Last year, Japanese convenience store Lawson took on the challenge of creating a quality bubble tea which can be sold ready-made in their branches across the country, but will cost the customer no more than 100 yen.

It’s probably not the height of bubble tea luxury, but Lawson use authentic Assam tea leaves and they claim their chewy tapioca will stay fresh without hardening. They managed to debut this beverage in September for 108 yen (when including tax) which is about $1.02.

Now those who love both boba and a bargain will be spoilt for choice as Lawson expand their range to include the trendy ‘cheese tea’ beverage. Cheese and tea may seem like a strange combination, but the whipped cream cheese topping has become a hit among bubble tea fans.

Inspired by the much more expensive beverages found at cheese tea specialty stands in Japan, Lawson’s budget version boasts the same high quality Assam tea leaves and chewy tapioca balls as their other 100 yen milk tea offering, but with a cream cheese topping to balance out the sweet flavour.

Lawson’s super cheap boba offerings are only 180ml, compared to the larger amount you would get at a bubble tea specialist shop, but if you consider that some of these extravagant boba drinks go for 600 or 700 yen, it’s still a steal. If you want to grab one for yourself you can’t just stroll into any Lawson though, you’ll have to hunt down a Lawson 100 store.