July 16, 2020

FEAST | New in Town x Cold Tea Restaurant x Granville

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver
wok beef (beef tenderloin tips with pineapple, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro)
Granville—(July 7, 2020) Downtown Vancouver's newest pan-Asian eatery, Cold Tea Restaurant—named after the secret post-last call tradition of covertly serving beer in a teapot (aka "cold tea") and not to be confused with the similarly named Toronto bar—takes over the storied, old Tsui Hang Village location right in the heart of the titular Entertainment District.

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver

Serving an Asian fusion adjacent menu from Chef Thien Vuong of mostly Chinese and Vietnamese-inspired dishes including snacks, sharing plates, and dim sum, Cold Tea has a pretty simple, no-nonsense menu complemented by the gorgeously ornate and golden interior decor of its spacious, classical 130-seat dining room inside the 4,600-square-foot restaurant.

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver
roast pork belly (with bok choy on rice) + coconut noodles (with shredded pork, coconut milk, herbs, and cucumber)
Upon their delayed opening, we were invited to sample four dishes and a couple cocktails to taste what the Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant had to offer. Most of the standard dishes were perfectly fine and well-made while their Asian take on pasta carbonara was quite creamy and flavourful.

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver
Cuppa' Joe (with vodka, condensed milk syrup, espresso) + Garden Fizz (with gin, Pimm's, strawberry syrup, egg white)
Thus far, the cocktails felt notably impressive and exciting. Their take on a Vietnamese coffee (aka cà phê sữa đá) cocktail mixed with an espresso martini tasted classy yet refreshing. While their fruity egg white fizz was a smooth delight.

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver

All of the more staple dishes consumed (like the beef and pork) pretty much met expectations along the lines of any familiar Chinese haunt with nicer presentation and extra decorative flair. Many items just feel familiar and comforting.

Cold Tea Restaurant | Granville Street | Downtown Vancouver
lai fun carbonara (with cured bacon, cream, sous vide egg, parmesan, green onions, and chili threads)
Cold Tea does the trick so far while there's still a lot of potential to refine their mix of offerings. The modern dishes were served well and reasonably priced (happy hour looks particularly attractive) while their weekend push cart dim sum service also seems rather enticing.


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