BUBBLE TEA: Derrick Chen owner of the Bubble Tea Shop in Ruthven St Photo Peter Hardwick / The Chronicle Peter Hardwick
NOT many refer to Toowoomba as a small city but when you've grown up in the southern China province of Fujian - population 37 million - you can see what Derrick Chen means.
Mr Chen moved to the Garden City seven years ago to complete a business/administration degree at the University of Southern Queensland.
He liked what he saw and, having just opened a new business on Ruthven St in Toowoomba's CBD, he is more than happy in his new home town.
"I like Toowoomba because it's a smaller city and quieter than places like Brisbane and Sydney which have too much traffic," he said.
"There are too many people in the big cities, so I like it here with fewer people... and less (business) competition," he grinned.
Mr Chen realised a dream last week when he opened his Bubble Tea Cafe at the Ruthven St entrance to the Australia Arcade.
He believes his shop is the first bubble tea outlet on the Darling Downs.
"Bubble Tea comes from Taiwan and it is very popular in Taiwan and it is spreading across Asia.
"It is milk-based tea but made from a creamer, so if someone can't drink milk they can drink this.
"We have a lot of different flavours and have some cheesecakes to go with it.
"A lot of people walking past say 'what is bubble tea?' but some people have come in saying it's good that they can now get it here instead of having to drive to Brisbane or the coast."
Mr Chen did a course in making and serving bubble tea while still in mainland China but it's not the only piece of his home that he intends bringing to Toowoomba.
"I will be doing more Asian foods like Asian bakery food to bring into the shop," he said.
"When I can put on more staff, me and my wife will have the time to make Asian bakery things.
"It has a different taste and style to the bakeries here and I think people will like it."
While he misses a few things of China, Mr Chen said he was happy to make Toowoomba his home.
"When I first came here everything was opposite, driving on the other side of the road," he smiled.
"But I get used to different things quickly. I got my permanent residency two years ago and I'm happy to live here."
No comments:
Post a Comment