The First Dessert

Ginger Milk - I literally come to First dessert just for this - it is my favorite dessert here. It is so unique, and I don't think I've had it anywhere else. Its also like magic in front of your eyes - somehow the liquid becomes solid in only a few minutes! This dessert literally tastes like milky ginger, so if you love those two flavors, you will love this as well! IF you don't enjoy ginger its best to try another dessert as the flavor is quite strong.

Taro Balls & Sago - this is a classic! A delicious sago with chewy (QQ) taro balls. If you've had this dessert before, this will taste like how you imagine it.

Purple Yam & Sago with Coconut Milk - very yammy (literally)! There are actual yam chunks inside. I typically like yam, but I felt it overpowered the dessert, and I actually prefer having the chewy balls instead.

Sesame and almond tea paste, add sesame glutinous rice balls - 2 traditional desserts combined into one! Love the combination!

Complimentary Tea - I love the complimentary tea that they serve here. I also love it when restaurants don't just give you the standard tea that they serve...so..bonus points!!!

Service:
I've always had the greatest experience with the service here. I absolutely adore one of the ladies that works here. I am not sure if she is the owner, but she is the sweetest!

Tip: There can be quite the line-up, so maybe try to call ahead to make sure you're not waiting for an hour!

This is such a great place!

Thought this was more of a gimmick due to the decoration, but I really enjoyed their desserts! Got the:
- ginger milk $8.45 (this is where you pour in the hot milk (?) and then it solidifies into a pudding!)
- grass jelly with taro balls+mini taro balls+sago+redbean $10.95

The gingermilk was super ginger-y and burns the throat, but was also SO delicious!!! If you ever want to get a not too sweet dessert for parents/aunties/grandparents, this is it!!! It was so fun pouring the milk into the bowl, and waiting for the timer finish and getting a pudding texture!

The grass jelly dish was also packed with ingredients, loved the different taro ball sizes, and it was so refreshing!

Definitely going to be a go-to for me when I'm craving some chinese desserts!

The ambiance was very traditional HK design feels. From the plates to the tables to the interior decors, they remind me of the good old times.
The service was okay and they provided good instructions on how to eat the desserts. The only thing that we had trouble with was trying to explain what we wanted for one of our dessert. We had to explain it over 4 times and at the end, it was still wrong but it's okay.
The desserts were decent especially the ginger milk (my friend's favorite) and the mango dessert was okay, I wished they provided fresh mango. But overall, it wasn't bad.

YUM!!! Yummy, not too sweet, nostalgic desserts in a cozy intimate setting. Cute spot to share something sweet with friends/family. And I appreciated the complimentary lychee black tea! When my group and I stumbled in, this spot wasn't packed and had a relaxed vibe to it. We ordered efficiently with their write down order system, and received our bowls fairly quickly. Would definitely return again!!

I don't care what y'all say this place is wayyy better than meetfresh! I yelled it so loud that people heard me HAHAHA. "Dam stupid loud American!" Im sorry but we don't have places like this in SGV California. Everything felt so authentic and I loved the variety of rice balls and dessert bases. I had a really hard time ordering since everything looked so good!

Had to hit up a HK dessert spot because they really don't have too many of these in LA. This place was so cute and there was about a 25-30 minute wait on a drizzly Saturday night. I really wanted to try their steamed egg milk but they unfortunately sold out so we got their ginger milk, red bean paste, coconut milk grass jelly/taro balls/peach resin, and a coconut milk mango. The red bean paste was a bit watered down and disappointing. The ginger milk pudding was very smooth and with a really strong ginger taste as you got towards the bottom of the bowl. The other two were good, can't really go wrong with coconut milk and toppings like mango, taro balls, and peach resin. A cute little dessert spot with an HK vibe that I'd love to return to to try their steamed egg milk pudding.

This place has such a neighborly vibe, filled with people of all ages, some who look like they've been coming for years. I appreciate how it's open late and the street parking feels safe.

I tried the ginger milk with papaya. Love the thoughtfulness of the experience with the timer they give so you can wait a minute before eating it. It was (cliche) not too sweet. I think this place is a great place to decompress or take parents.

Note: If you take a pic for social media to get free dessert, I think you need to show them the post on your phone. Lol I was waiting for a DM from them (unclear if it was a giveaway or for your next dining experience). There is a 1 order/person minimum. Cash or debit only.

Friendly service and delicious classic canto desserts. Looking forward to going back.

Our recent visit to The First Dessert left us pleasantly surprised. This spot is renowned for its diverse range of Chinese desserts, boasting over 100 options.

We couldn't resist trying the Ginger Milk Pudding and Steamed Egg with Papaya. Have you ever wondered about the differences?

Ginger Milk Pudding: Silky and custard-like with a perfect sweetness and a hint of ginger. They even pour it in front of you, making it an interactive delight.

Steamed Egg with Papaya: Creamy like a soft custard with a refreshing tropical flavour from fresh papaya.

Our dessert cravings are satisfied, and we are eager to return and explore more of their tempting treats.

Food: 5/5 Must Try!
Service: 5/5
Kids: 4/5 Yay!
Price: $6-$10 each item
Presentation: 3/5
Parking: Street parking available in the neighbourhood
Tips:
* accepts online ordering at TheFirstDessert.ca
* offers FREE selected dessert with orders over $20.
* has late opening hours for post-dinner gatherings.
* can get a FREE DESSERT by sharing a photo on social media.
* has dine-in restriction - minimum one order per person.
Would I Return: Yes ‍

I must be deprived living in California because I thought the desserts here were really good. It is near impossible finding places like this in the United States with this much variety in their menu. I LOVE not-too-sweet HK style desserts and they taste amazing at First Dessert! The huge line out the door seems to agree with me.

We ordered three for two persons:
-- A10 Black Rice with Coconut Milk: the rice is perfection and it tasted so comforting
-- A19 Sesame Paste with Sesame Rice Dumplings: this is like the best black sesame I've ever had (sorry, grandma). I ordered this hot!
-- E8 Grass Jelly with Taro balls, sago, and red bean: this is the one I liked the least. I should've ordered a different grass jelly item because I thought there were too many toppings! It was still good..just too complicated. I also prefer it to be colder or with shaved ice.

I will complain a little bit that First Dessert is oddly strict on certain rules. Such as: you must order one dessert per person at the table and debit/cash only!

Despite the rules, I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Vancouver!

Yummy desserts! All the food was authentic and tasty. Portions are slightly small for the price, but the main issue for me was the service. My friends and I are visiting Vancouver and are not familiar with tipping culture, so we didn't tip. The server came back up to us after we finished paying and told us to tip her. Really awkward. We thought tipping was optional, but I guess not at this location.