Boketto Dessert Cafe — Restaurant in Vancouver

Boketto has been on my list to visit for a while... I previously tried their (delicious) hojicha latte at Japan Market and I finally got around to visiting the shop. I got an everything bagel liege waffle w/ dill cream cheese and lots of goodies from the Fall Fest menu: iced pumpkin matcha latte w/ creme caramel purin, pumpkin miso caramel cookie, and pumpkin mini mochi waffles (plus one original waffle). Everything bagel waffle: This was fun. The presentation with the dollops of cream cheese in each indentation of the waffle is not just nice to look at but also creates a good texture by really highlighting e mouthfeel of the cream cheese. Pumpkin miso caramel cookie: Delicious! The dollops of pumpkin mixture were like pumpkin pie and the miso added some umami depth. Pumpkin matcha latte: I love the pumpkin and matcha combo and their matcha is top notch so no surprise that this was great. The creme caramel purin topping was really good too - adds more flavour than plain egg pudding. Mini mochi waffles: I took these to go and heated them up the next morning, and I was worried the mochi texture wouldn't be good anymore, but it still worked! I'm sure they're even better fresh, but I really enjoyed the gooey mochi texture inside the slightly crispy waffles. Neither the original or the pumpkin was very sweet which was good for me. In general things are a little on the expensive side but I can say their matcha is definitely top of the line and the waffles and cookie were also pretty impressive, so I felt like I got what I paid for. It was worth the trip to the River District...

Boketto had been on my must-try list for a long time, so I was genuinely excited to bring my family. Unfortunately, the experience was a huge letdown.

The main issue was with a staff member named Thea, who was unapologetically rude, dismissive, and completely unwilling to admit when she was wrong. I ordered the strawberry matcha sundae, and she overcharged us. When I pointed out that the price didn’t match the menu, she claimed there was an extra charge for the matcha ice cream, even though the sundae is clearly advertised as a strawberry matcha sundae. The logic didn’t make sense, but I went along with it.

We also had questions about the loyalty program, but Thea’s response was frustrating. She couldn’t explain it and answered in a rude and condescending tone. It felt like we were bothering her just by asking. I ordered around four items total, and after the overcharge, a different staff member kindly processed a refund. While we appreciated the correction, an apology from Thea would’ve gone a long way, but none came.

She repeatedly spoke over us and stood her ground on incorrect information, which only made things worse. Had she just listened, she would’ve realized her mistake from the start.

To top it all off, the food was extremely disappointing - bland, poorly made, and simply not worth the hype. Easily one of the worst dessert spots I’ve been to in terms of both service...

i came here to try the matcha banana pudding sundae for the 2025 ice cream festival, and it was just meh to be honest. the pudding texture was a bit off for me, too “jiggly” and the banana flavour was too distinct and out of place. the matcha flavour is strong and powerful, but maybe not sweet enough.

the dubai sundae however was really good. the chocolate soft serve was SO good with the crispy, crunchy katafi which gave such a sweet burst of flavour in every bite.

i also really enjoyed the mochi waffles, which were served warm and super soft. the mochi wasn’t chewy like mochi usually is, but it was more like melty and gooey. since the waffle wasn’t too sweet itself, it paired really well when dipped in the soft serve. maybe it would’ve been better if the waffle was crispier, just for more textural diversity, but i do think it was more comforting because it was so soft.

the matcha mochi cookie was interesting, but not something i would get again, and was a tad expensive for the smaller size. it was dense and cakey, but not really sweet at all except for the little gems of white chocolate which paired nicely with the strong, bitter-ish matcha flavour. the mochi was kind of just a texture thing — it didn’t really have any flavour, it was just a glob of chewy goo concentrated in the center. i wish it was a bit more evenly dispersed...