The best Chinese restaurant (park, business, dinner)

[travelingfood]

Originally Posted by HIF

Any boba shops near Mandarin?


The thing to do would be to put an ice cream/boba/coffee shop in the same plaza as HKB....

None really...but someone can franchise one there
get a can of milk tea from jax oriental and they sell the raw boba pearls...can make your own! they even sell the big straws for boba lol. Those things are a chocking hazard for kids though...

[vdecapio]

Originally Posted by shigwamei

Is the owner, the petite lady at the front? I had a feeling she had a little Taiwanese twang in her Mandarin but haven't heard any Taiwanese spoken by anyone in the restaurant. Yes, the waitresses all spoke Mandarin and Cantonese and pretty good English (well good enough) for my broken Chinglish.

Anyways, just heard that there is a bubble tea/boba place in Regency Mall?

We usually go to Aroma Cafe - in the mall that's across the street from the Winn-Dixie on Baymeadows/Old Kings Road. I just want to make people aware of them because I want them to stay in business! They have the greatest milk tea and coffee jelly... Their tea/coffee jelly are a great alternative to the pearls/boba, which I could never finish.
For those who do not know what boba is, they are brown chewy tapioca balls, usually the size of a pearl, and are a great addition to a big cup of chilled milk tea. They also have other little pastries for sale.

Ok ~ time to get off my soapbox.

Yeah...I go to this place at the intersection of old kings and baymeadows for boba and bubble tea. I too am trying to keep them in business! I advertise them at work and with friends. It is amazing to me how many white, local people have never heard of boba or bubble tea.

Here is my standard conversation:

ME: "So, I found a great place that serves boba and bubble tea on Baymeadows."

LOCAL/LIFELONG RESIDENT: "What'd you say...bubble tea?"

ME: "Yeah bubble tea"

LOCAL: "What's that?"

I then go on to explain to them what it is and encourage them to try it.

Strange world we live in here in Jacksonville. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a giant bubble-like southern fantasy land where there is an Applebees or Chilis at every corner and every TV is tuned in to college football!! But, the people are nice and the weather is good???!!


But, hey, just a few years ago I was asking the same type of questions about ethnic foods, and needed the education. If you start opening up the world of food to people they can catch the ethnic food wave pretty quickly! I am hopeful.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by vdecapio

Yeah...I go to this place at the intersection of old kings and baymeadows for boba and bubble tea. I too am trying to keep them in business! I advertise them at work and with friends. It is amazing to me how many white, local people have never heard of boba or bubble tea.

Here is my standard conversation:

ME: "So, I found a great place that serves boba and bubble tea on Baymeadows."

LOCAL/LIFELONG RESIDENT: "What'd you say...bubble tea?"

ME: "Yeah bubble tea"

LOCAL: "What's that?"

I then go on to explain to them what it is and encourage them to try it.

Strange world we live in here in Jacksonville. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a giant bubble-like southern fantasy land where there is an Applebees or Chilis at every corner and every TV is tuned in to college football!! But, the people are nice and the weather is good???!!


But, hey, just a few years ago I was asking the same type of questions about ethnic foods, and needed the education. If you start opening up the world of food to people they can catch the ethnic food wave pretty quickly! I am hopeful.

I think if you ask 10 people in most cities in this country what bubble tea is 8 wouldn't know what the heck you're talking about unless it was sold at Starbucks. Hell, I didn't know what it was until I read this thread. It's not something that your ordinary citizen is very familiar with so I wouldn't hold that against anyone.

[PinoyDoc]

Originally Posted by shigwamei

Is the owner, the petite lady at the front? I had a feeling she had a little Taiwanese twang in her Mandarin but haven't heard any Taiwanese spoken by anyone in the restaurant. Yes, the waitresses all spoke Mandarin and Cantonese and pretty good English (well good enough) for my broken Chinglish.

Anyways, just heard that there is a bubble tea/boba place in Regency Mall?

We usually go to Aroma Cafe - in the mall that's across the street from the Winn-Dixie on Baymeadows/Old Kings Road. I just want to make people aware of them because I want them to stay in business! They have the greatest milk tea and coffee jelly... Their tea/coffee jelly are a great alternative to the pearls/boba, which I could never finish.
For those who do not know what boba is, they are brown chewy tapioca balls, usually the size of a pearl, and are a great addition to a big cup of chilled milk tea. They also have other little pastries for sale.

Ok ~ time to get off my soapbox.

I thought Chou, the more petite lady, is a Hong Konger, but I can't differentiate Cantonese from Taiwanese/Mandarin accents.

