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Liu's Formosa Gift and Tea House
Categories: Restaurants Vegan Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Vegetarian Vegan, Chinese, Vegetarian [Edit]
278 Wyse RdDartmouth, NS B3A 1N6
(902) 406-3362
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
9 reviews for Liu's Formosa Gift and Tea House
9 reviews in English
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Review from Laura C.
Halifax, NS
11/29/2011
About 10 years ago, we had a delicious Chinese vegetarian dinner at a Buddhist restaurant while visiting Vancouver BC. And since then I have been dreaming of that experience! So I was really glad to read about Liu's Formosa Gift and Tea House on Yelp Halifax. That meant I could relive the tasty food adventure again, only locally!
Today, we were in Dartmouth and found the cafe easily at the corner of Albro Lake Road and Wyse Road, easy to get to from the new bridge. The server was Mr. Liu and he is very nice and very hospitable. We ordered 1 meal of vegetarian chicken steak and 1 meal of sweet and sour vegetarian ribs, both with rice, and shared them. The food was very good and we enjoyed the flavours and textures. While waiting for the food we had a chance to look at all the pretty Chinese china ornaments in the restaurant, and it was a nice way to pass the time, while waiting for our food to be served.
After we finished, Mr. Liu brought us a surprise dessert of fruit, which we shared. And when we paid, he gave me a surprise piece of cinnamon candy too.
It's a very good place to eat, with tasty food at a reasonable prices in a super nice environment. I felt like I had flown to a different country for a little rest. Nice Chinese music played softly in the background. I would recommend it to anyone who likes vegetarian, Chinese, or Chinese vegetarian food as much as I do! -
Review from Kate R.
North End, NS
5/1/2012
This place is amazing. Vegans and vegetarians in Halifax, make your way over here. It is inexpensive and so good! Tea selection is amazing and the owner is so helpful in choosing one and making sure it is steeped to perfection. Definitely check out this adorable little place and don't be put off if you're the only one in there, it gives you a great chance to talk to the owner.
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Review from Sarah R.
Vancouver, BC
5/6/2012
My sister brought me here when I was in town visiting and I loved the entire experience! What the restaurant may seem to lack in ambience at first, it quickly more than makes up for in experience. Super friendly, quick service from the owner himself and delicious vegetarian and vegan food that I didn't think was available in Dartmouth. Go! You won't be disappointed!
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Review from Kirk F.
I had the food ... uh. "good" ... fortune of eating here tonight with the Halifax Association of Vegetarians. Liu's is normally closed on Sunday but we had a special arrangement.
The menu was set and I had no idea what I was eating most of the time. It didn't matter: everything I had was amazing. Lots of items that were "pseudo meat;" so much so that I'd feel comfortable bringing omnivorous friends.
It's also a good place to pick up a variety of Chinese-inspired items. And tea. Of course, who can forget the amazing selection of tea!
I'd highly recommend. Probably why I gave it 5 stars.
P.S. What was up with that Freudian slip at the beginning there?Listed in: Dartmouth rocks!, Veg-Friendly Food Places
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Review from Philip H.
Halifax, NS
It always feels weird writing a review on a business that's fishing in the same pond... or accross the pond so to speak.
I highly recommend taking a visit to Liu's tea house. Have some high mountain oolong and enjoy the friendly conversation that owner Jeffery is always willing to provide. Green Oolongs from Taiwan are his specialty.
I had his fried dumplings to accompany my ooling tea that he served up traditional gong-fu style (little pot,, many steepings). They were delicious. When He saw me struggling with a fork he asked if I prefer chop sticks. Very attentive to detail, and indeed I did prefer it.
They have a lovely assortment of tea cups and tea ware, on the ornamental side, not my "cup if tea" but well worth a gander.
Only a couple parking spots out front, but there is plenty of street parking in the area. Wheelchair accessible from the side as well. -
Review from T D.
12/20/2008
This place is incredible. Tons of vegan dim sum options, all reasonably priced. Extensive tea menu too. Well worth the trip over from Halifax. Heck, it'd be well worth the trip from Los Angeles if there were an affordable way to pull it off!
The BBQ Bun and the Drumstick both excellent, and the sticky rice is quite nice as well.
Beware the sweet & salty candy that you might be given after your meal. If you bite into it, you might be hating life for a bit. -
Review from Terry K.
