Ancestral (C29)

Ancestral. 5/35 Riccarton Road, Riccarton, Christchurch

Food. Mainly known for its "bubble tea" which is a milk tea various flavours that can be taken by itself or with the addition of jelly or tapioca pearls. Food sampled included many of the rice and noodles dishes (ie Laksa, Malaysian fried noodles, Beef noodle soup). Menu comprises of mainly individual rice or noodle dishes as this is not a formal restaurant. Some unique things available that will not be known to a newcomer - jumbo sized drinks (easily looks more than a pint) or special dishes that only seem to be written in Chinese or does not have a helpful English name to describe the dish. Average food but can be an alternative for who only going to noodles houses for their lunches.

Environment & Service. Simple set up comprising of small and big tables with stools. Ancestral get pretty busy at night with students. Service can only be described as bad - worse on a busy night. The wait can be very long, just to have the order taken. Within the same building, there is also a karaoke facility with individual rooms that could be a place for group functions although song selection is mainy towards the Asian market.