What would life be without bubble tea?
"Downright horrible!" some may proclaim, though a lack of vendors selling the heavily marked-up import product would sure save us regulars a boatload of calories and a great deal of cash (as many of these franchises are cash-only).
Easy Drink Easy Go quietly opened up it's first Mississauga location back in September of last year in the Fresco plaza on Hurontario. While I've taken note of this name on many North York excursions (1, 2, 3), I can't believe I've actually stepped in and ordered.
"Downright horrible!" some may proclaim, though a lack of vendors selling the heavily marked-up import product would sure save us regulars a boatload of calories and a great deal of cash (as many of these franchises are cash-only).
Easy Drink Easy Go quietly opened up it's first Mississauga location back in September of last year in the Fresco plaza on Hurontario. While I've taken note of this name on many North York excursions (1, 2, 3), I can't believe I've actually stepped in and ordered.
The storefront wasn't exactly challenging to locate - it was adjacent to Shoppers with a distinct Bradley Hand ITC-esque font - but I must admit that I found its coordinates in a predominantly non-Asian area to be unexpected. Cooksville/Hwy 10 largely constitutes of Filipino eateries, Middle Eastern cuisine, and traditional Korean cooking further down Dundas.
I suppose now the area has a bubble tea joint to call its own, as the next closest locations would be either CoCo at City Centre or Ever Fresh in Port Credit.
I suppose now the area has a bubble tea joint to call its own, as the next closest locations would be either CoCo at City Centre or Ever Fresh in Port Credit.
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Easy Drink Easy Go's Mississauga location is run by a friendly Chinese couple that seemingly appear to be in their thirties. We were greeted warmly upon entering, and encouraged to spend as much time as we needed to analyze their menu options.
The interior was spacious and clean: the dining - er, drinking - area assumed a consistent green-and-white theme with incandescent lighting and small, colourful triangles pasted between promo posters; the bathroom, also spotless, was brightly-lit and featured pink butterfly decals. The environment was largely welcoming.
The interior was spacious and clean: the dining - er, drinking - area assumed a consistent green-and-white theme with incandescent lighting and small, colourful triangles pasted between promo posters; the bathroom, also spotless, was brightly-lit and featured pink butterfly decals. The environment was largely welcoming.
During this time, I witnessed several small groups of friends enter the shop, order, and purposely dismiss basic bubble tea etiquette by leaving mounds of straw wrappers behind. A mother-daughter duo that had already been occupying one of the tables slowly rose to reveal the sticky mess that either had created and proceeded to exit the establishment without any intention to remove it.
It is likely that the franchise owners had intended the space to be kid-friendly as well as student hangout-approved, as magazines and board games were abundant, but I'm uncertain whether this the crowd that they'll be anticipating.
It is likely that the franchise owners had intended the space to be kid-friendly as well as student hangout-approved, as magazines and board games were abundant, but I'm uncertain whether this the crowd that they'll be anticipating.
After much thought and debate, I was prompted to inquire about the ingredients of the drinks: which items weren't simply a combination of chemicals?
To my dismay, the only fresh fruit that they had on hand were the strawberries and bananas used to concoct the hefty $6.00 fruit smoothie. Reminiscent of BR, the remainder of their extensive menu was crafted utilizing syrups and powders. Further disappointment was expressed when I was notified that their "matcha" powder was essentially an instant drink mix; it wasn't even second-rate Chinese green tea powder from T&T - it was next-level synthetic.
To my dismay, the only fresh fruit that they had on hand were the strawberries and bananas used to concoct the hefty $6.00 fruit smoothie. Reminiscent of BR, the remainder of their extensive menu was crafted utilizing syrups and powders. Further disappointment was expressed when I was notified that their "matcha" powder was essentially an instant drink mix; it wasn't even second-rate Chinese green tea powder from T&T - it was next-level synthetic.
Ultimately, we ordered a Hokkaido Milk Tea w/ Milk Pudding, Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea, and Hong Kong Milk Tea with Taro Paste. The bill totalled $16.94 - a shockingly high number for bubble tea.
The Hong Kong Milk Tea was none of the things I had anticipated, though I should have known that this would be the case. It wasn't the lovely black tea and condensed milk creation from cha chan tengs (by heavens, no); it was a disgusting, overly milky flavour that I knew all too well: flavoured powder and the infamous Coffeemate creamer.
And the taro paste I had added 50 cents for? All one teaspoon's worth was barely discernible in the drink.
Needless to say, this was also the case with the Hokkaido Milk Tea, though the milk pudding did fare a tad better than the taro paste.
The Hong Kong Milk Tea was none of the things I had anticipated, though I should have known that this would be the case. It wasn't the lovely black tea and condensed milk creation from cha chan tengs (by heavens, no); it was a disgusting, overly milky flavour that I knew all too well: flavoured powder and the infamous Coffeemate creamer.
And the taro paste I had added 50 cents for? All one teaspoon's worth was barely discernible in the drink.
Needless to say, this was also the case with the Hokkaido Milk Tea, though the milk pudding did fare a tad better than the taro paste.
If you've been keeping up with this space long enough, you'd probably notice that I stopped my weekly BR runs quite some time ago. And this, my friends, was largely due to the discovery of their interminable dependence on Coffeemate and expired syrups. (Yes, you heard me right! Expired.)
Bringing the point of focus back to Easy Drink Easy Go, I must conclude that no second visits shall be conducted. Despite the stable Wi-Fi connection, amiable service, and comfortable environment, their products simply do not meet the basic requirements of their genre. I appreciated that they accepted credit as a form of payment, but convenience does not override unjustified price points. (Perhaps this is why they hadn't appeared on my various social media feeds before...)
Fauchon was closed on Sunday, but I needed my weekly carb fix. Our next stop was P.A.T.
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Behold: Hodo Kwaja, Custard and Red Bean Taiyaki, and Hoddeok!
Buttermilk pancakes were also attempted over the weekend - we doubled this recipe, but forgot the baking soda (oops!).
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Remaining weekend visuals: Open-Faced Turkey Wrap with Salsa and Dijon Mustard + a beyond adorable monkey plush with a lovable grin spotted at Loblaws.
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Two weeks left till Chinese New Year!!
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