This new location of the PAUL chain is located in the lobby of the Vancouver Centre II building. Compared to the cafe-restaurant on Robson, this one is more tailored to a grab-and-go experience for the busy businesspeople that come through this building, but there are a few tables (with very comfortable chairs) if you'd like to eat in. Everything is packaged to go, though. Bring your own cup if you want. The food options aren't as sprawling as the Robson cafe, but there's still a good selection with enough variety that will keep me coming back to try new things. The service here is great - the staff is professional and knowledgeable about their menu, and pretty quick at preparing drinks and food.
Since they opened, I have tried:
Lemon rooibos iced tea: Really good - their tea seems high quality, and this variety was really refreshing over ice. They get extra points for making proper iced tea that's actually brewed strong despite being made on the spot.
Matcha latte: A little weak on the matcha.
Pumpkin muffin: Really good! Fresh with satisfying texture from the big walnut pieces inside.
Matcha basque cheesecake: Perfect execution - balanced matcha flavour and creamy cheesecake with a nice caramelized crust.
Tuna baguette: Tuna salad in a poppy seed baguette. The baguette was so soft! And the liberal coating of poppy seeds added some crunch and a nutty flavour. Kind of messy from poppy seeds going everywhere, but a good sandwich. The tuna mix wasn't too "wet", so it didn't fall apart.
The prices are a little expensive, particularly the sandwiches. Muffin + latte = ~$11, not too bad. Sandwich + cheesecake + drink = $~27, definitely on the upper end of what I'm willing to spend for a quick lunch. The food is priced the same as the Robson location, but it makes more sense at the Robson location because there's more ambiance and more staffing. read more