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Dragon Ball Tea House
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1007 King Edward Ave WVancouver, BC V6H 1Z3
Neighbourhoods: Shaughnessy, South Cambie
(604) 738-3198
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 2 pm - 11 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
71 reviews for Dragon Ball Tea House
Review Highlights
"I loved the taro, and all the fresh fruit ones."
(in 27 reviews)
"Absolutely the best bubble tea in Vancouver."
(in 12 reviews)
"Their tapioca pearls are simply to die for."
(in 32 reviews)
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71 reviews in English
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Review from Clare L.
1/20/2012
I almost think this place is tradition for my brother and I when I come back to Vancouver. During my 3 weeks home, I'm sure we had dragon ball at least 4 times, to which we would purposely drive by every time we were traveling back in from Richmond to downtown Van.
I've never seen them make our drinks before, because my bro has their number on speed dial and we phone in our order 15 minutes before our arrival. There isn't much parking around, so typically I get chucked out of the vehicle to grab them and run back to the car. I love the Lychee Green Tea with Coconut Jelly combo personally, while my brother has a love affair with the Pear slush. It's an apparently coveted slushy, not always available but when it is, you're king or queen of your friends who are regular fans too.
I like that they use real fruit in the slush, and real lychee in my tea. It's sweet, but not diabetic coma sweet. We've never sat in, and I've never been inside for more than 45 seconds, so I can't tell you much about the inside, but I do remember it not being the largest seating area.
Long live tradition, and until the next time I'm in town. -
Review from David L.
2/1/2012 1 photo
The name is Dragon Ball Tea House. Now, I came here because I like tea and I expected some tea flavour for my drink. Everyone raves about the mango slush with pearls and that was what I ordered. To be more specific, I ordered it with milk and half sweet.
I am a fan of mangoes. I've eaten my fair share of freshly cut mangoes, mango pudding, mango cake, mango drinks, dried mangos and mango yogurt.
After just one sip, I could tell that it was mango pulp from a can. Nothing bad, but it wasn't like from a freshly cut mango. If you're familiar with Chinese style mango gelatin pudding, my drink tasted exactly like it, but in a very thick slush form. It could have been less thick, but that wasn't the real issue. There was no tea taste in the drink! I could only taste the mango and the milk.
The pearls were soft and gummy. It sort of reminds me of gummy bears, but it's a lot softer. It tasted good, but it didn't blow me away.
If I was going to order again, I would skip the milk and skip the slush. I believe when it comes to bubble tea, one should be able to taste tea in their drink.
The interior was actually quite warm and inviting. The seats in the corner near the window were comfy too. -
Review from Jando S.
12/21/2011
Everyone remembers their first.
My experience was messy, confusing, and ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth (literally). I couldn't understand the appeal of the little black balls or why everyone was feening for it. I just wasn't ready for a lifetime of this.
It probably didn't help I never grew up with the proper rituals of this past time. The popping of the plastic, the thirst quenching slurpage, the chewing of the balls, the variety of flavors, the occasional dribble of milk down the chin, etc. It was already a very strange phenomenon and one I couldn't appreciate it.
Fast forward many years down the road, I'm no longer a confused teenage boy with a question mark above the head. I'm a man who knows what he wants and will get it at any cost. Now the taste is pleasing to the palate, a refreshing cool down, the consummate stress relieving activity, especially with friends and occasionally alone. The folks here are wonderful and the prices aren't gasp worthy. Most of all, it's clean and easy, just the way I like it.
And the boba/bubble tea is really good too.
Wait, what? -
Review from Kaliana C.
Vancouver, BC
2/13/2012
This is one of my favorite places for bubbletea in Vancouver. They never fail to serve the freshest pearls and drinks aren't overly sweet. Unfortunately, parking bites for the store, and it's located in the alley just off the side of King Ed.
