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Volcano Tea House

3.6 (1.5k reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

Order Volcano Tea House Takeout or Delivery

Volcano Tea House Photos

Business Info

VOLCANO TEA HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Classy
Moderate noise
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Volcano Tea House

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Wonderful!
Mark M.

While I got food from a nearby joint, I wanted a sweet dessert to wash it all down. I ordered the Hazelnut Milk Tea with Boba from here that had a black tea base and was sweetened with hazelnut flavored syrup. It hit the spot and was so delicious! There are so many great restaurants in this village and I am glad I chose this to complement the dinner I previously ordered. The boba texture was good and the taste of the tea was just right. It was refreshing and certainly satisfied my sweet tooth. I would have gotten it in a larger size if I knew how good it was. I definitely recommend this place!

Strawberry Slushy with Boba
Joe C.

Been coming here well over a decade. I found out about this place when I worked in the west side and my coworkers went to UCLA for college. We would come after work for a nice little break and order boba. Fast forward to 2025, I bring my daughter here and ordered her a strawberry slushy and she loved it! Flavors are always good and boba is made just right. Service is always quick and lines move fast.

Bee M.

This is almost an institution on Sawtelle, they are the longest running establishment that I know spanning over 25+ years of serving boba! I've been coming here that long and there is a reason why they are still here! They serve honest to goodness boba and to me the pearl tapioca are cooked perfectly. I love the simplicity of what they serve my favorite is the Honey Black tea. Their menu has grown through the years but the consistency of their milk tea has remained as good as it was 25 years ago.

Passion Fruit black tea with boba
Shelbyann M.

A long overdue review for my favorite tea spot in West LA. Roses: - The tea is always so good and refreshing - My go-to order: passion fruit black tea with boba, regular sweet and regular ice (it's perfect every time) - They have a stamp card which is perfect if you're a frequent visitor - I usually run into the same two people working here and they are always kind to me and make me tea so quickly - I bring my visiting friends and family here - Good location, I can grab my tea and walk around the nearby shops Thorns: - Parking can be a tricky, but during the daytime you can usually find a spot in the lot if you're patient - Not much indoor seating, but I prefer to take my tea and walk around anyways. I have yet to try any of their food, but looking forward to it!

Large Brown Sugar Latte Boba
Joellen C.

Oof today I got the brown sugar latte and it was no bueno the brown sugar had a weird aftertaste similar to the fact of tasting like a honey after taste. Also I must've accidentally said brown sugar latte and not brown sugar milk TEA because all I got was whole milk + brown sugar + bobs balls and NO TEA taste ... so so sad. I would not order again. This one comes in one size (large) and comes with boba for $6.50. The boba balls this time did its job. Soft chewy like yummy mochi however their boba does have a tendency to stick together and get stuck in the straw causing you to futilely suck or spontaneously get a five thick boba projectiles slam into the back of your throat. I would order here if you want a cheap option. I would get a milk black tea or a regular tea aka no milk. Add toppings like boba and grass jelly or just boba. Ambiance = casual, low key tea shop. Size = awesome! Very generous large

Classic milk tea
Grace J.

This is a mom n pop cute cafe that offers a lot of boba options and a few food items. The classic milk tea with boba was on the sweeter side and not quite as strong as I would have preferred. There workers are kind, and there's a seating area while you wait for your drink inside

Rose Milk Tea
Max S.

I ordered the iced rose milk tea with boba, 25% sweet. Delicious. Many other options for drink choices, add on options, and level of sweetness The boba texture was perfect. You order, pay, and pick up your drink at the counter. The customer ahead of me left so I was the only one in line. It felt like my drink was ready in less than a minute. Not much ambience. No tables to sit down and enjoy your drink, just a bench near the door. This place is set up more as an order and take out.

Interior.
Scott S.

