Leisure Tea & Coffee Richmond 麗舍 is a little cafe situated on Alexandra Road in Central Richmond. With so many bubble tea shops come and gone, Leisure bubble tea has been one to withstand the storm throughout the years. It has been in business for more than 10 years. This quaint teahouse brings you a nostalgic feel, something of an old English coffee shop prior to the arrival of mega chains.
There are different variations of tea houses –
- ones with shaved ices or dessert treats and savory snacks; such as Leisure
- ones that have evolved more like a restaurant with set meals (hot pot, mini sets, noodles, etc) while serving bubble teas; ex. Pearl Castle, Well Tea
What is bubble tea, BBT, boba 波霸奶茶 or “pearl milk tea” 珍珠奶茶? It is a type of tea beverage originated from Taiwan in the early 1980s that contains a tea based mixture. The “pearls” are made from tapioca starch and carries a chewy gelatine texture shaped into tiny balls. Some teahouses also mix sago with the pearls. The contrast between the tiny and the large balls are quite tasty! Pudding, tapioca noodles, coconut jelly are also common substitutes.
Some common drinks
- Jasmine Green Tea 茉香綠茶
- Pearl Black Tea 珍珠紅茶
- Foam Green Tea 泡沫綠茶
- Pearl Milk Tea 珍珠奶茶
- Honey Green Tea 蜂蜜綠茶
What type of tea do you fancy? Green, Red, Black, Milk, fruity, floral or herbal infused? I like Leisure for that fact that they are not too generous with the sweet syrups. They know how to balance. One of my favorite drinks of all time is Jasmine green milk tea with added grass jelly!
A wide variety of desserts such as shaved ice, crème caramel, tiramisu, pudding, Japanese cheesecake, crepes and ice-cream waffles are crowd pleasers.
So what is shaved iced you ask? Bàobīng 刨冰. Bascially it is ice shaven down with added toppings. It is most popular in Taiwan. During the scorching hot summer days it is an inexpensive way to cool down while enjoying something sweet. Common toppings are: Red bean, grass jelly, coconut jelly, taro pearls (kind of like mochi), etc. Other toppings may be added as the customer desires. Eight Treasure Ice 八寶冰 generally means a mixture of everything!
So if you are ever nearby, this is a place not to be missed if you desire an authentic Taiwanese café experience and want to chill with some friends!
Items are price point around $5. This place is Cash Only (like most Richmond restaurants).
FOLLOW:
Leisure Tea & Coffee 麗舍
URL: LeisureTeaCoffee Facebook
Cuisine: Taiwanese Chinese, Bubble Tea, Desserts
Hours:
Mon 12:30 pm – 12:30 am
Tue 12:30 pm – 12:30 am
Wed 12:30 pm – 12:30 am
Thu 12:30 pm – 12:30 am
Fri 12:30 pm – 1:30 am
Sat 12:30 pm – 1:30 am
Sun 12:30 pm – 1:30 am
8391 Alexandra Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 3W5
(604) 821-9998
