MACU TEA- Burnaby — Attraction in Burnaby

This is my 2nd time going to MACU Tea. The first time was at the Kerrisdale location and there was a human at the front to help me out. Since it was my first time the kind lady suggested a really good drink and I loved it. So I went home and found out there is a MACU tea near my place in Burnaby I went there. It's a small place which is totally fine. There were a few people waiting for their drinks. As soon as I went in I noticed people were ordering from a Kiosk. I looked at the side to see if there was a human I can talk to and order as I had some questions but no one was available as I think they take orders by Kiosk only. So luckily there was only 1 person at the Kiosk so while he was there I quickly scanned the menu board to check out what I was looking for and couldn't figure anything out. Bubble Tea is kind of a new thing for me so it was confusing. Hence, why I like talking to a human. While the person in front of me was picking his drink I looked behind me and 4 people just showed up. I was thinking of going out of line and check the menu to decide what I wanted but If I did that then I had to go to the back of the line again. It was my turn and Holey Moley...the pressure of the people behind me as I can feel their stares at the back of my head as I was trying to figure out what I wanted and then I looked back again and more people in line showed up and my anxiety started creeping up and being an Indian in a Bubble Tea joint who doesn't know how to order or what she wants.. I can just feel the pressure and stares from behind me to hurry up. I just saw passion fruit something and just ordered that quickly and waited in line a few minutes for my drink and then went on my merry way. The drink was very good and refreshing. I wish there was someone that I could have talk to so I didn't feel so pressured at the Kiosk, or at least another Kiosk for slow ones like myself. I took a photo of the menu so next time I go in I will sit in the car and study menu so I know exactly what to order. I will definitely be back to try more of their delicious flavours, but just a bit more...

My daughter is a big bubble tea fan, and after hearing great things about this place, we decided to check it out. When we arrived, there was a line out the door, up to 2 stores down. I was tempted to skip it—it was a hot day and I’m not the most patient person—but the man in front of us reassured me it was worth the wait. Luckily, the line moved relatively quickly, and soon we were inside placing our order on a large computer touch screen. Once you pay, you receive a number and wait for your drink to be prepared.

I ordered the Sunshine Fruit Tea, made with orange juice and passionfruit, while my daughter chose the QQ Passionfruit Tea. I’m trying to cut back on sugar, so I appreciated being able to choose both the sugar and ice levels. I went with 10% sugar, and my drink was fantastic—fresh, vibrant, and packed with orange pulp and passionfruit seeds. It was fruity without being overly sweet. I had added pearls, which were sweet on their own, so next time I might skip the extra sugar entirely. My daughter opted for 50% sugar, but interestingly, her drink turned out more tart than mine—likely because it didn’t have the natural sweetness of orange juice.

Our two drinks came to around $17 or $18, which is on par with other bubble tea shops. That said, the quality of ingredients here makes it worth the price—fresh fruit instead of powdered mixes makes a world of difference. The highlight for me was seeing cases of fresh mangoes stacked at the back of the shop, proof that their famous mango drinks are the real deal. Next time, I plan to try one of those.

Overall, this place lived up to the good things we’d heard. The total wait took 22min (from lining up outside to getting our drink), the ordering process was smooth, and the drinks were fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. It’s the kind of spot I’d gladly revisit when a bubble tea...

A new kid on the block. It was the soft opening and it was a pretty long lineup at 730 in the evening. I have never been to the Macu chain before, but now I understand what the hype is all about.

They have a very extensive menu and it takes a few minutes to look through, if you haven't been there before, so be prepared. 🤣

No human to take your order, but the computer system is pretty self explanatory. Order, take your number and wait. They had 8 people to make my drinks, so the wait was not long at all. Their system works well. They are like a well oiled machine, in a assembly line.

Very flavorful drinks, not adjustable. So what you order, is what you get. No fancy half sweet, less ice, blah blah blah. Although their default is very good already. Not too sweet at all.

King of Mango Smoothie had a lot of stuff in it, but would have preferred more coconut milk and grapefruit bits, but overall, still very good.

Bo-Bo Mango Smoothie had a lot of mango in it as well. Also not too sweet.

Parking was okay, except there was a lot of very "special" drivers in the parking lot. So be very careful driving and also when...