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Destiny
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Asian Fusion Coffee & Tea, Asian Fusion [Edit]
165 York BlvdRichmond Hill, ON L4B 4A7
(905) 889-7899
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dessert, Late Night
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
21 reviews for Destiny
21 reviews in English
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Review from David D.
9/16/2011
A hot spot after a night out, usually after dinner or karaoke, bringing large groups of loud teenagers, girls that try too hard to impress, or couples (and lots of them). Generally, the usual clientelle are Asians in the 16-25 age group.
It's a trendy hang out place, opened late, which is great since there aren't many options in the 905 area on a night out.
Overall, service is a hit or miss, much like their drinks. Did I mention that there is a minimum $3.99 sitting? It's mandatory for you to order something if you're going to sit there, and all $3.99 is going to get you is a small drink. Adding tapioca or upgrading to a large size is $1 more.
Popcorn chicken is a usual order with my group of friends. I don't understand why they keep ordering it as it is too oily and salty to enjoy. But I would avoid the food overall.
Generally, a good place to hang out with friends, nice decor, clean space, and plenty of eye candy to keep you going.
Note: My favourite is taro milkshake or almond milk tea. -
Review from Frank L.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2012
This is usually the hang out place after dinner or when there are friends from out of town. The bubble tea is very expensive. It is the atmosphere that counts. Most of the customers are in the 20's or 30's that don't care about the price. They can sit there for hours playing card, tablet, laptop or smart phone. The waiter/waitress is polite. Remember to call them when they pass by, otherwise you may have to wait a long time. The ice dessert is good. The cake, however, is so so. Don't rate the food as it is a hang out place.
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Review from Lauren M.
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
The highlight of Destiny is that at 2am on weekends, the lights dim low and Japanese strippers descend on ropes from the ceiling. The high tables along the middle corridor become their dance floor. The overpriced bubble teas are replaced with tea pots full of sake and a separate "menu" with more exotic selections is circulated to male patrons.
JUST KIDDING
This place sucks.
Imagine sitting in a swanky nightclub setting with obnoxiously loud 1990s trance music blasting and an elaborate confusing menu of 180,000 different bubble teas and milkshake flavour combinations, most of which will cost you close to $10.
No booze available.
Slow service.
I'm surprised they don't charge cover. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
7/4/2011
Destiny is trendy modern looking place for tea, coffee, desserts and other non-alcoholic concoctions. The pricing is just as high as the noise level.
*** DRINKS ***
I had a large cold chocolate drink with tapioca balls. The drink itself was tasty, but it was a little hard to mix since there was so much ice in it and the chocolate was at the bottom. The tapioca balls were pointless. They have no taste and just add an annoying chewiness to what would otherwise be a relatively smooth drink. The drink was not bad, but not particularly great.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Destiny is a very trendy looking spot. The tables are all wooden and the light fixtures are cool. Some of the decor has a worn look when you look closely. One of the light bulbs was blown and some meshing that was used in one fixture was ripped. The noise level is really high and they play a lot of dance music. Most of the clientele are young Asians (20-25 yrs old). The look is nice and inviting.
*** SERVICE ***
Service is good. Upon entering we were quickly seated. The servers were friendly for the most part, although there was one guy who was very monotone and seemed to be there only for the money. The servers spoke too quietly making it difficult to understand what they were saying when they brought our orders. They didn't remember what we ordered individually and I think someone ended up drinking someone else's order. Maybe they should label the drinks.
*** PRICE ***
Too expensive!
** Total (Large Chocolate Drink with Tapioca, AT&T) | $10 **
How can any human being justify spending $10 on a non-alcoholic drink?
*** FATE ***
Destiny looks nice, but looks can be deceiving. There's a lot of trendy decor, loud music, and although the service is good, there's no real substance - the overall effect is much ado about nothing. The drinks are overpriced and don't stand out as being special. There are different flavors, but nothing exciting. If fate should bring you here, call it Destiny, because if you had any say, you'd go somewhere else.Listed in: I got Yellow Fever, Sphenopalatine…
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Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
3/26/2011
Every time I enter a bubble tea shop/cafe, it seems I have entered a different realm, where the expectation for service literally does not apply.
I've visited this particular location about half a dozen times in the past year, unwillingly. I don't like bubble tea, I just don't get it. Powdered drinks with giant caviar looking things that shares the same texture as tadpoles. What is Tapioca anyway?
I thought after a few visits, perhaps I would grow fond of this place. The food here isn't all that bad, and the individual snacking dishes are actually cooked to a tolerable degree. I always get the popcorn chicken, as I do at the other Destiny on Silver Star Blvd. I always thought the other one had better décor, in the past, and even now with it's facelift.
