Eating Lonsdale

Bubble Tea House - 2006-06-17

Bubble tea is one of those weird things that has totally caught on around here. Originally from Taiwan, it's a drink with big "bubbles" of tapioca that kinda look like fish eggs floating around at the bottom. Served in a sealed plastic cup with a fat straw for slurping up the tapioca balls, it makes for more of a fun treat than anything else. I've tried it before, but never actually bought my own, until yesterday. Tristan and I just happened to be out running errands and decided we could use a snack, so why not try it?

We parked the car, wandered in and, once again, I was the TWG in an asian eatery. Despite the mention of "snacks" on the awning, the only thing on the menu is bubble tea and related drinks. Unfortunately they accept cash only and, being a credit card kinda guy, I did not have any. Fortunately my bank is a couple of blocks down the street. Unfortunately we were experiencing one of those torrential downpours the North Shore is famous for. Not to be deterred by a bit of rain, we trecked on down to the bank, got some cash then trecked on back.

The atmosphere at Bubble Tea House is extremely casual. There's a few tables at the back and a couch that could be in a dormatory living room along one wall. In a bookshelf near the front door is a collection of graphic novels, all in kanji so I couldn't fulfill Tristan's request to read him one. The clientele comprised teens and twenty somethings, hanging out and drinking bubble tea while chatting or reading the graphic novels.

The menu is scribed on a huge chalk board behind the counter and is very extensive. I ordered a lemon green tea with bubbles (note: all drinks are also available without bubbles) and for Tristan a blueberry slushie. We sat at the groovy tall stools at the front window and watched them prepare the drinks. There's a whole bunch of powders and syrups and buckets of stuff that they mix together with various mixing machines and, finally, pour into a plastic cup then drop into a sealing machine were a taught plastic seal is applied. Pop the big straw through the seal and you're ready to slurp. The initial sensation of pulling a tapioca ball up through the straw and chewing on it is... interesting. Definitely more fun than tasty and I can certainly see the appeal for young adults.

As for me? I can now honestly say that bubble tea is not really my thing.

The Bubble Tea House is at 2137 Lonsdale Ave across from London Drugs.

LERS Score: 3 (Someone Else's Idea)

posted by Jay MacDonald @ 12:57 p.m.