Small little store and can get really busy at times - so try to get the phone order in so it's ready when you arrive there! Like I mentioned, because it's so small it's better to take out than to sit-in for the drinks. -
Review from Jee M.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2012
They use fresh fruit in all there bubble tea and you can mix different types of fruits and it ain't the powdered crap it's a hidden treasure if you want some dope bubble tea
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Review from Bryan D.
12/9/2011
One of the places I decided to check out while I was up in BC. Being from socal we somewhat have our own style and flavor when it comes to doing things. Boba or as other places might call bubble tea is one of them.
I originally found this tea house from watching a peter chao video. Not a bad advertisement since it did get me to go.
Straight to the point this place makes taro exactly how I like it. A type of sweet purple taro powder or probably something like that. At least that is how I think things go. Needless to say I am a fan and if I'm ever up here again and want to satisfy my boba cravings I'd go here specifically.
I had other stuff too but I forgot, but since I would just get taro anyway that is all I can really comment on. -
Review from Siri W.
10/23/2011
I was skeptical. I'll admit it. I guess I don't have much of a palate for bubble tea, because I typically can't tell the difference between the powder version and the fresh one.
However. I went to this place on a whim as I was grocery shopping next door and had a jonesing for some bubble tea. The line was redonk. It took like twenty minutes for me to get my tea, so by the time it arrived I was a little grumbly. I opted for the fresh taro (not purple, incidentally. Why is the powdered one purple!?)
"This is not going to be worth the wait. What a waste of time." Was my first thought before I took a sip. And then holy hell hallelujah, it SO was. The fresh taro made a difference (even if the texture is a little strange). It was soooo yummy and the pearls...OMG. They were warm! Something I have never experienced in bubble tea and something that made them about a thousand times more delicious than usual - compounded with the fact that they were in a syrupy mixture...also something I've never experienced and which tasted absolutely wonderful.
Alright. You win this round Dragon Ball. You win this round. -
Review from Dave Y.
Vancouver, BC
1/7/2012
I have been here plenty and have had many tasty bubble teas. My last visit was my first disappointment. The pearls were certainly the highlight of the drink. The rest was so sweet I couldn't finish it. Way to much sweetener and cream added. I could barely taste the flavours I ordered. I will update the review if my next visit is better.
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Review from Andrea L.
Vancouver, BC
11/20/2011
I haven't been in this area for ages, just happened to be there today, and boy oh boy. They do classics right. Strawberry slush (not milk tea, thank you) with pearls. Perfect consistency, just sweet enough with great pearls that are not overly boiled/soaked in honey solution. D-LISH.
It drives me mad when some places get all fancy schmancy with everything and you end up paying $5+ for something that isn't even as close to being as good at Dragon Ball. All these other places need to get back to the basics and ditch the fancy brandy glasses. -
Review from David W.
My hands down favourite bubble tea house in Canada.
Located in the middle of nowhere this small bubble tea house is easy to miss. It sports a typical yellow sign tucked behind the King Ed bus stop and sandwiched between a doctors office and some condominiums this place does extremely well for itself. I've watched this place go from all handmade signs, seedy interior, and few customers to a renovated joint that's nearly always packed.
There are a few key details that set Dragon Ball Tea House apart from its competitors. They use fresh fruit with no artificial flavouring. They also go lightly on the added sugar and you can adjust how much they add if you specify. They generally don't add any for the fruit drinks but for the more savoury flavours they do. Their ratio of fruit to ice is never stingy and they use high quality fruit; a rarity. They are happy to accommodate special requests such as mixing two fruit flavours like strawberry banana. Their black tea they use for their milk tea is also a notch above. Real ice cream and real milk. You may not think this but when other places make you smoothie using powdered milk or imitation ice cream it's awful.
