I would recommend this place! I've been a fan of boba shop mainly for the quick service,…read moreaccomodating owner, and comfy ambiance. I'm currently a fan of the honeydew milk tea offered here, and not many of the place I've been to have offered this flavor, at least close by.

Great taro milk tea! Good portion sizes, flavor, boba consistency, and sweetness level (I got half…read moresweet).

Fika Fika is a great shop to get a fragrant floral tea and a small bite to eat. The menu has…read moreadjusted slowly over time, but they maintain a solid coffee and tea selection, with some food options and (at the Pasadena location) about 16 flavors of gelato. On this weekday I came for the Jasmine Milk Tea. Last time this was under the Tea Latte section, but they menu changed and there is now a dedicated Milk Tea section. And also there is a Jasmine Latte with Espresso in it, but that is under the Espresso section. I was able to get it chilled but without ice. The lowest sweetness level was 50%, but I asked nicely and they estimated they could make a 25% for me. It turned out wonderfully, extremely floral, barely any sweetness so the Jasmine aroma and taste were the dominant ones. In the food side I selected the popcorn chicken. I can take some heat but only a small bit, so I asked for the spice powder in the side. I just looove the texture of the popcorn chicken. You can see in the picture that it's a very thin breading, almost not there, but the texture seems almost as if an invisible rice flour was tossed in the outside. Still juicy in the inside, and small pieces to make every bite pop-able. The chicken comes with a ranch sauce, though to me it's a second thought. Add a hint of spice or even have the chicken as is, no ranch is needed.

Fika Fika Coffee is a coffee and tea and ice cream shop in Pasadena. They have a modest selection…read moreof drinks and snacks. I have been to their other locations but my first in Pasadena. I was perfunctorily greeted by one of the staff at the counter. I ordered a cold Fresh fruit green tea (Mango) x boba toppings. And it was refreshing and delightful. Atmosphere was relaxing. Staff service was spot on and prices were reasonable. Overall, I had a good experience and I recommend you visit.

I tried the matcha einspanner here and I was originally worried it'd be overly sweet, but the cream…read morewas lightly sweetened and provided a really nice silky mouthfeel to the drink. I also tried a sip of my friend's strawberry matcha and that was also pretty good. Nothing against the business, but the parking situation can be really awful. I lucked out with a spot in the corner but also had to wait for a trash truck to back out. Due to the parking situation, I'm not sure if I'd want to come here to study or anything, but I'd happily come back if someone else drove lol

Iced Creme brulee latte has a really deliciously flavored cream top, not overly sweet. I ordered my…read moredrink half sweet and it's perfect for me! I tried my partner's full sweet one and I do prefer the half sweet, altho the full sweet is totally drinkable. They have cookies and brownies that look and an assortment of Asian flavored potato chips. This is a small shop, so when there are a lot of to go orders it gets chaotic to wait in. Service was kind and knowledgeable. The seats inside are comfy and inviting. They have a whole patio area set up and extending into the parking lot, as well. Its a little bare bones, but perfectly serviceable. Music inside is maybe too loud for studying or work without earbuds, but ymmv. There is a small lot that they share with the Thai place next door, and there is sometimes also street parking.

I love this coffee shop! It's so spacious inside with plenty of seating. Came here to cowork with a…read morefriend, and it was the perfect spot. We actually sat at the bar for a while and then moved to one of the communal picnic style tables. Love that there's a bar inside that opens at 3 pm too. We might come back for trivia night! Ordered a cappuccino and a vegetarian breakfast burrito. The coffee was so smooth. I really liked the taste. They roast their own beans in one of those big machines, which is pretty cool. Burrito was also pretty good! They crisp it on a panini press. The green sauce really made it though. It reminded me of a mint chutney or something. Love the concept of this place and that they have community programs that help kids get jobs. I hope they open more locations, but I will definitely be back!

PARKING in the back (free), NO WIFI on weekends, MILK SUBSTITUTIONS available, lots of seating…read more Love the ambiance here and their table policies - great spot for a quick chat or stop for drinks. We got their macchiato and blueberry matcha (seasonal?) and I wasn't too big a fan of the matcha as it carried no blueberry flavor at all. It wasn't bad as a matcha latte but it's definitely not a standout. Their coffee roasts, on the other hand, are much better and I would recommend those instead

This was a very cute cafe in Pasadena…read more There is a line out of the door but the service is quick and the staff are nice. There are also lots of menus posted outside for you to browse while you wait. There are several drink options and pastries offered. Outside, there are lots of tables and chairs in the hallway to relax and catch up. The Uji matcha latte tasted quality, and was unsweetened which I liked. My friend got the Vienna Latte and it was very good! It's on the sweeter side bc of the sweet cream but still tastes like quality coffee.

