After strolling through Chinatown and the arcades we finally found the white rabbit ice cream. If you didn’t know, white rabbit is a milky flavoured candy most Asians would associate with their childhood. This dessert was not so much nostalgic but very yummy. The soft serve was milky and not too sweet but lacked creaminess. The pearls however were chewy and didn’t harden at all. Highly recommend trying it before it’s gone !
Milk tea here is really good (5 stars) but dessert quality has dropped (got big herbal jelly clumps with mini milk to put in myself). Fav milk tea is the Green tea milk tea with mini balls and herbal jelly. Mini balls is always a must here!
Very good waffle! Warm and crispy on the outside, soft in the inside. Strawberries were fresh and sweet. The ice cream quality was alright, but it was overall very delicious meal!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We were strolling around Chinatown looking for a nice and refreshing drink after dinner, and finally we decided on BlackBall. Though their stores are not as common as some other franchises such as Gong Cha or ChaTime, BlackBall still seems to be pretty popular as there’s always a queue every time we pass.
Along with serving bubble tea drinks, they also offer a range of Taiwanese desserts such as crushed ice, puddings, soups and even Qffles (chewy waffles). The venue is quite spacious, with plenty of seating. We decided just to get a couple of drinks to go - the 3Q Passion Fruit Green Tea and the Melon Lemon Tea with Ice Jelly (both at 30% sweetness level and standard ice). The passionfruit tea was quite pleasant and had a nice variety of textures from all the different ingredients. The winter melon tea was okay, the tea had a really strong roasted flavour and there was plenty of jelly. I really like how they’re very generous with all the toppings/ingredients.
Staff were also friendly and we were served relatively quickly. Will be back to try their desserts.
My favourite bubble milk tea place.
I travelled to Taiwan a few years ago and fell in love with the bubble milk tea there.
I've been a regular customer here since it opened a few years ago.
The pearls are sweet and chewy. You can choose the level of ice and sugar you desire.
I love the bubble tea here so much that I decided to order two drinks to go. One with 30% sugar and one with no sugar.
The shop is located in Chinatown in the Midcity Complex. It's close to all the shops and restaurants. Great place to have some Taiwanese desserts after dinner.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
A nice place to try Taiwanese bubble tea and desserts. I was quite surprised, puzzled at the dessert selections they have in Asian countries. Unlike the ice cream and other sugary desserts, these ones seemed very healthy and very less sugary. You can always choose the level of Ice and Sugar from the options displayed in front.
I am no expert in Asian desserts and I would love to know more. For writing this review, I have done some research and the studies amazed me. The Taro, Grass Jelly (made from the Chinese mesona), Sweet Potato ball and of course my favorite Black Pearls.
I and my friend reached this place 30 minutes before closing and we had a dessert and bubble tea. Unfortunately, they were running out of Black Pearls and I was pretty sad about it. Wish they have stocked more. The store ambiance is quite good and the staff (mainly Taiwanese) were quite friendly and happy to help me through the menu. There are enough seating options if you planning to visit with a group of friends. This place can be accessed both from the china town and the Bourke St. Would love to explore more of their delicious products.
If you’re after a grass jelly dessert, then this place is the real deal. The grass jelly itself had the perfect texture. It also had a good balance of “grass jelly” flavour, sweetness and lightness. The toppings were also good. I very much enjoyed the jelly custard. Massive thumbs up!
great place to catch up with friends and chill while you have your Asian dessert or bubble tea fix.
ordered:
trio bubble tea (grasss jelly, custard, pearls) $6.5
review:
great bubble tea high quality tea and pearls had good texture.
When you're alone but you want two flavours - Pudding milk tea and Fresh milk with grass jelly in a duo cup. Best decision ever made :) Love the fresh milk one ♡
Came here for the desserts and it was very busy. Had the matcha waffles with red bean and the shaved ice with grass jelly and others. Both dishes were great but ice cream could be creamier. Would definitely go back to try the milk tea
4.0
Blackball is a Taiwanese bubble tea store that sells drinks and asian desserts. Generous amount of seats and the drinks are great.
The brown sugar green milk tea has an aromatic scent and the brown sugar cubes are well made although some are cut too big to fit through the straw.
