Best Bubble Cafe 尚品

I think I've just discovered the best Taiwanese food and bubble tea in Richmond. I almost don't want to write this review because I don't want this place to become super crowded like Pearl Castle. In fact, my personal opinion is that Best Bubble Cafe tops Pearl Castle in both food and service. The restaurant is relatively new and the decor is simple and stylish. Not many bubble tea places would go so far as to put classy wallpaper on their walls instead of simple white paint.

I ordered regular hot milk tea with pearls (波霸奶茶) ($5.25) and was amazed at the amount of pearls I got. The pearls came in a container on the side and I did not manage to finish all of it. The milk tea came in a clear teapot with a tiny teacup, so it also felt like there was a lot of tea since I had to keep refilling my cup. I have to say though, the tea didn't taste very artificial which is the usual issue for me with a lot of bubble tea places. I could actually taste the tea and the milk, not just some weird powder flavours.

For my entree, I had the sliced cod with sweet and sour sauce (糖醋鱈魚) ($8.95) which took quite a while to cook. It was worth the wait though, as it was so much better than the one at Gin's Kitchen. The sauce was not starchy at all; it was piquant and flavourful with the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness. There was also a bit of savouriness that added depth to the taste. The fish was fried nicely and would have been crispy if it weren't soggy from the sauce, but I kind of liked it that way. The entree also came with 2 side dishes; one was just regular veggies and the other was sweet fried tofu (the kind used to make inari sushi). There was also a small dessert of grass jelly with evaporated milk and a chunk of sweet taro that was absolutely delicious. I wish there was more taro!

My mom ordered the hot pot with pork intestines and pig blood (五更腸旺) ($8.95). I know the name doesn't sound very appealing, but it was good. The flavour was strong, yet not overly intense. I liked those squeaky little cubes of solid pig blood. It's not as intimidating as it sounds. Really. This entree also came with rice, the side dishes and the dessert.

I have actually been to Best Bubble Cafe before with Janice (Good Eat) and Kirby (Eating with Kirby) after dinner at Sushi Hachi. I had the hot wheat germ milk tea (胚芽奶茶) ($5.25) which was just the same as the milk tea I had this time, except it came with wheat germ on the side. It was very filling because the wheat germ expands when it's wet.

Janice ordered the fluffy cream thick toast with almond flakes (奶酥厚片(杏仁片)) ($3.50) and we all had a taste. It was slightly sweet, but pretty bland on the whole as it was so thick. It's not a bad option when you want a cheap snack though.

I was actually a bit surprised at how good the food was. And the service was probably the best I've had at a bubble tea restaurant. The waitress actually came over to warn me that my entree would take a bit longer to arrive since the cod took longer to prepare. And when she got one of our orders wrong, she came to apologize and kept bowing with an apologetic smile. This place is going to be one of my go-to Taiwanese restaurants in Richmond.