Their tapioca pearls are simply to die for! They soak them in honey. Yes, that's right. They make them on site and regularly so they're always fresh. You'll also notice they're piping hot when they put them in. What sets a great tapioca pearl (tapioca in general actually) from a poor one is usually texture. Naturally you want it to taste great, but if the pearl is extremely soft on the outside and very gradually becomes more firm to its centre creating a chewy texture with no inconsistencies then you know it been expertly prepared from highest quality ingredients. Lower quality bubble tea places will often freeze or buy pre-made tapioca pearls and they'll pre-soak them in water only. When you freeze tapioca paste it solidifies unevenly or do a poor job mixing it before you pass it through a sieve then you get chunky pearls that usually have a soft outer layer and a noticeably harder centre. You'll notice with a lot with Asian desserts that use tapioca/boba.
Lastly, you can call ahead to order. I didn't really catch on to this until after my teens, but after having spent years going there and waiting 10minutes in line to then be able to walk in past the line and pick up your drinks is awesome. They have two spots in the side lot, stall 7 & 8 in which you can park. They've been having an ongoing problem with clients parking in the other stalls reserved for the other businesses and some of my friends have been towed so watch out.
On Tee A's recommendation, I went and took a look in the washroom. I won't be using it again. That whole back area is a bit creepy, but its actually kind of a funny throw back to when the place was a complete dive. I've never tried any of the food they serve there, nor have I ever seen anyone eating any of it. Bubble tea is fairly filling to begin with.
Be sure to shake your drink a little, there's a reason they have that sealed lid on the top, and go to town. Don't forget to have your loyalty card stamped for your 11th free drink! They have a strange poster of people's animal photos which I'm not entire sure about...
They've won several awards such and I frequently see their name in the Georgia Strait. I'm simply amazed they haven't opened a second location yet.
PS Cash only. -
Review from Kelly C.
11/10/2011 1 photo
Pretty good stuff! I have tried the milk tea and the fresh taro here. I really like the fresh vs the purple taro, I often find purple taro to be enjoyable but too sweet. I wish this place wasn't so out of the way, I would definitely visit more often.
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Review from breanne k.
8/14/2011
I cannot stress enough how awesome this bubble tea is. there is none like it...anywhere...at least anywhere that i have been.
first off, they have fresh fruit. none of that powdered business. so when you order lychee, you get fresh chunks of lychee in your drink. (dont worry, they are smooshed up a bit so you wont choke.)
secondly, you can mix your fruits. so if you want a little watermelon longan combo...go for it.
thirdly, you can adjust the sweetness! so you can get half-sweet or no sugar at all depending on what you like and what flavors you picked.
i live in ny and when i come and visit, i get this almost everyday. i just got back and i miss it already... -
Review from Fritz S.
7/16/2011
Best Balls In Town!!!!!
I don't know what they do to those Tapioca balls but don't change the recipe! its sexy as F#%K!!
I went here for the first time and ordered my usual chocolate milk tea with coconut jelly.. well they messed up my order and i got it with pearls instead. i was a little annoyed because i remember clearly that i wanted coconut jelly for my sexy chocolate milk of love! but im glad that they F#$Ked up because their balls tasted fantastic!! (get your mind out the gutter!!!)
Definitely my favorite boba joint right now!!... sorry Bubble World.. your a close second! -
Review from Sam W.
Vancouver, BC
9/30/2011
I detest this place!! EVERY TIME i've gone they've screwed up my order.... no thanks. Their boba is aiite but there are plenty of other places in Vancouver to get your fix
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Review from Jen M.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011
Up the street from Dragon Ball Tea House is BC Women's Hospital. A place I like to frequent regularly to give birth. During every god awful painful labour I imagined the fresh fruit bubble tea that I would treat myself too shortly after baby exiting. Heck I even prayed for no c section because then I wouldn't be able to walk over.
All three labours, the outcome was beautiful bouncy baby and bubble teas.
I'm not kidding. Try it next time you give birth - go over and get yourself a bubble tea between baby feeds / diaper changes. You'll be a happy mama! -
Review from Mark H.
Updated - 4/28/2011 13 Check-ins Here
Ok fine. Dragon Ball has the best balls period. I never order any powder-based junk, always stick to fresh fruit.
