New Sago Tea Cafe

Well, that didn’t last long.
Almost as soon as it opened, the cruel boba gods had deemed New Sago unfit for the seedy 40^th Road. Though the ratings might not have looked it, I didn’t mind the old Sago (
), which has now turned into a jewelry store. Snore.
I thought this location would last longer than a few months. It was what I perceived to be an upgrade: bigger establishment, roomier seating, better décor, bette service, and open late (which is always great). From the packed Main Street afternoons to the tranquil late night seedy Flushing scene, it always seemed like this place was empty. I was always trying to figure out why.
And even though it took me multiple visits, one thing worth noting was the downright subpar food. Even a blind taste test wasn’t going to aid the indistinguishable meat skewers (bbq chicken /​korean chicken /​etc. were practically the same) and their rice /​noodle dishes could’ve used any seasoning to stay from being bland.
Bubble tea was never their strong suit despite the name. The drinks always tasted so watered down and any comparison to KFT or TeaTime would’ve been no contest. Where most places would close down after 10pm, is where Sago would come in handy. The cheap prices were also a positive even if the drinks were not.
I saw a lot more potential here and I did want this place to make it. Flushing has plenty of eateries, but the boba scene could always use some a new challenger in the ring. Only in this competition, it seems Sago has tapped out.

What? CLOSED before I had the chance to try it? I had this place bookmarked on 5.16.11 and now it is too late. It is also too bad because my boyfriend really wanted to try their infamous Strawberry smoothie at this new location. I guess business is really this bad, huh. Sigh. I walked by one day and noticed with sadness… GOSH, procrastination sucks.

This one closed on August 14^th. I think it’s a good thing. The old Sago was far better to the new Sago. Always ordered the same thing, and was always right at the old one. Almost never right at the new one.

It’s the old Sago but in a new location… BUT the new location is somewhat of a let down. Even though they still have the old Sago Menus which I found were great for their «exotic drinks» nothing can make up for their new location and décor.
Prince St. isn’t known for much and can be shady when walking there alone or with someone else especially at night. It also smells from garbage out on the street and dirty waste water lingering on the pavement, not exactly the best location for a modern tea café. When you walk inside New Sago it seems a bit dull, colorful but very dim.
I came here around 9pm on a Saturday and it was pretty empty, maybe people just haven’t found it yet or everyone is busy chilling at New World Mall. Whatever the case may be, it sure doesn’t meet the standards of the old Sago. There’s also no take-​out window, something that doesn’t matter since there’s not that many people inside anyway. Overall its an OK place, but its not what it used to be for sure.

This is the reincarnation of the old Sago café on the busy corner of Main St. and 39^th Ave.
The old location was closed a few months ago. I theorise that its closing has to do with Kung Fu Tea drawing away its walk-​in bubble tea business. This new location was opened last week and I had wondered if it was the same owner or even the same restaurant, so I checked it out. Located on that section of 40^th Road in Flushing which is packed with restaurants and businesses unexplored by the Unilocaler population, this new Sago certainly did not draw nearly as much customers as the old Sago did. And really, unless you live in the neighbourhood or was specifically seeking it out, you would probably walk by without knowing that here was a place you could sit down and get a bubble tea or a snack.
The new sago does not have a window in the front like the old one did for walk-​in orders of bubble tea, but it does sport the same exact menu as the old Sago. It also does not have the same staff, which leads me to wonder if this was actually opened by someone else who acquired the old menu from the owner of the old Sago. All of the seating is booth-​seating, even the 2-​person tables, which in my opinion meant that its capacity is less than the old Sago even though the space is actually slightly bigger.
I ordered the Hong Kong-​style French toast. It is basically a peanut butter sandwich made into a French toast and it’s one of my favourite Hong Kong café foods to eat. It tasted sweet, creamy, and luscious like I expected it, which lives up to the quality of the way made at the old Sago. My hot milk tea also tasted good. Still, my visit was brief and just on a HK-​style French toast, I am giving it a three stars for now. I will update if I visit again and can report better ratings.