Kat's 9 Lives

It was getting late at night and there weren't too many choices for late night snacks and drinks near Sinbala.  Maybe it was a Tuesday and that was why we decided to try something new or maybe we were just feeling very adventurous that night.  We looked up Bun Bun Tea House to try out.
There was actually quite a bit of people around.  This place used to be Genki Living but changed to Bun Bun Tea House now.  They kept a lot of the same decor but I do enjoy the layout.  Not many people can necessarily fit inside at one time.  Still, there is always the option of take out.
We were able to grab a seat near the counter and we ordered a snack with the drink.  The Potato Butter Balls, $4.95, looked very tempting and we decided to get an order.  I actually really enjoyed the natural taste of the potato and the outer casing was nicely fried to a crispy bite.  Ms. Lin thought this was just okay.  The dipping sauces were just normal, which was fine since I just liked the hot crispy potato.  It might seem like a normal tater tot formed in a ball, but it was definitely tasty and above average.  I have a soft spot for tasty fried goodies lol.
As for the drinks, we got the Yogurt Tea and Passion Fruit Milk Tea.  I thought the drinks were the downside.  The tea was not very flavorful and did not complement the drinks flavor.  I am not an expert in tea as I don't like tea by itself but I do love my Asian flavored teas and believe me that I have had my share.  Being that SGV/Arcadia is abundantly supplied with tea houses, I think this one does not live up to the other tea houses around.  I would come in for the fried potatoes, but not for the drinks.  Needless to say, I have not been back for the drinks but every time I am here for Sinbala I think about getting an order of the fried snacks for take out.
Bun Bun Tea House
651 W Duarte Rd Ste C 
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-4168

Due to Ms. Lin's random research of finding a new optometrist, we suddenly ended up in Arcadia. You would think this was a good thing but I have to say that they really suck and it is not worth the gas to keep going up there for her stupid glasses! The first time we stopped by I was intrigues by the sign : Honey Boba. How could you go wrong with something that sounds tasty? Of course it reminded me of Half & Half Tea House. This caught my eye so on the 2nd trip up I decided it was time to try this place...
STAY AWAY! Don't do it!!! The boba was decent for an add in of $0.49 but not the drink itself. Sure, everything sounded good on paper but fell really short. We read online reviews to see what to order and chose which one that sounded good to us. I decided to go with the Ghiradelli Caramel Milk Tea since I love caramel milk tea but this did not taste like caramel. Rather a fermented alcohol like simulation of caramel. Ms. Lin decided to order something different from me and got the Earl Grey Milk Tea with Honey Boba. I have had Earl Grey before and this was bad. I was so glad that was not my drink and I tried to finish off the bad drink I had as fast as I can. Soon afterwards, I ran over to Sinbala to cleanse my palette of the horror. I had to buy a bunch of other milk teas to help me forget this taste @_@
All in all it may seem like the perfect place for teenagers and college students to chill out, but keeping in mind the area we are at that there are MUCH BETTER places around. I'd save myself the pain and check out the other hip hang out joints that serve a good drink to go with it!

Honey Boba
1 W Duarte Rd
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-9788

After hearing so much about the infamous SinBala, PK took me on our way back from SF. When we arrived it was not that busy and then suddenly a bunch of people started to come in. It's a tiny place inside the shopping center. One down side is that the place was freezing. I guess it could be a plus in the summer but it was raining that day and we were there to grab a quick meal then finish the evening with delicious shaved ice. Being cold and eating cold dessert just makes your body freezing cold. Probably why we are all sick and still recovering from the trip. Still, it was worth it!