Here is my beef with ALL bubble tea shops. No servers here will ever, EVER speak to you more than they necessarily need to. They'll bring you your food, and bring your bill. If you don't know them personally, forget about asking for recommendations, or small talk. For some people that's fine, but if you work in an environment that is trying to suggest harmony, and warmth..I expect to be greeted a bit more. But I'm just one Man, and this supposedly is the unspoken rule of remaining unspoken.
I always request where to be seated exactly, and the staff here has never had a problem with it. The place is clean, and it offers WIFI. Many people come here, order under $10 and stay for a very long time.
But the service here is as one would expect from any bubble tea shop, nonchalant at best. You got all these trendy looking servers, earring flopping all over the place, tattoos hanging out, hair that would make Adam Lambert look like Harry Potter.
Buddy handed my friend his drink like he was tossing a shot across a bar, it spilled a little. I was going to protest, but my friend begged me not to. His food never came either, so it was only myself that ate the entrée. We ordered the same thing!!
This is a different kind of institution, apparently, I just don't have a system where I can judge bubble tea shops.
Silly Raymond, bbt's for kids. -
Review from Edwin A.
Updated - 9/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is starting to go downhill.
Their building maintenance sucks, how long did it take to fix that front entrance. Months?
Sat in a room at the far end one time, dead flies all on the ceiling cloth. The sofas, I don't know if they have ever been cleaned. Lots of drink stains.
This place need a bottom to top refresh.
Tea is the same (it's a powder drink) so that's consistant, food is pretty much the same, the crepes vary depending on who's working. Still an okay hangout but hopefully they get better.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/19/2010
I have a bias, this was the first place I took my girlfriend. So I'm gonna have to rate this 5… Read more »
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Review from Steph L.
11/14/2010
In 905 land, there are limited options for entertainment.
Don't be offended if you are a 905er. You know it's true.
That's why they call it the suburbs.
Anyways, bubble tea is always a great choice for a relaxing evening.
Destiny has things that you find at most other bubble tea places.
1) Crappy service.
2) Loud music.
3) Young kids that can't get into bars.
4) Girls desperately seeking attention dressed way too sexy for tea
5) Horrific food.
6) Bubble tea.
This place has nice decor and it's huge.
They don't have an extensive list of flavors of bubble tea... If you want cherry or blueberry, they don't have them.
The drinks here don't suck, which is great considering it's a tea house.
I was happy with my apple green tea with grape jelly.
Popcorn chicken was over-salted and disgusting.
Between this bubble tea joint and Go For Tea nearby, I prefer this one because of the parking.
I got a new car and chose the parking lot where it was less likely to be hit.
Parked next to a Bentley convertible and a Mercedes, I felt at ease enjoying my tea. -
Review from Ferdinand H.
5/5/2009
Unlike everyone else, I ended up here at around 2:30 am, catching up with an old friend. With no Karaoke places available, and alcohol not really on our minds, we hunkered down for some sweet drinks. The selection is large, and we only could try a couple. They were very sweet, and not particularly "natural" in flavour... still Lychee-ish foodstuffs are still tasty, authenticity aside.
The space is very modern and quite attractive, actually. I like the decor quite a bit, with warm yellow lantern styled lighting and very ultramodern yet eastern styling.
The gray couches are an interesting colour choice; the fabric wasn't holding up well from the frequent spills. Discoloured and tired, the couches really took the interior design down a notch or three.
Still, with free wi-fi tonnes of magazines and sparkling decor (aside from the couches) it makes for a great place to relax whilst reading or chatting. -
Review from Jay G.
Toronto, ON
4/3/2009
I used to go here until my friend showed me this.
http://www.facebook.co...
Now I just go to "Go For Tea". They have better food and sweeter tapioca there anyway.
But to review Destiny is something I cannot ignore, so here goes.
Destiny has some of the most modern interior design I've ever seen for a bubble tea establishment. It is well lit with gorgeous chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows surrounding the space in it's entirety. It boasts clean minimalistic booths, dark wood accents that give it am upscale bistro feel, artistic planters, and the clean white communal seats brightens the room even more.
Although the space is beautiful and the Wi-Fi is free, the drinks don't meet the same standard as the decor. The tapioca balls were tasteless and chewy while the drink flavors leave a powdery taste, kinda like a protein shake that's not fully dissolved. The drink sizes didn't seem to fit the price point as the drinks are much smaller than expected.
If you decide to go on a Friday or Saturday night, good luck trying to find parking as this place is an absolute zoo. You're best bet is to go sometime during the week to avoid the fiasco of finding parking.
