PÜRCHA — Restaurant in London

Not going to call it for what I believe it to be, rather let people read this and make up their own minds. For context I am a mixed race man of Caribbean and white origin.

Visited the small concession at the back of Wing Yip supermarket in Purley, approached the counter and asked for one of their recommended blends, Matcha something. The server looked at me then looked at her young colleague who then looked at me shook her head and began talking to her colleague in a language I believe was either Cantonese or Mandarin. The server apologised and said they were out of Match, no problem I said and requested an alternative which they had.

At the time I thought nothing of it other than what it was, I sat just to the side at a table and enjoyed my Oolong bubble tea. I was watching the staff operate and noticed them mixing a Matcha drink for a lady of Asian origin, I thought perhaps it was not Matcha and something else but heard the person preparing the drinks call it out.

I saw a couple more Matcha based drinks go out in this fashion to people of Asian origin whilst I finished my drink.

At first I though it just a misunderstanding but I clearly said Matcha and the server clearly said to me they were out of Matcha. I cant think of any reason why they wouldn't serve me Matcha but there is only one differentiator that was clear, even if it were some weird sort of miss communication I wont be going back.

Tea was...

Been quite a few times and tried quite a few drinks. Pluses: drinks are all made from freshly brewed tea of good quality, a decent range of unusual flavours, and good fruit flavours (not just syrupy sweet water). The downside is that this store in particular seems understaffed, often there is only one person to take all orders and make all drinks and so the wait times are really long especially at peak periods (eg lunch). I've waited over 20 minutes before for a drink, which is just too long.

What I've tried so far:

Grapefruit Serenity Tea Splash: 5/5 (good mix of refreshing tea + cream, complex and unusual flavours) Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea: 5/5 (your usual brown sugar milk tea, but the tea taste is strong, the drink isn't too sweet, and the boba pearls are well cooked) Grapevine Jasmine Dream: 5/5 (50% sugar) Osmanthus Oolong Delight: 4.5/5 (50% sugar) Earl Grey Dreamy Delight: 3/5 (ok, but not very special, tastes like regular earl grey with milk) Pineapple Paradise Passion: 4/5 (fruity but with good tea taste, would recommend 30% sugar as I thought 50% was too much) Sweet Potato Swirl: 1/5 (powdery texture, def do...

I was excited to try this place because honestly most Taiwanese fried chicken places and bubble tea places don’t seating. I had seen the Charing Cross Road branch but was in Temple on this day so I walked into this branch.

First of all, the order took forever even though there were very few customers and no one came to collect online orders. It was strange but I thought maybe they’re understaffed. There were three people but only two ladies seemed to be working in the kitchen.

I never heard my order number being called and then when I’d had enough of waiting, I turn around and found it lying on the counter. I found this strange and a bit lazy that they couldn’t call me or call my number again. Anyway,….

The chicken itself was the issue. It was a bit too thick in places. It wasn’t pink which made me unworried but it was rubbery in texture like it was frozen and it didn’t taste fresh like other places I go to.

The worst part was how oily it was!!! I had to rush to the toilet a short while after and I don’t know if this was the cause or if it was the actual...