Hunnybee

I went back again! Came for a quick Sunday brunch with a friend after doing aerial yoga (!) in the area. I was opting for something sweet, and we both ended up getting the ricotta pancakes.

Thankfully, the cashier at the front was very transparent about how long the pancakes would take, which helped to gauge our interest and wait time. It was pretty busy that day (as always).

We were able to grab a table outside on a beautiful sunny day, and enjoyed watching some dogs while waiting ~25 mins for our pancakes.

The pancakes were so deliciously fluffy! I liked the berry compote that came with it, and I doused it in maple syrup. I ate the pancakes so fast (because I was in a rush, but) because they were so good!

Can't wait to come back a 3rd time to finally try their breakfast sandwich.

A sunny day in Vancity after a cold rain the night before Brings us for a brunch craving. After a pictorial at Stanley park, we wanted to go to a good brunch place.

We found a place and tried their food. It was okay. It's not worth listing. The Taste was ok. Nothing special.

Cappucino wasn't too bad.

We loved the ambiance, especially the patio seating on a bright and sunny day.
The coffee was not anything to die for, I wish they had more less basic options.
We ordered the shakshuka which was great. Lots of flavor and very filling.
The savoury pancakes were perfect if you want pancakes but don't want something overly sweet. I loved how thick and juicy the sausages were.
The hash browns were crispy and nice. The same sausages came with the hash browns which were also great.
We came on a Sunday morning, close to noon. Even though the line was long, we didn't have to wait for too long to get a table.

For pastries we had the banana bread and the chocolate chip cookie. They tasted pretty healthy (made of oat or oat flour I think) but we still devoured them.

My brother has been raving about the Breakfast Sandwich and was glad to try it for myself. My Mom had the one pictured and I had it without the ham. We both declared the sandwich to be - unique and outstanding. The toast and butter crunch of the bread and the fried egg becoming one with the cheese. Wow! The latte I had was sadly awful. I had to throw it out. Will give it another chance though as hopefully it was a one-off bad drink. The Breakfast Sandwich more than made up for it!

Ambiance: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

I had high hopes for this place since everyone recommended it as a hidden gem tucked away in Chinatown so was excited to try it with my friend that was visiting from out of town. We got there just before 11 on a Saturday and it was packed (as expected)

The way this spot works if you want to dine in is that you have to order first and get a number, then you're on your own to find an available spot. I'm not a huge fan of this model because there's a chance that you don't find a spot by the time your food comes out which is a mess of a situation. Luckily we managed to snag the last 2 seats which were outside on a metal bar-style table - the metal reflected the sun in our eyes which wasn't great but it was still better than having a table inside because there was no AC or airflow there. I would definitely recommend coming here where it's not super hot outside since the inside is pretty cute!

As for service, this was a huge hit for us. The staff taking our order was really nice and our drinks were brought out really quickly. Unfortunately it took over 45min to get our mains - after around 30min I noticed people around us (who had ordered after us) getting their food so I checked in with the staff at the front who said that they were just busy and that our food would be out really soon. 15 more min went by (and more people around us who had ordered after us) before we got our food so overall not super impressed with the service.

As for food, I got the sweet ricotta pancakes and my friend got the hash bowl. My pancakes came out cold but were a great texture, although I wasn't a fan of the compote on top so I brushed that to the side. My friend really enjoyed her meal so maybe savoury is the way to go! I also should mention that everyone on the menu was very reasonably priced! The pancake dish was $13 and the hash was around $15 I believe which is unheard of for Vancouver brunch prices

Overall, while I love the interior and the prices are great, the service and find-your-own-seating style makes me a bit iffy on wanting to go back

Cute little spot. Good brunch/coffee. On a rainy day, even their outdoor seats were covered. Very affordable. Service a bit inconsistent.

THE SERVICE
Our friend arrived and was told tables were first-come first-served. So he hovered over a table that was leaving and was about to sit down, when staff told him he should be on the waitlist. He had talked to staff earlier and was not told of any waitlist. It worked out because another staff member confirmed he'd gotten there first.

Our friend also ordered savory pancakes (2 of us heard him order this). They brought him sweet pancakes. He was super nice and mentioned he got the wrong thing, but said it was fine. At first the staff said you ordered sweet. But after a few minutes the staff still brought out savory pancakes to replace them anyway.

THE FOOD
*Latte ($4) - 4 stars
Nice creamy foam. Tasty.

* Egg & Avocado Toast ($8) - 4 stars
Avocado ripe, toast crisped just right, dill was a nice touch. Not extra unique but good.

* Hash Benedict ($15) - 3.5 stars
Fine, not too special, but did the job.

This place can be really hit-and-miss. Food quality is usually great, but the chaotic lineups for brunch have led to some orders going to the wrong table and crazy-long waits while flustered staff try and mix and match which order goes to what table.
Sitting on the patio today, our server asked me to HAND him the plate left next to me. Um, maybe if I worked here? Or else, go around and pick it up from outside the patio, but asking a customer to handle another customer's used table setting just icks me in that East Van stereotypical lack of initiative sort of way. I ordered a coffee by my companion didn't get his latte, which was on our order. The server asked us to run down just what we ordered, but the number they gave us should tell him that. The server returns and says, "they didn't give us your order for the latte, so this one's on us." But it was already paid for, so just what does, "on us" even mean? He asks us again to recap our food orders, but shouldn't the number assigned to us have our actual order associated somehow? We watched a long lineup out the door turn completely over, and then some, before the food finally arrived. As expected, the quality was really good, but they need to streamline their communication because they obviously have too many gaps for basic ordering info to get lost in before losing some more. Supervisors and management need to put themselves in customers' shoes more and see where these leaks in communication need fixing.

Oh my Hunnybee! This place is a hidden gem with a friendly crew that has a great vibe. This cute little corner joint has outdoor seating & good views of the neighborhood. My wife and I ordered the Hash Benedict and the savory Ricotta Pancakes. Let me tell you these pancakes might be the best I've ever had! We both highly recommend trying this spot!

Hunnybee is a hidden gem!

I come here often with my coworkers as we work a few mins away (and i'm always trying to convince them to come here again and again).

The staff is wonderful here! Very friendly and sweet.

The ambiance is cute, they've got two little patios to enjoy + some indoor seating.

What i like about this place is they keep the prices a bit lower than others so low income people don't have to worry as much.

I am a huge fan of their coffee - have tried the latte and iced coffee, and an even bigger fan of the food! Their ricotta pancakes are on my list as top pancakes in the city. SO good and fluffy and soft, and flavorful. (You can get the savory or sweet). I've only tried the jam version but will try the savory one day. My other fave is the breakfast sandwich. MAN they're good, i don't know what sauce they use but it is something else!

Check this place out if you're ever looking for a brunch spot in van that's not downtown or super bougie, you'll be so happy with your choice!

I absolutely love Hunnybee's breakfast sandwich, but this visit, I tried their ricotta pancakes after hearing all the rave about them! It was definitely the right choice!
The pancakes were so soft and fluffy! It felt like I was eating one of those Japanese souffle pancakes from Gram. I loved the flavor combination of the savory eggs and sausages with the maple syrup as it wasn't too sweet or too salty and I thought it had a nice balance. If you aren't feeling their breakfast sandwich, I totally recommend trying their mouthwatering pancakes! They have either a sweet or savory option where the sweet option comes with their housemade jam and their savory version comes with two eggs and sausages.