Overall I would go back for the ambiance and free Wi-Fi but not for the drinks. For the price, you can get better drinks at other places. If it wasn't for the whole roach thing, I would've given it a 3 star rating solely for the ambiance. But unfortunately for Destiny, you can't undo something like that. Go at your own risk. -
Review from Karen S.
1/23/2010
I tried. I really tried to like this place because I thought to myself that this location must be better than the other Silver Star location http://www.yelp.ca/biz... because they must have learned from each other's mistakes.... but, alas, my hopes were in vain.
Once again, I went with a large group and were seated on the second floor. The company was superb, but the drinks...? I got the hot almond tea in a paper cup and it both smelled and tasted off. Others who asked for bubbletea were served in plastic cups. Rumour (completely unverified, but I think the source is trustworthy...) has it that only second floor visitors get plastic and paper cups because they're less heavy for potentially clumsy servers to bring up. Really? I had the misfortune to be hungry and ordered the 'pad thai' which was really seafood and chicken ho fun (thick rice noodle) with a bit of hot pepper. The dish wasn't entirely bad, and would have tasted great from a food court when labelled as such.
On some positive notes, the decor was nice and the servers were professional and prompt. Funny aside - a fellow in a table behind us sat down and broke his chair. Entirely. It was like a scene scripted from a comedy from his stunned expression to everyone else trying not to laugh.
This would be a good place to hang out for non-alcoholic drinks with friends on a late night. Great for large groups, and it's clean. I'd stay away from the food though and think about the plenitude of other similar bubbletea houses in the area.Listed in: Chinese, Chinese, Chinese!, Bubble Tea!
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Review from Elaine Y.
11/27/2009
Came here after dinner to check out the desserts. The cake slices were HUGE - we had 1 slice of strawberry shortcake, 1 mocha chocolate and 1 chocolate marble chessecake (something like that) - they were all delicious! I recommend sharing one slice among a few people. The cold drinks were ok, def not "natural". I liked that they serve tea in a pot with a little candle underneath.
But honestly, when I walked in, I thought this was a club or something. The decor is very nice but not very fitting for the nature of its business. Don't people want a cozier space to hang out and read magazines? -
Review from nila b.
Scarborough, ON
4/11/2010
Beautiful set up. Yes, it's fancy and cool.
DEstiny started out goood. I mean, really good. Then, it went down. DOWN DOWN DOWN. What happened?? Their service got slow and rude. One staff threw dirty napkins infront of us when he was taking our plates away. It took another staff 15 minutes to bring us spoon. They're also not very informative on the menu. -
Review from Rita E.
Quick observations:
1) This place is always busy.
2) The service LAGS. Honestly, for the price of one chandelier, they could have one more server on the floor every night for a year. At least one more...
3) The teas hot or cold are good, not great; food is over-seasoned; desserts are yummy!
4) The design overpowers the content. I can't believe this is a tea/dessert/non-fine dining restaurant. You've gotta be kidding me. My Norcal friends would go bonkers. This should be a club, ultra lounge, upscale...
Pauper in a Prince's clothing...
2.5 stars -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 1/11/2010
Question of the night? What happened to the cups?
It was midnight on Saturday, we were seated quite promptly with the place nearly full. We all made our orders and mos of them hot.
When the drinks came out, they were all in plastic or paper takeout cups. This is strange, I thought to myself... this is the first time that I didn't receive an actual glass... not sure if the dishwasher was broken, all the cups ran out, they were hoping we would leave quickly... or they just decided to move into a different direction.
The hot cups were massive, and ordering a small hot drink, I could only imagine what the large actually looked like. What I found out when the bill arrived was that they only do take out cups in a large size. But since they were only serving paper cups, I guess we all automatic free upgrade.
I love my red bean.. but this was just too too sweet... just not to my liking, not their fault really. No one else complained, and I never really have anything wrong at this place. Their cake selection is awesome, like the demetres cake shop. They seem to have an even more advanced menu than when I went months ago so if you like unique drinks.... you can be sure to try something new at Destiny!Listed in: Late Nights in the Markham…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/18/2009
The drinks selection is HUGE, the food is decent, and the cakes and waffles are delicious... but… Read more »
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Review from Kia N.
Richmond Hill, ON
7/30/2009
Atmosphere: Very nice modern interior design.
Service: REALLY BAD. SLOW. Waiters/Waitresses will NEVER check up on you. You can't even flag them down.
Food: Average. Two of the three dishes I've had here were really greasy. Their bubble tea is probably the only thing I would ever have here.
Try out if you really want to. But as for service and food. Not recommended. -
Review from Yvonne K.
1/8/2010 1 photo
I love this place! There is always an array of Japanese fashion magazine, tasty treats and friendly, quick staff!
This is a great time to get away and be away from the downtown Starbucks.. I think this is better than Ten Rens just because it is beautiful and spacious.
