Ten Pou Bubble Tea

I've had Taiwanese food before at Facing East in Bellevue, which is incredible. Unusual dishes, great presentation, absolutely delicious. Always a wait for East is East, too. 

So when I read that Ten Pou Bubble Tea was Taiwanese-owned, and right on Aurora -- albeit tucked inside an Oak Tree plaza grocery store -- I thought it might be similar. 

So the decor leaves something to be desired, sure. Cafeteria-style seating, a small TV blaring a Michael Jackson special, and not too many customers at noon on a weekday. 

After ordering at the counter, you take a seat and food is brought to the table. We sat in a room that also held various, random ... things. Stacked tables, mismatched chairs, office chairs, coats, silk flowers in vases, ready-to-recycle folded cardboard,  a teapot that kept boiling and bubbling in the corner, and a sign that said "Visibly Fresh."

Perhaps someone's doing KonMari method or they're preparing for a interior makeover. This is a charitable explanation, as it looks more like clutter. But it's clean clutter. You know what I mean? 

The Chinese broccoli was my favorite dish. Very crunchy and flavorful.

I also liked the duck part of the above noodle-soup equation. Ducks are my favorite bird to eat. However, the meat was still very much attached to the bones. A friend once told me that in their home cuisine, the poultry is cut "with no respect to the original anatomy of the animal." Which can be either messy as hell to eat or a choking hazard. One or the other.

So I ate the duck with my hands, which may or may not have grossed out my dining companion. I come from a people who eat a lot of things with their hands. Even if there is soup all over those things. Better than gravy, I guess. 

These were steamed buns. They were filled with meat. I forgot to notice what kind of meat. They were OK. 

I'm glad I didn't notice these fellows until after lunch. The doleful, accusatory eye would've made me think twice about my order. 

I don't know if I'd go back to Ten Pou. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't amazing either. Or maybe I ordered the wrong things, or my expectations were too high for a place located inside a grocery store. Mostly, I want to return to Facing East, even if it means a drive across a toll bridge.  

Ten Pou Bubble Tea
Address: 10008 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133
Phone:(206) 234-6408
Hours: Monday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Tuesday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Wednesday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Thursday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Friday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Saturday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
            Sunday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM