Noshwellmenu

[rating:3]

Yuen Yuen Cafe is one of the better and more consistent purveyors of Bubble Tea in Vancouver. This Taiwanese joint sits across from Oakridge Centre Mall on the torn up streets of Cambie, next door to a discount sushi restaurant.

Case and I usually order a Green Milk Tea with coconut jelly. The jelly is lighter than the standard tapioca pearls and kicks up the sweetness factor by ten, so you’re able to enjoy the bubble tea without feeling bloated like a water balloon afterwards. As an extra bonus, Yuen Yuen Cafe serves some classic Taiwanese street food including: minced pork sauce on rice, Taiwanese meatball, and Formosa’s own take on the Japanese Bento Box (sans sushi).

(Above: 1. Mmm… glutinous meatball topped with red saucy goodness.)

I couldn’t resist ordering the Taiwanese meatball — a glutinous rice flour ball stuffed with a mixture of minced pork, mushroom, bamboo shoots, garlic, sesame oil and all sorts of awesomeness. It is often served smothered in a sweet chili sauce mixture. This street food staple is pretty difficult to find on this side of the Pacific, so we’re happy to have stumbled upon this spot. Together, one bubble tea and one meatball, our snack came in under $8 with tax and tip. Now, if city officials would only allow push carts on the streets of Vancouver, then we’d be totally set.

Perfect for:

Early afternoon snack and cool refreshing drink to beat the oh-so-temporary heat wave.

The Details

5890 Cambie Street, Vancouver
604.322.1020

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