Living close by, this is going to be my only go-to BBT joint.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/4/2010
I don't get what all the rave is about this place. I've tried it twice during summer and to wait… Read more »
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Review from Vanessa T.
Richmond, BC
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Favorite Dish: Longan Fresh Fruit Slush with Pearls
Whenever i'm in the neighbourhood I always make a point to stop by Dragon Ball for a fresh fruit bubble tea. Their pearls are perfectly chewy and sweet and they carry fresh fruit options all year round! Usually fresh fruit flavours are only available in the Summer (seasonally) but you can always count on Dragon Ball to have fresh watermelon, strawberries, and mango available at all times.
They recently got a renovation a year or so ago and have some limited seating if you wanna hang out for a while. The service is relatively quick and painless, but you can also call in an order and do a drive by pick up if you're in a rush.
I don't suggest eating any of the food because they're just basic items that are nuked to order. -
Review from Kari C.
3/1/2011
My ridiculous Goku-san morning hair says it all: I'm a Dragonball girl. At least when it comes to bubble tea.
I have been coming here for at least 5 years with my girlfriends and family, and in comparison to other places, this hole-in-the-wall shops knocks the others out with a giant kamehameha wave.
#1: I NEVER CHOOSE POWDERS. I am one of those fussy grocery shoppers who makes sure that my packages say 100% JUICE and will not settle for fruit "drink". If you can relate, you will love that DB has a large variety of real, edible fresh fruit just waiting to be pulverized into a crazy Asian smoothie/choking hazard. Over the years I have tried blueberry, mango, strawberry, lychee, and pineapple slushes, all with milk and pearls ($4.25), and am always happy. Not a bad experience yet, and I feel slightly less yucky for at least having a serving of fruit and dairy with my sugar syrup and carb balls.
#2: The bubbles are always perfect: Sticky like Slimer from Ghostbusters just gave them a hug, but wonderfully chewy in the middle. I have also tried their coconut jelly and it's Fab-u-tan as well.
#3: DB also has snacks, like the addictive milk toast (Texas toast smeared generously with sweetened condensed milk and warmed up, aaah!), dim sum, and other random-ass beverages. One of my friends ordered a "hot pudding milk" drink that looked like baby food/spit up and my "WTF IS THAT?" was followed by a "Oh wow, that IS good..."
I didn't know that you can call ahead and pick up!! Been waiting in a bleeping line like a sucka-fool. Never again!
Do yourself a favour: Program their number into your phone so when you have a mad craving, the time between you and your drink won't be an annoying eternity, like some of those Dragon Ball Z battle episodes. Frieza, anybody?Listed in: Surefires
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Review from Jaden N.
North Vancouver, BC
4/4/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Yum! Mango bubble tea at its best!
My fiance and I were looking for a late night snack/drink so we decided to grab a bubble tea. They've got some substance to fill the stomach for a while.
Although a bit distant from where we live, it was well worth the trip out there. We couldn't find parking in the back as there is only 2 spots...the rest of the places will have you towed anytime night or day. Found street parking though which was fine.
We ordered the fresh fruit mango bubble tea. I don't like pearls so got mine straight slush. My fiance likes them though so I tried hers. They taste pretty good!
I was impressed that my slush didn't turn into water or loose consistency after it sat for a while. It was absolutely delicious until the last drop. I'll go back there for sure! -
Review from Andrea P.
3/29/2011
Decent tea house located in the Shaughnessy area. They remodeled Im the last year and The seats are much nicer.
Their drinks are made to order so the line can get very long in the summer. Their fresh fruit drinks are really made with FRESH fruit so that stands out to me among the other tea houses around. Their pearls are nice and chewy - I've never had any soggy ones!
My personal favorite is the japanese green tea ice cream with pearls :) It tastes like a green tea ice cream heavenly dessert.