If you’re looking to chill in the CBD with your friends or your other half and it’s getting pretty late, this place is probably your best bet. I’ve found that this dessert store opens past midnight on weekends. Don’t expect wonderful service or anything and you’ll have a great experience. Just order your dessert and sit down at a table. You’ll have a device that buzzes when your food is ready to collect at the counter. Most of the desserts are nice. I usually stick to the safer options so I haven’t had a problem with any of them yet. **NOTE: Minimum spend of $5 per head for dine in during busy hours. EFTPOS minimum, $15.
I've been here once before for dessert and thought it was just okay. I've returned to give their bubble tea a whirl expecting it just to be average but I was pleasantly suprised! I got their signature milk tea to do a comparison with their competition but was taken aback by the flavour of grass jelly and I loved it! Sugar levels were not adjustable as I did want to reduce it down by 50% but it was fine as is. The pearls were of a good consistancy which gets my stamp of approval, not many places do.
Was this place a fluke? I'm not sure if I'll be getting anything other than their signature milk tea!
Super generous amount of pearls!! My top 3 picks are boba milk tea, 3Q cranberry and winter melon lemon juice. Might not be the best in town but can satisfy your craving for milk tea with reasonable price. There is only 1 size for all drink and they only accept cash which is a big minus.
Build your own dessert! Grass jelly + Coco jelly + Icecream is awesome. The Milk tea is pretty average. We usually go here for the dessert build, otherwise there are other places that do better bubble tea.
This place is pretty chill, a cool hang out place in China town.
Don't really expect much from service, sort of like a fast food style dessert place.
The best milk tea i’ve tried in the past 6 month!! Love the grass jelly and popping mango pearls ❤️❤️ I had taro milk tea with no ice, normal sugar level with grass jelly and mango popping pearls❤️❤️
It was good when there is not much competition in Melbourne. However, their artificial ingredients and milk powder drinks will looks bit low end after so many bubble tea shop came from all over the world. Anyway, I was had some good time there.
You will be asked how much suger and ice you want. I chose no ice and 30% suger, but 50% suger might be better for me. Fresh, tasty milk parl tea.
We’ve been here multiple times and I always get my favourite 3Q Cranberry Lemon. One of the best drink available. It’s got everything and I don’t need to add anything to it. Plus they make it how I like with “no sugar and no ice”. I always buy this drink when we are in the area.
Working late meant that I should "ideally" treat myself to a warm cup of tea or coffee that will fuel me until the end of my shift. Having brought in a cup of bubble tea from Chatime one day, a colleague commented that she preferred the bubble teas from Blackball which then stirred my curiousity. As a once off, I treated myself to a cup of bubble tea post work and was impressed at how flavourful it was aka right depth of infused tea and perfect amount of sweetness. Moving forth, I dragged my siblings here after dinner.
I'm not a milk tea addict, so I've no idea how good a milk tea will be. But I tried BlackBall milk tea, not remember the name but I asked the staff the best seller there, also ordered a salted waffle. They're all good in my point. 👍🏻 Unfortunately, the waffle was kind of costly because it's really small and you only need 2 times to swallow at all. -1 star. 😾
Come here every week lately. Good for quick cheap desserts and milk teas. Love their mango smoothie and taro milk smoothie. The sizes is pretty generous and there plenty of set around to enjoy if you want to eat in and you don't need to share table like other place like dessert story.
You must order from the front and when the dessert is ready, you must get the desserts or drink yourself. 😀
Stopped by for a late night dessert and I ordered the Jiu Fen taro ball crushed ice. It was good and refreshing. I like that the taro balls nice and chewy. I wouldn't mind returning to try the bubble teas that they have.
I have tried all bubble tea chain stores in Melbourne and this is by far the best. It appears the ingredients they use is more authentic such as using real milk instead of powder that is used at other stores and the serving size and price is more generous too. Wish they had one closer to where I live
Favourite go to place for taro balls. Don't go anywhere else! This is the place... the Taro Q is amazing. They make it themselves. The heart shaped Taro balls with filling inside is also so great. Only downside is I wish the milk poured over was a thicker sort of cream.
Blackball is the place to go for their signature qaffles and iced jelly deserts. Beware as there's often a long queue and some waiting. Waffles are nicely done, light and springy. The iced desserts are refreshing and delicious. Service is a little hit or miss due to language barriers
Verdict: black pearl
cheap waffles !! fast and friendly service and the half and half boba choice was so good ahahaha it's really different however the choice of flavours weren't so good... the cranberry tea goes alright !
Fantastic bubble tea. Loved how you could choose the sweetness and temperature. Highly recommend the milk boba tea! Great service with reasonable prices. Wonderful after lunch in China Town!
