I decided to try their strawberry matcha latte. It was so refreshing. Perfect for a hot day. The…read morestrawberry purée perfectly balances the matcha flavor. Exceptional service as always. The people making the egg waffles explained to me that it was going to take a bit of time and I really liked the fact that they told me. I enjoyed eating the egg waffles as it was light, airy and not too sweet which I like.

I was here a few weeks ago for a Studio Ghibli mini concert. It was quite lovely to listen to some…read moremusic while eating some ice cream. They had other snacks and drinks, but my friend and I opted for some ice cream. The ice cream wasn't anything to rave about. Service was also okay nothing to point out. Ambiance was wonderful with the live music for this specific event. Overall experience was only 3 stars because I'm not sure I would come back just to experience the cafe itself, only for an event.

Unfortunately, my friend and I had an unpleasant experience at this coffee shop. We ordered an iced…read morematcha latte and an iced turmeric latte. When I asked if it was possible to make the matcha half sweet, it felt like my request was strange. That didn't bother me at first until we received our order. We sat down and she brought our drinks over to us. My friend's drink was served in a white coffee cup, while mine came in a clear plastic cup. At first glance, it looked like mine was iced and hers was hot even though we both ordered iced. Naturally, my friend said "Oh I ordered iced". She responded with "it is iced" and walked away. The whole interaction felt dismissive and unwelcoming. It made us want to leave and drink our drinks elsewhere. On top of that, the drinks themselves tasted like mostly milk with just a hint of matcha, and mostly milk with a hint of turmeric. Quite disappointed in both the service and drinks. 2 stars for location, it is walking distance from the Lagree class we came from but most likely would not come back.

Food: 4/5 Service: 3.5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Quick coffee stop after lunch. Parking was easy. I was there Friday around 2pm. There were few tables occupied and plenty of seating available. I like that they have back yard seating. It has very good potential for decoration. Now it's was just a bench table and couple of round tables. I ordered my go to, Cortado and my friend ordered matcha latte. Nowadays I have thing to sit down and have my coffee with proper cup, not paper cups. Paper cup is ok for to go. My cortado was ok and my friend's latte was also ok. Place is pretty mellow and good for meetings or to get some work done in peace.

Valley Cafe has become of my favorite spots to get some work done recently. I've been ordering a…read moreJasmine milk tea with like 10% sweetness and their veggie croissant, and it's been enough to power me through a work session. The owner is always so sweet and lets me customize my sandwich and drink, so that it's to my liking. They do have alternative milks and lactose free creamer so even if you're vegan, there will be a drink for you. The food options are vegetarian friendly. She also shared her story with me, that it's been tough getting foot traffic to her store, so if you're able to come by and try her tasty croissants and some of their drinks, please consider it! It's never too noisy in Valley Cafe, although they do keep a radio on. They do have WiFi but only one outlet so come with your devices fully charged. Service has always been kind and thoughtful though!

I had a lovely experience at Valley Cafe (El Monte). I ordered the Pandan Cream Coffee Latte ($7 -…read more24oz - Iced). This vibrant cream rekindled memories of nuts and delicate vanilla. This fresh, delicious coffee woke me up, and I couldn't contain my smile. TASTY! (Important: Bring Cash. There's a 50 cent processing fee for all card transactions.) I arrived at Valley Cafe (El Monte) on Tuesday (around 12PM). Parking is very easy because the rear lot is big. However, I felt a little uneasy as unfortunate homeless people wandered nearby. Honestly, I felt anxious about approaching this business because it's located in such a worn down area. I am so happy that the positive recommendations were genuine. Staff is very welcoming and hardworking. Staff politely answered all my questions, and Staff gave wonderful recommendations. My drink took four minutes and 19 seconds. Good time! As mentioned, I ordered the Pandan Cream Coffee Latte ($7 - 24oz - Iced). It's DELICIOUS and HUGE! It perfectly balances utility and flavor. I embraced its loving caffeine. And I happily enjoyed the silky, chill brew. I love how the flavor of fresh coffee shines while also delivering such a delectable pandan, nutty flavor. It's one of the best! On ambiance, Valley Cafe (El Monte) has some utility. There's customer internet with password; customers must ask Staff for the details. However, there's only one electrical outlet near a tall counter. Fortunately, there's a gender neutral restroom for customers in the back. Valley Cafe (El Monte) is also very clean. The floors sparkled! And the location is small, but it's comfy. There's about four tables and one counter. Light upbeat music played. Overall, I am humbled by Valley Cafe (El Monte). It's a perfect textbook example of "Don't judge a book by its cover." There's passion and sincere care within this establishment. The coffee is also phenomenal. If nearby, I wholeheartedly recommend. 4.9 out of 5

I stopped by Nest Tea House in Arcadia and got the milk tea with boba. I got this drink for free…read morethrough the passport, which was a nice bonus! The milk tea was really good, and I especially liked the lychee jelly. It was chewy and went really well with the drink. I also liked the atmosphere of the shop. It felt cozy and relaxing, and I can see it being a nice place to sit down, study, or get some work done. Overall, I enjoyed my visit and I'm glad I got to try Nest Tea House through the passport. One of employee, he was very nice. The drink was good, and I'd definitely come back to try more of their drinks!

Tried their milk tea and a passion fruit green tea. Both were amazing. Prices are fair…read more The owner let us know he has been there for 10 years and I can see why. There is a lot of attention to detail in how he makes the drink - like shaking it to ensure it's mixed well and evenly cooled down. All the flavors were spot on. One of my favorite spots for sure! glad to have discovered them through the SGV passport.