Parking is easy, lots of street parking close by and some spots behind the little corner plaza. The bathroom is kind of down a ghetto hallway but hey... at least they have one haha. I would definitely return for a green tea ice cream or any fresh fruit drink :)
Tip: Call ahead and place a phone order to save time especially during the hot summer days! -
Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
4/17/2011
I don't normally drive twenty minutes out of my way to get a bubble tea because there are so many places close by, but they top my list.
I have even walked here along King Ed from Fraser to get one of these. They do have two parking spots in the alley, but we normally park along Oak after 6pm. I have a 9-5 so I normally would make it there after 6 anyhow. They have signs inside warning you not to park in any of the other spots lest you get towed. So, lately there hasn't been a line, but I am sure once the weather gets warmer, it will be out the door.
They have a ton of different drinks... powered, fresh fruit, special ones... I've always wanted to try a hot sesame coffee, but I am boring so I always get the same one. Fresh Mango Slush, no milk, with pearl. Yum! I love the flavour, the texture... it really is awesome. I love the squishy pearls. I love that they are warm at the bottom third of my cup. Do they use fresh fruit? I don't know because I can barely see over the counter... I don't really care though because my mango slush always tastes the same and always tastes great.
This place is tiny. They have tables, but they are usually all taken. We usually take our drinks to go. I would walk around the neighbourhood, but I have no place else to go... or at least it's still too cold right now to find out. -
Review from Edward L.
2/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ah, bubble tea. Big part of my growing up.
It really is hard to find good bubble tea around this town. Most places (*cough* Richmond *cough*) use powder, which really screws it up. Dragon Ball is one of the FEW places out there that fortunately do not. Hence the 4 stars.
Dragon Ball has several things going for it.
1) the fact they use real fruit for everything. This alone puts it at the top of my list.
2) the drinks are relatively cheap. $3.75 base price for a strawberry/blueberry milk tea (my "usual" drink)? Can't go wrong.
3) Loyalty points. Buy 10 drinks, get 1 free. Most other places pulled this program (looking at Bubble World *cough*) because of the recession or taxes or the alignment of the planets.
4) Ample parking on streets, after 6pm.
Now, the downsides.
1) Seating is a bit hokey. They did a renovation sometime in 2010, which consolidated several small movable (2 person) tables into 2-3 larger booths. It really does screw things up if you come in a small group. Now I usually drink my bubble tea with my friend.. sitting at the bus station outside. I'm not kidding.
2) Too many high school kids. Okay, this isn't a problem in itself, but the place gets way too crowded. Of course it also shows that this place doesn't suck.
3) Hard to find washroom. It's a bit of a walk, as the entire building shares 1 communal washroom. Not really the fault of the establishment though.
4) They no longer do the stamp cards! Bastards.
Although the bubble tea here is not as good as Taiwan, it does admittedly come close. The drinks are a bit on the thicker side, aren't syrupy to the point of making you sick. Give it a try, you won't regret it. -
Review from tee a.
My favorite tea house!
Fresh fruit slush, no sugar, half pearls, half coco jelly.. they do it all! Any night that ends with Dragon ball is deemed a good night in my books.
The washroom is a bit creepy.. but with free parking, tasty bbt it's a small price to pay :)
Enjoy! -
Review from Youna C.
Vancouver, BC
3/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Probably my favorite bubble tea place so far. Definitely order fresh fruit drinks (today I chose mango - delish!) and make sure you get pearls with it - Dragon Ball is famous for their pearls, having the perfect chewiness and consistency. (I believe they make their own from scratch?)
DB also has a small snack menu, the condensed milk toast we had today was to die for! It just had the right amount of crispyness and a heavenly melt-in-your-mouth drizzle of condensed milk...mmmm.
Service and ambiance I'd give it a meh-average. It's a little tight in there, and plus when we went around 2:30 kids from local schools were just getting off to do a DB bubble tea run so it was pretty packed and noisy. Fortunately though, we found seats while waiting for our drinks and were able to enjoy our friday apres-lecture treat of bbt and toast. =) -
Review from Justin L.
