Casual

Chase Tea, John 4:14

August 28, 2019 0

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

August 27, 2019 0

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

August 26, 2019 0

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

August 25, 2019 0

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.

HouCaiLei Tea House

August 24, 2019 0

HouCaiLei is an artistic tea house perfect for hipsters. The interior is very beautifully done. Everything from this tea house are beautifully done. It's a perfect place to spend an entire afternoon, but I hope there are more seats. It cost about $6 per person. The drinks are a bit on the sweet side, but they can be customized.

Pho D’Lite, Vietnamese Restaurant

August 23, 2019 0

I am a firm believer that the pho special in a Vietnamese restaurant is the best indicator to see if the restaurant is good. The pho special usually have a bit of everything they offer. I would use this to find out which ingredient is better at this restaurant. The soup was very hot. It is perfect to cook rare meat. After cooked, the meat was quite tender. Other ingredients that are good include beef brisket and tripe.

Martini’s Restaurant

August 18, 2019 0

Martini's is a bar-restaurant. They have been around for a long time. To be honest, this was my first visit. I was a little shocked at their operation. The food is definitely above average bar-restaurant. The drinks selection is not as wide as most craft beer places. However, they are solid on the price, service, and atmosphere. It is no coincident that Martini's is still one of people's go-to bar. Definitely recommended, especially on Wednesdays.

TerraCotta Boyz Spicy Oil Noodles with Vegetables

TerraCotta Boyz, Contemporary Xi’An Cuisine

August 17, 2019 0

The most important aspect of this bowl of noodle is on the noodle and the sauce. I have to say this dish taste very good. The savory flavour is not very strong. Dried herbs add a lot of appetizing aromas. Hot spicy chili is present but quite subtle. I prefer it to be a bit spicier but overall this is a very good bowl of noodle. The noodles are made to order. This type of noodles is wider than normal because they are hand-stretched from the dough. Once you order the noodle, you will hear the chef stretching the noodle and hitting it against the table. I think the noodle's textures are a little too soft.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Blackball Signature Crushed Ice

BlackBall, Taiwanese Dessert in Richmond

August 13, 2019 0

The first thing I noticed was the droopy grass jelly covering the crushed ice. They are black and shiny like a mirror. It is the most jiggly grass jelly I have seen in Vancouver. When eating, the grass jelly has a noticeable herbal taste. The soft texture makes it the highlight of this dish. The crushed ice is course but not sharp. They are soft to the bite. Unlike Icy Bar's Razor Sharp Ice, there is no unpleasant texture. There are condensed milk and brown sugar added to the crushed ice. I could taste a strong flavour of cane sugar, which is also quite pleasant. Taro Balls and Yam Balls are being called "TaroQ" and "YamQ" at BlackBall. To be honest, I am a little disappointed in these. The bite to them has no bounce. I understand this means that there is not much starch powder added, but it is not the texture I was looking for. Flavour-wise, they are not really sweet but has a good natural flavour of taro and yam. All these beans are perfectly cooked. Adzuki bean and Mung beans are cooked until their skin starts to peel. This made the interior very starchy. Sugar was added to the cooking process and very noticeable. The Kidney Beans are larger beans. The structure is more intact. I could still feel the pop when I bite into them.