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Formosa Tea Cafe

106-2070 Harvey Ave Kelowna BC V1Y 8R6 · Restaurant - Food Service

Official record from Interior Health →View on Google Maps →

Details

Google rating
4.5 / 5 (8)

Opening hours

  • Friday12–7:30 PM
  • Monday12–7:30 PM
  • Saturday12–7:30 PM
  • Sunday12–6 PM
  • Thursday12–7:30 PM
  • Tuesday12–7:30 PM
  • Wednesday12–7:30 PM

Contact details, hours and reviews from Google Maps

Inspection summary

Formosa Tea Cafe has been inspected 7 times by Interior Health Authority since January 29, 2015. The most recent inspection, on October 30, 2025, recorded 2 infractions.

2 of 7 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 2 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Food temperature control and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded 4 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on October 30, 2025. For example: 5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?

  • Food temperature controlHigher risk

    Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.

    Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 25, 2022. For example: 2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?

  • Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

    Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 25, 2022. For example: 7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded once on July 24, 2017. For example: 3 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?

  • Permits, records and postingLower risk

    Operating permits, required signage, written procedures and logs. These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on March 26, 2019. For example: 3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?

About this data

These results come from Interior Health Authority, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

7 inspections

  1. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
      • Observation(s): Please ensure that all refrigerators are provided with functioning thermometers inside the unit and that daily temperature records are maintained for refrigerators, freezers and cooking temperatures.
    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
      • Observation(s): Please discontinue storage of supplies/effects directly on the floor and instead, ensure storage on shelving 6" or greater off the floor to enable ease of cleaning kitchen floors. Please unclutter the back kitchen area. Please complete additional cleaning to remove the observed organic build-up on floors underneath/behind equipment and storage shelving. Please clean the visibly dirty curtain that is hanging between the front and back kitchen areas. Please add weekly laundering to the Formosa Tea Cafe sanitation plan, otherwise remove completely. The epoxy finish is substantially worn off in walking areas of the back prep kitchen floor - please complete resurfacing of this floor by Jan 30th, 2026. Please also resurface or replace unfinished wood shelving.
  2. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
      • Observation(s): As discussed, please provide thermometers inside all refrigeration/freezer units and restart daily temperature monitoring/records. Please also follow-up on the one back refrigeration unit that was observed operating at 7deg.C to ensure maintenance of PHF at 4deg.C or less.
    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
      • Observation(s): Please provide a plan for re-surfacing of the back kitchen floor; this floor area was missing patches of epoxy coating and no longer meeting the standard of impervious, cleanable, durable, smooth, non-slip for commercial kitchen floors. - Please follow-up by Feb 28, 2025 to confirm completion of this floor area resurfacing. Please ensure that pre-mixed sanitizer solutions are available/in use at all times during operation for use on food contact surfaces - please ensure that cleaning cloths in continuous use (ie. cloths for wiping milk wands, etc) are stored within sanitizer solutions that are changed at a frequency that maintains adequate sanitizer residual (ie. 100-200ppm chlorine bleach, 200-300ppm quaternary ammonia). Please follow-up by Feb 28, 2024
  3. Monitoring

    5 infractions

    • F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
      • Observation(s): Some potentially hazardous food (PHF) were measured at temperatures as high as 8 to 12deg.C at the time of inspection - operator discarded tea jelly measured at 12.4 deg.C; improper temperature control of these ingredients were noted at the time of last monitoring inspection. Operator indicated they are contemplating installing a prep table refrigerator for maintaining PHF ingredients that are required for continuous use.
    • F1.3 Are proper cooling and reheating procedures followed?
      • Observation(s): Tapioca pearls stored at ambient storage measured at 28-32 deg.C.
    • F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
    • F2.7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
      • Observation(s): Installation of the dedicated hand washing sink at the front service area was not completed (missing faucet) as previously requested. Observed drain line from the espresso machine installed to drain within the upper basin of this hand sink. The back kitchen hand sink was also observed with dirty dishes within the sink basin.
  4. Monitoring

