3.5-4
This is a fun new place that's a bit different than the plethora of bubble tea places in the area. With a focus on fresh fruit juices, Whale Juice and Blends is a refreshing addition to the shops at emerald park
Based on some other reviews I wanted to try the taro smoothie. Someone mentioned that it has a powdery texture and I don't disagree with that, however I do think that taro is naturally starchy which could lend a hand in that textural issue. They do also use a taro powder so it's not a pure juice. The flavour was great, it was sweet and almost vanilla-like.
I think my reason for the 3.5 stars is the price is just a bit too high. I'm not sure if maybe rent is a lot or if the ingredients truly are expensive but $5 and some change for a small smoothie is a bit high in my opinion. A large smoothie at Booster juice is only about a dollar or so more and it's double the size.
I'd maybe like to come back to try the fresh juices, they have some interesting, exotic fruit flavours like durian or dragon fruit that look beautiful in the pictures. For those types of fruit that you don't typically see in regular smoothie/juice shops, I can understand the price premiums.
The people working inside were very nice and enthusiastic. I think it only took about 5 minutes to order and get my drink, which was made to order.
The shop is really nice and modern. It's brand new so it's very clean. I saw a few people hanging out with friends or doing some work on their laptops. It's a pretty relaxed environment so it's good for that. The branding is cute, I'm not sure what the whale is about but I like it! It's a small space, there's only seating for about 10 or so people I'd say.
Looking forward to going back and trying some different flavours. I likely won't make it a habit because of the cost, however! Maybe a rewards program or vicinity type set-up would create some more regular customers like me!