****BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN RICHMOND - IN NEED OF GOOD CHINESE DESSERT PLACE - PLEASE OPEN****
This is the header for my review, cause really, this used to be my 'go to'... like guaranteed satisfaction when I am looking for Chinese desserts. I had to look back at when I wrote my 5 star review... have things changed, and definitely not for the better. This place used to produce some damn freaking good dessert, on any given day there could be a pretty good line-up.. sometimes out the door. It still is this way sometimes when I come by, but after giving it two good tries recently I'm ripping this place for what it is. You couldn't keep the quality up to par, and also the prices have gone up... how does that work, I can understand if quality and quantity have gone up... but I'm paying more now for crappy dessert.... NO!
I am a mango fanatic when it comes to Chinese sweets, after going through a few in Hong Kong on two seperate trips this year, and still craving it, this place popped back in my mind.. and why not after so many people, including myself have raved about this place. Coming in, don't expect much service, don't expect a place to take any form of plastic, and don't expect any pretty pictured menu with a ton of selection. There is seating here, and usually they are playing Fairchild Chinese TV in here. Parking, it's all paid as it is only street parking, no real big deal if you are here just for a quick pick up. Service, well you just order at the counter, it is even the case when you are sitting at a seat here, go up.. order. It seems like the last two times I was here the old couple seems to have been a little jaded... my opinion.. as there are no smiles, no asking how the food was, nothing - if the business is going good and reaping the rewards.... what needs to be changed?
Quality.... I used to say this place had quality in the desserts, right to the freshness of the stuff being put in their stuff. The only fresh thing here now is that big watermelon I saw at the counter that was uncut... the mango sago dessert I had felt like canned overly sweet puree, barely any mango slices (actually none last time), the other time I ordered grass jelly and mango and they even cheaped out on the grass jelly, what does this stuff go for... under $1 a can? A few slices of mango (probably bought from the overly ripe isle of some supermarket clearing it out) and a whole lot of canned mango sauce (I won't even call it puree). As I said, it's nothing like what it was before.
I had a try of my significant other's peanut 'sauce' dessert, and she added two black sesame rice balls, they chaged her $3 more... Three bucks? $1.50 each, wow times must be tough to charge this much. The rice balls, I must say the glutinous outside was perfect, not too gooey chewy, and not too thick.. then getting to the inside, get me a glass of water... I've never had black sesame paste this sweet... bring the glass of water so I could rinse my mouth.
If anyone wants to make some money in Richmond, and can do any Chinese desserts with good quality, care, and taste, I guarantee you will make a killing. The extra star (the second) is the fact that you still have better Chinese desserts than most places in Richmond... and that is really a sad thing as isn't Richmond 'World' known for it's Chinese food...... read more