mazazu crepes: greeeeen teaaaaa iceeeee creeeeam

I LOVE GREEN TEA ICE CREAM and the one place i go to most often is mazazu crepe (well 2x is plenty). these two visits were only 1 month apart but the price, texture and flavour were all different! 

visit 1

'

green tea ice cream cone ($3.13): this was deliciously creamy and smooth ice cream but melted really really fast. doesn't matter it tasted so good...

5/5

green tea ice cream cone ($3.20): price increased by about 5 cents…and this time it was much stronger in match flavour but was also quite icy and not as creamy smooth but again IT WAS DELICIOUS…

i honestly don't know which one i prefer cause they were both so good…

5/5

overall: consistency is an issue but my craving for SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM IN GREEN TEA MATCHA GOODNESS BEATS OUT EVERYTHING 

the sweet spot: a slice of delicious

the sweet spot is a popular bakery in steveston, crawling with tourists and was the bakery that provided me with my little slice of birthday cake - i dont like eating whole cakes, i like variety in small slices :D.

anyways, the cakes they sell are always changing but they have lots of pastries and other desserts. of the couple things we tried (sorry no pictures) the cake was THE BEST. 

cake: layers of chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut mousse, raspberry gelee and white chocolate mousse (~$6): do not remember the price but whatever it was...so worth it. the layers were contrasting enough that it blended together so beautifully. something crisp on the bottom and delicious, not too sweet cake sat between layers of mousse and raspberry gelee. the white chocolate on top was the perfect touch - a light sweetness to offset the bitterness. i would get this again and again in a heartbeat 

5/5

overall: MUST CHECK OUT THEIR CAKES.

shanghai morning: the kind of dim sum i love

continuing the shanghai adventures in richmond, my mom and i visited shanghai morning in a tiny plaza with limited parking. 

focusing mostly on dimsum dishes this meal...

wine chicken ($5.50): chilled chicken soaked in a wine sauce, a huge portion for cheap with not many bones! deliciously moist chicken and a strong wine flavour, this was a delicious appetizer! 

4.5/5

green onion pancake ($3.50): supposed to be panfried but came out deep fried making it quite oily meaning i could only have one piece despite it being quite good.

3.5/5

xiao long bao ($4.95): of course the pork soup dumplings! what meal is complete without this?! filled to the brim with soup, these had a thin skin and delicious flavour although a bit lighter than others. one of my favourite xlb's to date!!

5/5

spicy wontons ($5.95): LOTS of delicious wontons in a spicy chili oil. perfectly spicy and one of my favourite dim sum dishes. nothing bad to say at all...so good.

5/5

overall: shanghai morning is one of my FAVOURITE shanghai stops in richmond now. it has a lot of small dishes perfect for sharing and i love dumplings so this is like heaven. the total was just at $20 with tax and i was quite filled up! 

bubble queen: fresh mango and mochi bubble waffle

bubble queen is an extremely well known bubble tea place in richmond that specializes in huge, thick, milkshake like bubble teas. they have many flavours that derive from chocolate bars like bueno and ferrero rocher but also fresh mango slushes that can have mango mochi added to them. 

yes just talking about it makes me feel full but it is indeed delicious! 

fresh mango cube slush with coconut jelly ($5.95) - when you get one of the "special" bubble teas, coconut jelly/pearls are included so its not as expensive as it seems, but still a bit pricey. 

this is legit delicious x100000 and a MUST TRY if you like anything mango. the thick fresh mango blended with milk is cool and refreshing going down your throat and the half a mango sitting on top is perfectly ripe and amazing. 

5/5

green tea mochi bubble waffle (~$4-5) - these are not your typically bubble waffle. firstly, they have a slight matcha flavour (not too much, wish there was a bit more) and the texture is also completely different. bubble waffle are usually crisp and light but the added mochi makes it more of a chewy snack. these were very interesting (in a good way), delicious if you like moch but i dont think i'd order it again as it was just too much carb in each bite. a note, the wait time for the bubble waffle is very long but at least you know it's fresh made! 

