桃花坞 Lovin tea（bubble tea until 12am） — Restaurant in Richmond

(Can’t add photos with receipt else Google Maps auto flags for spam it seems; review has been hidden for almost 2 weeks. Had to delete and repost.)

So, I first tried their sister brand, “More than Coffee” on UberEats and reordered several times namely for their green grape and jasmine americano. It’s a different style of coffee with fruit juices and espresso which is surprisingly refreshing and tasty. You wouldn’t think mixing espresso with fruit juices would work but it does.

I first tried their Yuzu and then their green grape and jasmine. (Both yuzu and green grape & jasmine was good but the latter is better.) And had to go back and ask if they used a jasmine syrup because it was so fragrant. They didn’t and mentioned the maojian jasmine bbt is better than the green grape and jasmine coffee since they dilute the jasmine for the coffee else it’d be over powering.

So, I decided to try the maojian jasmine sometime later. The Lovin Tea store itself isn’t on UberEats for pick up, only their More than Coffee brand is on UberEats.

So I ordered in store and paid cash. I order with cash from time to time to get coins for tips for my pick up orders or Starbucks. (Starbucks doesn’t allow baristas to open the cash register unless there’s a purchase. If I don’t have coins, I do order a paper bag to get change but I fear it’s an inconvenience for the baristas. Most my coffee at Starbucks is free converting Aeroplan to stars lol. So I typically tip by cash)

I don’t really drink bbt that often unlike coffee because it’s not really the healthiest of drinks. The amount of sugar and calories in the pearls (which is a must get if you buy bbt else paying $7 for a cup of tea doesn’t seem, logical) is the same calories that should be in a light meal.

So it took a while but decided finally to try the maojian jasmine. It was $6.85 + 0.75 pearls so 7.60

Service was friendly. I ordered, paid cash, and went to nearby cloud 9 hoping to order salt pepper chicken (unfortunately sold out at 5:30 pm). And realize I didn’t get a receipt. So asked for one when I got back intending for the itemized prices for the review.

Another staff member however was at the front now and asked inquisitly “you paid cash, but you want a receipt?” making me think that if you pay by cash it’s off the books. Lol.

Anyways, got my receipt and my drink. Overall friendly service but the drink was disappointing and definitely not worth $6.85 (without pearls, pearls is $7.6; $7 for jasmine milk tea is rather pricey, you can get two for $7 with pearls at fresh elements at Yaohan. And the pearls there are good and chewy and sweet as it should be.) There was barely any jasmine flavour. It was honestly bland. Mostly milk but at least they used real milk than powdered off-taste milk substitutes. It wasn’t anything really special; I’ve had better tea with cheap green tea bags at Yaohan. $4 for 20 tea bags. Disappointed after enjoying their green grape jasmine coffee several times and expecting this to be more fragrant.

There was really no flavour to the drink. Half sugar was good. Pearls were also stale and harden than chewy. Once again also no flavour in the pearls which typically has none but usually a nice sweet addition when soaked in brown sugar or maple syrup and chewy contrast when fresh. This was stale, brittle, and flavourless.

Overall rather disappointing experience. I’d probably order their coffee again especially the green grape jasmine but not the bbt.

Also found it’s on Fantuan with a promo for a free drink with $8 purchase (which is what the jasmine maojian is already) so you can get two for the price of one if you want to try it. Although really not very high quality or unique drinks as I’d hope. And not good pearls either.

Honestly I’d rate this a 2/5, but bumped it up to 3.

Small shop but has a cool mahjong table in one...

Unfortunately, had a terrible experience with a group of friends. Our friend had wanted a brown sugar, milk tea , which they do not have on the menu along with no more pearls. We asked them what would be close to that in flavour after we paid the server said that they actually didn’t have the recommended drink in stock either and recommended another one after doing so we tried bubble tea and didn’t like it at all. When we asked to change for a bubble tea that one of our friends had ordered, they were not willing to change it without being re charged. The server said not my fault I did my job and got the “boss” he had said the same thing we can’t change the drink unless he re pays. We ended up leaving without a drink after paying. The kitchen area is 2 times if not 3 times the size of the seating area, we guess they really don’t want you to stay. They are open later than most places but still...

Quite possibly the worse bubble tea experience I've ever had for the price I paid. Immediately when you walk in, you notice how small the main "seating" area is. Which really looks like its designed only for aesthetics and nothing else. We heard/saw people in the two mahjong rooms throughout our time there. Nothing against them, but it felt pretty much like an exclusive club where those who know get access to the room while the rest of us plebs sit outside. Fair enough.

However, I cant understate just how bad my drink was. I ordered a mango pomelo sago and it tasted like coconut milk with ice and sugar with faint hints of mango. My friends laughed at me when they saw just how white my drink was, resembling no mango pomelo that I've ever had. The other drinks that my friends got were no matter. Save yourself the time and money. Theres much better out there...