Find us on instagram: loveatfirstbite_aus
Stumbled upon this great little Asian dessert place in the Melbourne CBD and tried their cookies and cream ice cream and waffles, not expecting much but they were amazing! Made fresh and the dough was still warm and slightly gooey, just the way we like it. Great value for money!
I tried the pineapple smoothie here. It was deliciously sweet and a great portion for $5.90. I'll definitely go again to try other flavour combinations & the duo cup.
A must try dessert shop in town! The taro balls and pearls are just so chewy, and the custard pudding i just can't!! This all-in-one bowl is my to go to dessert whenever i'm in town.
I found blackball to be one of the better dessert store. Had milk tea with pearls. Friend got a mixture of pearls and grass jelly with milk tea. Price is reasonable. And there are ample space to sit and chat while drinking.
All round good experience, cash only is a bit of a pain in the butt though, even if there is an ATM nearby - we shouldn't have to pay a fee if we don't bank with the banks the supply the ATM just to get our waffles. Also, some rude patrons really should have been told to keep it down.
maciaslifestyle.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/blackball-melbourne-cbd/
Charlie Daniels (Curious Charlie)
+4
We discovered this place while searching for those custard balls further towards the end of the arcade, Little Bourke end. BlackBall isn't very English friendly... so we haven't been back. There's a $2.80 takeaway waffle offer, a plain one. Crispy and airy it was awesome! Needs more icing sugar, though a light drizzle of salted c or Nutella would work too. A waffle like no other we loved it!Come for the light and airy takeaway waffles!
Good place for after dinner Asian drinks and dessert. Large range of bubble teas for under $6. Desserts with grass jelly/taro etc in the bowls are around $8 and yummy. A little bigger and this joint would be a 5/5!
Strongly recommended! It taste better than any other milk tea in Ct. Nice milk tea and the melon tea is soooo special as it put lemon on it and mix the sweet flavor
Quite decent place to have dessert. Boba and waffle is quite average. Waffle is quite bland unfortunately but on a plus side it's cheap and affordable.
Ordered the Taro Milk smoothie and was pleasantly surprised - it actually tasted and looked like the real root vegetable and not artificial like a lot of other bubble tea vendors.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Browsing through my entertainment book i spotted a buy 1 get 1 free deal for blackball Melb which is located in chinatown opposite bubble cup.
Service was efficient and pleasant. Numbering ordering system which took less then 5mins before your order is up.
I got 2 of the cold grass jelly option takeaway. The free one is actually in a smaller bowl but she didn't charge me for the toppings that was considered "extra 50cent-$1" so im not going to complain.
Not as much topping options available in the mix and match component compare to asia but good enough when the craving hits!! First mix i went for some extra grass jelly (cold option includes grass jelly), taro heart, coco jelly and caramel pudding. Second mix i went for the purple bean heart, coco jelly, pearls and icy jelly. Everything was great! The icy jelly was a bit too sweet for me - the lil milk tub did help with that and there isn't enough of the hearts! Only got 2 in each!
Overall a nice lil joint for desserts. Will come back to try other specialities...!
I tried their black glutinous rice soup with red bean. It was pretty tasty, but it's nowhere near as good as the ones you get in Asia. It'll still hit the spot for when those Asian dessert cravings hit, though.
BlackBall is my all time favourite Taiwanese dessert place! They honestly make the best boba (tapioca/pearls) it's so soft and perfect. I love thier boba milk tea, it's so good!!! Other boba joints ain't got nothing on BlackBalls. Their cranberry lemon tea is also bomb! There's one female worker who makes the best drinks, but I don't know her name.
The workers have bad customer service skills, but I go there for the boba milk tea.
Love this outlet where you can chill and enjoy your desserts. Our favourites are their signature mix of taro balls, sweet potato, grass jelly, red bean where you can choose the temperature level - hot, warm,cold, icy. They also have refreshing drinks - loved the plum drink, herbal drink, lemon melon, qq passionfruit.
Decent drinks and desserts of the Asian style, but the biggest plus is that you can actually sit down and enjoy your purchases. Desserts are not as good as Dessert Story, but the place is a lot nicer and cleaner to relax in.BlackBall Signature ~ $6 Taro balls, Red Bean, Sweet Potato Balls on Grass Jelly
Decent drinks and desserts of the Asian style, but the biggest plus is that you can actually sit down and enjoy your purchases. Desserts are not as good as that of Dessert Story, but the place is a lot nicer and cleaner to relax in.