If you want a Boba drink, and you're on Sawtell Avenue, over in West LA, Volcano is your place to go. Yes, yes, they have other drinks that don't involve Boba, but from my experience, the majority of people that come here want one of their Boba drinks. They also have various varieties of Boba, and other ingredients to put in the bottom of your drink, which is another factor that makes this place very interesting. What Volcano offers is a nice selection of great tasting drinks. They have various varieties of drinks whether it be coffee-based, milk-based, or fruit-based that you can either drink straight or add your Boba to. The way this business works is that you decide what you want, walk up to the counter, tell the person handling the counter your choice and they make it for you on the spot. Though this is a great process, and the staff really try to get your drink exactly right, this is also where some of the criticisms about this business arise. Due to the fact that some of the people that walk up to the counter really don't know what they want, and need to have some instructions from the staff, this can really slow the line down. This problem is sometimes exacerbated due to the fact that this is a popular business. So, when you get here, if a lot of people are in front of you, or there are a lot of people waiting for their drinks, you may have to wait a while. That's just the fact of this business, it's definitely not a criticism. Overall, if you want that really fun and unique drink, that involves Boba or not, this is your place to go.

Hokkaido Milk Tea
Tyler J.

The service was expedient. The drinks were good -- my partner especially liked the Hokkaido with extra sweetener. (The whole fat milk is very rich!) -- I'm giving it 3 stars for two reasons. (1) I was really craving a Thai tea, and it wasn't on the two main menus, but they had a small sticker at the cash register I noticed AFTER we received our drinks. (2) I asked for the cashier's opinion between the Volcano Lava Run Boba and the Brown Sugar Latte -- the main difference is caffeine content with the Brown Sugar Latte having none (despite being a latte!) and the Volcano Lava Run Boba having caffeine. Would go again, and get a Thai tea.

Honestly as someone who works in the food industry Volcano Tea House has the best customer service I've ever seen. My ratings Ambiance 8/10 Poster on the wall 11/10 Boba itself is pretty good 7.5/10 Workers 10/10

Mayi B.

Their teas are delicious with a great variety of flavors to choose from. The service is friendly, the ambiance is nice and sawtelle neighborhood is great!

Regular Mango Slushy (Left) & White Peach Oolong Tea w/ Boba (Right)

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1 day ago

I LOVEEE VOLCANO! Their drinks are always consistent and the popcorn chicken is amazing. Love their lychee green tea too

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5 months ago

Best boba in the whole world. I have an emotional attachment to this store; 100000000% recommend (also the chicken nuggets are bomb).

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6 months ago

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7 months ago

Everything is perfect, the people are really nice, the drinks, And the environment.

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Volcano Tea House Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Volcano Tea House

What time do they stop serving food like their popcorn chicken?

Depends if there is oil change or not, normally 30 minutes before closing time (11:30pm)

Is this place still cash only?

Venmo is accepted if you don't have any cash.

Is there air conditioning?

Yes there is. It was pretty cool inside when I was there...

Is the hot grass jelly supposed to be watery?

Yes.

View All 6 Questions

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Joy

4.5(2.1k reviews)
14.7 mi•Highland Park
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Joy is Pine & Crane's sister restaurant located right in the heart of Highland Park. They have a…read moreseparate window for takeout orders and then you order inside if you want to dine in. Their menu is stacked with Taiwanese comfort food classics. Wifey and I opted to share the Joy Combo which comes with a cold appetizer, side of soup, a scallion bread sandwich, and a shaken iced tea. We ended up getting a Sweet & Sour Soup, Wood Ear Mushrooms, and a Scallion Bread Sandwich with Five Spice Beef. Everything tasted amazing and it was a great meal to start off our day. There is a reason why this spot has over 2,000+ positive reviews!

