Before my friend and I were about to part ways after a fun day hanging out, she let me know that there was a BOGO deal on Uber Eats for sparkling tea at Tealive. It was so sweet that she remembered that I am a sparkling drink fan.
I walked over to my car and opened my Uber Eats app on my phone. Yep, I saw the BOGO deal and immediately added it. I also needed to fetch dinner. It was great that Tealive had egg sandwiches called toasteas. Such a cute name!
I got a hash brown and egg toastea. My order was perfect, as I was more thirsty than hungry. One-stop shopping is also extremely convenient!
My friend said to head east along Richmond Road that becomes Somerset Street West and keep on driving till I saw this place in Chinatown. It was the easiest set of directions for this tourist.
Tealive is by the arch in Chinatown. I turned left into a parking lot. It generally is one that you have to pay. However, I had arrived after the pay-up parking period, so I parked for free and walked over.
This store has a single step to get in and out of the store. It may be an accessibility issue to some folks.
It's a deep store. There were plenty of places to sit down and enjoy dining in. I went to the back third of the store. There's a counter on the left for pickup orders.
I had a nice man helping me. I showed him my Uber Eats order. He fetched my paper bag with my order. I thanked him and happily headed to my car. I safely secured my order in my car and then drove back to my hotel room to enjoy my food and drinks.
Toronto has similar places that sell egg sandwiches. What they lack is offering bubble tea. This place has everything that I love, especially with sparkling tea.
The hash brown and egg toastea was incredible! The egg was in omelette form. It wasn't overdone. It was fluffy and enjoyable. You also get a rectangular hash brown. I loved how crispy it was on the outside. It was seasoned nicely and was perfect.
Perhaps to make you feel like you're eating something healthy, it had a tomato slice and romaine lettuce. They were fresh and complimented the hash brown and egg perfectly.
The bread was toasted. You saw horizontal marks on the bread, which made me think that they use a sandwich press of some sort. The bread provided the perfect crunch, while still being soft. It held the entire sandwich together without wearing what you were eating.
The toasted bread sets this toastea egg sandwich apart from similar egg sandwiches in the GTA. Here, you get a lot of bread that isn't toasted to the same extent. It's also so dry that you end up consuming a bunch of fluid to wash it down.
My sandwich came with a couple of sauces. You can certainly enjoy the sandwich without them. One was cheese. The other one was a cross between mayo and tartar. They were perfect with the sandwich. The toastea tastes better with them.
I was so thirst after having consumed a ton of sodium at lunch that I actually had both 3Q sparkling mango green teas that evening. It was a first for me. I normally have one immediately and the other the following day.
Both drinks had no sugar and half ice. I didn't have the option to go less ice, but it didn't matter all that much. It was such a hot day that half ice sounded inviting!
The drinks were divine. I loved the carbonation in them. Bubbles rule! They feel fancy when you drink them. Sparkling drinks are more enjoyable if the option is there.
The 3Q toppings were pearls, coconut jelly, and sago. They were the perfect trifecta in these drinks. You got chewiness, a bit of sweetness, and different textures to devour while sipping on the perfect combination of mango flavour with perfectly brewed green tea.
I loved this place so much that on my final full day in Ottawa, I ordered takeout from Tealive again for dinner. My order was the same, except that I tossed in Japanese strawberry shortcake.
It did feel like a carbon copy of my visit. Even my order the second time felt like my first visit. The same sandwich and sparking bubble teas were yummy and consistent. I was impressed.
The Japanese strawberry shortcake was delicious. It was the perfect portion, with layers of cake, whipped cream, and strawberry puree.
I am normally not a huge fan of whipped cream, but I enjoyed how subtle it was. The strawberry flavour was spot on. I loved that it tasted like real strawberries. The strawberry slice on top was a nice touch. The cake was moist and fluffy. This dessert hit the spot. My sweet tooth was happy.
This place was awesome! I long to return to try more toasteas, drinks, and desserts. This place had macarons. I'll need to get some next time.
Toronto and its surrounding area need at least one Tealive. Please come here! I am thrilled that I can return here for excellent food and bubble teas. I just need to do another vacation.
(304) read more