Halifax, NS
11/28/2011 ROTD 12/16/2011
This is one of my favorite places to eat when I have the time. That is really the main problem here is time. This is a family run restaurant and the staff is usually just a husband and wife team who hail from Taiwan. They are very sweet and the husband will talk quite a lot with you if your are inclined to do so. He is difficult to understand at times but has managed to communicate well enough to help customers with menu choices. I don't really like saying anything negative about this restaurant because I love it. The food is vegetarian Chinese and all home made, nutritious and delicious. Portions are generous, the prices are unbelievable and you will swear your eating meat at times. I really don't know how they do it. In addition to a good variety of food items on the menu, there is tea..... lots of tea. probably hundreds of teas including the flower tea where you watch the flower unfold in your tea, How cool is that! So what I'm saying is get tea too if you go. The food is not over salted and has no MSG that I know of. Let them know if you have allergies because they will accommodate. Make sure you have extra time and you will be happy and relaxed. I don't recommend going here on a busy lunch hour. You will walk away frustrated. Try an off time if you in a hurry and you will get faster service. Soak up the atmosphere which feels like you are in a little Chinese shop tucked away in some authentic back alley in Chinatown. Enjoy the tea which can be refilled up to 5 times and will be refilled 5 times if you want it to be. The Husband of the team, who serves will seem bent on fattening you up with more food. I love to be fattened so of course I like this. A serving of fresh fruit appears at the end of the meal to help digestion....and it does! There is a little room adjacent to the main eating area that has an abundant assortment of trinkets and Chinese art and even some clothing items. If you are in the market for a new tea set you won't be disappointed. There are some real gems her, mostly hand crafted tea sets that are amazing. Fine porcelain cup and saucer sets can also be purchased here as well as some jewelry. If you have a group to feed they can accommodate that with notice two hours for larger numbers. You have to let them know what you are ordering in advance for this to work. There is ample seating upstairs for these groups and this would make a great place for a business pow-wow or intimate party of friends. As I said, notice must be give for this to work or they will be overwhelmed and you will be frustrated with service. I'm giving this four stars even though it is slow service because I believe everything else makes up for that.
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Review from Courtney M.
Halifax, NS
11/20/2009
If you're looking for an authentic and unique dining experience, head to Formosa Gift and Tea House, just across the McDonald Bridge! This tiny little vegetarian Chinese restaurant is brimming with charisma, with products ranging from Chinese cat statues to hundreds of types of loose tea.
Jeffrey Liu truly goes out of his way to provide absolutely amazing customer service! He even brings out steeping cups as well as drinking cups. He will show you how to let the tea steep in the smaller cup and then flip it seamlessly into the drinking cup. At one point, I let my tea steep for what was apparently considered to be an excessively long time and Mr. Liu came over encouraging me to "drink faster" so that he could pour my steeped tea into my cup. -Hard not to find this place charming and unusual.
A few recommendations: The soy drumsticks and dumplings are delicious! Try the Oolong tea as well. Mr. Liu will clarify for you which teas have purported health benefits as well. Highly useful! Give 'Formosa Gift and Tea House' a try if for the ambience of the place alone. By the way, only 3 tables a this little spot. -
Review from Lachlan B.
Halifax, NS
10/6/2011
Liu's is unlike any other restaurant I've eaten at in Halifax. The atmosphere is a cross between a Chinese gift shop, a suburban rec room and a meditation centre. It's in an out-of-the-way location at the north end of Wyse Road and feels like a bit of a secret. The two times I've visited have been during rainy Saturday afternoon excursions to godforsaken big box stores to which Liu's is the perfect counterpoint. Upon entering, the restaurant appears tiny. There are three or four tables in the front room, along with a display of tea and gifts. The large picture window overlooks Yum Yum's across the street and I can't help feeling slightly smug knowing I'm eating healthier food here. The owner is incredibly gracious and forthcoming with suggestions. All of the items are vegetarian and, in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, many contain faux-meat made from soy protein. It's a bit of a leap for this omnivore, as I'm sure it might be for some vegetarians, but by suspending expectations you will be rewarded with some delicious food. The "ham" was a definite standout, as were the dumplings. Everything was very inexpensive and both times we ordered more than we could handle. Actually, we handled it but needed to undo buttons later... For the uniqueness of the food and the experience, I give this place five stars. Let's hope it sticks around for a while...