3/21/2011
I've been coming to Dragon Ball since high school. I still think it serves the best bubble tea in Vancouver, particularly when it comes to fresh fruit flavors.
Milk? Yes.
Slush? Yes.
Pearls? Give me half pearls half coconut jelly.
It's too bad they cancelled their stamp card policy, lamely blaming the decision on HST. I don't see the correlation at all. -
Review from Jen D.
1/7/2011
Loooooooooved this place! I had the lychee milk tea with pearls and love every single slurp. The balls were chewy and the drink was just lychee-y and milky enough to ultimately satisfy my tastebuds.
One note: they will accept USD with a $0.95 surcharge. hah.. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
6/10/2010
I did it I did it I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally went to Dragon Ball Tea House!!!!!!!
After having dinner at Phnom Penh.. we were stuffed... but were craving dessert, the four of us.
"How about BBT somewhere else? I know this place on Cambie and 23rd." says my tourist friend.
Me, getting all excited objected immediately: "OMG have you heard of Dragon Ball??? I hear their stuff is the best... with fresh fruit!!!"
"ok... why not? Let's try that then"
And off we went................
Walking into a tiny TINY shop that had 4 tables at the most, there were about 5 people waiting for takeout, while we were lucky to snag a table after ordering ours.
We had:
1. Mango Slush
2. Taro Milk Tea Half Sweet
3. Papaya Milk Tea half sweet
4. lychee green tea
All with tapioca... oh goodness, the cup was about 1/ 3 full filled but boy were they tasty. Juicy, tender, and a little sweet, the texture was pretty close to perfect (not sure what the perfect tapioca tastes like to be honest).
With all of us having real fruit, I was amazed with the variety of tastes and textures. I felt like I was having a full meal with pieces of lychee mixed in with the tapicoca. The drink was sweet but not to sweet.
The mango was awesome.. it was thick and fruity and super fresh - you know you're tasting real mango when you drink something as good as this.
I don't like taro at all.... something about it really turns me off but I wanted to taste what real taro milk tasted like.......... and to my surprise - it was very very tasty. Being half sweet, it tasted like taro filling from dim sum - truly authentic and REAL.
I didn't try the papaya but I was told it was very good. Make sure you grab a stamp card if you're a bbt fan .... trust me you will come back.Listed in: Bubble Tea Shops and other…
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Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
What's happening to this place? After a recent renovation it's rapidly beginning to be in disarray. There are boxes everywhere. There's trash on the floor...unkept floor I must say. And there are hand-written signs everywhere you look.
They now eliminated the stamp system citing the effect of HST and put up a hand-written sign by the counter. It was written in haste that they didn't bother to correct any errors. (Photo attached).
As if that kitschy sign wasn't enough, they have another high tech sign (sarcasm) made from one of the boxes and hung it by the wall explaining the parking system.
Finally, they started using thin cups that are more of a hazard to hold due to their extreme flexibility and can cause spills.
So my favourite bubble tea place gets it's stars knocked down.
If it wasn't for the quality of the tapioca balls, they would get only one star from me. This is the saving grace and what adds character to their otherwise normal tasting, but fresh drinks.Listed in: C.O.V. (Cash Only Vancouver)
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/5/2009
Yay. So after being closed for renovation for nearly a month, Dragon Ball Tea House is back up and… Read more »
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Review from Anthony F.
Vancouver, BC
6/13/2010
Background: I've been to Taiwan, the birthplace of bubble tea, and so I have had the gold standard.
Food: This beats the gold standard. Fresh fruit options like canteloupe and apple clearly stand out if you've had the grosser over-sweetened powdered versions. Real apple juice just ISN'T GREEN. Tapioca here is perfect, and I don't just throw around the word.
