Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Late Night At The Bubble Tea Shop

My friend Jamaica invited me along with her friends for dinner to a Japanese pasta restaurant... Although I did not take photos of the food over there, I instead took photos of where we went for dessert. If you follow social media, it's that place where everyone feels obligated to take a photo of their food. Let's take a look, shall we?

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Well-presented bubble waffle - but does it taste good?

April 18, 2015

I haven't seen Jamaica in a long time, and she also brought her friends Jessica, Kim, and Alan (I actually know Alan!) Both Jessica and Kim are nursing students, and such wonderful ladies, while Alan is a business student; but I'm not sure about which specific field. Anyways, we had just finished eating at the restaurant called Cafe de L'Orangerie, which was pretty solid (I had the poutine instead of the pasta, which had unique flavours). But since we didn't know what to do, I think Alan suggested dessert, although he just came from eating ice cream in downtown... So, what does one do in tough times? Like what all good Asians do: karaoke!

We sang quite a few songs, maybe for three hours, comprising of the classics such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, and many more! I don't think there has ever been a time when karaoke was not a good option. But damn, can Kim hit the high notes! She's incredibly talented. I didn't hear much from Jessica, as she was a bit shy when the microphone came close to her - she should sing more and show off that talent! The best moment at karaoke had to be either Jay-Z's 'Empire State Of Mind' or Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing.' Those were good times. By the time we were finished with the place, we still had to purchase $10 worth of drinks per person. It was a challenge, but we left the place with a handful of drinks. By then, we were a little bit hungry, aiming for a dessert until suddenly it hit us: we should try the hot spot that everyone's been talking about.

Located on No. 3 Road, in the parkade underneath the Superstore, the Bubble Tea Shop opened roughly around the beginning of January, and has become the ultimate photo session where everyone feels like they have to post it on Instagram (there must be a lot of foodies out there in YVR).

When we got to the store, it was jam-packed, and every seat was full. Fortunately, we saw a large group just about to leave, and we wanted the seats - but then there was another person, with a group of five people, who wanted the other seats. I don't mean to be judgemental, but she seemed a bit of a snob claiming her tables - seemed a bit aggressive over them tables. It was handled awkwardly, as she handed the excess seats to us while giving off a smirk-laugh-type of reaction... I think she was hungry, whipping out her stamp card, waiting impatiently for her order.

Anyways, let's get back to the waffles. In total, we tried a total of four waffles, with one being an impulse purchase. First off, Jamaica ordered the original waffle, which is the first photo that opened this post. Here, we have Jamaica taking a photo of her order:

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Picture of an Asian taking a picture of food

The flavour is nice, not too powerful, but lacking in batter. I liked how it was crunchy, but the bubbles were empty. Wasn't too sure what to expect from these waffles, but definitely not air. Let's just say it was the last waffle that had to be finished. Kim ordered the same waffle, but with banana and strawberries on top and Nutella on the side. This is what it looked like:

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Presentation is on point

Aside from the waffle, the fruit added a nice texture that I was missing from the original waffle. You could say that it fills the void that is present in each bubble. The strawberries were sour, but that's something that Nutella can fix. And to my surprise, we had leftover Nutella at the end (such a waste).

Jessica ordered a strawberry bubble waffle with strawberries garnished on top of it. Presentation wise, it's quite pretty:

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Is your mouth watering yet?

The waffle is an improvement from the original, with the strawberries emphasizing the taste to both fruit and batter. I found myself picking at this one the most, as it was satisfying my needs. Perhaps I like the flavoured waffles better than the original, or I have had too many original bubble waffles prior to this experience. Nonetheless, it was still enjoyable to see the variety that the shop offers. And of course, I'm not the only one taking photos of these well-displayed dishes:

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Kim & Jamaica capture the moment

By this point, we were kind of full, looking around the place (which is brilliantly white inside) and everyone was looking at the cashier for the special waffle that they were offering: it was a mango madness waffle. Alan decided to buy the last waffle of our session, and I must say, it was no disappointment at all:

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What is this beauty?

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Mango on mango on mango - what more could you ask?

It may look really nice, but did it taste good? Yes and no. The mangoes were ripe and sweet, while the waffle was still a shell, but with a hint of that mango hiding underneath that batter. What honestly made this piece tasteful was the ice cream, as it had the most flavour and carried the whole ensemble together. And before we destroyed that waffle, everyone's phones were out:

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It's all about the angles

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Need to get that perfect shot, you know?

The Bubble Tea Shop also offers smoothies, milkshakes, and of course, the bubble tea itself, which none of us tried. In addition, they sell little trinkets and small toys which seems to tie in well with the arcade machine (I believe it's Street Fighter, but I'm not sure). Based on the waffles, I think it's more of the aesthetics rather than getting the bang for your buck. After all, everyone in the place were taking photos from left and right before actually getting into the food itself. Then again, this is my opinion based on one take, and there are times where the shop has to close down due to high volume (I think that's regarding the bubble waffle only). The shop is always thinking of new concoctions, so maybe some time I'll check it out again (they are active on social media, check out their Instagram). 

But not bad for the first try, perhaps round two with these lovely people once again? I wouldn't mind that at all ^_^

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