I remember years ago when I first stepped into a real Chinese bakery. Actually, it was probably…read morethe first time in any real authentic Chinese place. I grew up in Scarborough (yes...Scarberia, Scarlem, ...blah) and Chinese food was your standard sweet and sour chicken balls, fried rice, egg rolls and fortune cookies. Thank the Lord that I went to UofT in downtown Toronto. It was an education in people, places, and things!!! I got to experience many flavours of Asia. Especially food from different parts of China and surrounding countries. It was wonderful, but I never liked was their desserts. Always found it artificial tasting, lacking in basic amounts of butter, milk, sugar, even technique. I didn't expect much walking to Hui Lau Shan, however, the business has done a wonderful job of modernizing and making the shop comfortable. Numerous seats and bench for you to plop yourself down and enjoy a meal on tables that have been made by one of the staff's significant other. Fun fact! It turns out that this is a chain from a famous dessert place back in Hong Kong. Here is a wiki on them: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hui_Lau_Shan The story of how this location was put together and opened was quite charming and cute. One of the owners came to Canada over a decade ago and wanted to have her favourite dessert place. Worked with a couple of people and opened up this franchise. Standing next to her husband, they recount the tale of how the place opened and what they wish to accomplish. The main attraction at HLS is the MANGO. They take painstaking steps ensure that they get the right variety and do their best to ensure that it is just ripening. Much detail to the freshness is seen in all their ingredients and finished products - they will not sell their mochi mango balls if they have been sitting for two days. Production must be well thought out. Their are plenty of choices on their menu. So many items in both to go cups and sit down and enjoy goblets. The number of ways they can produce a mango dessert is mind boggling. The way they prepare and plate is well thought out too. My personal experience and review, is based on the hospitality of the place, and the takeout that I had. I ordered a mango pomelo sago drink, and 6 of their mango mochi. WOW!...flavour explosion. Move over ice cream and waffle joints, move over french cafes, and Italian bakeries. Asian desserts have landed! You can really taste the freshness of the mango, the sweetness and just the little tartness that I like. Their sinful mochi is stuffed with a generous chunk of mango and dusted in coconut shavings. You cannot stop at one...or even 2. I had my espresso after the mochi as I didn't want to spoil the taste of each bite. I think that there is an HLS nearby and hope to have the same experience there, but I will make a note to drop by here if I am running through Hamilton. OR hmmm...any Commuting Yelper can pick me up a dozen please!!! Cheers!!!

Calling all Mango lovers out there! Rejoice for a menu filled with mango options from mango sago to…read moremango pancake! The cute little dessert place will surely be a popular spot for late night cravings in the heart of downtown Hamilton. The owner is a cute couple that I was able to chat with. The wife loved this chain of dessert cafe in Hong Kong so much she and her husband decided to open a location in Hamilton. They ensure the freshness of the products they serve and everything is made fresh the day of, even if the process takes longer, their integrity is there. That is why I loved this place! Their Mangoes are perfectly ripe and sweet and they use the smaller mango that has a better taste and texture compared to the big mango that's more stringy and not as tasty so you are paying for quality ingredients. You can just tell by the colour that the mangoes will be sweet. I loved their pomelo mango sago, mango pudding with in house milk sauce and topped with mango chunks, the mango romance is a trio of mango mochi, sago and mango ice cream, a bit of everything to try! My hands down favourite though, would have to be their Mango coconut noodle dessert. I loved slurping the smooth and cool coconut flavoured noodle dripping with their Mango sauce. Boy that's a treat for me because I've never had something so unique and tasty! Durian lovers can enjoy a thin pancake filled with fresh whipped cream and durian. They also sell fruit teas as well. This chain has become popular in China, Malaysia and South Korea. I know that they will continue their success here as well because they are far better compared to chains like Sugar Marmalade, that have tasteless fruits in their desserts from my past experiences. Drop by today and check them out! I'd be here a few times a week if I lived in Hamilton or at least weekly if my wallet allows me to!

great is corn flakes, this place is out of this world,... the staff's professional conduct here is…read moresomething to behold. she is so bad, too bad beautiful the one with the bleached hairdo especially.

