It’s quite shocking: a busy neighbourhood like Mont Kiara and there was only a TeaLive filling the boba bubble? A new tea shop has opened on the ground floor of 163 Retail Park, breaking into Mont Kiara’s relatively untapped tea market. This new chain, whimsically named Don’t Yell At Me, is the boba business venture of doe-eyed Taiwanese popstar, Yako Chan.

Ambience & Amenities

Once you’ve passed the ordering counter and venture into the seating area, it’s as if you’ve wandered into a contemporary art installation. Sapling trunks extend up to the ceiling, which is accented with ribbons to distract from the ugly pipes and metal that is typical of ceilings. The colour scheme is white on white, with only red and pink pillows to keep it from being totally monochrome. On the back wall is the chain’s name, illuminated by fluorescent lights, and the spot where you pose with your freshly made drink.

This seating area was designed with solo visitors in mind, with about half being the perfect “table for one” size. The seating itself is interesting. Some of the chairs have metal backs and some don’t. If you combine the two different chairs, you can create a lounger-type seat and put your feet up!

Menu

Click on menu picture to enlarge

Don’t Yell At Me is a tea shop, not a boba tea joint. There is the requisite brown sugar pearl milk on the menu (because, honestly, if you don’t offer that, what are you even doing in KL?) but the rest of the offerings are unique fusions with more emphasis on the tea aspect. There’s a mix of traditional teas, richer milk teas, carbonated drinks, coffees, and even chocolate milk. You can customise the ice and sugar levels, and add as many toppings as you like to anything.

Drinks

The Winter Melon Chrysanthemum (RM8.90M/RM9.90L) arrives unblended and has actual chrysanthemum flowers in the cup. After mixing the sugar, this is a refreshing thirst quencher. However, as someone used to Gong Cha’s winter melon tea with the buttery foam, this version tastes rather plain, especially if you don’t get any toppings.

The Black Sesame Milk (RM12.90M/RM13.90L) has a layer of black speckled foam resting on top. It was indulgently sweet with authentic black sesame flavour – even that characteristic grit was present throughout the cup. I also added Sweet Potato & Taro Balls (+RM2.50), which were pleasantly chewy and the size and shape of sweet corn kernels. In a boldly flavoured drink such as this, you can’t really taste the sweet potato or even the usually distinct taro much. Save this topping for when you order a simpler drink from the “old master formula” category.

Saturday Worthy?

I’m not used to drink shops being so bossy, but Don’t Yell At Me is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood, in my opinion. This is a cosy place to hang out and their drinks are creative enough to set them apart from the few tea shops that already exist close by.

Price for 2 Pax: RM24.30

Winter Melon Chrysanthemum – Medium: RM8.90
Black Sesame Milk – Medium: RM12.90
Sweet Potato & Taro Balls: RM2.50

Don’t Yell At Me

GF-07A (ground floor), 163 Retail Park, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Daily, 10am–10pm