Since it was my first time being here, I just let PK order because she knows what is good here. She believes that they make the best Taiwanese Sausage with Garlic in all of LA. Boy, was she not kidding. The flavors are wonderful and a perfect blend with the fresh slices of Garlic. It is sweet but not too sweet. The sausage by itself is packed full of flavor and a great plump texture. I feel that the raw garlic really adds another level to the flavor. It lowers the sweet taste and adds a kick. Keep in mind that I really LOVE garlic! They have a huge drink menu. In fact when you first look at the menu you wonder if they only served drinks or is there another menu for food. Hey, it's okay if they don't have a huge menu like Cheesecake Factory as long as they know what they are doing with the items they do serve. I got a large Watermelon Juice and PK decided to get one as well. It's simple and good. Fresh blended Watermelon that has pulp. Be sure to mix well if you let the drink sit for a long time. A typical Taiwanese dish is the Oyster Pancake. The one here is extremely flat with a few Oysters. This resembles an omelette as the outside has an Egg layer. I like the thin chewy translucent cough lining the inside. "The gelatinous dough is made of a combination of corn starch, sweet potato starch, and rice flour, which gives it its chewy, sticky, and gelatinous texture and a greyish translucent hue." This dish has a light flavor enhanced by the sauce on top that is sweet and tangy. The flavor and texture was good. One of my favorite dishes is Cold Noodle with Shredded Chicken because it is simple and good. It is great for people on the go. I asked PK if it was good here and we ordered one. It comes in a typical already prepared box with sauces packed in individual containers inside. There is Noodle, Shredded Chicken, Shredded Vegetables, Chili Oil, Minced Garlic Water, and Sesame Paste. You open the sauces and poor it over everything and mix. Voilà! It is full of flavor. I love it when the garlic flavor jumps out at you. The noodles are not over cooked and has just the right chewy texture. PK also ordered "Gong Won" that is a Pork Meatball Soup with Vegetables. The soup was very light on the palate but full of flavor. I liked the simplistic pure flavor of the broth. For me, I could do without the vegetables. =9 Still, I ate and drank the whole thing to warm myself up since it was freezing inside. It's great for a rainy day. She recommended the Fried Chicken Leg Rice. I have never ordered this because I love the Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice more. Since PK recommended it and I am always open to trying new things, why not! lol At first I thought it would be whole chicken thigh but it turned out to be strips of thigh meat nicely battered like the popular Taiwanese snack Salt & Pepper Chicken, "Yen Su Chi". The flavor was on point with a great balance of savory and hint of sweetness. all the pieces were very tender yet retained a crisp texture from the outside coating. I really enjoyed the Corn and Scrambled Egg sides on the plate. Normally I hate eggs, but they were well seasoned to compliment the chicken, corn, and rice. This might look like a simple dish but full of flavor and complexity. Drum roll please... What everyone has been raving about here is the Shaved Ice. You get 5 choices of toppings. Condensed Milk not included, you must choose it as a topping. We all know that you can't have shaved ice without Condensed Milk! lol For their sugar syrup they use a black sugar that is so fragrant and tasty. All you need is their special sugar syrup and Condensed Milk! Yummy!!! ^_^ PK and I wanted to share one because they are pretty big and we were pretty full. Sadly we couldn't agree on the toppings. Like I said, I just like it plain. She decided to get the Small Red Beans, Taro Balls, 2 orders of the Flan, and Condensed Milk. The pudding is really good and tasty by themselves. When I mix them with the sugar syrup and Condensed Milk, I feel that they are overpowered and their own flavor disappears. It is better to eat them separately IMHO. I'm a purist at heart. All in all the food was great, prices reasonable, and I went back 2 weeks in a row even when I was sick! lol That night I ordered an extra Taiwanese Sausage with Garlic and Cold Noodle to take home for lunch the next day. It is so convenient and simple without losing any of the great flavor. What more can you ask for? lol Did I mention that I live over an hour away, yet I keep coming back. O=9

SinBala
651 W Duarte Rd Ste F
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-0886

KFP suggested that we hang out for a drink at Ten Ren's Tea Time nearby. He was nice enough to drive TP & I around since I was sick of driving sooooo FAR AWAY to satisfy my craving. O=9 This place is FOB/Asian Central. It's a tiny tea place and there is a minimum for each person if you sit down to drink the tea inside. They have a big menu ranging from food to drinks. We were there for a while and this group of VERY VERY ASIAN girls were next to us made me think twice about this location. They apparently went to some park and got some plastic blow up bats at which they decided to use to whack each other the whole time they were there. It was quite childish and annoying but what can you do. One good thing is that TP found an eye candy! ^_- A wedding party was there to get drinks and she found a guy that appealed to her to look at. lol
I decided to try their Special Fruit Green Tea. This drink was very similar to the Fruit Tea at Tea Station and why not? After all they both use Ten Ren tea. The difference is that I had it with Green Tea this time which is a bit more refreshing and brings out a different fruity flavor. Still, I would have liked to have some fresh pieces of fruit in the drink like the ones I get at Tea Station. KFP had a Matcha Smoothie with Red Beans. The drink looked good but I abhor Red Beans. >_<# Still, the smoothie looked like it was blended well and could be tasty. TP was supposedly "full" and didn't want to order anything but then she decided to give the Brick Toast "Nai Su" a try. She was full in the beginning and then while we were waiting for the toast she became starving??? lol TP is a very complicated person! I got her addicted to Brick Toast after Half & Half Tea House, but the one here can't hold a candle. They didn't put enough flavoring on top and the toast was nowhere near as aromatic. This must mean that they were skimping on the butter! The more bad things on it, the tastier it would be! O=9

All in all, not too impressed. The drinks are not bad but what is the difference between a Tea Station? I would rather go to Tea Station since I have their stamp card! Wasn't too fond of the crowd that night and it is a lot more cramped here. Still, the company was great and good times were had by all! ^_^

Ten Ren's Tea Time

846 W Duarte Rd
Arcadia, CA 91007