Ambiance: A few months ago they just chucked the wooden Ikea furniture for some serious-looking booth structure that seats like 5 people comfortably. But seriously if you want to breathe real oxygen, just drink outside man.
Service: It's a no-nonsense teashop and you're not here for a massage. Call 15 minutes ahead of time so you can get your tea and run.
Pricepoint: $5 for a 1/2 litre of tea.
Overall: I'd swim in this stuff but that'd be a waste. Bubble tea here can't be beat around the world, except maybe possibly somewhere obscure in Taiwan.Listed in: Chopsticks not chopsuey
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Review from Carmen C.
Vancouver, BC
6/28/2011
Love this place! The selection of flavours will leave you reeling. Ovaltine flavour is my favourite!
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Review from Reiko S.
Vancouver, BC
8/5/2010
This is my favourite place ... actually scratch that ... this is the ONLY place I drink bubble tea in the whole city. Whereas other bubble tea joints have flavourless mushy bubbles, dragon ball's bubbles are soft, yet chewy, and the bubbles themselves taste like honey. They have a huge variety of flavours including fresh fruits and a japanese green tea ice cream one that the BF loves.
My favourite drink is fresh lychee, slushy, with half pearls and half coconut jelly. Yum! -
Review from T P.
Vancouver, BC
11/10/2010
Best bubble tea shop in town!
Our favourite menu is their fresh fruits slushy!!!
My favourite is fresh lychee slushy with pearls!! ^O^ -
Review from Angela N.
Vancouver, BC
8/22/2011
The green tea ice cream with pearls is to die for!!!
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Review from Colene C.
6/8/2010 4 Check-ins Here
I don't know why I haven't been here earlier but so glad I finally tried it out! Like a lot of reviews have already raved, this is definitely the best bubble tea joint in town.
The fruit is fresh, the teas are more flavourful, and the bubbles have a great texture and chewiness. Best of all, you can mix and match to no end. Mix half and half of flavours as well as pearls, coconut jelly, or grass jelly. A little of this, a little of that, you would have to come here hundreds of times to get all the combinations.
I tried lychee with pearls, half sweet. I figured that having the fruit would make it sweet enough and I wouldn't miss the full sugar. I was right! The lychee was very flavourful and even had bits of lychee in it. Totally tasty and a definite must-try. I stole tastes from my other friends: strawberry and honey mlk tea (hot). Both thumbs up from me.
There's parking on the street and also down the side alley (it says reserved for the dentist office, but if it's after hours it's okay to park there). Be prepared for a long wait. I was there on a Friday night and the line was out the door constantly. There are only 5-6 tables so it's not a great place for large groups. -
Review from Anna W.
8/2/2010
Back when I lived in Seattle, I visited my cousins up in Vancouver a fair amount. I've always held Vancouver as the pinnacle of bubble tea delights, so, when I visited recently, I had to get some bubble tea. The old haunts were gone or had gone down the crapper, but, after some head scratching, my cousin came up with Dragon Ball.
The place is tiny, but it fulfills my criteria for faboo bubble tea:
1. Slightly sweet, chewy, cooked, but not overcooked balls
2. Proper liquid to bubbles ratio (usually, places overdo it with the liquids)
3. Fresh stuff--none of those nasty powders where you feel like you're going into sugar shock
It went beyond with unique flavors--lychee, blueberry. I like being able to call ahead to pick up your bubble teas (common practice, I hear). I totally thought about cutting it close and walking there to get some bubble tea right before my flight, but I knew my cousins would've thought I was nuts.
Vancouver is still the bubble tea capital in my world. My childhood memories were not all lies. -
Review from Liza T.
9/15/2010
I really like the drinks there!
Very tiny place with couple small tables. It may get very crowded so expect to wait. They have two sections on the menu: fresh fruits and powders. There are some interesting selection in fresh fruits that I never seen before, like Taro and Pear. The drinks are amazing. The fruit is fresh and the bubbles are chewy!