tl;dr the Americanized, vegetarian-friendly Taiwanese street food is more approachable than…read moredelicious; don't miss the thousand-layer pancake, but skip the dan dan noodles One of the most popular restaurants in Highland Park, Joy is the second restaurant behind the mind of Taiwanese-American Chef Vivian Ku. At Joy, Ku delivers a menu of Taiwanese fast-casual fare similar to its sister restaurant (and Michelin-recognized) Pine & Crane. Here, the modern menu of Americanized Taiwanese comfort food feels infinitely more approachable than the dense novels at traditional Chinese banquet halls. Joy is set up on a busy corner of York. Enter to join the queue before a backlit menu board. The cold salad selection is illuminated within the trim deli case. Sturdy wooden stools are pressed up against two-seater tables, while a cushioned half-booth runs along the back wall. Vaguely rural pan-Asian knick-knacks decorate the off-white walls. As the sun sets, the warm lighting feels infinitely more moody. The loud chatter, dance music, and clanging of metal silverware feel more like a bar than a fast-casual Chinese restaurant. My finacee and I visited for an early weekend dinner, and we arrived to a full house. We kicked off our meal with a slice of Sesame Scallion Bread. The puffy triangle was a cross between a hoagie bun and a King's Hawaiian roll. It was neutral and dry by itself, but we enjoyed pairing it with chili oil. Across the rotating sides, we were drawn to the Wood Ear Mushroom and Lotus Root salads. Of the two, we preferred the chewy, oily 'shrooms, but the apple-like texture of the chili lotus root slowly grew on me. My fiancee's favorite dish was the Thousand Layer Pancake with egg and cheese. The piping-hot rolls achieved the crispy-yet-oily combo that most fried dishes only hope to reach. Lastly, the Dan Dan Noodles were creamy but lacked depth of flavor. The Jidori chicken supplement was fine, but I found myself wanting spicy mala and minced pork. The service team worked together like clockwork, and the bill approached $40. Broadly, Joy felt like an Americanized, vegetarian-friendly take on Chinese comfort food. The entire meal was generally enjoyable, and my fiancee firmly swore that Joy exceeded her experience at Pine & Crane. Nonetheless, the flavors and textures (while familiar to the American palate) felt subdued; I'll be more likely to stick to the SGV stalwarts in the future.

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Pine & Crane

4.3(3.5k reviews)
10.1 mi•Silver Lake
•$$

Always a great experience with pine and crane To go orders…read more The parking there stresses me out so I ended up door dashing. The food came well packed and was delicious as always. The BEEF ROLL and the DAN DAN NOODLES are my go to. The quality and flavor is always consistent. I tried the MAPO TOFU this time. The flavor was good and the portion was bigger than i expected. As always, can't wait to come back!

Pine & Crane - Silver Lake is pretty okay…read more Located on Griffith Park Blvd just off Sunset Blvd & Edgecliffe Drive. It's street parking primarily if you know the Silver Lake area, very few lots, often shared with other businesses... Though rideshare and local transit run frequently in the area. Open from Noon to 10pm most days, closed on Tuesday only. This location doesn't accept or take reservations, unlike their sibling location in DTLA. The menu is similar, the Vegetarian Mapo Tofu which is the Vegan Mapo Tofu at Pine & Crane DTLA doesn't leave as much of an impression. Good Dan Dan Noodles. Solid variety of beverages, including iced teas, loose leaf teas, draft beer, canned beer, bottle beer, sake and wine, with some rotating options. It's mostly small plates, rice or noodle dishes, along with vegetables from the farm #FarmToTable and traditional cold appetizers/salads. Similar items for sell including some pantry finds, trinkets, treasures and things to go, like the wine (good selection). Good for delivery or take out. Okay for dine in, they get even busier at this location. Service is nice. Gender neutral restrooms. No Wi-Fi. No full bar or cocktails. Stellar Wok Tossed Basil Eggplant!

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Liu’s Cafe

Liu’s Cafe

4.4(830 reviews)
7.9 mi•Koreatown, Wilshire Center
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GET THE HK FRENCH TOAST…read more A very popular Hong Kong cafe on Tiktok, and it's worth the trip. BUT Parking is not easy in K town. Still worth a try. Milk tea was just good, same with the wontons. Everything was very much worth the price, must get the beef noodle soup and Hong Kong French toast This cafe can definitely get busy! Some dishes come out a lot faster than others, but overall quick service! Such a vibey cafe I could take a lot of inspiration from their decor! Seats and tables can be a little awkward ... but food is very worth it. A very, VERY small menu makes it easy to have a great first experience.

