Pearl Castle Café — Restaurant in Richmond

Pearl Castle Café Richmond Address: 6060 Minoru Blvd #1782, Richmond, BC V6Y 2V7

Pearl Castle Café is a popular choice for casual Taiwanese fare in Richmond, known for its extensive menu of noodle soups, hot pots, and classic Asian-inspired drinks. While the food offers a mix of hits and misses, the overall experience is held back by noticeable service shortcomings.

The Food

Wonton with Chili Sauce The wontons were tender and paired with a mildly spicy chili sauce, offering a balance of savory and heat. While the dish was enjoyable, it lacked a distinctive flavor that would make it stand out among similar offerings. Rating: 7/10

Seafood and Pork Hot Pot This dish includes an assortment of shrimp, mussels, pork slices, fish balls, crab sticks, and mixed vegetables, all served in a hearty broth. Although the variety of ingredients was impressive, the broth itself lacked depth and richness, leaving the dish feeling more ordinary than exceptional. Rating: 7/10

House Special Beef Noodle Soup Arguably the standout dish of the meal, the beef noodle soup featured thick, chewy noodles served in a robust and flavorful broth. The beef was tender and well-seasoned, making this a comforting and satisfying option. Rating: 8/10

Fried Oysters The fried oysters were well-executed, featuring a crisp and golden exterior with a tender interior. The portion size was generous, and the flavor was excellent, making it one of the more memorable items on the menu. Rating: 8/10

Mango Slush While refreshing, the mango slush fell short due to uneven texture, with large chunks of ice disrupting what should have been a smooth and creamy beverage. The flavor was pleasant but not enough to compensate for the subpar preparation. Rating: 5/10

Ambiance

The café is clean and offers a comfortable environment with simple yet functional decor. While the seating is cozy enough for casual dining, the ambiance lacks any standout qualities that elevate it beyond a standard eatery. Rating: 7/10

Service

Service was the most significant drawback of the experience. Despite the restaurant being relatively quiet, the staff appeared inattentive and unresponsive. Requests for assistance were slow to be addressed, which detracted from the overall dining experience. Rating: 4/10

Price

The pricing is reasonable, with portion sizes that offer good value for money. This affordability is a redeeming factor for the café.

Verdict

Pearl Castle Café provides a satisfactory dining experience with a few standout dishes, notably the House Special Beef Noodle Soup and Fried Oysters. However, the lackluster service and inconsistent quality in some items, like the Mango Slush, highlight areas for improvement. While it’s a decent option for casual Taiwanese cuisine, it falls short of being a top-tier choice in Richmond’s competitive dining scene. A reliable choice for a casual meal, though better service and more consistent execution would...

I would like to start off by saying that if I could give no stars to this restaurant, I would. It all started on a rather uneventful evening, when three friends and I decided to satisfy our bubble tea craving. What better way than to visit Pearl Castle, an establishment seemingly built of those tiny spheres of deliciousness we know as tapioca balls. Upon entering, we were excited to see the newly renovated building. This excitement was short lived when I was kindly informed by the waiter that the first drink I ordered was unavailable. The second drink I ordered suffered the same fate. So finally I figured I’d go simple; I ordered coffee flavoured bubble tea. And that is when we were graced with the most unimaginable news. Pearl Castle Café, had run out of pearls. Now, I am a very understanding person; I get it, restaurants run out of ingredients. But when the ingredient is literally in your name, you really just cannot afford to not have stock. Following my visit, I did some research into tapioca balls, and I found out that they have a shelf life of six months. SIX MONTHS. How can you run out when you can keep your product for SIX MONTHS. Nevertheless, we settled on some unsettling coconut jelly that tasted like it wanted to go back to the tree it came from. My first sip was dry, pure mocha powder as I realized that my drink was not mixed properly. And at this point you think, really, it can’t possibly get worse. And that is when we saw a table of two who were seated after us, get their delicious drinks saturated with tapioca balls served to them. Seeing that was like seeing someone boil your glass of icy cold water, in hell. At this point, half choking on whatever it was we were served, we decided to get out of the pearl-less castle. So highly suggest to you, if you too are looking to satisfy your craving for bubble tea, please, go anywhere else. Seriously, anywhere. And, if pearl-less shanty house is the absolute only place you can go, do yourself a favour, and...

Very UNPLEASED with the service. I eat here often but today was astronomically horrible.

Me and 2 other friends went around 1:00 as the restaurant is slowing down from a lunch rush. My friends and I came in and as soon as we asked for a table the waitress gave us a weird look.

(I don’t know if it is because we are teens that are dressed up how we want to [eg. eyeliner, modern trendy clothing] or it was because none of us spoke chinese. I do not want to assume the worse but that stare already made us uncomfortable.)

The food came in quick and was very good! However, my complaint is their service.

The waitress was very rude and payed no attention to us.

We raised our hands for a good 20 minutes for the bill and the total came to around $82. That was very weird to me as a regular costumer that has eaten there with friends before as they would split the bill.

We tried to get ANY waiter their attention so they can split the bill and it took 15 mins! (BTW in those 15 mins we asked 2 staff for their attention, which they made eye contact with us but ignored me and my friends!) The restaurant was not even too busy as most of the staff was helping hand out take out, clear tables and the restaurant was clearing out.

Finally someone came by and they rudely said, “we don’t split the bill here”

As someone who dines there with family and friends often, I know Pearl Castle can split the bill. After that I knew I was not going to tip well but I could not even do that as the minimum tip percentage was 12%… INCREASING the bill I had to pay alone to a whopping $92…

Never bringing my friends to eat there ever again! My money could have been used towards cheap and good food at the food court but I made the horrible choice of choosing...