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This Taiwanese dessert chain brings Q whimsy to Burnaby

Ever heard of a Q ball? It is a made-in-house dessert in which fresh ingredients are chopped and steamed, and then mixed with tapioca flour and water, and then kneaded to give it a chewy texture.
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A shaved ice monster at Zen Q in Burnaby. Zen Q photo

Ever heard of a Q ball?

It is a made-in-house dessert in which fresh ingredients are chopped and steamed, and then mixed with tapioca flour and water, and then kneaded to give it a chewy texture.

Then they get cut into a ball shape and added to a dessert of your choice.

Sounds pretty whimsical, right? That’s the secret of Zen Q, a newish dessert place on Hastings, just east of Willingdon that brings Taiwan delights to the Heights.

The Q is slang for “chewiness” – an underrated texture in desserts. Sure, silky smooth is nice, but sometimes I like a dessert that you can chew on for a while.

You like waffles? Try the matcha and red bean waffle, it will blow your mind.

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Matcha waggles and red bean at Zen Q in Burnaby. Zen Q photo

Or try the grass jelly, which is definitely not made from grass, but an herb that’s sorta like mint. According to Zen Q, their grass jelly takes up to three years to make.

Zen Q is a colourful, bright place to hang out in and discover dessert delights that are a nice change of pace from cheesecake and gelato.

You might think shaved ice is just an Italian thing, but Zen Q has its own special array of shaved ice desserts. Or try the yummy glutinous rice desserts.

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Mango Mango at Zen Q in Burnaby. Zen Q photo

Basically, if you’re looking to try something different, Zen Q will bring some whimsy to your tummy.

DISCLAIMER: I have not been compensated in any way by this business for writing about it. They don’t even know I am writing about it.

Follow me on Twitter @shinebox44.