Relaxed little place to catch up with friends. The drinks…read moreare delicious and the breakfast items are good. No one rushes you and the AC is working well. The ice cream flavors are interesting. Must try sometime!

I've been with Fika Fika since they first opened in Arcadia and I'm glad to see their growth…read morethroughout the SGV. I love this location because it's spacious and plenty of tables to sit down and relax. Parking is available on the street. Drinks: I love their mellow blend. They have both coffee beans to choose from. I tried their hojicha tea espresso for the first time and it was really good. I could taste the bitterness from the tea, which I do prefer. The drinks were overly sweet, so regular sweetness is perfect if you don't like sweet drinks. Glad to see Fika Fika is doing well and the drinks are consistent across all locations!

I had a lovely experience at Boba Friend (Monrovia). I ordered the Taro Ube Milk Tea ($6.50 -…read moreLarge) and a Surprise Cup ($4.50 - Contains a Random Mini Stuffed Plushy). The Taro Ube Milk Tea is DELICIOUS! Its boba is also bouncy, playful, and soft. YUM!! I arrived at Boba Friend (Monrovia) on Sunday (around 6:30PM). Parking is easy. The lot is big; however, there were a few stumbling, unfortunate homeless people. Customers order at counter; there's no self-service kiosk. Cash and card are accepted. Staff is professional, friendly, and hard working. Staff politely answered all my questions. My drink took about one minute and twenty seconds. Very fast!! As mentioned, I enjoyed the Taro Ube Milk Tea ($6.50 - Large). There's a bold sweetness with fresh taro, and it's creamy & thirst-quenching. The accompanying boba are also good quality. These boba pearls are fresh, bouncy, and delicious. YUM!! The Surprise Cup ($4.50) is also very FUN! If you break open the side, a random mini plushy pops out. I received an adorable tiny dog/bear plushy. "I now have a new Boba Friend!" Regarding ambiance, Boba Friend (Monrovia) is comfortable and functional. There's customer internet with password; details are on a very tiny sign on the counter's glass. There's also about four electrical outlets. Customers also have access to an unmarked/hidden restroom in the back. The location also felt relatively clean and spacious. There's about six interior tables. There's also very extremely soft music, but I disliked how this music also played intermittent advertisements/commercials. However, it was somewhat spooky how the back area was so dimly lit. Overall, I found unexpected happiness and joy at Boba Friend (Monrovia). The boba is delicious; the drinks are flavorful & well-crafted; and the atmosphere has very adorable moments. If you enjoy boba, this is an easy recommendation. 4.9 out of 5!

They have the most "buy one get one free" options on doordash. It's great because we were ordering…read morefor a group. We got like 6 choices and total of 12 drinks. Drinks are ok. They ended up being $7-8 for each with the delivery fees and everything, so that's a big saving.

If you want cozy and comfortable with good coffee and matcha drinks, this is the place to go. The…read morestaff are friendly and knowledgeable and welcoming.

Love the strawberry kiss cloud matcha.. Taste is up to the…read morepoint. Will try specialty coffee next time, they have different coffee type.

I am a fan of BenGong's Tea as they are the definition of boba drinks done right. Each drink is…read moremade with real, freshly, brewed tea or fresh fruits... none of that powder crap. The quality of their teas are also regarded as high-quality as you can taste the genuine tea fragrances in the drink despite the added milk or toppings. They have unique tea flavors and toppings that differentiates them from so many other boba houses in the 626 area. 1. Pistachio Coconut Velvet (5/5) A summer/seasonal drink that is worth raving about. It's super refreshing from the coconut water, yet creamy and luxurious from the velvety pistachio cream. They are generous with the pistachio bits that they coat on top of the pistachio foam. I devoured this drink it less then 2 minutes and almost went back for a 2nd cup. 2. Tea-cube Special (5/5) This is a simple, yet, satisfying cup of traditional milk tea. It's made from a black tea base + milk + tea-cube topping. The tea-cube is made from fresh tea then made into a jelly cubes. Super creative, yet delicious. It pairs well with almost any milk tea based drinks. 3. Mango Pomelo Sago (4/5) If you like mangos and like fruity drinks, then this is a good choice. It comes with sago toppings, which pairs well with the drink. When it's fresh and icy, it's super refreshing. However, if you wait too long and it melts, the drink can get a bit too sweet. 4. Osmanthus Rice Milk Tea (4.5/5) This drink is a Jasmine tea base with osmanthus rice paste, milk and crystal boba. You certainly can taste the osmanthus flavor. My favorite thing to do is get it with their house-special tea-cubes. My go-to boba place whenever I am in the area.

This is probably one of my new favorite places for milk tea!…read more There's plenty of parking in this plaza. Staff was friendly, but also busy making drinks. The interior has a modern and classy feel. There's a tree with everyone's wishes and hopes. The store itself is super clean. The menu was extensive and had so many options. The ordering kiosk displayed all the choices aesthetically and had appropriate descriptions. I liked how you could choose what kind of tea you'd get for some drinks (jasmine or black tea!) The tea cube special sounded unique so I gave it a try. It had a strong tea taste. The tea cubes were squishy and had a firm jelly texture. This drink would definitely fall more towards the chocolatey side. I felt that it was still sweet at 25% sugar, but I'd still get it again! I haven't stopped thinking about the drink since I had it yesterday. Definitely will need to stop by again soon to fix my craving for it.