We decided to drop by Bubblelement, a quaint and quirky little space with a focus on bubble tea located next to The Boulevard on Queens Road. Bubblelement started off in Galle and only expanded to Colombo recently, and were already in operation for over a week when we visited. 

The first thing that will catch your eye when you walk into Bubblelement is the decor. Quirky pieces of ornamentation adorn the counters, tables and the walls, and a mix of pastel shades and earthy tones in terms of the decor balance out to give off a fun and fresh vibe. 

Bubblelement has a decent selection of bubble teas on their menu. For those of you not in the know, bubble tea (also known as boba) is a popular East Asian drink that's - you guessed it - tea based and contains “bubbles” that are actually chewy tapioca balls. 

We started off with the Lychee drink and picked mango pearls from a choice of mango, passion and strawberry. The lychee flavour stood out and worked perfectly with the mango juice balls that popped in the mouth infusing an interesting dimension to the drink. So this was an absolute win for us! 

The violet hued Taro bubble tea came highly recommended so we decided to give it a shot, although we were initially a tad apprehensive. Taro is a starchy root vegetable, which doesn't really sound very appetizing. And not having tried this particular flavour before, we weren't sure what to expect. Boy were we thoroughly surprised. This thick concoction, paired with the chewy tapioca balls was actually quite tasty, and we could see the allure. Both drinks came in mason jar mugs with thick straws. The teas were presented either in dark wooden boards or on wooden canoes. 

Although Bubblelement is focused on bubble teas, they also have a range of paninis on offer. We picked the Chicken Alfredo panini which came in a large portion, perfectly crisp with a generous filling of succulent chicken. Although the presentation for this was extremely minimalistic, the taste and the quantity more than made up for it. 

Bubblelement is a fun place to hangout with your buddies and has a perfect Instragrammable interior. It tends to get really crowded though, so seating is not always guaranteed, especially because it's a small space. The staff are great - very friendly and helpful - and will patiently explain should you have any questions. They do not have credit card facilities at the moment, so they only accept cash. 

Food: 4.75/5 
Ambience: 5/5 
Value for money: 4.5/5 

Bubblelement is located at 33, Queens Road, Colombo 3 and are open from 10am to 8pm on weekdays and from 10am to 10pm on weekends. 

Reviewed by Rihaab Mowlana 
Photographs by Pradeep Dilrukshana