Pannekoek are like pancakes without leavening agents. Their texture is similar to French crepes without the crispiness. We don’t typically go for Dutch-style brunch but Angelina’s Dutch Corner definitely gave us a positive experience. It is a little expensive close to $20 per person with drink, but the large portion definitely make up for the expense. For my savory pannekoek, the hollandaise sauce did a lot of heavy lifting to keep things interesting.
Hot Pot Master comes from a long line of tradition from Sichuan. This Kingsway location is the first authentic location in Vancouver. I enjoyed the flavour and quality of food, as well as the easily controlled cost. One can just go to the cooler display to grab the skewers, and there is no minimum number you have to grab. This first location is not in the best neighborhood, but I look forward to seeing them thrive.
Song Tea did not meet my expectations. I assumed the popularity was gained through the quality of products, while in fact, it’s just a trendy brand using cleverly named drinks to attract young people. Being a drink for $5.25, customers would definitely be expecting fresh milk and perhaps asking if small pearls are okay with the customer. For what it’s worth, Song Tea failed in all aspects of our reviews. None of the atmosphere, service, food quality and the cost are worth the visit. I assume this place will soon go out of business.
For $30 per person, 38 Sampal Korean BBQ is a very affordable restaurant to get BBQ. The pork combo has a very large portion so I think that is really worth it. However, the downside is the lack of texture variation. Our staff came to cook the meat for us and came to flip them once. He never came back so it was a little confusing because we though the meat wasn’t ready until it’s burnt. Then we realize it’s because the restaurant got too busy.
Pearl Castle Cafe is a below-average bubble tea restaurant where you can meet up with friends over drinks and perhaps get a quick bite throughout the process. The food is made with below-average ingredients and is not well taken care of. Even so, the average cost per person is approximately $16. With the recent improvement of the Vancouver food scene, we have a lot of better options than here. I would probably only come here with friends who I have known for more than 15 years for old time’s sake.
Shiny Tea’s quality is comparable to Hanlin Tea House, if not identical. The lower cost for the same tea comes without the wonderful interior decor Hanlin Tea House has. The price tag of $5.49 is cheaper than Hanlin, which makes Shiny Tea the perfect tea station for a quick grab and go.
To be honest, I don’t know why Boiling Point has such a long line up. Sometimes, I just feel like going there especially when the weather gets cold. This establishment really gives me the feeling that they treat everything like an assembly line. The soup has lots of taste, and that’s what Boiling Point is good at, but it’s obvious they come from artificial flavouring. There is evidence showing the ingredients are not fresh, and everything is overcooked except the raw egg in the pot. Every hot pot is so packed with ingredients that there’s no room for things to cook properly, so the gel fueled flame’s only purpose is to keep things warm. That being said, I guess what attracts customers the most is their competitive price as a hot pot. If you want to get a hot pot for less than $20, your options are probably limited to Boiling Point, and food court hot pot.
I think $14 per pizza is a fair price to charge because of the space required for customizing pizza. The authentic pizza places are more expensive, but they also have a better topping selection, so we cannot compare Assembli to them. If we compare all the big name franchises like Pizza Hut, Fresh Slice, and Domino, etc, Assembli is more expensive, but also has more of an artisan feel to it.
Yunshang Rice Noodle serves most of its main course in hot clay pot. It’s a warm comfort food alternative to hot pot in this cold weather. The food doesn’t taste that special. Our visit cost us about approximately $19 per person. For the same price, there are better rice noodle options.
