Richmond
We have not had the chance to try their original location in Richmond, but L’OTUS Cake Boutique in Burnaby is such a pleasant surprise for us. Yes, the price is a little higher, but it’s really worth the visit with all things considered. The atmosphere, service, and food quality are all at a superb level. We highly recommend L’OTUS Cake Boutique for anyone who hasn’t tried it.
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.
I think Gokudo Shabu Shabu Hot Pot carried their business culture to their new Burnaby location quite well. However, the solution to get 2 groups of two people sitting in a 4 person table was very poorly done. Gokudo Shabu Shabu is still the cheap alternative to a self cook hot pot, hence the constant line up in front. I would still come here for hot pot, but you are picky about your dining experience then Gokudo Shabu Shabu is not for you.
Ben Gong’s Tea offers one of the best bubble tea you can get in Vancouver. Their revolutionary tea jelly cubes have balanced flavour between tea and sweetness. It adds a shot of tea’s taste to the drink and offers an alternative for customers who don’t want to have chewy textures in their drinks. The store has interesting decoration including an artificial tree and the staff strive to offer excellent service. With the use of fresh milk and carefully picked tea, the price for $5.45 (large) and $4.99 (small) is the lowest we have seen in the lower mainland. I would definitely recommend giving Ben Gong’s Tea a try.
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.
Hanlin Tea House serves very good and refreshing bubble tea. It is such a pleasant surprise that they also serve high-quality afternoon tea desserts. Paying $20 for a plate of 6 bite-size snacks is a little expensive, but you get to try most of what Hanlin Tea House has to offer. If you share this order with another person and order a drink, the $15 per person visit to Hanlin Tea House is actually quite reasonable.
Among the salted egg desserts we have tried, the Salted Egg Yolk Cookies from TK Food is the least successful candidate because the only relationship it has to a salted egg is on the labeling. We cannot recommend this product.
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.