Beautiful authentic desserts, will be coming back for more next time I'm in Melbourne. Very friendly service too and nice n comfy, nice feel to it .
Refreshing break. I've been here a few times and enjoyed their drinks. A nice place in china town to kick up your feet and recharge the batteries with a refreshing drink. The frothy topped drinks a surprisingly nice.
As good as Taiwan!. I got back from a trip to Taipei about 3 months ago. Since then, I found BlackBall here in the cbd and have been going there for my Taiwanese desserts fix!
The potato balls and yam things are just so rich in their natural vegetable flavour just like the BlackBall shops in Taipei! Love their teas too. My partner loves their Boba milk tea but I have a sweet spot for their grass jelly milk tea. Best thing is, like Taiwan, they allow us to tell how sweet we want it (good for dieting after an overseas trip eating out all the time)!
I like this place the dess.... I like this place
the dessert I reckon is prettt authentic
it s much better than alot of dessert place in the city.
Try the signature dessert which is good
The best dessert place. Move over Meet Fresh and Dessert Story. The new Dessert Queen is in town and Blackball earns it with freshness and quality of their produce. The signature blackball icy dessert is a clear winner.
Preferred over dessert story and meet fresh! Great service (never been asked is that sweet enough for your bubble tea) . Asked for more ice and they were happy to top it up and reseal the drink. Got the speciality dessert which was good as well. Will def return to try mango ice dessert
I agree with the other review. This place has the best grass jelly in Melbourne. And the tea drink has no after taste or bitterness to it. Hence a very refreshing drink that I can completely consume unlike others that I can only drink halfway because of strong tea flavour and quite solid squarish grass jelly that can't pass through the straw. What were they thinking ? Blackball got it right. Love it.
My new favourite. I must say I am now addicted to this new dessert store in Chinatown. I have been there three times in the past fortnight. The signature blackball dish and the various shaved ice desserts are absolutely to die for! I am also in love with the ice milk tea with grass jelly. The portion size is HUGE! If you are looking for QUALITY desserts and value for money this place is simply unbeatable.
LOVE SWEET TREATS 🍧
Blackball is located just off bourke street. Great lil spot for some chinese desserts. 👌
Service was fast.
Food was prepared quick.
Open to 12am on friday night which is great.
Matcha shaved ice was awsome! Not too sweet or strong and a great size serving which i love.
The strawberry waffle was very delicious as well. Just wished it had more strawberries on it 🍓
Fairly well priced for the serving sizes.
Great selection of treats.
Would recommend and rerurn.
![5]( "Recensione")
LOVE. THIS. PLACE.
As a Taiwanese I can safely recommend this w confidence to other Taiwanese folks visiting from Bris or Syd and after some good legit Taiwanese dessert- look nowhere else, do yourself a favour and get the signature bowl.
Please never close.
Favourite place in Melbourne alongside Hector’s deli that I tried on this trip- was so good I had to go back daily. If you’re Taiwanese and after some legit, fresh taro/sweet potato or yam QQ balls with grass jelly and shaved grass jelly- THIS IS IT.
Forget about meet freshman black ball is so good.
Pearls are cooked well, not too chewy but also not over cooked. Usually I hate red bean in dessert places as most places use gross premade canned or packaged stuff but their red bean was good! Not too sweet which is so important.
The numerous kinds of QQs in their signature one is great! I loved it w the shaved grass jelly ice option so so yummy just like in taiwan!
Just love the signature one here so much, please come open a black ball in Brisbane we desperately need a good Taiwanese dessert shop.
Grass jelly milk tea was also yummmm, flavour of the tea was roasted and strong just like how I like it. Cannot fault this place
Amazing milk tea hot pot! The best enjoy dessert place for sisters after dinner. My no.1 is taro balls and the milk tea also tastes good won’t be too sweet. But in the end I recommend to buy one more tea for take away. That will be more comfortable to the throat.
I was very shocked with the presentation of my mix and match dessert. It’s totally different (nearly unacceptable with this kind of presentation) from the photo menu. However the taste is good and consistently. The store and cutlery are clean. Overall is excellent, taste is good, quality is remained unchanged, sadly only the presentation is very shocked.
Finally got to try the milk tea hotpot. Decent amount for 2 persons with generous toppings. Wish they came with small candle as advertised so it kept the "broth" warm.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes