Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee | $
(Edmonds Skytrain x Highgate Village)
7139 Arcola Way, Burnaby
(778) 397-3972
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Claim to Fame 

Loose leaf teas, shaved ice desserts, dessert waffles, baked goods.

Plus

Fresh ingredients, extensive drink selection, bright and spacious interior, friendly atmosphere, quick service, accessible neighbourhood.

Minus

Baked goods rarely available.

Quick Picks

Shaved ice, dessert waffles, teas and coffees. Yes, everything I've tried.

Like a sweet oasis, Tealips had tins aplenty filled with aromatic bliss for guests to sniff, a stylish and modern interior. and an appetizing scent in the air. A steady stream of customers of all ages and backgrounds filtered into the friendly neighbourhood establishment.

Trails of condensed milk in the Matcha Shaved Ice
(Click on photo to enlarge)

I sensed a Korean influence in Tealips' shaved ice desserts and dessert waffles. I was told the Korean owner makes small batches of home-made baked goods every so often, but was out of luck on my visits.

Tealips did not seem very busy during the day. Its floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural light and looked out onto the peaceful surroundings of Highgate Village. It was easy to find a table and spend a few hours catching up with friends. We savoured our enormous matcha shaved ice, which came adorned with ice cream, red beans, green mochi balls, almonds and walnuts, condensed milk, and loads of fresh fruit. So perfect with which to while away a hot, sunny afternoon.

My second occasion at Tealips occurred in the evening. Looking over the drink menu, my eyes drifted quickly to the extensive selection of hot drinks. I sniffed both the lavender and the caramelized pear teas. The barista had an obvious soft spot for the lavender tea latte, but dutifully informed me that popular caramelized pear tea was often out, as well. I ordered the lavender tea latte, with regular milk. I was delighted to see the lavender in my latte. The milk was airy and held its foam. It was not scalding. There were no sweeteners added and I did not add any myself, but I may ask the barista to add honey next time. It tasted overwhelmingly of milk until I let the lavender steep in my drink a while longer. It was a very calming drink and a good size as well.

Lavender Tea Latte and Iced Americano ~ Matcha & Red Bean Shaved Ice ~ Mixed Berry Liege Waffle

On this occasion, I tried two dessert waffles. First, I devoured the mixed berry Liege waffle. The waffle itself had sweet bits and a crunchy exterior. It went well with the ice cream and berries, though there were no tastes that stood out other than the waffle. I found the overall taste of this dish to be somewhat bland. Next, I had the matcha and red bean Brussels waffle. In contrast with the Liege waffle, the Brussels waffle had a denser texture and lacked the crunchy exterior. It was also noticeably less sweet. My companion noticed a syrup on the waffle, hidden under the ice cream, in the red beans and mochi. This waffle seemed a bit bigger and I took my time finishing it. By the time it was gone, I was surprised to realize I enjoyed the matcha and red bean Brussels waffle more than the mixed berry Liege waffle. In particular, I enjoyed the sweetened red beans with the waffle. If I were to have the waffles on their own, however, I would prefer the sweet and crunchy Liege waffle

By the time the sun started to set, Tealips was filled with families and friends looking for an after-dinner diversion. We took our time leaving our seat by the window and ventured out into the cool evening.

Fat Dragon Bar-B-Q

Fat Dragon Bar-B-Q

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Fat Dragon Bar-B-Q | $$-$$$
(Downtown Eastside)
556 Powell Street, Vancouver
(604) 558-0880
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Claim to Fame
Southern barbeque dishes with Asian flavours. 

Plus
Daily specials, imaginative menu and drinks, warm and comfortable setting, friendly staff.

Minus
Removed from the downtown core, some items over-priced.

Quick Picks
I highly recommend the smoky sambal long beans and daily drink specials.

This installment of date night involved a single long-stemmed red rose and a trip to the Downtown Eastside.  On a Friday night, Fat Dragon was hardly filled to half-capacity and its dinner rush never materialized. We found free parking in front of the restaurant (after 6PM) and strolled into the newest member of the Campagnolo family. Despite its drab surroundings,  its interior was a pleasant oasis of soft lights and tasteful decor.

Warm lighting

(Click photo to enlarge)

The varied and innovative menu was easy to navigate. Our first server was very informative. We requested a different table, and did not realize we would be switching servers as well. Our second server was pleasant, but less knowledgeable. We ordered the specials that our first server told us about. I also opted for one of the two non-alcoholic beverages on special, a strawberry ginger beer.  It was a refreshing summer drink and very reminiscent of something that I could not quite put my finger on! The ginger taste was not very apparent, but produced a warm tingle in the back of my mouth. We tried the ribs on special ($13), the green papaya salad ($8), a beef deckle and a squid bao bun ($2.50 each), the thick cut pork belly ($12), along with a side of sambal long beans ($5) and some jasmine rice ($4). Our dishes came out in a different order than I expected. Our green papaya salad came out first and was delicious. It was quickly followed by the pork belly and the ribs, rather than the bite-sized bao buns. We prompted our server for the jasmine rice to accompany our dishes. We dug into the pork belly and ribs. The bao buns arrived, followed by the long beans shortly after.

A tasty mess
(Click photo to enlarge)

I enjoyed the pork belly, but I did not enjoy the accompanying piece of white bread in balsamic vinegar. Perhaps our server should have explained how these items were meant to complement each other, but I ended up surrendering my piece of somewhat soggy bread to my date. The jasmine rice was also too sticky for my liking. I prefer my ribs to be juicier and meatier, but MM was content to gnaw away at the BBQ ribs. The smokiness in the beef bao bun was more apparent than in the squid bao bun. Both were good, but I found the portions too small to adequately savour each bun's flavours and textures. A word of warning, the menu inaccurately listed the squid bao bun with coriander, rather than cilantro. It was piled on top of the squid and easy to pick out. We decided to skip dessert, though I was delighted to learn that the soft serve ice cream made in-house for the day was Thai basil.