First time going here, honest review + impression 1) PLACE:…read moreit's a large place, spacious & many tables for different types of people / # of people (& and had cool swing chairs) 2) CLEANLINESS: Pretty clean overall, bathrooms were clean and had fresheners, and open/close buttons for the doors and had a family washroom so it was accessible for those with disabilities as well 3) ATMOSPHERE: When we came, it was a bit awkward because there were only 2 works (one behind the cashier to make drinks and one serving orders), we felt the need to whisper b/c it was very quiet for a cafe - later on, the server started playing some music so that was better 4) FOOD AND MENU: menu has a lot of various flavours for drinks and a good amount of actual food like soups, chicken, etc and a small amount of finger foods like pop corn chicken, fries, and fried squid - originally, my cousin asked for a fresh mango slush but they didn't have any fresh mango in stock so she had to opt for a regular mango slush (which is made out of mango flavoured powder) - The food came within 10-15 minutes- it was hot and tasted mediocre ~ there was nothing special about it - our drinks were about $4.99 each, and our little finger foods were around $4.99- $6.99 as well - I ordered the taro milk tea but there were small chunks of taro when drinking it which I didn't like that much, I appreciate the freshness but I wish the worker blended it more properly - bubble tea, popcorn chicken and fried squid is decent 5) SERVICE: the server was a young college student and was decent/okay - He helped us find a good spot considering there was 5 of us - gave us the menu - My cousin asked about what a specific drink was and he didn't really know what it was or how to explain it - later on, he suddenly took away the napkins, chopsticks and soup spoons from our table and traded them for forks which I found weird b/c we're Filipino and we also know how to use chopsticks ... - We needed napkins later on and he was sitting down so my friend got up to get them herself by the counter - OVERALL: hard to approach or get the servers attention, but he was decent enough 5) PRICING: we ordered 5 bubble teas with tapioca (& one had lychee+ tapioca), 2 pop corn chickens, 2 fried squids, and 1 sweet potato fries ~ OUR TOTAL WAS AROUND $71.00 !!!! - The bowls of food were tiny baskets, and portions were small, although the glasses of bubble tea were tall so I'd say the drinks are worth buying but not the food - The food isn't worth the money, nothing special about them and I felt as though they were something I can easily make at home but better lol 6) OTHER: - have an ok variety of games and board games which was nice, they also had Asian board games which was cool OVERALL: * GOOD PLACE TO GO IF YOU WANNA JUST DRINK BUBBLE TEA * GOOD PLACE TO GO IF YOU LIKE PLACES THAT DONT HAVE THAT MANY PPL * Experience wouldve been MUCH better if the service and atmosphere was better and more enthusiastic * I recommend eating at a different place and then coming to FunTea afterwards to chill/talk and just drink bubble tea

The market is well organized and clean. The hot bar and the sushi are amazing. The sushi here is…read morebetter than some restaurants I've tried. The Fire House Roll is my absolute favourite. The bakery is pretty decent as well. You can find more exotic fruits and vegetables here but they can be very pricey. You can also find some snacks from other countries that you wouldn't normally be able to find elsewhere. The service at checkout is not the greatest. They always seem to have an attitude for no reason. But the sushi and the hit bar keeps me coming back.

Amazing combo grocery store / eatery with hot bar and variety of items. We tried the chow mein,…read morespicy chicken, and green beans 2 item combo and it was delicious. Sushi, soups and a whole other hot bar, salad bar, sandwiches and pizza. Service was good, it's a busy place on the weekends. I'd like to come back when it's not so busy. We picked up 2 plants for $5 too. Lots of tomato's, peppers, eggplant, cucumber and some herbs and special items.

Honestly don't understand how this place was dead when we walked in and how they have so little…read morereviews. This place is super close to Jackson (one street over) on Cannon. The place is well lit and clean. The service was quick. The place does seem to have some regulars that come in and out. My boyfriend and I got a Nutella waffle and original milk tea with tapioca. A little sad that the Nutella waffle didn't come with strawberries but does come with whip cream and your choice of (extensive) icecream. The waffle wasn't the fluffy kind but the more dense version. The Nutella was generous!!! The milk tea was average but still good. Next time I'll try their oolong milk tea for sure :) I'll definitely be back to try their crepes and different assorted desserts they have ! Parking is still somewhat of a hassle as free parking is limited.

One of Hamilton's best kept secrets, A&J Sugar Bowl is an off the map sweets parlor on the corner…read moreof MacNab and Cannon. Stepping into A&J Sugar Bowl, one instantly feels the overwhelming warmth brought in by colorful syrups on the shelf behind the counter and the wash of delight that waffle cones dotted with candies on display give you when you know you're about to take part in a guilty pleasure. The smell of toasted sugar brushes against your nose as you feel spoiled for choice. I first spotted A&J Sugar Bowl in the Winter and passed it many times on my way home from various destinations. I hadn't stepped foot in there until recently, Spring 2015. What I found delighted me to the core. Tables along one wall with a central table covered in board games, cartoons playing on the large flat screen of the parlor and an honest to goodness sweets counter displaying candies, ice cream flavors and a crepe stand. The little woman behind the counter with the soft voice and big smile, Nancy, added to the atmosphere. She was a little difficult to understand, being so soft spoken, but she understood exactly what I wanted when I ordered. The parlor has always been empty when I passed it, and it worried me, but considering that it was midnight and I only found it in the off season, It didn't bother me. I just wanted something chocolate related. I ordered a Nutella and banana crepe. It took about five minutes to make and was still toasty when it was served to me. I took a single bite and instantly asked, why is this place empty ever? From the taste to the atmosphere, A&J Sugar Bowl should be packed all the time. Then it dawned on me. It's in a part of downtown that isn't known for its good eats or entertainment. It's hidden away and it has no online presence. I urge all local Yelpers to hunt down Sugar Bowl and enjoy your favorite sweet here. Let's all make this place Hamilton's worst kept secret!