4.5/5

as delicious as bubble queen is, the portions are really big and EXTREMELY filling. i shared both of these things with my mom (yes, after having lunch but still...) and we had to save half of both the bubble tea and the bubble waffle for dessert after dinner and the next day... (they were pretty good after being baked in the oven!) 

the prices may seem high but honestly, compared to other slush bubble tea places, it is only about $1 more and it is DELICIOUS and enough for 2...or more...

sushi mania: awesome sushi lunch deals!

in one of the last days before summer was over, me and my friends went to sushi maina for a japanese lunch before heading down to the aritzia warehouse sale. 

found on main street more towards the west, this little shop looks a bit like a warehouse from the outside. the small dining area was only about half full when we went in and the food came quickly.

we saw that there were some lunch specials but stupidly said, "oh it just comes with miso soup, we dont want miso soup" so we ordered but then realized that we could save almost 3 dollars if we ordered from the combo so we got asked the server if she could basically change our entire order and she did. they did it so politely and pleasantly that it made my whole experience so much better. 

even though service is not always that important to me, really good service makes a lasting impression and makes me want to return. ANYWAYS, back to the food.

lots of special rolls and we tried one which was AMAZING. the other rolls are good, not huge but not skimpy on the filling either. 

agadashi tofu ($3.95) - this was pretty good but a small portion. nothing amazing.

3.5/5

BIGBANG roll ($7.95) : crab meat, avocado, cucumber topped with seared tuna - this was a bit pricy but so delicious. essentially a cali roll topped with a bit of torched tuna. i could eat this all day 

4.5/5

yam tempura roll, spicy salmon roll and california roll ($8.95) - this was a great deal as each roll was 3-4 dollars and you get a miso soup with it too! they dont pack on too much rice which is my biggest pet peeve with sushi and the filling is enough to call it sushi and not rice bomb. 

yam tempura roll: 3.5/5

spicy salmon roll: 3.75/5

california roll: 3.25/5 (a tad dry)

salmon avocado roll ($3.50) - a staple when we eat sushi. this was very good with lots of ripe avocado

3.95/5 

alaska roll ($3.95) - much like the ones from sushi town or sushi garden, it was packed with avocado then topped with salmon and a citrus-y sauce. i personally like this one more than sushi garden because that one gives WAY less salmon but the sauce here has less garlic flavour 

4/5

chicken kaarage ($3.95) - boneless and not over battered just the way i like it but a bit expensive for the portion size.

3.85/5

overall: good sushi with a reasonable price (and great lunch deal!) but not too impressed with the sizes for cooked food. 

yeti yogurt: hazelnut crunch

i love froyo, yes i do but the best in vancouver (well north vancouver and sfu) is YETI YOGURT. their flavours are always good and their topping bar is AMAZING with hazelnut crunch (which is a premium topping at pinkberry)

nutella, chocolate chip cookie, cheesecake, white chocolate flavoured yogurts - so good.. seriously their flavours are amazing and do NOT melt quickly like qoolas but are not too sweet like menchies

5/5

cheesecake bites, chocolate pearls, mochi, clodhoppers, and hazelnut crunch - the hazelnut crunch isnt really visible but its like a thick hazelnut flavoured paste (not that pretty) with hazelnut bits. its like nutella but thicker and ohmygosh so good. 

5/5

(prices are similar to others)

i go all the way to lonsdale just to get this yogurt 

gelateria dolce amore: meal sized gelato

before the entertainment book expires, my family always attempts to use up as many as we can. lucky for us, that means family trips to eateries that we would not try otherwise and one sunny day, we visited gelateria dolce amore.

 

wanting to get the bang for out buck, we ordered a 500ml take home size which was $10.00 but we got 50% off so it came to $5.00 + tax

mango sorbet and hazelnut gelato 500ml (regular $10.00)  - the gelato and sorbet were both DELICIOUS. since it was a tinier shop that is not too popular, we weren't expecting much but the flavours were bold and the texture was smooth and creamy. 

the hazelnut was my favourite because it tasted exactly like ferrero rocher. deliciously nutty but with hints of sweetness.

4.5/5

the mango was great too being light and fruity to compliment the richer hazelnut flavour

3.95/5

overall, the ice cream scooper was also very kind about sampling and was extremely helpful in the coupon usage. i definitely recommend this gelato shop anytime you're on the drive and much cheaper than the big names but just as delicious.

guu richmond: its guuu'd

ah guu, delicious authentic japanese food in richmond! guu is an izakaya type place with lunch specials that are different every day and lunch boxes that are available all the time. perfect for any japanese cravings while at aberdeen. 

i usually come here with my mom because she loves izakaya but does not like driving downtown so this location is perfect. we ordered 2 dishes to share and it was more than enough and very delicious! 

overall, i love guu and the variety that is has to offer plus the super fresh fish every time we go, just looking at the pictures makes me wanna go again! (even though i went last week :P) 

nabeyaki udon ($8.80) - udon with prawn tempura, egg, chicken, fish cake and green onion - this was a very good flavourful broth with al dente noodles and a decent amount of toppings. not bad for the price! 