We had four people and ordered:
Fresh Taro with Bubbles - This is the best Taro drink that I ever had. Personally I don't like Taro drinks at all because most stores only serve Taro powder. But the one.....VERY GOOD! The drink even had little piece of fresh taro :-)
Fresh Pineapple with Bubbles - Nice but I am not a fan of Pineapple
Fresh Lychee with Bubbles - Nice but I am not a fan of Lychee
Fresh Green Tea with Bubbles - VERY GOOD. Rich and fresh....kinda on the sweet side but still a good drink!
**One advice....BE PREPARE when you place a order! If you still look at the menu when it is your turn, the staff will stare at you in a mean way.......... -
Review from Lori O.
Surrey, BC
2/24/2009 ROTD 12/4/2009
I had my bubble tea cherry popped at Dragon Ball. They say you never forget your first. All too true in my case. I've yet to find a place at which I can get a better bubble tea fix in the Vancouver area.
My two personal favourites are mango and lychee, made with fresh fruit, milk and pearls. I often go there for after-movie refreshments coming off the late show. And even at that time it's busy. You may or may not get a table. Accept it.
Some dislike the way the orders are taken and yelled, not appreciating the efficiency. Sure, it can come across as curt, but the quicker I get my bubble tea the better. And yes it's true that the seating area is a little ramshackle making it look more like a garage sale than a restaurant, but I can handle that knowing that the bubble tea is so tasty. -
Review from Vincci L.
2/18/2010
Delicious! A great place for some grab & go bubble tea, for when I'm having those sudden cravings for my favourite Green Tea ice cream slush. Always made perfectly, the right amount of sweetness, and the yummy green tea ice cream blended into one smooth drink!! The pearls are nice and chewy, and soaked in syrup, which adds extra flavour to the drink. They are very accomadating at making substitutions, and blending different flavours together. Once in a while, I would add red bean to my green tea drink-I even have the option of whole red beans, or blending the red beans with the green tea ice cream.
They have your standard powdered artificial drinks, specialty drinks (pina colada, latte coffee with oreo....), and fresh fruit drinks, which are a healthier alternative. You can also combine fruits. As well, you have the choice of having the fruit drink with the tea base, or a milk base, and a slush, or just a regular drink. I like how you can completely customize your drink-it's almost like Starbucks, but for bubbletea.
Always call ahead so you can pick up your drink once you get there. They have recently renovated, so there are nicer seats, and a couple of small tables-the place is small though; there's only seats for around 10 people. There's parking in the side alley, and also ample street parking on Oak Street after 6pm, as well as many side streets that also have parking.Listed in: BubbleTeas.
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Review from Miss M.
Vancouver, BC
12/6/2008
My review is redundant because everyone who knows Dragon Ball knows what to expect: creamy sweet and flavourful bubble tea with nicely textured pearls.
Why I took a star off: they shouldn't be so cocky as to think their bubble tea is good enough for the place to be quite so shabby. If DB was in Richmond, where the bbt is a dime a dozen, they'd go under in a day based on decor alone. The service is also consistently scary (they scream in your face, and sometimes outright ignore you until they feel like acknowledging you). Also, in the last year or so, I've noticed they've started to put popular drinks in that creepy little fridge so that when people order them they don't have to make them fresh. Not cool at all.
All ranting aside, if that stuff really bothered me enough to get in between me and my Dragon Ball, I wouldn't be rating the place 4 stars or sitting here digesting my delicious tea. -
Review from chris o.
Kelowna, BC
5/20/2009
This is my #1 spot to go for bubble tea. They've got great selections of powdered and real fruit flavors and are super fast. Don't expect a fancy decor .. this isn't a freaking mall shop .. just some tables and chairs and a whole lot of awesome bubble tea.
I'm amazed every time I go into dragon ball at how happy everyone looks while downing their bubble tea .. myself included! The best thing of all is that they're open late 7 nights a week, which makes dragon ball the most common option when I get late night BT cravings.
5 stars!