We've been pretty happy with our Door Dash meals from 8090 Tea House. We like to get a bunch of…read moresmall dishes to share and usually get the beef wrapped enoki mushrooms as a starter. I love enoki mushrooms and I usually only get to eat them in ramen soups, so it's fun to have another way to enjoy them! We've also have tried the edamame and chicken wings. But the star of our meals has been the ramen. Our tip for anyone ordering soup / broth from any restaurant is to heat it up again once it's delivered, and serve in your own dishes. You will have a few extra dishes to wash but there's nothing like piping hot soup. It's almost like going to a restaurant. Thanks to the staff, delivery drivers and chefs for helping feed Hamilton during the pandemic! We appreciate the effort and variety offered.

This place surprised me. So did the HUGE size of their large iced tea. Lots of variety. I got a…read moresmall Korean spicy fried chicken, and I gotta say, it was the first time I've ever had it and now I'm on the hunt for some more. Absolutely delicious. I also ordered a lychee black iced tea and it was in a huge beer stien and so fresh. Took a while to get but you could see why when you tasted how fresh it was. My only complaint is that they didnt have the A/C on and it was definitely hot and sticky in late June. But besides that this place is great. I cant wait to go back and try more iced teas

The service here is AWFUL and the tables aren't even clean!! My friends and I came here last night…read moreand were all extremely dissatisfied. Firstly, when we walked in I told one of the staff members we wanted a table for 4. He said "ok" and then walked away and didn't do anything??? Eventually we figured we were supposed to just pick a table ourselves so we sat down at one of the only empty tables and it was disgusting! There was leftover food residue and liquids all over the table from the last customers that ate there. We literally sat at this dirty disgusting table for 10 minutes just waiting for someone to bring us menus. I pushed the call button several times in an attempt to get one of the staff members' attention but they ignored all the calls. The first guy we asked to seat us at a table was too busy on his phone to even notice us and one girl was blatantly ignoring the bell sounds from the call button. When we finally got our menus we were informed that this place is cash only. Since we only had debit/credit we ultimately had to walk out. A complete waste of time TLDR: AWFUL SERVICE, DIRTY TABLES, CASH ONLY

Came here on a Friday at 7 PM. The place was empty so we were the only ones. Issues I had:…read more - I got the durian supreme ($8.49) which in general was a pretty good dessert, but portion size was tiny! They also cheap out by putting so much whipped cream and only a sliver of durian. - they are cash only. Not even debit?? - my biggest issue was the mandatory 10% service fee. No restaurant should ever mandate tip because it is the customer's discretion how much to give based on service. It's common practice to add a service fee for large groups, but my partner and I were only two people who stayed for 30 mins, getting only one item. Moreover, we were given no advance warning when we sat down. We weren't even told when we got the bill, and had I not looked more closely, I might have even added extra tip on top of that. I don't support these practices and won't be back.

Cool spot to hang out & play some board games ! Their bubble tea is mediocre while their Asian…read moreinspired-pub food is great. Be careful walking around this area at night though, it's pretty sketchy.

Oh boy, this place is by far one of the worst milk tea places I've ever been to. I'm from…read moreCalifornia so milk tea shops are available everywhere and at extremely good quality and price. I decided to give this place 2 stars just considering the fact that this is the only place with milk tea/bubble tea available in Hamilton. I ordered a red bean milk tea, my sister ordered a brown sugar milk tea, and my brother order a green milk tea. My drink tasted so artificial and sweet. I drank about a third of it and couldn't even finish it. While my brother and sister's drinks were much better than mine, it was still too sweet and powdery for us. The only good thing here is the tapioca pearls/boba. It was soft and a little bit chewy, but much better than the drinks themselves. This place is just really lucky they don't have other milk tea/boba joints to compete with here. If I do have a craving for milk tea any time soon I'll wait until I'm in Toronto.