4.25/5

one complaint though was the tempura, the batter was not crispy or flaky enough and we already had it on the side. 

sushi box ($12.95) : tuna, boiled shrimp and salmon sushi, salmon and sweet shrimp sashimi, california roll, egg, grilled mackerel, chicken karaage and rice - this is our go to at guu richmond. it has the perfect variety to please both the fish and deep fried cravings. my mom loves mackerel and this one is good albeit a bit salty. there is also this tiny portion of spicy fish right in the middle and this goes perfect with the rice. 

4.5/5

bubble waffle cafe: no such thing as too many

these group buy deals are killing me! there was one recently for bubble waffle cafe (public market location) with 5 bubble waffles for only 5 dollars. considering that a regular priced bubble waffle ANYWHERE is around 4 dollars, this was a great deal. unfortunately, i redeemed it a bit late and again consumed 5 bubble waffles in two weeks. luckily these ones are DELICIOUS. 

original bubble waffle (regular $3.75) - these were DELICIOUS x10. they reminded me of some of the best i tried in hong kong. they make it fresh in front of you in the tiniest shop imaginable but when you pop them into your mouth, there's a perfect crisp from the shell but the middle is a nice soft fluffy cloud of food heaven. this shop was manned by a couple young guys but they know how to make good bubble waffle. 

(ps. we bought so many that we would retoast them at home and they were still delicious!)

4.75/5

(oops, fail camera focus)

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 

cinnezo: childhood cream cheese frosting

when i was a kid, cinnezo cinnamon bun samples were my favourite about going to metrotown. they were the perfect bite size to really enjoy the sweet and delicious cream cheese frosting and thick cinnamon filling. fast forward to today and they no longer do that but the entertainment book does offer a buy one get one free deal! 

original cinnamon bun (regular ~$5 each): cinnezo is like the cinnabon of canada and they are just as delicious! these are actually best eaten right when you buy them but the instructions on the side help you with reheating. 

4.25/5

they do not skimp on the filling or cream cheese and they are quite heavy but super ooey and gooey in the middle chock full of cinnamon and sugar. super indulgent dessert but a tiny piece (like the one i had below) was just the right amount. 

au petit: banh mi please

au petit is an extremely tiny restaurant that is extremely popular. so well known that if you don't go right at opening, you are guaranteeing a wait, especially on weekends and even the possibility of no more banh mi! 

they are known for their viet sandwiches because of the very crispy, fresh bread that they use. they often sell out of banh mi if you go later in the day - thats how good they are. my parents went for lunch one day and brought one of their subs back for me! 

banh mi 1 ($4.50) - house made vietnamese ham, meatball, vegetables and hot peppers (i got it without peppers) - this is delicious even as take out. their meatball is so juicy and fatty but flavourful at the same time. the pickled veggies help to balance the flavours. just pure deliciousness.

4.75/5

its because of banh mi's that i never get mcdonalds. this is even cheaper than a big mac and 10x better.

nishiki: revist...or re take out order

because nishiki is so close to my house, we often get take out and they introduced a whole bunch of special rolls which arent too expensive so my mom and i tried a few of them over 2 different visits.

again, nishiki isnt bad. its very chinese-style with the rice being quite dense and not very flavourful but i love sauce on sushi and it masks the rice issues. the tempura is fresh fried when you order the roll which i love but it makes the roll a bit warm. some of the rolls get really pricey and its not really worth it. 

top: cambie roll ($7.99): prawn tempura, yam, avocado and crispy bits with spicy sauce - this was just okay. their dynamite roll is basically the same without the crispy bits and costs a lot less so i would go with that instead 

3/5

bottom: killarney roll ($8.99): prawn tempura, spicy tuna, fresh mango - pretty good! this one was better than the cambie but i think $9 is A LOT for the ingredients in this roll. 

3.75/5

golden california roll ($5.49) : deep fried california roll - this was the first place i ever tried deep fried rolls so it has sentimental value but taste is VERY chinese. still delicious though 

3.75/5

top: spicy salmon roll ($4.50?) - pretty good for spicy salmon but i think it might be siracha ontop there or something similar. expensive though.

3/5

bottom: waikiki ($8.99): prawn tempura, salmon, spicy tuna - my mom LOVED this roll and honestly, this one is pretty good. the salmon on top is pretty substantial and of all the special rolls ive tried this is one of the best but warning! there is a wasabi sauce ontop that was not in the description and it was SPICY 

3.85/5