The array of bubble teas and cakes and food is divine! You should definitely go! -
Review from Falcon L.
Mississauga, ON
12/28/2009
Destiny is the spot to hang out late night with friends sipping tasty non alcoholic drinks and fulfilling the late night craving for asian food.
As someone who doesn't drink alcohol yet loves every other type of drink available, this place really does it for me, and it is open until 4am!
The decor is that amazing Japanese zen minimalist type of design that I really like.
The drink selection is huge and I would say 80% are hit and the rest miss. The waffles and crepes are excellent too, but you should really share these as even a single order is too much for one person.
3 stars instead of 4 because the music is too loud and occasionally the service can be lacking. -
Review from Maureen P.
Toronto, ON
2/18/2009 1 photo
Be still my heart. Destiny has taken my breath away with its beauty and has won me over with their early evening special.
On weekdays from 5:30 - 8:30pm, there's a $7.95 special - approximately 10 entree items to choose from and this great deal INCLUDES milk tea or green tea. What a steal! Regularly the items are priced between $6.99 to $8.99 and tea prices starts from $3.99. Entrees include Cantonese chow mein, rice with eggplant & minced pork, tom yum seafood soup, pork cutlet ramen soup, and more.
Alluring interior design, modest costs and convenience - there's free wi-fi, but not available on weekends and stat holidays (as it's too busy to accommodate demand). Though I still feel Destiny is in my cards as a regular uptown hangout.
How I've turned my back on bubble tea for so long, but now I'm back baby! And with a vengeance! No matter how far you are, I will drive the distance for you and I'll return sooner than you think...
However, I can't help but feel you're holding back and the best is yet to come. And for that, you're a 4 star for now. But I can't wait to see what the future holds... Destiny you have made me a happy girl! And I WANT YOU RIGHT NOW! -
Review from Amanda N.
Scarborough, ON
11/28/2009
I was inclined to love this place, I really was. The name, the decor, fantastic. However, the service simply was not. At all.
After having the host AND the waitress doing a double take at our race, I was mildly annoyed. After waiting half an hour, with waitresses frequently passing by and not ONE stopping, even after we made eye contact, we were pissed. The icing on the cake was when a middle aged couple came in, and were served within 10 minutes of sitting down, while was STILL haven't been greeted by a waitress. We went up and complained about the service, were offered a mediocre apology, and then left.
Never again. -
Review from Tiffany M.
4/3/2009
Wow, another interior design gem in Ontario! But, what else would you expect when it's the sister restaurant to Chako BBQ next door?
Destiny really blew me away with its pristine interior, cozy little pockets of space, long communal tables, trendy couches, beautiful planters, and dark wood throughout. It kind of reminded me of a day-time version of NY's Buddakan.
Although the space is gorgeous, the caliber of food & drink don't seem to measure up. You think if you had such a nice space, you'd let that be an extension of an impressive menu. However, Destiny is more of a place to go to get boba and milk tea drinks. They have a menu that features pictures of sub par food such as a scoop of rice w/ an iceberg lettuce side salad and sweet & sour pork. They also have noodle dishes and sushi, but I can't speak to how any of these tasted since I just had one of their drinks.
So, they have a plethora of drink choices w/ carafes of Destiny Specialty drinks and tall glasses of Iced Oriental Teas, Grapefruit Teas, Slushies, Milkshakes, Yogurt drinks, Fruit Blended drinks and Soda Mixes. I went w/ their Coconut Milkshake and was pretty happy w/ it.
Wi-Fi here is free, which is awesome when you just want to grab a drink and do a little work. Although, I almost felt like I was contributing to the destruction of the ambiance. You look around and ppl are studying there w/ their papers splayed all over the tables, or ppl who are practically horizontal on the couches. It's just kind of weird.
Either way, this place was perfect for what I was looking for: A good drink, Free Wi-Fi and a beautiful space. -
Review from Mehrdad H.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2010
Went here for deserts after dinner and drinks with a couple of friends, first of all this isn't really a place that would be good late night because they were closing the booths around 12. The waitress was not too fond of us asking questions about the cakes available, she got frustrated and started pointing at the menu. The bailey's cheese cake was absolutely tasteless, honey dew with milk is their specialty which was fine, but it seems they had ran out of actual cups, and served us with plastic ones instead, guess we don't need to worry about the environment anymore because everything can be recycled these days, or can it? Furthermore don't let the decor fool you, the soap in the washroom doesn't work, the faucets are poorly designed causing water to spill everywhere except the drain. When you sit on the couches you feel a couple inches shorter, and you would probably need a friend to help you up. This was my second time going here and I think the quality has lowered drastically.
