Food -
E Tea and Super Pan occupy the same building. E Tea is the boba cafe portion of the space while Super Pan gives patrons a sit-down experience with a full menu of food items. E Tea drink menus are given out when at Super Pan so don't worry that you can get E Tea drinks by dining in at Super Pan. They got you covered!
Let's talk about E Tea first. E Tea is your standard boba drink place but with their own unique creations for you to try. I love that the menu features their fun drink selection and describes exactly what's in it. The menu really gives you a good baseline of what to expect, and if you want to add or take out anything from the drink, you can! My personal favorite drink is the Almond Queen. I've never had anything like it before. It's an almond (Asian style) flavored drink that isn't tea. It comes with almond pudding and boba - but I skip the boba. IT'S SO GOOD! The almond pudding is so amazing in this drink. My only complaint is that it isn't perfectly smooth. If they somehow got it to be that way I would totally be in love.
Super Pan is where things get really cool, or should I say hot! The reason why the restaurant is called Super Pan is because the main dishes are served on these scorching hot pans. The meat inside is still raw when they bring it to you. The idea is for you to finish the cooking on the pan and then eat the food when it is at its perfect cooking level for you. Now that's a sweet concept.
When you look at the menu, you might find it a bit strange as the meat shown there is RAW. Just know that you will have to finish the cooking! It's just the way it is!
The dishes can come with rice or noodles with a selection of meats like beef, chicken, and salmon. The price of these plates range from about ten dollars to fifteen dollars on the high end. You can also select a sauce to go with the dish. Each sauce is unique and I'm sure you will find one that suits what you are looking for on a visit to Super Pan.
Ramen is also offered at around the ten to twelve dollar range. It's a fair price and the portion of ramen is typical of other places. The presentation of the ramen is a bit average and doesn't look mouth watering, but the broth it comes with is seasoned well - actually, surprisingly nice! The noodles themselves are excellent as well. The only disappointment when it came to the ramen was the pork. It was really large and the texture was too tough.
Appetizers like covered fries, chicken wings, and the like are available for a nice pre-meal warm up or late evening snack. You can even get takoyaki here! It's octopus (you're welcome). Craving some hot pot? Well that's here too! Like I said, Super Pan has a nicely varied menu with a great selection of different items to choose from.
Service/Atmosphere -
I have to really comment on the servers here. The ones we had tonight were simply amazing. They were kind, courteous, and accommodating. These guys really took care of us and got us everything we needed - especially with our baby in tow. Their professionalism was appreciated greatly. I was sure to tip them nicely for their excellent work.
The overall atmosphere of E Tea and Super Pan is modern. It's a little rough around the edges, but with a little fixing up I think this place could be top notch in the atmosphere department. One thing I do like is the sectioned off parts of the dining room. It makes the restaurant feel more private for the diners that come in. But I suppose that comes at a price as without the partitions there may have been room for more tables.
Price -
E Tea and Super Pan comes in at a moderate price level. Expect to pay around twelve to sixteen dollars to eat here. If you'd like a boba drink to go with your meal then add a few more dollars to that estimate.
Portion size at E Tea is typical of all boba places, but Super Pan has a little less when it comes to the meal portion. I finished my entire hot pan of food and I definitely could have eaten some more.
Special Tips and Recommendations -
Pay attention to the sign just outside the entrance to the restaurant. If you're looking to save a little money, you can check out the different specials of the day. These are regular menu items that have a little discount to them on different days of the week. These specials aren't mentioned by the servers inside, so make sure that they know you want the specially priced item when you go there. Oh yea, and also make sure you order it during the hours the special is available.
As E Tea and Super Pan are located in downtown, parking can be difficult to find on crowded days. The restaurant and cafe are very close to the Sacramento Convention Center so if you attend an event there, you may want to slip in here for a meal or quick drink.
Bottom Line -
There's a lot to like about E Tea and Super Pan. The concept of the duo restaurants is really good and the food is tasty too. A few enhancements to the food could really make this location a star in the Sacramento food scene.
Letter Grade
B+
Ramen (non-spicy version).
Certainly not the prettiest ramen I've seen.
Baby approves of the boba drinks from E Tea.
Get a hot drink. Get a cute cup.
The Almond Queen give me joy!
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