Dazzling Cafe

My friend told me about this place, pitching it to me with the fact that the chairs had bunny ears, so of course I had to try it out. Dazzling has some pretty strange hours - E and I arrived at 12:30pm and there was already a small line up outside. We lined up and then found out that the restaurant does not open until 1pm (I think that has since changed). We were one of the first people in the restaurant and the decor was indeed very cute!

I first ordered a Ice pomelo and peach tea:

Memory Corner

Memory Corner opened just a few months ago, and I was extremely eager to try it because of the hype about the "potted dessert." What is this, you ask? You'll see soon below!

When I arrived, it was packed, and there was a lineup! I think E and I waited about 25 minutes to be seated and by the time we finally got a table, we were famished! First, E ordered a Potted Milk Tea:

Adorabelle Tea Room

Adorabelle is a quaint little place in Steveston that looks just like a house. I had been wanting to come here for some time as I find that afternoon tea is either a huge hit or a huge miss - and I'm looking for a huge hit!

As you enter, you'll notice that the decor is...well...adorab(e)l(l)e (haha), and the tables look spotless with cute cups like this:

L'Opera Patisserie

My friend had been ranting and raving about L'Opera for some time now, claiming that their macarons were some of the best she'd ever had. So of course, when she took me there, I had high expectations! The interior of the patisserie is absolutely beautiful. It's quite small, but very elegantly decorated. The first thing I noticed were the desserts...

Cafe Savoureux

I've passed by Cafe Savoureux probably a million times, and despite how cute it looked, I've never gone in! This time, after another failed attempt at getting a seat at What8ver Cafe (if you've ever tried to go there on a weekend night without a reservation, you'd know that it's impossible), I finally decided to try out Cafe Savoureux which is just across the road from What8ver.

The interior is very cute and quaintly decorated with shelves of teacups along the walls and the whole place has a very comfortable sort of vibe. I've been craving an iced coffe-type drink for a while, so I ordered an iced caramel latte:

Starry Night

Starry Night Restaurant recently had a Groupon for $21 for high tea and chocolate fondue for two (or $39 for high tea and chocolate fondue for four), so I was taken there on an 'experimental-surprise', given that I had never been there before.

As soon as I entered the restaurant, I became a bit weary because it was practically empty if not for one table occupied by two elderly ladies. But okay, I went at 4pm, and that's not exactly rush-hour, so I'll cut them some slack. However, I had read tons of reviews on Starry Night and had mentally noted that it was not going to be a great dining experience, and the service was going to suck. I'm going to foreshadow a bit now, that the service was nowhere near sucking. We were promptly seated by a very polite waitress, who noted our Groupon and took our drink order (the Groupon also comes with a coffee or tea for each person).

Now, lets talk about the high tea first:

Zephyr

I have to say, that out of all the bubble tea restaurants in Richmond/Vancouver, Zephyr never disappoints me. It's actually the first bubble tea restaurant I've ever been to, and it remains as the one I go to the most often. But enough talk, right on to the food!

First, the bubble teas: taro milk tea with pearls and rose green tea with pearls.

 

Man Ri Sung

I have never even heard of this place before, let alone been to it. It's hidden in a little corner close to PriceSmart and apparently (after doing some research), they're pretty well known for their Peking duck.

Man Ri Sung is a very small restaurant (I'd estimate around 10 tables or so) and we arrived at 6:30pm, when only 3 tables were occupied. However, this seems to be quite a popular location, because shortly after, people were coming and going and the restaurant was consistently full.

Due to a mistake (which we Chinese people call "big eyes, small stomach") at a previous Korean restaurant, my friend and I decided to only order two items (still a case of "big eyes, small stomach" as you'll soon see). First, of course, came the standard Korean appetizers.

Guu (Richmond)

Guu is one of the most highly talked about restaurants in Richmond. Everyone's been there at least once, and myself...lets just say more than a few times. A few weeks ago I was feeling a bit peckish, but not quite famished, and Guu came to mind. Most of their menu consists of tapas type items, excellent for a small pick-me-up but also delightful for the famished foodies who want to try a bit of everything.

A defining feature of Guu is the way they greet you as you walk in - every person working there will shout a greeting at you, and if you've never been there before, it can be alarming! But by now, I've learned to love the attention and can't help but beam as I hear the greetings.

One of the most popular drinks in Japan is Ramune - known for the unique bottle and the way it is opened. Guu's Ramune has the cutest design: