PappaRoti — Restaurant in Vancouver

I've been to Pappa Roti many times.  Mainly because it's really close to where I work and all the people I work with go there too.  Their reviews have always been good as well so I thought it was about time to do a review.

Pappa Roti is on the street corner so it's easy to find.  It gets nice light because it faces south and east.  It's right on Robson Street so there's lots of people watching to do.  It has some outdoor seating when the weather is nice, and lots of seating inside.  The vibe and decor are very chill and relaxed.  Great wifi.  The staff are fast and courteous.  They have a wide selection of grab & go food, if you're in a hurry.  Lots of healthy choices as well.  The coffee is good, but I recently quite coffee and I'm now into teas.  But thankfully Pappa Roti has a lot teas as well, so they got it covered.  They have huge steel tea jars in the back, behind the counter.

To me, the most interesting thing about Pappa Roti...and the thing that stands out the most...is not the drinks but the food.  I heard my co-workers raving about this bun they sell.  It supposedly tasted so good...that I had to check it out.  I would always get the coffee (before I quit coffee) and a pastry item.  I saw the OG bun sitting there but ignored it because I didn't know what it was.  That's why word of mouth reviews are so important when you're trying to sell something.

I think it's technically called an OG Caramel Bun.  The OG Bun is not a fancy looking pastry, and I've never seen anything like it before.  It's a perfectly round shaped bun.  You can get it with a variety of toppings that look pretty amazing on the menu but I just get the plain bun, which is $5.  They have a special where you can get a coffee and a bun for $6.  I always get the plain bun, with no toppings, because I have sugar issues.  They will sprinkle some icing sugar on top but I just ask them to hold the sugar.  I'd go for a butter topping if there was one because I'm low key addicted to butter.

The OG bun has a unique shape and a very unique taste.  It's hard to describe but it's kind of similar to a Graham Wafer.  If you know what that tastes like.  I used to eat a lot of Graham Wafers at one time, and they have a signature taste that is quite distinct.  Graham Wafers are made with Graham flour, but that may not be the source of the unique taste.  I asked the staff about the back story to this bun and all they would say is that they make it at Pappa Roti, but it's originally from Malaysia.  So maybe it's very common in that area of the world.

The OG bun is a light fluffy pastry and it has butter in the middle.  But I would like more butter in the middle, if possible.  The OG bun is one of those foods you have to experience at least once in your lifetime, just to say you tried it.  Definitely a conversation starter.  If you're ever walking down Robson Street and you're up for some culinary adventure, check out the OG Bun...

I'm not a big fan of commenting on negative experiences but I will need to leave this time for their references and quality improvements. Although I used to visit this place pretty regularly to grab a coffee after work, I decided to stop going because of a staff wearing an airpod many times and responding my question with his chin tucked and no word. SO RUDE. I got speechless and didn’t wanna ruin the rest of my day so I didn’t respond and stopped visiting this place. A while later I had no choice but this place so I stopped by first time in a while, then different staffs were so nice to me and welcomed me saying she remembered me visiting regularly a long time ago. I kinda explained what I went through last time and asked some customization for my coffee (that I couldn’t get last time) and one of the staffs was generous to give a free coffee as an late apology and he was so knowledgeable enough to make better coffee than my actual customization. This made me start revisiting this place again.

However, when I revisit this cafe a few weeks ago and ordered a few coffees including mine, one staff told me there is no such a menu. I explained him again that it’s not a menu but just the different way of making coffee explaining that I have got the same thing here last time from a different staff and he said he just cannot do it in such a rude tone. Seriously? It was not even a complicating favor. He seemed he didn’t wanna work and got annoyed that I was visting at late night. I cannot believe i’m visiting the same coffee place seriously. How can my each experience be so different?

I have no intention to blame single person, I know customer service field is a drama. YET they need to know that quality service matters to customers, and people who spend their money deserve to know their service VERY varies and could ruin their feelings depending on each staff.

Despite of the generous lady and guy that helped me get a good experience here, I decided to not visit this place ever again and would not recommend this place to others as they don’t...

My wife and I were staying overnight at a local hotel on Robson Street, Vancouver. While waiting to check in, we decided to stop by PappaRoti for a quick snack. We’ve been here a couple of times before, but this is our first time reviewing it.

Although the café is owned by non-Malaysians, it still holds a strong connection to Malaysia through its origins, which adds to its appeal. When we arrived around 2:30 PM, there was only one other table occupied—not surprising given the time of day. The place was clean and well-maintained, including the washrooms, which I always appreciate.

For our order, my wife chose a plain roti with black coffee, while I went for the kaya roti and a latte. When our food arrived, I noticed that my kaya bun was significantly larger than my wife's plain roti—not that I was complaining. Lol. My latte came with a nice design, adding a little extra touch to the experience.

The food was great. Both buns were light, crispy on the outside, and soft inside. The drinks were well-made, and I enjoyed the flavor of my latte. The café itself had a cozy and quiet atmosphere, making it a nice spot to relax.

One suggestion I have is regarding the kaya roti. It already has a natural sweetness, so adding honey glaze on top made it a bit overwhelming. It might be better as an optional side drizzle rather than applied by default. Another small issue was the placement of the cutlery wrapped in a napkin on the plate. Since the honey was already drizzled on the plate, it stuck to the napkin, making it a bit messy.

Overall, it was a good experience, and we’ll likely...