I go out of my way to make a pitstop here. It is by far one of my favorite coffee shops to visit…read morefor create drinks that tie me back to flavors I grew up with. Cute and quaint is the way I'd describe the vibes. With no more than 4 people allowed in the shop at once, there's almost always a line in front and seating is limited to a few out in the arcade courtyard. I usually like to take my drinks to go so I can grab a pain au chocolat at C.A.R down the street but sometimes I'll linger if a table opens up. They team up with different microbakeries on weekends to host popups, my fave being crumbs and flakes, so that keeps the pastry rotation interesting. My drink of choice now, having tried a few items off the menu, will forever be their gui hua (osmanthus) latte. No one can convince me otherwise. Everyone I know who has tried it, has loved it. While there are a ton of hyped coffee shops and cafes, this one is definitely not one of them.

So thrilled Mandarin Coffee Stand in Old Town opened another coffee shop and this one has an Asian…read moretwist, whereas the other one has a Spanish! They're open daily 7am-3pm It's slightly hidden and apparently it seems like it's part of the apartment complex so it can be easily missed! Parking was a little tricky since they don't have parking but there was nearby residential street parking. Service was so friendly, welcoming, and helpful! Inside was very modern and spacious. There was a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating, as well as power outlets, making this a nice study or hang out spot! Pricing was reasonable and most drinks were $6-$7+. Love that they have complimentary milk substitutions (oat/almond) and offer ice/sugar adjustments! Got the Toasty ($7) and it consisted of milk tea, espresso, brown sugar syrup, and cinnamon. It's nice that the default for this drink was oat milk. This drink was so delicious! The coffee was not too strong or overpowering. I really enjoyed that it wasn't too sweet without any sugar adjustments. The cinnamon added a nice touch and cherry on top to the drink. Overall, this drink was very yummy and unique! Definitely enjoyed this cafe and would recommend!

This place is for someone who wants to try something new and interesting…read more I'm not Chinese or Asian so these flavors were new to me. I got the seasonal coconut latte and I liked the espresso it was smooth and creamy. My mother got their latte with the milk tea and I personally liked it but she wasn't very happy with it. The baristas weren't accommodating about substitutions or offering to make a new drink. Each business has a right to run it the way they want but be warned that you kind of have to commit to trying something you may not like. This place gives an either you like our drinks or just don't come back type of vibe. They don't really seem to care about appeasing you. Do with that information what you will.

Scrum-diddly-umptious almond & chocolate croissants! The ambiance is a perfect mashup of a working…read morebakery and cozy coffee shop. Service is natural, comfortable and prompt. Brew is also on point! Big downside: they are usually out of many options later in the day. But croissants are real and serious, so willing to forgive that bit. This one is a no brainer if you like your croissants.

I honestly don't understand the hype. My experience here was disappointing from start to finish…read more The staff came across as cold, dismissive, and completely uninterested in providing good customer service. Instead of feeling welcomed, I felt like I was inconveniencing them just by ordering. A friendly attitude goes a long way, and that was completely missing. The coffee was even more disappointing. It had almost no flavor and tasted watered down, especially for the price. I expected a quality drink, but it was bland and absolutely not worth what I paid. To make matters worse, we were told to leave the patio an hour before the shop was even closing. If the patio has different hours, that should be clearly communicated instead of asking paying customers to leave early. Overall, this was a frustrating experience. Between the unfriendly service, flavorless coffee, and being asked to leave well before closing, I won't be coming back. There are plenty of other cafés in Pasadena that offer much better coffee and treat their customers with respect.

Came by at noon on Friday on a pleasant day to explore a local cafe! There was no wait and plenty…read moreof seating indoor and outdoors. It was my first time here and the barista was very friendly in explaining their menu and pastry selection. They have a new menu every season but since it was my first time here, I opted to go for a staff favorite, the Cinnamon Creamed Honey Latte (the other is the Brown Sugar Latte). I chose the Coconut Oatmeal Chai Cookie Sandwich for the novelty but I found that it was rather sweet for my taste. So for anyone interested in their cookie sandwiches, I definitely recommend getting a drink that's not sweet to balance out the flavors! Otherwise I'd absolutely come again to try out the rest of their menu.

So happy to have stumbled across the coffee shop while I was in the area! I love honey, so I was…read moreecstatic to see that they had honey-infused specialty coffees on the menu. The service was friendly and the interior was cute and cozy. It's a relatively small cafe, but there's both indoor and outdoor seating. I got the cinnamon creamed honey latte which was soo good! Although a bit too sweet for me, the honey and cinnamon flavors came through really nicely and the drink was so smooth and creamy.