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| - We came to the Green Tea restaurant to see what the hype is all about. Apparently, this chain restaurant in China always has long line-ups and seems like they wanted to recreate that hysteria by offering 50% off on opening day. Well seems like they got their wish, but judging by the number of initial 1-star reviews, looks like the cooks/staff weren't quite ready to handle the large crowd on their first day. Restaurants have soft-openings for a reason...
I've been here twice already and overall am quite satisfied with the food quality, taste, price, and service. Here is a summary of what I've tried so far in my two visits:
- A01 BBQ pork ($16.99). This dish is over-rated. It's quite fatty, but not nearly as tender as the typical char-siu you get at a place like Skyview or Dragonboat. Would skip.
- A03 Teppanyaki Green Bass ($22.99). This has got to be the smallest bass I've seen, and it's quite pricey. But the fish is crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and tastes very good. Recommended.
- B01 Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs ($11.99). The pork ribs are quite meaty and covered in this wonderfully balanced tangy and vinegary sweet and sour sauce. Absolutely delicious! Highly recommended.
- C12 Fried Tiger Shrimp with XO Sauce ($23.99). The shrimp was nice and plump and the XO sauce was quite light and not spicy at all. Good but nothing special. Ok, but would rather get two plates of the S&S ribs instead of this.
- C20 Deep Fried Boneless Chicken Wing Stuffed with Shrimp ($7.99 each). Only taste shrimp paste and not much chicken. Ok, but not great. Would skip.
- C24 Braised Beef Brisket with Tomato and Potato ($17.99). Lots of tomatoes and potatoes, but not much beef. The quality of the beef brisket isn't that great either. Would skip.
- C36 Sauteed Eggplant with Minced Pork ($13.99). Super soft and melts in your mouth goodness. Really nice black bean sauce that isn't overly salty. This dish is awesome! Highly recommended.
- E01 Green Tea Pancake ($11.99). One of the only dishes with green tea in it. Comes warm with taro paste inside and coated with sesame seeds. Very tasty. Recommended.
This restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a really nice atmosphere. Depending on where in the restaurant you sit, you may not get any cellular reception (may have something to do with all the metal decorations used as wall partitions). The servers are all friendly, patient, and helpful in explaining the menu. The food service is also quite fast.
My only complaint would be that the green tea is served luke-warm (both times we came). Also for a restaurant with green tea in its name, I was expecting to see some innovative green tea inspired dishes, which the menu is lacking. I'm also not a fan of the whole VIP card thing where you get a slight cash discount if you buy the $20 card. It's yet another card to keep in your wallet! But, since I like the place and plan on continuing to come back, we got the card and already made up the cost in savings. Great restaurant addition to First Markham Place!
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