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    The First Dessert

    3.9 (120 reviews)
    ModerateDesserts
    Closed 3:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Order The First Dessert Takeout or Delivery

    The First Dessert Photos

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    Tracy B.

    Delicious, not too sweet, great balance, and great to share with large group. Each portion is small and shareable. We tried 8/50 selection on different kinds, flavors, and variety of delicious authentic dessert. Their sweetness level is just right and that's what made this place so great. They have a long line but are super accommodating. If anytime we return to visit Vancouver, this is a must stop after a long dinner. The wait of their long line is totally worth it. Vibe of the place is old family wooden house furniture where family and friends gather. We love their vibe and old TVB movie playing on TV. Love it!

    Peach gum with mango
    Sonia K.

    Quick to get a table for 5, and they always kept our tea full. All desserts were delicious and came out fast, I got the peach gum with mango in dairy milk and now that it's mango season all the chunks were super sweet and went well with the peach gum!

    Gloria T.

    My favorite Chinese dessert spot. They have traditional desserts and the options are plentiful. This is not the place with modern recipes.

    Ginger milk custard
    Joe L.

    A friend of mine from the Bay Area recently told me about the ginger milk custard at this place. She had taken her mom from Seattle here every time they visit Vancouver. Needless to say, I need to try it. My husband and I came here tonight after dinner and we both order their ginger milk. As expected (as told by my friend and videos from Google Reviews), they poured the warm milk into bowl with ginger juice at the table. A 3-minute hourglass was then placed on the table to let us know when the mixture would be set and prêt à manger. The custard was very light but also very gingery spicy which we both loved. While the storefront form the outside doesn't have much to speak of, the interior was very well adorned with traditional Chinese tea house furniture. Service was very attentive as well.

    Front of dessert shop~
    Edward L.

    Surprisingly good Asian (Cantonese style) dessert place on Kingsway near 43rd. Was wondering why there was a pile of people waiting outside. Parking is available on Victoria, as well as the side streets. The place is actually quite small. There are maybe 10 tables, each able to seat maybe 4 people. There is a QR reservation system. Staff are friendly and helpful. Desserts are good value. Had the cold mango mango with mochi + sago. Tasty. Not too sweet. Good presentation with the vintage style (blue and white) bowls. Buddy and I gobbled out the desserts. Definitely a good place to check out if one doesn't mind waiting a bit if needed. Recommended.

    ginger milk, durian sago, tofu with red bean
    Leona V.

    Small shop with 6 tables, each with 4 stools. On a Tuesday evening it wasn't busy so we sat ourselves. There's a small bench for 3 people if you're waiting for your to go order! The durian sago was good but the scoop of durian was tiny, and there wasn't much sago either. The bowl looked bigger but was shallow in comparison to the other bowls. I loved how strong the ginger was in the ginger milk and ginger syrup for tofu. I had enough peach resin for every bite of the ginger milk. The tofu wasn't too sweet. If you're eating in and post your dessert to social media, they offer a small cold red bean or green bean dessert you can take to go.

    Sesame Paste, Grass Jelly with Taro Balls and Sago, Black Rice with Coconut Milk and Taro Mochi
    Tiffany S.

    One of our favorite stops during our Vancouver trip! Great place for those of you looking for traditional Chinese desserts. The restaurant is pretty small, so be prepared to wait. The tables are also small, so I wouldn't recommend coming with a big group. They have an extensive menu. In addition to the traditional desserts like Sesame Paste and Almond Paste, they also have lots of different combos with sago, taro balls, grass jelly, and more. The Sesame Paste had great texture- very smooth and thick. My favorite was the Sago with Coconut Milk and Taro Mochi! It was just the right about of sweet and the Taro Mochi was very chewy. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!

    Kathryn W.

    This is one of my favourite Asian dessert spots. Great hot and cold options, so it's perfect for any season. It is consistently busy, but you don't usually have to wait too long. They keep people flowing through the tables. Everyone at the table must order an item and typically it is a 45 min limit to the table if it busy. Make sure to bring cash. I've tried multiple desserts and they have all been delicious.

    Jocelyn C.