    5 infractions

    • F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
    • F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
    • F2.7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
      • Observation(s): Front sink is now also being used for a pressurized blender rinser positioned at the bottom of the sink. Accordingly, this front sink is not suitable for handwashing (ie. handwashing would occur over blender rinser). It is noted that the back kitchen handsink is in close enough proximity to the front service area, however, staff must walk through a doorway partitioned with a cloth curtain divider.
    • F3.3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
      • Observation(s): It is noted that the operator has submitted a food safety plan in the past and is keeping temperature monitoring records for refrigerators, as well as, time tracking of tapioca pearls for bubble tea; however, additional details are required in order to clarify the time that cooked tapioca is stored at room temperature (ie. less than 2 hours)
  5. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • F2.3 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): 1.) Diluted bleach solution concentration was found to be less than 100 ppm. Operator stated that it was prepared a few days ago. Diluted bleach solution with the right concentration (3ml household bleach solution to 1L or water) was remade at time of inspection. (Corrected during inspection) 2.) Beverage blenders were not being cleaned and sanitized frequently enough. Operators stated that the blenders are usually rinsed after each use and cleaned and sanitized in the high temperature dishwasher at the end of each day. 3.) Beverage mixing spoons were being stored in a bucket of water instead of sanitizing solution during inactive use.
    • F3.7 - Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
      • Observation(s): No temperature log sheet was available for review at time of inspection.
  6. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  7. Monitoring

    0 infractions

Nearby inspected facilities

Reviews

Reviews provided by Google Maps
  • PAUL CHEN

    Wanted something refreshing so I came here for simply an iced tea. Drink tastes okay, pearls tasted kinda old, but this all came to over $8 is just not okay. Really expensive for somewhat a mediocre drink. Similar drinks with better quality would cost roughly $6 in Vancouver… Some of the other offerings were also quite shockingly expensive :-( —— To respond to your comment, I was here last week in the afternoon. Maybe that‘s just how your pearls normally taste, they were rather mushy and seemed to have been soaked in liquid for quite some time. I understand the operating costs, but I’m just commenting on the poor value for money in my opinion. The drink was mediocre and your pricing may affect customers willingness to spend. That‘s just me.

  • Rachel Stanford

    *ALLERGY ALERT* This location is advertising drinks as dairy free. I was assured by staff the Taro slush had no dairy in it. I was provided the package, and the lady washed the blender and spoon to not contaminate it with dairy. After researching the involved ingredients - there was in fact *dairy*. Also, compared to two other bubble tea places in town, I find their bubble tea less flavourful. RESPONSE TO THE OWNER: Your employee said, the Taro Slush was dairy free. It wasn’t.

  • Ash Chase

    This is my favourite place to go in Kelowna for authentic bubble tea and desserts. I have been going for years now, I love their menu and they have the best pearls and options to choose from :)

  • Christina Van

    Best boba café in the Okanagan! I have been to every place in the valley and have had bubble tea all over the world, including Xing Fu Tang in the heart of Taipei. Formosa does a great representation. This is coming from an addict with a high turnover punch card and the owner remembers my name lol. Lots of flavours and toppings to choose from. Love that you can get real tea and fruit mixes on top of the powdered flavours! Coffee and hot boba drinks are available as well for those colder months. I have been going here for a decade now and they are consistent with quality and quantity. Always a generous amount of toppings each and every time. Ample seating for a get together for your club, to play the board games provided, or to work and study. Formosa also has a range of ready-made savoury and sweet treats to accompany your drink. We ordered a whole cake from them as well—a mango cream—and it was so delicious and packed with fruit! Not too sweet and provided something different than your usual special occasion cake. Washrooms and facilities are kept clean and tidy. Fun selection of merch as well, including drink slings and takeaway teas! My go-to boba shop every time 🧋💖

  • Zaiymah

    Very delicious bubble teas. I got a peach & lychee with double sweetness and tapioca. Very friendly staff and loved that they accommodated my double sweetness request. Would highly recommend this place. Also found out it was the first bubble tea joint in Kelowna! The interiors are cute if you want to sit down and they actually have a lot of seating. Easy parking outside too.

  • PAUL CHEN

    Wanted something refreshing so I came here for simply an iced tea. Drink tastes okay, pearls tasted kinda old, but this all came to over $8 is just not okay. Really expensive for somewhat a mediocre drink. Similar drinks with better quality …

  • Rachel Stanford

    *ALLERGY ALERT* This location is advertising drinks as dairy free. I was assured by staff the Taro slush had no dairy in it. I was provided the package, and the lady washed the blender and spoon to not contaminate it with dairy. After …

  • Ash Chase

    This is my favourite place to go in Kelowna for authentic bubble tea and desserts. I have been going for years now, I love their menu and they have the best pearls and options to choose from :)

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