose taste. The service is quick especially given the fact that this place was super busy. The staff taking orders were wonderful each time and always smiling. They were super friendly, patient and helpful. Never made me feel like I was being rushed or inconveniencing them with my questions. I like the set up in this place. The digital screens and menu boards are visibly large. The place isn't small but seems that way because of the amount of people inside. They have plenty enough tables and seat. I enjoyed the fact that they had board games and chess/checker boards. Nice atmosphere and place to sit, chat and play. read more

My friends and I came here for a pitstop before dinner. They have a couple tables for you to sit and dine in. There were bathrooms available here as well. I came to try out their Hojicha Tea Float which had vanilla ice cream in it. It was so delicious. I wish I got the larger sizer. We sat there for a while and had water as well. The staff were all very kind and very accommodating the whole time we were there. read more

Now Tea - Hojicha Tea Float - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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Well priced drinks and a very large space to chill. Place follows covid 19 restrictions and overall good vibes read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

They are doing soft opening now with 15%, come try this place out!! We ordered the white peach tea and strawberry tea with milk foam. I liked that the tea was slushy and just enough sweetness at 50%. Will come back to try otber drinks. read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Really impressed with the bubble tea at Now Tea, located in the Commerce Gate plaza. For a plaza with tons of bubble tea options, this is my now favorite go to. I ordered the now tea trio which consists of milk tea and tapioca, grass jelly and coffee jelly. It's probably the best bubble tea I've ever had. Tapioca had a brown sugar taste that'd just the right consistency. The milk tea is strong and together with the brown sugar infused toppings, it's a winner. read more

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Newly opened boba shop where Feng Cha used to be and they're offering 15% off for their soft opening! We got the large honey lemon with aloe for $5.50 and were pleasantly surprised by how concentrated and fresh it tasted. Definitely a new go-to boba shop for us! read more

Now Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Excellent bubbletea. I ordered the milk foam peach slush and the osmanthus oolong tea. They used a whole fresh peach in the drink which made it taste really refreshing. For the oolong tea, the tea was fragrant but not overly bitter. read more