Liu’s Formosa Gift and Tea House

Firstly, when you’re told that your order is «too much for you» believe that man. I originally ordered the noodle soup, cooler noodles, and spring rolls, but was told that the noodles were too much so I changed up for the soup, spring roll, and steamed veg — it was still too much…
I am soooo full!
Okay, let’s really begin.
We ordered tea, of course. Why go to a tea house and not order tea? I got the Japanese Sencha and E. Got a Berry Berry (green?) tea and both were enjoyable. I kind of thought that the water was too hot and I would taste burnt green tea leaves, but I didn’t. Both teas were very enjoyable.
We were brought out the spring rolls next with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, possibly plum — I can’t really tell the difference. They were fresh out of the fryer and still a little oily, but filled nicely. The usual type — cabbage and other stuff, plus a veg protein in there. They were good, nothing to write home about, but not disappointing. Then my noodle soup was brought out. I had been asked if I wanted spice added to my soup and I said, sure, why not. Bowl of soup is NOT small (wish I’d thought to take pictures…) and loaded up with vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cabbage, snow peas), noodles, and some soy protein that was delicious on top of the soup, all crispy and pretending to be fried chicken, but not. Then my steamed veg showed up with a side of hick soy sauce. There was carrot, broccoli, green and yellow beans, snow peas, and brussel sprouts — I was a happy gal when I saw those brussel sprouts, Mmmmmm. Again though, not a small portion. Then E.‘s food showed up. He ordered a wonton soup and pan fried dumplings. Wonton soup was the same as mine without the noodles and the spice, but with wonton dumplings and didn’t have the extra toppings (i.e., the crispy soy parties stuff). Although his was served in a different type of bowl, both were so large that we decided that the next time we go, and we WILL visit again, that we will split a bowl of soup instead of each getting our own. The pan fried dumplings were delicious! Some shiitake mushrooms (I think) and other things and so well cooked that you’d think they’d done this before a time or two .
We were then treated to a sliced up kiwi to finish our meal, I ate one slice because I just couldn’t force anymore into me — I’d also already forced quite a bit of my own food on E. at this point and could not finish my broth, which made me feel very guilty for some reason I’m this place. I just really didn’t want to be that wasteful girl, you know. We were also offered some cakes to take with is, but there was egg in it and we couldn’t, but they sure looked tasty.
I highly recommend trying Liu’s out. The only thing I’m disappointed in is that we waited so long to visit — don’t make that mistake.

I went here with my fiancé for a little lunch date before work.
Other than the few attempts before when we were surprised to find the business closed outside of normal hours we have no complaints.
We got a selection of the dim sum and some stirfry noodles. My fiancé who usually hates udon noodles loved them. The sause was perfection.
Everything was delicious and I had the best cup of earl grey tea I’ve ever had.
the shop is pretty tiny and there are only a few parking spots. It’s extremely quiet with soft music to fill the slience. If you are uncomfortable in places where you feel you must whisper you might find this place does that.

Interesting and good! Super quiet, amazingly attentive service.

Absolutely delicious vegetarian food! I tried the Formosa combo platter and so was able to sample many different menu items. Incredibly tasty! Everything was seasoned well and the different items had their own distinct flavors that stood on their own. What a hidden gem of an eatery. Can’t wait to stop back in!

This may look like a sketchy little hole in the wall but it is actually vegan and vegetarian heaven! Taiwanese style food– to die for!
Get the fried noodle, stuffed bun, bamboo rice, spring rolls… Oh I could go on and on!

Last night we had a pleasant meal here. I LOVED the wonton soup, it was not too salty like so many wonton soups I have had. The mock duck was fantastic, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with fragrant lemon sauce. I loved everything we ate, I will definitely be back. I thought the service was fantastic.

This is a cute little shop and eatery. I love the décor and all the adorable items for sale. The tea selection is amazing and the server was very sweet and accommodating. The food was good and plentiful. Most items can be made vegan.