I loooove boba tea. I wish it will get more mainstream soon, these chewy tapioca balls are so heavenly. In Asia the boba drinks come in so many flavors!! I have to check out Aroma cafe. Thanks!

But let's get back on topic... let me ask again when the dim sum place (nee Sushi World?) at Tinseltown will open... I work and live close to downtown, so I can't personally check. Updates are appreciated!

[HIF]

Originally Posted by travelingfood

None really...but someone can franchise one there
get a can of milk tea from jax oriental and they sell the raw boba pearls...can make your own! they even sell the big straws for boba lol. Those things are a chocking hazard for kids though...

I did look into a franchise a couple of months ago. Well, not a franchise, but about buying the equipment. But you'd have to sell a heck of a lot of bubble tea and there isn't a market here yet. That's why I thought combining it with ice cream/frozen yogurt and coffee might work. I am dying to try it- have heard so much about it.

To bring it back OT, that's why I thought near HKB would be good.....a strong Asian customer base and folks from other areas who are looking for authentic Chinese food. And the locals who try HKB would be more open to trying boba than your average Bubba would!

[travelingfood]

Originally Posted by HIF

I did look into a franchise a couple of months ago. Well, not a franchise, but about buying the equipment. But you'd have to sell a heck of a lot of bubble tea and there isn't a market here yet. That's why I thought combining it with ice cream/frozen yogurt and coffee might work. I am dying to try it- have heard so much about it.

To bring it back OT, that's why I thought near HKB would be good.....a strong Asian customer base and folks from other areas who are looking for authentic Chinese food. And the locals who try HKB would be more open to trying boba than your average Bubba would!

have you looked at lollicup.com and boba.com ? they're one of the biggest chain buba shop, some worldwide stores. closest one is in ORL on Colonial dr. I thought about franchise years back but I know it'll be a struggle in JAX. And really, boba stuff doesn't have that much appeal these days, not even in the mainstream places. And I believe the best place to open one is Avenue and SJTC. You need the foot traffic there. Next best thing is to combine it within a established restaurant.

Does Aroma Cafe sells only boba tea and coffee? any slushies/smoothies? why we talking cold drinks now that it's freezing outside!!

actually, the best thing for JAX to happen is a dedicated Asian plaza...cmon rich investors, do it!!

[shigwamei]

Well hopefully with Mitsui and Hanjin coming to Jacksonville, there will be an influx of more Asian restaurants and shops!

[vdecapio]

Originally Posted by PinoyDoc

I thought Chou, the more petite lady, is a Hong Konger, but I can't differentiate Cantonese from Taiwanese/Mandarin accents.

I loooove boba tea. I wish it will get more mainstream soon, these chewy tapioca balls are so heavenly. In Asia the boba drinks come in so many flavors!! I have to check out Aroma cafe. Thanks!

But let's get back on topic... let me ask again when the dim sum place (nee Sushi World?) at Tinseltown will open... I work and live close to downtown, so I can't personally check. Updates are appreciated!

PinoyDoc,

I just found a place called Chai House Tea Co. @ [SIZE=5]1034 Hendricks Avenue that serves bubble tea. Only open until 3:30 mon-sat, but if you work downtown this is a closer place for you to satisfy the boba craze![/SIZE]

[PinoyDoc]

Originally Posted by vdecapio

PinoyDoc,

I just found a place called Chai House Tea Co. @ 1034 Hendricks Avenue that serves bubble tea. Only open until 3:30 mon-sat, but if you work downtown this is a closer place for you to satisfy the boba craze!

THANKS!!

[jj970]

Thanks to you all, I finally made it to Hong Kong Bistro. I thought it was great. I'd missed the Bay and all the food choices I had there. I felt right at home at Hong Kong Bistro. I don't speak Chinese, and I felt awkward ordering in English there (because I'm Chinese). It made me feel just like I was back in California. That's a good thing.

The char siu bao was not very good at all. I think it was frozen. The other stuff was pretty good. Not the best dim sum for sure, but it does tolerable.
I also ordered some noodles and they were great.

I went back the other day just to get some take out salted fish/chicken fried rice and it was done just right. Can't get that anywhere else in Jax that I know of.

Aroma Cafe is great for boba. It's real tea and not a mix. Light years better than any other place here in Jax. It's better than Lollicup in Orlando (mixes again). I daresay it's better than many place in SF too. I really want them to stay in business.

I'll have to try Silver Star sometime too.

Thanks again all.

Oh, we should write reviews about these places on other sites too to spread the love!

J