Forget cold-brew coffee. Bubble tea is quickly becoming New York City’s “it” drink.

A growing number of shops specializing in the Asian favorite, which combines tea with tapioca pearls (or bubbles or boba, as they are called), are opening throughout the metropolitan region. Major chains are expanding, while newer brands are starting up or finding their way into the market from other locales.

In the process, the drink is undergoing a transformation. Bubble tea now comes in countless variations, including versions topped with cream cheese or a foamy “milk cap” or flavored with a syrup of brown sugar. The drink is also often offered with customizable options, including varying the amounts of ice or sugar or even picking types of bubbles beyond the tapioca ones.

Kung Fu Tea, a New York City-based chain that has locations throughout the world, estimates that when all the variations are added up, it offers more than 3,000 drink possibilities. The chain, which added five new stores in the metro area this year for a total of 43 throughout New York and New Jersey, also offers drinks without tea.

“You can even get coffee,” said Mai Shi, a Kung Fu Tea spokeswoman. (And, yes, you can add bubbles to your coffee, Ms. Shi noted.)