Pearl Castle Cafe - Richmond

Welcome back!  Hopefully, Issue No.1 got your mouths watering 

and you are ready to embark on our second dining adventure!

Some days, you might feel like budgeting both your wallet and your waistline.  

Or perhaps you do not have hours to truly enjoy an AYCE feasting!

On such a day, Pearl Castle Cafe, located at Suite 1128-3779 Sexsmith Rd, 

Richmond, BC 604-270-3939, is the perfect choice.

Pearl Castle Cafe has a very large selection of both food and drinks, as you can see from the shots below - and these are only A FEW of their menu pages!    

                   

                    

                 

The vast assortment of dishes, all under $10 a meal, range from a delightful array of chicken, pork and beef melanges, seafood, vegetarian, fried rice options, various noodles choices both in soup or dry, to even individual hot pots!  I recommend taking your time to peruse the menu - as even deciding between the sauces is difficult!  (For example, do you feel like 'garlic sauce', 'honey sauce', 'teriyaki', 'Szechwan' or 'golden lemon'?)  Many of the main dishes come with rice, a side of vegetables and a little dessert for a light sugar fix!  

After changing our minds several times, we opted for the famous "Taiwanese Tomato Beef Noodle Soup" entree and a variation on the Korean 'sam geh tang', Ginseng Chicken Hot Pot.  The "Taiwanese Tomato Beef Noodle Soup" was wonderfully savoury with a slight hint of spice, with exquisitely tender chunks of beef and wonderfully chewy broad noodles.  The Ginseng Chicken Hot Pot, on the other hand, was delectably natural in its flavours - where one could easily distinguish the gentle sweetness of the ginseng and dates and the subtle richness of the chicken itself.  The oyster mushrooms were a nice bonus and the whole presentation of having its own little fire made it even better.  Not only did it warm up my bones but it felt like a truly wholesome and healthy meal!  The dipping sauce - familiar but have not figured out - was both tangy and spicy, giving a little extra 'oomph' to the bites of chicken!

We were so pleased with our meals (which were shared, of course!) that we decided to go back the next evening in order to sample a few more dishes - AND to finally try their very popular BUBBLE TEA!


As mentioned earlier, the drinks menu is as equally cumbersome (but in a good way) as the food menu - trying to choose from the many tea options, Bubble Tea, Frappe and exotic Juices was nearly impossible.

                   

Luckily, I had been craving a Bubble Tea fix since seeing them served the previous night!

For those unfamiliar with Bubble Tea...You pick from a selection of milk tea flavours (such as coconut on the left and taro on the right) with chewy tapioca pearls or not, also the option of cold or hot!  The giant straws allow you to access the scrumptiously chewy pearls while quenching your thirst!                                        

After much contemplation, we went with the 'Spicy Garlic Sauce Chicken' and the 'Taiwanese Meat Sauce on Dry Noodle' dishes while our companion had the rice version of the meat sauce.  

Once again, all the dishes were highly delectable and with generous 

portions - allowing us to enjoy them at a later date as leftovers!  

With five different meals sampled, bubble teas enjoyed and the costs so affordable, it is easy to see why Pearl Castle Cafe is such a popular hot spot.  The restaurant is clean and modern, with a trendy atmosphere enhanced by fun lighting variations.  I highly recommend a stop here when good food at a good price is key!

Thank you for joining me once again on my foodie adventure!

Hope you have enjoyed this second issue - be sure to come back soon!

If you have any suggestions or comments, please post below!

BON APPETIT!!

TO VEG OR NOT TO VEG

Pearl Castle Cafe has its own Vegetarian section in their menu 

- offering a good selection of 'mock' meat dishes.  I also would not be 

surprised if they would be able to accommodate requests for certain dishes

 to have 'mock meat' as a substitute!  Definitely worth asking!

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RANDOM FOOD TIP OF THE DAY:  Although it is less commonly used these days, many Asian 

restaurants still add a 'pinch' of MSG here and there - be sure to ask IN ADVANCE if you have 

any allergies or preference about the use of MSG (monosodium glutamate)!

                   Get lost easily?  

Here is Google Map link: Pearl Castle Cafe

~ Come back soon for the next gastronomic adventure! ~