This wonderful little home-​run restaurant offers vegetarians meals unlike any other you’ll find in Halifax/​Dartmouth. Everything I order always tastes great and the hot mango milk tea keeps me coming back. The prices are completely reasonable. The place doubles as a gift shop for teas and Chinese decorations, which makes the décor a little tacky. At the same time, the tackiness adds to its charm. Throughout the winter months the place tends to be very cold so make sure you were a sweater and a coat that you’ll be comfortable eating in.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Halifax. It’s small, with only 3 tables. The owner has a wealth of knowledge in regards to teas and a great menu of appetizers, small meals, and full specials that come with either noodles or rice. It is a great option of vegetarian/​vegan food and the prices are extremely reasonable. The service is prompt — you never have to wait long for the food to arrive and afterwards, you get a small plate of fruit on the house, which is always a refreshing end to the meal.
My favourite dish to order is the «Combo Platter» — it always changes, but comes mainly with rice, an assortment of perfectly steamed vegetables, a variety of fake meats and soup. I also get the dumplings/​potstickers, which come with a special homemade sweet soy sauce that is delicious!
Other Top Picks: BBQ Pork Buns, «chicken» Drumstick, Chicken Steaks.

Tucked in a house, the resto in and among the giftware (some beautiful tea sets)…Formosa’s is sure to deliver. Owner is sooooo friendly and very helpful with recommendations. Serving lots of vegan dishes, and huge portions. The dumplings are amazing! And great prices too. Love the way you are served tea with your meal, although I found it was hard to pick the great teas out of the not so great ones from the wall. At the end of your meal you are given clementines and special candy. It is awesome! I could just eat those dumplings alllll day. Definitely worth the trip to D-​town.

I have been to Japan, China and Korea so I really appreciate a quality meal that is not chicken balls!!!
FANTASTIC.
Menu has just a couple options but they are all AWESOME (repeat visits!)
There is a fantasic variety of tea you can have and buy at the end if you wish.
On top of that there are TONS of fun Japanese/​Asian themed nic-​naks that you can purchase as well.
The service is beyond fantastic. Liu is so welcoming and friendly– it’s like he’s welcomed you into his home.
HIGHLY recomended!

This place is amazing. Vegans and vegetarians in Halifax, make your way over here. It is inexpensive and so good! Tea selection is amazing and the owner is so helpful in choosing one and making sure it is steeped to perfection. Definitely check out this adorable little place and don’t be put off if you’re the only one in there, it gives you a great chance to talk to the owner.

About 10 years ago, we had a delicious Chinese vegetarian dinner at a Buddhist restaurant while visiting Vancouver BC. And since that I have been dreaming of that kind of meal. So I was glad to read about Liu’s Formosa Gift and Tea House on Unilocal.That meant I could relive the tasty food adventure again, only locally!
Today, we were in Dartmouth and found the café easily at the corner of Albro Lake Road and Wyse Road, easy to get to from the new bridge. The server was Mr. Liu and he is very nice and very hospitable. We ordered 1 meal of vegetarian chicken steak and 1 meal of sweet and sour vegetarian ribs, both with rice, and shared them. The food was very good and we enjoyed the flavours and textures. While waiting for the food we had a chance to look at all the pretty Chinese china ornaments in the restaurant, and it was a nice way to pass the time, while waiting for our food to be served.
After we finished, Mr. Liu brought us a surprise dessert of fruit, which we shared. And when we paid, he gave me a surprise piece of cinnamon candy too.
It’s a very good place to eat, with tasty food at a reasonable prices in a super nice environment. I felt like I had flown to a different country for a little rest. Nice Chinese music played softly in the background. I would recommend it to anyone who likes vegetarian, Chinese, or Chinese vegetarian food as much as I do!

This is one of my favorite places to eat when I have the time. That is really the main problem here is time. This is a family run restaurant and the staff is usually just a husband and wife team who hail from Taiwan. They are very sweet and the husband will talk quite a lot with you if your are inclined to do so. He is difficult to understand at times but has managed to communicate well enough to help customers with menu choices. I don’t really like saying anything negative about this restaurant because I love it. The food is vegetarian Chinese and all home made, nutritious and delicious. Portions are generous, the prices are unbelievable and you will swear your eating meat at times. I really don’t know how they do it. In addition to a good variety of food items on the menu, there is tea… lots of tea. probably hundreds of teas including the flower tea where you watch the flower unfold in your tea, How cool is that! So what I’m saying is get tea too if you go. The food is not over salted and has no MSG that I know of. Let them know if you have allergies because they will accommodate. Make sure you have extra time and you will be happy and relaxed. I don’t recommend going here on a busy lunch hour. You will walk away frustrated. Try an off time if you in a hurry and you will get faster service. Soak up the atmosphere which feels like you are in a little Chinese shop tucked away in some authentic back alley in Chinatown. Enjoy the tea which can be refilled up to 5 times and will be refilled 5 times if you want it to be. The Husband of the team, who serves will seem bent on fattening you up with more food. I love to be fattened so of course I like this. A serving of fresh fruit appears at the end of the meal to help digestion… and it does! There is a little room adjacent to the main eating area that has an abundant assortment of trinkets and Chinese art and even some clothing items. If you are in the market for a new tea set you won’t be disappointed. There are some real gems her, mostly hand crafted tea sets that are amazing. Fine porcelain cup and saucer sets can also be purchased here as well as some jewelry. If you have a group to feed they can accommodate that with notice two hours for larger numbers. You have to let them know what you are ordering in advance for this to work. There is ample seating upstairs for these groups and this would make a great place for a business pow-​wow or intimate party of friends. As I said, notice must be give for this to work or they will be overwhelmed and you will be frustrated with service. I’m giving this four stars even though it is slow service because I believe everything else makes up for that.