The food here was actually really good, but unfortunately, the customer service left us feeling a…read morelittle disappointed. When we first arrived, one of the employees told us to have a seat, so naturally, we assumed they were getting a table ready for us or that someone would come over to take our order. Meanwhile, we noticed other customers standing in line, but we thought they were waiting to place takeout orders. It turns out that wasn't the case at all! Apparently, you're supposed to order at the counter first and then find your own table. The frustrating part was that nobody explained this to us. We were simply told to sit down, so we ended up waiting for quite a while, completely unaware of how the ordering system worked. Eventually, after watching what other customers were doing, we figured it out ourselves and finally placed our order. I understand that every restaurant has its own ordering system, and that's totally fine. But I do think it's the staff's responsibility to clearly explain the process, especially to customers who may be visiting for the first time. What bothered me wasn't the self-service concept itself, but the lack of communication. A simple explanation would have saved us so much unnecessary waiting and confusion. On the positive side, the food was delicious, and I genuinely enjoyed what we ordered. It's just unfortunate that the service didn't match the quality of the food. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this place. I would consider coming back for the food, but I really hope they improve their customer service and communication. Good food is important, but a welcoming and well-organized experience matters just as much!

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Pine & Crane DTLA - Minced Pork on Rice

Pine & Crane DTLA

4.4(1.1k reviews)
10.3 mi•Downtown
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I have to laud this place for it's natural authenticity and impeccable service standards. Staff are…read morefriendly and go above and beyond - thank you Gabriel! And I especially appreciate them for offering an ASIAN BREAKFAST beginning at 8am. I LOVE rice porridge and the presentation of this dish is like a warm hug. Beautiful condiments including a delicious savory egg omelet, cucumbers, pickled radish, mushrooms, tofu - a very healthy start to the day for just $16! Truly a great establishment and love their family friendly vibe.

I came to this place kind of blind, I was just looking for a decent breakfast place around the area…read moreand happen to find pine and crane. I was very very pleasantly surprised at how good all the food was! I absolutely love a good Taiwanese breakfast and this place hit it out of the park. The interior is so lovely, it's such a nice place to chill in. They also have a mini market attached to it where you can buy some snacks or some random groceries. Fan tuan: I got the purple rice version, and I thought this dish was so satisfying! It was exactly what I was craving and was better than I hoped it would be :) I grew up eating this from small local restaurants in San Gabriel Valley, I was so happy to find that this reminded me of all of those, but in a more elevated way Traditional porridge set: honestly, a staple in such a good way to start the morning! A simple breakfast done right, I feel like I could always order this and it will never go wrong I also ordered the hot soy milk, which was the cherry on top. I am pretty sure it is from the half gallon. You can buy at the store, but it was still good! This place is in downtown LA so you have to fight for street parking lol I think if you go for breakfast time in the morning like I did, you shouldn't have too much trouble

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Little Fatty - Orange Chicken

Little Fatty

4.0(1.5k reviews)
2.5 mi•Mar Vista
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It's kind of hilarious that I've actually mistaken this place for another place. I had to double…read moretake to make sure it was the right one because I remembered it being somewhere else. But I was glad I came to this place. Love the atmosphere. It was energetic, a bit loud, and has a cooled retro night bar with neon signs. The alcohol display behind the bar was a spectacular view/design. It's high, making it looking pretty against the dim backdrop. We ordered four dishes, Dan Dan Mian, sichuan eggplant, chili wonton, and duck bao. The Dan Dan was unique. I didn't expect it to be spicy like all the other ones I've tried. But it was amazing! All of them were! Reservations are strongly recommended since it gets filled up pretty easily. Lastly, I want to give our waiter, Peter, a huge shoutout for being so attentive and engaging. He was on top of it! Great energy and very friendly.

