Casual

Chatime, The bubble tea franchise that started it all

Chatime’s drinks cost are considered average compared to most other bubble tea places. Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea costs $5.85 each. The Brown Sugar Pearls Fresh Milk cost $6.35. Most of the tea served here are pre-made and kept in different casks. They might not be the best bubble tea place, but the taste really entice my palate.

Hanlin Tea House, oldest bubble tea franchise

I like the decoration very much. It’s clean and looks like a bookstore. What a perfect place to take someone you admire. you might be perceived as clean and well-read. I don’t understand the $6.59 price tag. The drink is worth that price tag, but I would prefer a clean number like $6.50 or $6.75. I highly recommend Hanlin Tea House. The bubble tea tastes really good here, no wonder bubble tea become so popular around the world.

Good Food Lekoufu (樂口福) at Parker place Richmond

I admit it doesn’t look very appealing, but they actually taste pretty good. The only complain I have about the taste is the flavour only comes from the sauce. I ordered the steak with black pepper on rice. The chef covered the plate of rice with two large thin pieces of steak on top. Then the front staff opens a pre-mixed black pepper sauce and gave me 3 scoops. Good Food Lekoufu is a Cantonese Cafe style restaurant. These restaurants are known for their massive portion of carbohydrates and minimal protein. For $12, I got a small cold drink and the meat I got are a lot more than what I get from a $15 Cantonese Cafe. They have pretty bad presentation, and I don’t know how long the sauce have been in the big pot, but the food taste okay with it. It’s pretty much you get what you paid for. It’s not the best food here, but I have seen a lot worse. So, I can comfortably recommend this food stand for people who are looking for cheap eat.

Kamamarui Ramen and Don, Burnaby Ramen

I don’t understand why people are lining up for Kamamarui Ramen and Don. The only reason I can think of is perhaps there aren’t authentic ramen places nearby. I think these are all going to change as soon as the Marutama Ramen opens on Kingsway. Unfortunately, Kamamarui Ramen and Don is not worth the $15 per person price point for me. For the same price, I can get a better crafted authentic Japanese ramen from somewhere else.

Marulilu Cafe, Japanese Cafe Diner in Vancouver

I think the waffles are really worth it. The exterior is slightly charred to give it a crispy texture. Of course, the interior is very fluffy. It comes with unflavoured whipped cream and one with chocolate flavour. Eating the waffle with the whipped cream and syrup is heavenly.

Chase Tea, John 4:14

On the outside of the original milk tea, I see a failed attempt to mimic the trendy brown sugar pearl milk tea. The exterior streaks are crude for marbling. The milk tea tastes quite watery. There is not much taste for either tea or milk. The pearls have acceptable chewiness. Some pearls are stuck together but separate with a light shake. I was disappointed that they used taro powder instead of the fresh stuff. In my defense, the taro milk tea’s location on the menu was a little misleading. It was below Earl Grey Milk Tea, and above Fresh Milk Tea. I didn’t think they would use “Earl Grey” powder or “Fresh” powder, so I assumed “Taro” is also not powder. To be honest, it’s probably my own fault for the assumption.

Freshslice Pizza

I ordered two slices of pizza for $4.90, one “basic”, one “feast”. The serving speed was instant. I even received a smile from the staff. The topping are not overly generous, but acceptable. Nothing taste out of the ordinary. we can see the crust rise evenly, an indication of a yeast with grease premixed dough. The texture is consistent. Nothing too hard to bite. The bottom crust has good structure. I was able to pick up the pizza by the crust without much dipping down. The bottom is not soggy. This is a decent pizza for its price.

The Viet Noodle Guy

I was wrong about The Viet Noodle Guy. They are not a trendy Vietnamese restaurant. It’s just your typical pho restaurant in a new building that charge you higher price. The poor service is definitely a downside that hit this restaurant hard. After all, why would I pay to be treated like I did if the food did not even attract me that much? For $20 per person, The Viet Noodle Guy is way too costly for what they have to offer. Not recommended.

La Taqueria, Pinche Taco Shop

Tortilla wrapping has a good structure. It is firm and not sticky. The interior has a good moisture level for my mouth and did not make the tortilla soggy. There is also no weird chemical smell like the ones you get from the grocery store. I was able to eat it with one hand the tortilla wrapping break or unwrap. This almost never happened, and I am very pleased. Some of the rice did drop on my plate, and it would have been better if I had utensil to pick them up. This is the best burrito I have had in Vancouver.

%d bloggers like this: