TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Famous Taiwanese bubble tea shop Chen San Ding (陳三鼎青蛙撞奶) in Taipei is rumored to have closed permanently after a recent "cockroach" incident and allegations of tax evasion.
According to neighboring food vendors, the bubble tea shop across from National Taiwan University (NTU) has not opened for two weeks, and several netizens have claimed that they saw the owner moving equipment out of the store. As of Monday (Nov. 25), there have been no new updates on the official Chen San Ding Facebook page.
The NTU favorite has attracted bubble tea enthusiasts from all over the world and has been praised by local and international YouTubers for its fresh and savory ingredients. Last month, however, one couple discovered a cockroach in one of their beverages and said that the owner had offered them NT$1,000 in exchange for keeping the incident a secret, reported Liberty Times.
According to ETtoday, the popular drink shop has been more than once accused of tax evasion by the National Tax Administration of Northern Taiwan Province (NTBNA), forcing the store to eventually issue receipts to its customers. Chen San Ding has served as an iconic symbol of the Gongguan commercial district, and its closing would surely be a shock to many Taiwanese.
Cockroach found in Chen San Ding's bubble milk tea. (Facebook photo)