HEYTEA (The Crystal Mall) — Restaurant in Burnaby

I've been hearing a lot about HEYTEA from multiple friends who claim it's the best bubble tea chain in China. So when they opened in Burnaby, my family and I decided to give it a try. We ordered four drinks: The Very Grape Crystal, Strawberry Peach Cheese, Mango Grapefruit Sago, and a hot Roasted Brown Boba milk tea for my mother-in-law. Everything was incredibly delicious! You could genuinely taste the freshness of all the fruits, and it was evident that they didn't skimp on the ingredients. Each drink had its own unique bubbles that perfectly complemented the flavor.

I've explored many bubble tea places in Vancouver, especially because I have a little one who adores fruit drinks, and HEYTEA is truly on another level. I was surprised to read some Google reviews claiming it's too expensive. Well, if you've been to the rest of the mall, you'll know that prices are going up everywhere. A meal at the HK cafe in the food court easily costs $20 for a fried rice dish. An average bubble tea price in Vancouver is around $8, but HEYTEA offers a higher standard of quality with fresh ingredients. I'd gladly pay a bit more for a high-quality bubble tea for my son that he'll finish, rather than a sugary drink from elsewhere that often ends up wasted halfway through.

Yes, there was a bit of a wait, about 30 minutes, but that's quite common for any new and popular place in Vancouver. The good news is that they have a screen that accurately informs you about your place in line and the estimated wait time. I'm thrilled that HEYTEA opened in Burnaby, finally bringing a "high-quality" bubble tea to...

OVERHYPED!

Tried 3 of their drinks:

blue coconut matcha boba 3/10 It tastes like bland water down matcha tea triple supreme matcha 2/10 The lady recommended less sugar but it just tastes like water down matcha! I’m a BIG matcha girlie and trust me, this matcha has no taste at all! mango coconut grapefruit 1/10 Go to Macu tea down the street, doesn’t even have the mango flavor and they cheap out on their ingredients.

Don’t know why people say such good things for this boba place. I rather go to Starbucks to get a matcha latte, Macu tea for their king of mango smoothie or coco bubble tea for their milk tea.

Over priced with no good quality. They make it look pretty and that’s it

Customer service: i went with my friend and we were both Vietnamese, they were not welcoming at all and gave no kindness like they didn’t even want to take our order? But when I went with my Chinese friend they get extra friendlier and sweeter and even welcomed us. They spoke both times in English but their personality changes if ur not Chinese? I’ve noticed this with other customers too.

P.S I went two times, don’t think I’ll come here ever again because of their customer service and their drinks are just overpriced...

Pretty decent fruit teas, not your typical bubble tea. Tastes healthier although I'm not sure how true that is. On the pricy end, but honestly all bubble tea/fruit teas are quite expensive these days so you might as well get some real fruit.

I recommend half sweet for all the drinks, and I got regular ice because they were sort of like slushies.

**Mango Grapefruit Sago ($8.99): I really liked the generous amounts of sago and grapefruit chunks! Nice creamy texture, good mixture of all the toppings (you won't run out of sago before you're done with the drink). This is my second time getting it, probably my fave drink here.

Very Mulberry Heytea ($8.99): This was recommended as a highly popular item, but I'm personally not a fan. It's a dark purple colour, tastes just like grape to me. I don't really like grape generally. Nice slush texture, similar to the mango one.

Pure Regal Aqua Green Jasmine Tea ($4.99): Just a regular ol' jasmine tea. Super light and refreshing for a palate cleanser.

No where to sit! take-out only. You can walk around Crystal Mall or go up to the food court. I came on a Wednesday around 5:30pm, and the wait was about 10min. I saw that they have a QR code if you want to...