A lot of bubble tea shops sudden appeared in the Vancouver food scene in 2019. Many of them use strange names to create a theme or to capture the customer’s attention. I am guilty of making fun of “Comebuy” bubble tea ever since the first time I saw them. I also have purposely steered away from them because I don’t like to be told what to do. Today, I finally decided to give them a try and they are better than I’ve expected. The Comebuy Bubble Tea Franchise location I’ve visited is the one at Crystal Mall in Burnaby.
Strength: Tapica pearls have a good crisp chewiness
Weakness: My milk tea was put into the blender for some odd reason
Other Bubble Tea Shops
- Coco fresh tea and juice (4 Stars)
- Share Tea (4.5 Stars)
- Chatime (4.5 Stars)
- Hanlin Tea House (5 Stars)
Comebuy Logo
Comebuy has a colorful logo with lots of different sizes of circles. It’s a beautiful logo, but somehow they don’t put it where customers can see.
Entrance near the internal courtyard of Crystal Mall
This Comebuy is located in the internal ally outside of Crystal mall. The storefront has a weird layout where there’s a column in front, and the recessed storefront is not very noticeable. With the new YiFang near the entrance of the ally, Comebuy might have a hard time surviving.
Small space inside
The customer seating area is very limited in Comebuy. There are approximately only 8 seats inside. I suspect most of the foot traffic grab a drink to go into Crystal Mall to enjoy.
Busy looking staff area
The staff area looks very busy. There is not much empty space either on the counter or on the shelf. I see many types of tea being showcased on the shelves on the right, and the machines seem to be grouped on the left. To my surprise, my milk tea was put in the blender before they are served to me.
Customization
Almost all bubble tea shops have the ability to customize the ice and sugar level. Comebuy also offers many varieties of toppings. I admire them for asking the customer’s feedback if the drink is not perfect.
Roasted oolong latte with pearls $6.20
When I asked the staff to make milk te out of the roasted oolong tea, she told me they can only make it roasted oolong tea latte. The difference is tea latte uses fresh milk. There are 2 things I learned from that statement, first being their milk tea is made with the milk powder, second being my drink cost $6.20 because of the fresh milk. My drink has a very distinct scent of oolong tea. The milk feels watery, not rich milk served in Xing Fu Tang or Weekend Tea. I prefer the watery milk because I won’t feel thirsty after. The pearls are also very enjoyable. They are chewy with a crisp finish.
604 Food Critic Assessment
Comebuy’s fresh milk tea costs $6.20 with pearls, which is a little lower than average. The tea has an interesting flavour and everything in the cup feels refreshing. It was a little odd that the staff blended my milk tea with ice before serving, but I guess it was to cut the ice into smaller pieces. Comebuy offers a simple cup of refreshment and it makes me want to go back for more. I will stop making fun of the name.
Menu
How to get in touch
- Phone: (778) 806-1158
- Address: #1610 – 4500 Kingsway, Burnaby
- Hours: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm Everyday