Liu’s is unlike any other restaurant I’ve eaten at in Halifax. The atmosphere is a cross between a Chinese gift shop, a suburban rec room and a meditation centre. It’s in an out-​of-​the-​way location at the north end of Wyse Road and feels like a bit of a secret. The two times I’ve visited have been during rainy Saturday afternoon excursions to godforsaken big box stores to which Liu’s is the perfect counterpoint. Upon entering, the restaurant appears tiny. There are three or four tables in the front room, along with a display of tea and gifts. The large picture window overlooks Yum Yum’s across the street and I can’t help feeling slightly smug knowing I’m eating healthier food here. The owner is incredibly gracious and forthcoming with suggestions. All of the items are vegetarian and, in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, many contain faux-​meat made from soy protein. It’s a bit of a leap for this omnivore, as I’m sure it might be for some vegetarians, but by suspending expectations you will be rewarded with some delicious food. The «ham» was a definite standout, as were the dumplings. Everything was very inexpensive and both times we ordered more than we could handle. Actually, we handled it but needed to undo buttons later… For the uniqueness of the food and the experience, I give this place five stars. Let’s hope it sticks around for a while…

I had the food … uh. «good» … fortune of eating here tonight with the Halifax Association of Vegetarians. Liu’s is normally closed on Sunday but we had a special arrangement.
The menu was set and I had no idea what I was eating most of the time. It didn’t matter: everything I had was amazing. Lots of items that were «pseudo meat;» so much so that I’d feel comfortable bringing omnivorous friends.
It’s also a good place to pick up a variety of Chinese-​inspired items. And tea. Of course, who can forget the amazing selection of tea!
I’d highly recommend. Probably why I gave it 5 stars.
P. S. What was up with that Freudian slip at the beginning there?

It always feels weird writing a review on a business that’s fishing in the same pond… or accross the pond so to speak.
I highly recommend taking a visit to Liu’s tea house. Have some high mountain oolong and enjoy the friendly conversation that owner Jeffery is always willing to provide. Green Oolongs from Taiwan are his specialty.
I had his fried dumplings to accompany my ooling tea that he served up traditional gong-​fu style (little pot, many steepings). They were delicious. When He saw me struggling with a fork he asked if I prefer chop sticks. Very attentive to detail, and indeed I did prefer it.
They have a lovely assortment of tea cups and tea ware, on the ornamental side, not my «cup if tea» but well worth a gander.
Only a couple parking spots out front, but there is plenty of street parking in the area. Wheelchair accessible from the side as well.

If you’re looking for an authentic and unique dining experience, head to Formosa Gift and Tea House, just across the McDonald Bridge! This tiny little vegetarian Chinese restaurant is brimming with charisma, with products ranging from Chinese cat statues to hundreds of types of loose tea.
Jeffrey Liu truly goes out of his way to provide absolutely amazing customer service! He even brings out steeping cups as well as drinking cups. He will show you how to let the tea steep in the smaller cup and then flip it seamlessly into the drinking cup. At one point, I let my tea steep for what was apparently considered to be an excessively long time and Mr. Liu came over encouraging me to «drink faster» so that he could pour my steeped tea into my cup. –Hard not to find this place charming and unusual.
A few recommendations: The soy drumsticks and dumplings are delicious! Try the Oolong tea as well. Mr. Liu will clarify for you which teas have purported health benefits as well. Highly useful! Give ‘Formosa Gift and Tea House’ a try if for the ambience of the place alone. By the way, only 3 tables a this little spot.