Tea cafes have long been at the heart of social gatherings in Taiwan. In Metro Vancouver, they're adolescent hangouts. So when my friend asks to meet at GoGo Tea Café for lunch, I have no idea what to expect.

Located on the second floor of Cosmo Plaza, GoGo is easy to overlook. Once inside, however, you'll take notice. The room is beautiful. And huge. White leather chairs, smartly designed decors and a view of the streets gives the place that futuristic feel teenagers love. The clean, spacious dining room has a comfortable, inviting layout that will appeal to couples and families.

The waitresses are young and courteous, and their smiling faces make up for minor flaws in their service. They're outfits are a bit of a surprise -- French-maid style uniforms.

The food on the offering is more conventional. The one-page lunch menu is simple; even the drink list has more choices.

I order a set lunch of minced pork on rice, a stable rice dish in any Taiwanese cafe. The pork is done right and the portion is bigger than expected. The impression GoGo has upon me so far has been a good one.

I return with my family for dinner, prepared to taste more of what GoGo's kitchen team can whip up.

We start off sipping a few well-prepared and nicely presented beverages. The sweet and delicate Longan and Ginger tea I so enjoy is poured from a beautiful glass pot set on a stand and is heated by a tea light candle.

The Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup is good, but not exceptional. At $7.95, the grilled Black Cod with stir-fried vegetables is a bargain. But for something that is delicious and fun for everyone, try the hot-pot.

For under $10, this is the best priced you-cook hot-pot in town.

Each meal arrives in a full set: Small table-top butane-burner, a kettle of your choice of soup, a plate of raw entrée (meat, seafood or deluxe vegetables) and a bowl of rice. The hot soup is already loaded with vegetables and tofu. Each additional plate of raw food costs only $2.

We choose Szechuan style spicy soup and the pork chop soup as the bases for our meals, and the flavours are so intense they are perfect for cooking the two meats we order: Ribeye and lamb shoulder. Both are sliced paper-thin to be cooked by simply dipping them in the soup. At $2 each, we order extra plates of ribeye, assorted seafood and thick slices of taro. (I particularly like the taste of the softened taro cooked in the spicy soup.)

We pace ourselves so we can savour this hot-pot dinner while we share some great family time. At the end, we agree to concentrate on drinks and hot-pots next time we come.

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GOGO TEA CAF

2170-8788 McKim Way (at Garden City)

Richmond

604-244-7336

Open daily from 11:30 to 1 a.m.

Cash only

Price range: $

© The Vancouver Sun 2008