Gong Cha Markham

There’s still so much craziness about these bubble teas and similar drinks.  I stopped by Gong Cha one hot Saturday afternoon just to try them out and compare with Cha Time.  Drink offerings are very similar, with the exception of these special toppings, ie foam.  We just ordered off their ‘best sellers’ list of drinks, wintermelon milk tea with grass jelly, and the royal milk tea with grass jelly.  The royal milk tea with grass jelly was ordered full sweet, and less ice.  This one seemed to be ok.  My wintermelon milk tea with grass jelly was ordered half sweet, and less ice.  They totally got the order wrong!  How is it that my drink that is half sweet, when compared with a full sweet drink is sweeter?  Honest mistake?

I gave them the benefit of the doubt and went back for a second round a few weeks later.  I ordered the drink unsweetened with less ice.  Unsweetened to me is 0% sugar added.  The girl at the cash told me that it can’t be done unsweetened, because there is already some sugar in something.  I’m like ok, just don’t add any extra sugar.  Then she responds, ok, we’ll do it half sweet.  I got confused, isn’t 50% sweet the same as adding sugar still?  I just paid and grabbed my drink and left.  Drink is still too sweet. 

Winter melon Milk Tea & Royal Milk Tea

Gong Cha, you have failed me twice.  Will not be returning ever again.  Please train your staff to at least get their story straight with the drinks.

Gong Cha Markham

3636 Steeles Ave. E.,

Markham, ON 

L3R 1K9

Phone:  (905) 604-9323

Hours: Monday - Sunday 12:00pm - 12:00am

http://www.gong-cha.com/en/home.php

The Fritter Co.

There was an article in the Toronto Star talking about how the St. Jacobs Farmers Market has now re-opened.  They listed a bunch of vendors to visit.  One of them was The Fritter Co.  I love apple fritters.  Sweet deep fried dough with chunks of apple in them, whats not to like?  The Fritter Co., does it a bit different.  Instead of apple chunks and deep fried dough.  It’s an apple ring that’s coated in batter, then deep fried.  More apple, less dough, even better.  I didn't get a chance to go to St. Jacobs Farmers Market myself.  I got my parents to bring a fritter back for me to try.  My parents loved it.  I ate mine the next day reheated in a toaster oven.  Probably not as great as if I had it fresh.  But still good nonetheless.  Will make sure to give it a try, fresh, when I get a chance to head out to Waterloo.  A great snack to have, just remember to not have it that often.

The Fritter Co.

Apple Fritter

The Fritter Co.

856 Weber St. N.,

Waterloo, ON

N2J 4A9

Phone:  (519) 662-3712

http://fritterco.ca

The Smokery Kitchen & Bar

I love burgers, and it’s hard to find good ones.  So when Yelp has their annual Burger Binge week, I try to make an effort to visit one of the restaurants that are participating.  Yes, I know that usually when there’s events like that, the quality of the food drops a bit.  And it really shouldn’t if they want to entice people to come back to try their regular menu, but it definitely happens.  $5 for a burger whats not to like?

Drink wise, they have some local brews on tap.  I got an Amsterdam radler, which had a minor blood orange flavour.  Friend got a Beau’s beer.  I can’t remember the name of it.  It was light, like a Heineken.

Beers

Food, we of course all ordered their $5 burger, which was a beef patty topped with pulled pork.  The beef patty (at least mine was), ok, but lacking much beef flavour.  The other burgers were dry.  Inconsistency in food cooking.  We also ordered a side of wings and pulled pork poutine.  The wings were good. Wing size was great, they were so big.  The poutine was disappointing.  The pulled pork was hot.  The fries were cold.  Cold fries means soggy fries.  So the combination of the pulled pork, gravy, and soggy fries, didn’t make for a good poutine.  Not a place I would go out of my way to visit again. 

$5 Burger

Wings

Pulled Pork Poutine

The Smokery Kitchen & Bar

6140 Main St., 

Stouffville, ON

L4A 4H8

Phone:  (905) 591-6140

Hours:  Monday - Saturday 11:30a - 9:00p

             Sunday Closed

http://thesmokery.ca