Teaopia

For many years, like many others, I was addicted to Starbucks. That is until I found Teaopia in Richmond Centre. Like many other coffee shops, they offer a variety of beverages made to order. Of course the major difference is that everything is made from tea... premium quality tea. No bag teas are used, only loose leaf. Not only can you order drinks but they have a wall with several dozens of tea varieties available for purchase. Any type or blend of tea can be found and you are able to specify how many grams you would like to purchase. Most range from $5-10 for 50 grams which is enough to make 15-20 cups of tea.

If you're looking to try a beverage I would recommend the London Fog. I have never tried another London Fog that has even come close to the one at Teaopia. Perhaps just as important as the taste is the fact that the quality is consistently great. If you prefer something cold then almost any Fruit Blend or Flavored Green Iced Tea is great. I have yet to try one I didn't like.

If you purchase some of their loose leaf teas to try at home and need something to steep it in then you're also covered. One half of the store is dedicated to a wide variety of tea cups, pots, travel vessels and even natural sweeteners such as Rock Sugar and Agave Nectar.

I could honestly go on raving more about Teaopia but I'll spare you a long posting. Currently they have a store in Metrotown Centre in addition to the one in Richmond. From what I heard by talking to the manager, they are looking at opening nine additional stores throughout British Columbia in the near future. You can also join the Teaopia group on Facebook to receive special savings coupons from time to time. I think it goes without saying that I highly recommend Teaopia, not just for the quality and consistency but also the friendly service they provide. Next time you're looking for a sip, walk right past your usual coffee joint and try Teaopia... I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Strawberry Cones

I don't often blog about food court spots but I had such a bad experience that I feel obligated to share. Last weekend my fiance and I visited Aberdeen Centre and after picking up a couple things we wanted to get a small snack before we went home. We visited the food court on the third level and I was heading to the Triple O's for a burger when another place had caught my eye.

The place was Strawberry Cones, a pizza and pasta place with a Japanese twist (I guess this should have been my first hint). We ordered a slice of the teriyaki chicken pizza and a teriyaki chicken sandwich. My pizza was warmed up first but by the time we got the sandwich it was cold. Speaking of the sandwich... the girl had begun to make it and I could see that she looked clueless and was going very slowly. I noticed that her bottle of teriyaki sauce had ran out and for some reason she left the store with the empty bottle. I assumed she would return shortly but five minutes later when she didn't return, we ask another one of the girls who grabbed another full bottle of sauce that was sitting right next to the sandwich station to finish our order. We honestly waited ten minutes from the time we ordered to the time we actually got our food. This was reason enough to be a little upset but that's the least of it.

What really angered me was the fact I could see the other two girls both wearing gloves but handling other customer's food and money without changing gloves. I saw this happen numerous times but I knew that it would not have made a difference if I said anything. I can't believe that any food establishment in such a busy mall could possibly have such poorly trained staff that can't even follow basic food safety guidelines. I could seriously go on about how angry I was but I'll save you the grief.

For the first time ever, we not only considered, but we wrote to Vancouver Coastal Health to file a complaint. While visiting the site we also noticed that an inspector noted that the staff were lacking FoodSafe Certification... no surprise. I just can't believe that after this was pointed out, nothing was done to remedy it. I didn't plan on this posting being as long as it is but I really want to urge you to avoid this place. If you're ever in Aberdeen Centre, do not stop at Strawberry Cones for a sip or a bite!!!