When in Burnaby, it's difficult to forgo an opportunity to drop by Crystal Mall. The shopping centre is essentially a kingdom of budget-friendly food finds, fresh produce, averagely-priced Japanese and Korean beauty products, and a slightly more affordable version of Sarah and Tom's (named KR Multimedia).
Utilizing the time where my accompanying family members re-stocked on dried snacks from Seventeen Leung, I headed to try Cafe Eggstatic.
Utilizing the time where my accompanying family members re-stocked on dried snacks from Seventeen Leung, I headed to try Cafe Eggstatic.
The quiet cafe is located just outside the Farmer's Market section of the mall, nestled in at Unit 1021 near one of the main entranceways. Fragrant fumes wafted into the corridor as I inched closer to the bubble tea and snack joint.
Egg waffles and specialty beverages seemed to be their specialty, in particular the birds' nest-based beverages and (proclaimed) Uji Matcha milk teas and slushes. From the white tiled ceiling hung four cylindrical light fixtures, which were surrounded by numerous pot lights emitting an yellow-tinted glare. Gudetama also seemed to have gained immense recognition inside the store.
Egg waffles and specialty beverages seemed to be their specialty, in particular the birds' nest-based beverages and (proclaimed) Uji Matcha milk teas and slushes. From the white tiled ceiling hung four cylindrical light fixtures, which were surrounded by numerous pot lights emitting an yellow-tinted glare. Gudetama also seemed to have gained immense recognition inside the store.
Frankly speaking, I'm exceptionally wary of shops that claim to import their ingredients from specific regions of Japan. While it may actually be the truth, I normally tend to lean towards the doubtful side. The primary goal of a business is to generate revenue - enough revenue to sustain rent costs as well as the lifestyle of the owner(s) and employees. Taking this into consideration, it rarely proves reasonable to me that individual item prices are kept at such economic levels despite sourcing and shipping expenses. That being said, many of my opinions will revolve solely based on taste, operation efficiency, and the appropriateness of customer service.
I was acknowledged shortly after entering the store, which is always appreciated in my books. A casually-dressed female member of staff was in the midst of crafting beverages and placing egg waffles into a paper bag; "I'll be with you in a few minutes!" she nodded at my hovering near the cashier.
I was acknowledged shortly after entering the store, which is always appreciated in my books. A casually-dressed female member of staff was in the midst of crafting beverages and placing egg waffles into a paper bag; "I'll be with you in a few minutes!" she nodded at my hovering near the cashier.
|
|
Eggstatic didn't offer snack and drink combos like with Bubble Waffle Cafe (Aberdeen) or Juice King (Yaohan). However, they did have a limited time special on genmaicha and oolong-type drinks for the summer. Egg waffles, or "Eggstatic Authentic Hong Kong Style Egg Waffles", were available in the original flavour (for $3.75) or in seasonal flavours (ie. chocolate chip or matcha) for an additional seventy-five cents.
I took to ordering a Roasted Oolong Tea and Matcha Egg Waffle duo.
Quite a contrast to majority of the other shops in the shopping centre, Eggstatic had no problem whatsoever with accepting alternative forms of payment besides cash. Following payment, I received three slips of paper: a receipt consisting of the order breakdown (always much appreciated!), the credit card confirmation slip, and a smaller slip sporting my order number.
The entire ordering process was very pleasant, as was the organized layout of the order slips. As one of those people that hold onto their receipts, I always find it incredibly annoying that workers would snatch and scrunch up the tiny rectangular sheets of paper after validating my order. The fact that they even needed to check meant that I would have to have my receipt ready at all times, which isn't the easiest task to manage when my hands are occupied with carrying other items.
The entire ordering process was very pleasant, as was the organized layout of the order slips. As one of those people that hold onto their receipts, I always find it incredibly annoying that workers would snatch and scrunch up the tiny rectangular sheets of paper after validating my order. The fact that they even needed to check meant that I would have to have my receipt ready at all times, which isn't the easiest task to manage when my hands are occupied with carrying other items.
|
|
An abundance of Eggstatic's flavoured drinks were observed to be crafted with artificial syrups, drink mixes, and milk powders - no surprise there. However, the preparation of my Matcha Egg Waffles was what really piqued my interest.
I observed as the girl who had taken my order derived a scoop of grassy green dust from a plastic container donning a label that read "MATCHA" and mixed it with a small amount of simple syrup in a Pyrex measuring cup. She then proceeded to add a small amount of hot water to the mixture and whipped out a traditional bamboo whisk to combine the contents. Heading over to the egg waffle griddles, I gazed as she poured plain batter into the Pyrex little by little, making even rotations with the whisk after each addition.
I observed as the girl who had taken my order derived a scoop of grassy green dust from a plastic container donning a label that read "MATCHA" and mixed it with a small amount of simple syrup in a Pyrex measuring cup. She then proceeded to add a small amount of hot water to the mixture and whipped out a traditional bamboo whisk to combine the contents. Heading over to the egg waffle griddles, I gazed as she poured plain batter into the Pyrex little by little, making even rotations with the whisk after each addition.
Even now, I can't comment whether the bamboo whisk was just for show or not. However, I'm fairly convinced that the matcha powder she added into the cup was definitely not a powdered drink mix. The typical sparkling sugar crystals and yellow-green tint were nowhere to be found.
To say that the resulting products were merely great would be an understatement: the combination surpassed my expectations by far!
The Roasted Oolong Tea exuded an extremely fragrant aroma that could have only been achieved through skillful brewing. The tea retained its strong almost-smoky flavour with each and every sip. "It's even better than Chatime!" were the first words uttered. The fact that I had also requested 50% sugar and less ice led the drink to be sweet and icy in just the adequate amounts.
The Roasted Oolong Tea exuded an extremely fragrant aroma that could have only been achieved through skillful brewing. The tea retained its strong almost-smoky flavour with each and every sip. "It's even better than Chatime!" were the first words uttered. The fact that I had also requested 50% sugar and less ice led the drink to be sweet and icy in just the adequate amounts.
The Matcha Egg Waffles were another noteworthy item - the most unique blend of crispiness and sponginess with a gentle (but most definitely distinguishable) hint of Japanese green tea. Prior to this visit, I had declared Bubble Waffle Cafe to produce the best egg waffles in the Vancouver area. After tasting Eggstatic though, I can confidently conclude that this is no longer the case. The title now belongs to Cafe Eggstatic.
Despite a somewhat damp appearance and minimal cooling time, the eggettes were as crisp as could be! Still warm from the heat of the griddle, each piece boasted a wonderfully chewy, spongy interior that contrasted drastically to the satisfying crunch of the shell.
You've earned yourselves a new loyal customer, Cafe Eggstatic!
Despite a somewhat damp appearance and minimal cooling time, the eggettes were as crisp as could be! Still warm from the heat of the griddle, each piece boasted a wonderfully chewy, spongy interior that contrasted drastically to the satisfying crunch of the shell.
You've earned yourselves a new loyal customer, Cafe Eggstatic!
Perusing through the Farmer's Market section once again, I suggested sampling the ever-popular Wuhan Spicy Duck. (The sign had noted "Free Samples!" anyway, so there was nothing to lose.)
Duck tongue proved to be unbearably spicy, at which point we also learned that the entire menu would retain the same degree of spice. With fiery breaths and stinging mouths, we moved on.
Considering the insane amount of takeout leftovers at home, I opted out of eating out. Instead, I picked up these adorable (and very realistic) sticker tattoos from Everyday Toys before munching on the remnants from previous nights' dinners.
RSS Feed