    The First Dessert Grass Jelly with Taro Mochi + Mixed Jelly $10.95 Durian Mango Dessert $11.95 Sesame Rice Dumplings $8.95 Curry Fish Balls $8.45 Review: A very nostalgic place to get dessert! I'd definitely say that the prices are significantly higher than that of Hong Kong especially $8.45 for some curry fish balls? That felt like a rip off Nevertheless, I'm never disappointed when I come here and the desserts hit. I just wish it wasn't so expensive ‍ Rating: 7.5/10

    Kristy L.

    The ambiance was very traditional HK design feels. From the plates to the tables to the interior decors, they remind me of the good old times. The service was okay and they provided good instructions on how to eat the desserts. The only thing that we had trouble with was trying to explain what we wanted for one of our dessert. We had to explain it over 4 times and at the end, it was still wrong but it's okay. The desserts were decent especially the ginger milk (my friend's favorite) and the mango dessert was okay, I wished they provided fresh mango. But overall, it wasn't bad.

    Elaine L.

    This is such a great place! Thought this was more of a gimmick due to the decoration, but I really enjoyed their desserts! Got the: - ginger milk $8.45 (this is where you pour in the hot milk (?) and then it solidifies into a pudding!) - grass jelly with taro balls+mini taro balls+sago+redbean $10.95 The gingermilk was super ginger-y and burns the throat, but was also SO delicious!!! If you ever want to get a not too sweet dessert for parents/aunties/grandparents, this is it!!! It was so fun pouring the milk into the bowl, and waiting for the timer finish and getting a pudding texture! The grass jelly dish was also packed with ingredients, loved the different taro ball sizes, and it was so refreshing! Definitely going to be a go-to for me when I'm craving some chinese desserts!

    Elizabeth Z.

    These desserts got me going like-- @thefirstdessert will always be my top choice for Asian desserts in Vancouver Known for specializing in Cantonese style desserts, The First Dessert is the go-to option for anyone looking for an authentic taste of Asian dessert. We order it at least once a week and there's no other place in Vancouver that makes grass jelly like they do here. My favourite is their Thai Milk Tea Grass Jelly Series, but this time I also opted to try their Durian Mango Sago which has been added to my list of favourites as well.

    Michelle T.

    I must be deprived living in California because I thought the desserts here were really good. It is near impossible finding places like this in the United States with this much variety in their menu. I LOVE not-too-sweet HK style desserts and they taste amazing at First Dessert! The huge line out the door seems to agree with me. We ordered three for two persons: -- A10 Black Rice with Coconut Milk: the rice is perfection and it tasted so comforting -- A19 Sesame Paste with Sesame Rice Dumplings: this is like the best black sesame I've ever had (sorry, grandma). I ordered this hot! -- E8 Grass Jelly with Taro balls, sago, and red bean: this is the one I liked the least. I should've ordered a different grass jelly item because I thought there were too many toppings! It was still good..just too complicated. I also prefer it to be colder or with shaved ice. I will complain a little bit that First Dessert is oddly strict on certain rules. Such as: you must order one dessert per person at the table and debit/cash only! Despite the rules, I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Vancouver!

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    Unni Pastries - cream donut

    Unni Pastries

    4.3(30 reviews)
    8.4 kmWest End

    Usually for last few years I've been ordering from Esther at Dipnsip & Unni Pastries. I was…read morereferred at my friend's wedding as I was looking for cakes and pastries for in-laws. Well it seems ownership has changed and the new owner doesn't give two craps about prior customers, honoring discounts, replying back timely or being more friendly? Was playing email tag and finally submitted the 39 flavors and didn't hear back until after another week and then told they won't deliver only in morning when they know our reservation was for 730pm and they're open until 9? I even replied back and nothing. We own and run several business in lower mainland and in United States and this customer service from Unni Pastries is trash. At least you can do is reply back and apologize? For wasting time when I specifically told you it's for family and friends flying into town for a funeral burial. Will never use their business again. I highly suggest Mello. They replied and helped me out last minute. Shame on you! Learn how to run a business and treat customers esp previous customers who were supporting the business and fellow Krn but it's clear the new owner doesn't care about the customer or quality it's all about quantity. Maybe my 39 donuts which I offered to pay extra for time and packaging wasn't large enough but money is money. Especially during this time and economy. You should've at least replied back and even tried asking us to do pickup as the restaurant is down the road. Do better! Go to Mello which isn't too far and they bake fresh daily better pricing and reviews and consistency!