Little Fatty has been on my list and I took my chance when I was recently in the area. The…read morerestaurant does not have a parking lot but metered parking in the front that ends at 8pm during weekdays. The restaurant was pretty empty on that Tuesday night. There must have been 3-4 parties. That night the hostess divided diners and bar patrons between the "two rooms" (the restaurant has a bar in the middle that divided the room.) We let the hostess know that we were a party of two and she seated us between two large groups in the "other" room. It was weird seating to say the least. Our table was at the curve or the booth seating and was too close to another seated party. You needed to squeeze in to get to the booth seat and my +1 volunteered to scoot in a tight pathway. Because we were between the two groups, it was extremely loud. The restaurants aesthetic is really hip. I don't remember the space at the entrance, but the room that we were in had an eye catching mural and the booth area that we were seated in made a face (with the wall being a pair of eyes and the two long booth seats meeting to make a nose.) Unfortunately, lighting was very low and I could barely see the dishes for the second half of the meal. Food was tasty. We ordered the XO fatty noodle (no bean sprouts), orange chicken and Sichuan eggplant. Everything came out hot once they were ready. I had to hold back from eating all of the orange chicken. The XO noodles, not sure if it was because we customized the dish, was too salty though.. Staff were calm to expressionless. Person who came for the bill was wiping our table while we were packing our leftovers. I didn't appreciate how they stayed with us when we were paying on their handheld machine. Overall, I enjoyed the food, but did not have the best dine in experiences.

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Little Fatty - Sparkling Rose in celebration of my anniversary.

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Woon - Beef noodles

Woon

4.2(614 reviews)
9.6 mi•Westlake
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I am swooning over Woon!…read more I have not had good chinese food in so long, Woon did it for me. Chicken wings- I loved these chicken wings, these remind me of my childhood and ordering wings from chinese takeout places. They were crispy and covered in scallions! 5/5 Fried rice- I think this was only miss of the night for me. The texture was great, but I felt like it lacked flavor. 2/5 Beef noodles- I loved these! Bouncy, saucy noodles with the most amazing pieces of beef and mushroom. I genuinely would come back just because of these. 7/5 Scallion pancakes- light and flaky and came with a vinegary sauce that was amazing. I do wish they had slightly more scallions in them. 4/5 Service was good. You order before you sit down, so there's not too much interaction. The restaurant itself is a gorgeous with chill lighting and a decent amount of seating. Might even come back for my birthday!

This review is based on take-out. I've been dying to give Woon a try and though it was good, I was…read morenot blown away. Perhaps it would have been better in person. Scallion Pancakes - 3 1/2 stars. A bit too much chew to this and lacked in the flavor department. Beef Noodles. 3 3/4 stars. Not quite a 4, and not quite a 3 1/2... somewhere in the middle. The noodles definitely had a chew to them, but needed a bit more flavor. Sake - 5 Stars. We ordered sake from here and that was absolutely delicious. All in all I'd give this spot another chance in person, but wouldn't do take-out again.

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Kato - Fried fish

Kato

4.4(682 reviews)
11.5 mi•Downtown
•$$$$

Kato Overall Rating:…read more(5/5 Stars) Sometimes a fine dining restaurant in a strip mall serves you some of the best Taiwanese Californian fusion food you've ever had. And you leave thinking, wow, how incredible is it that I get to travel, eat, and experience the minds of chefs this talented? Kato was one of those meals that reminded me why I love doing this. 7 Course Experience-$285 I chose the traditional 5-course Bar Tasting Menu at $185, but when I was presented with two add-on courses that screamed my name, obviously I had to try them. I'm already in LA. When will I be back? We listen and we don't judge. This meal was a rollercoaster of flavors that took me through texture, simplicity, spice, and freshness. Each dish genuinely made me smile. Some sounded almost too simple on paper, but once I tasted them, it was clear just how much thought, technique, and care went into every bite. The flow of the meal made sense, and nothing left me feeling confused or out of whack, even with the additional courses. The portion sizes were also perfect. I even took home the bread and liver spread, which became my 3 a.m. snack after dancing the night away. No regrets. This was the kind of meal that simply made me happy. Creative without trying too hard, thoughtful without being pretentious, and delicious above everything else. I completely understand why Kato has two Michelin stars. Service This was my first Michelin tasting experience sitting at an actual bar, and I loved it. As a frequent solo diner, I usually enjoy watching the kitchen work from the chef's counter, but this time I got to watch the bartenders create drinks throughout the night. It was such a fun change because cocktail-making is an art of its own. Even better, they took such wonderful care of me that I genuinely couldn't stop smiling. Disclaimer: These are my personal opinions. Please try these restaurants and form your own judgments--it's what I would do.

I'm sorry to say I was pretty underwhelmed with my dining experience last weekend…read more Service felt impersonal, almost perfunctory, and inconsistent as the night went on. Not sure if they are trained to talk in very low voices, but it was hard to hear and understand what our primary waiter (we sat at the bar, so it was the bartender) was saying. He was good about explaining the courses and the wines at first, but once there were a few other guests, another younger wait staff came to pour our wine and serve our food. When I asked about the wine, she didn't know anything about it and said she would have to ask. That is kinda disappointing for a 2 star Michelin restaurant. I'm not even asking for a trained sommelier here, but you'd think whoever is pouring is well informed in the chosen wine. At a restaurant of this caliber, I expect a little more than just "this wine is from so and so area". Food-wise, there were some impressive flavors, but some disappointing ones. You couldn't even taste the uni in the uni+caviar on a donut dish (which was an add on). The donut was so over powering, it killed the delicate flavor of uni. I enjoyed the lobster and duck dishes. The boba dessert was very salty, but the trio of cookies at the very end were delicious. The courses came out pretty quick and the portions were small- the whole dinner from start to finish was an hour and a half, which might be the fastest Tasting Menu dinner I've ever had. It was so fast that we didn't have to pay for parking- the first two hours were free! If you go, I'd recommend the wine pairing, the different wines were very good and paired really well with all the dishes. I don't want to nick-pick, but it is hard not to at a 2 star Michelin restaurant. I wanted to love it, maybe my expectations were a little too high.

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Kato - Inside

Inside

Kato - Duck w/ soy preserves/pine mushroom

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Liu sha bao (sort of - contents of a lava bun should traditionally be hot, but this was served cold)

Hui Tou Xiang - Zha jiang

Hui Tou Xiang

4.3(498 reviews)
7.7 mi•Hollywood
•$$

Great spot to stop at before a concert. Arrived when it was full and we grabbed a seat at the bar…read morepretty quickly. Service was attentive and friendly. I really enjoyed the dimly lit Hong Kong style bar. Food arrived pretty promptly after we ordered but we did get an array of hot and cold items. Flavors were fabulous. Fish potstickers had a delightful crunch and savory, flavorful filling. Shrimp shumai have a nice bite with plenty of filling. Our chili oil noodles had a great texture and wasn't too spicy. Their house made chili oil had a nice spice profile, not wildly spicy. Quaint place that was a perfect spot for two. Prices were reasonable and their house drinks were well balanced. Great experience.

The decor was nice and I liked the vibe. Intimate place with a few tables and a nice bar area. The…read moretable we were sat at was pretty small, we ordered quite a few items and at first they paced our food but at one point our tiny table was so full we couldn't eat comfortably due to the lack of room. I think it would've been better had they continued to pace things out. It wasn't busy around the time went so in my opinion they could've waited a bit. Now for the food...very underwhelming We were disappointed as we were eager to try this place! The dough was very thick for both the pork+crab xlb and the spicy wontons. The xlb hardly had any soup in it but I will say the broth that we were able to get out was v flavorful. The stewed beef noodle dish was very bland. The beef itself was very tender and I could tell the veg in it was fresh , but unfortunately it was a bland dish overall. The marinated tofu was bland as well. The star of the show for us was the beef hui tou! I think it was pretty tasty and fried beautifully. The drinks we had were just alright as well. Can't say I'd come back regrettably.

Photos
Hui Tou Xiang
Hui Tou Xiang - Liang Ban Noodles

Liang Ban Noodles

Hui Tou Xiang - Ahh!  The beer help extinguish the fiery chili oil.

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Ahh! The beer help extinguish the fiery chili oil.

Volcano Tea House - coffee - Updated October 2026

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