    A good assortment of pastries and surprisingly some savoury items for reasonable prices. There's a…read morelot of fruit forward flavour combinations like mango, strawberry and raspberry. Also a lot of red bean. For savoury, they have large paninis and lasagna. The service is friendly and there's sufficient indoor seating.

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    Unni Pastries - Cream donut

    Cream donut

    Unni Pastries - Interior

    Interior

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    Snackshot - mahjong desert

    Snackshot

    4.0(138 reviews)
    5.7 kmMarpole
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    A very nostalgic old Hong Kong decor dessert spot offering many authentic Hong Kong style desserts…read more Their expansive menu includes traditional hot dessert such as red bean soup, black sesame and almond paste. And also the more modern cold desserts such as mango, ube sago and even grass jellies. We opt to order their ube trio and it was heavenly. It had an authentic and strong ube taste. The sagos were cooked just right with the perfect texture and most importantly, it wasn't too sweet. We also ordered their instagram worthy mahjong tiles which is essentially red bean and coconut pudding. It's very cute and definitely instagram worthy. It's not too sweet and I liked that it came with a side of red bean sauce which made it less dry. The money is also made of edible paper but we didn't touch it cuz it felt weird eating it. However, it wasn't anything special and we wouldn't order it again. It was quite busy when we arrived on a Friday night but it's much easier to go in a smaller party. We were a party of 2 and walked right in even though others were waiting because they needed a bigger table. The place is clean and service was fast. They don't have a time limit even though they are busy so it's a great hang out spot. We would definitely be back to try out other items they have to offer.

    It's a nice place for Asian dessert. They also have some Hong Kong style snacks and Asian dim sum I…read morehave yet to try. I like getting their tofu dessert though. And right now (not sure until when) they have a giant sandpit installed in the middle of their store. If you spend $25, you get to play with their toy excavator. And if you collect over 30g of gems, you can spin the wheel and win prizes. (Big prize = $20 coupon) Great for keeping kids and adults that are still kids at heart (myself included), happily occupied.

    Photos
    Snackshot - Best guess is red bean and coconut jelly @Snackshot (on Granville) fun dessert

    Best guess is red bean and coconut jelly @Snackshot (on Granville) fun dessert

    Snackshot - Vitasoy x Red Bean

    Vitasoy x Red Bean

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    Mahjong tiles

    Konbiniya Japan Centre

    Konbiniya Japan Centre

    4.2(193 reviews)
    7.6 kmWest End
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    Waaah I loved this place! Vancouver, how lucky you are to have Konbiniya!…read more Walking into this place felt a little bit like being transported into Japan. I'm from the Bay Area and we have our fair share of Japanese grocery stores (shout out to Niiya in Japantown in San Francisco) but I was very excited to see the selection here. Definitely came across items I've never seen before like a Takoyaki flavored Ramune. It was extremely discounted just fyi probably for good reason. They even had Japanese canned drinks stored hot like in Japan! The take away Japanese desserts also looked good. This place is right on Robson street so a great place to grab a snack, drink, pick me up while shopping. Prices seemed reasonable. One caveat is that it can get busy in here and the aisles are small so it felt a little crowded but that's sort of like Japan as well lol so not a big deal for me. Added to the ambience. Checkout was quick and easy!

    Wonderful little slice of Japan tucked into Robson Street. Extensive selection of all manner of…read morecandies, onigiri (rice and seasonings wrapped in crisp seaweed), matcha-flavoured snacks, soy sauces, numerous styles of miso paste...you get the idea. It sounds crowded - and it is - but once you push your way to the back of the store, you'll find a tiny Japan tour travel agency and a shelf of clearance items at rock-bottom prices. Service is cheerful, personable and brisk. The store also houses a takeaway crepe and ice cream shop - the crepes are actually better than the ones I've had in Tokyo.

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    Konbiniya Japan Centre
    Konbiniya Japan Centre
    Konbiniya Japan Centre

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    The First Dessert - desserts - Updated May 2026

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