stopped in for a quick caffeine boost on the way to the Field Museum. it was an adorable shop, the…read morelighting wasn't too bright or too dim, the decor was well thought out and tasteful, and I enjoyed looking through their pastry options! the barista (I wish I could remember their name!) was friendly and knowledgeable and made the best oat milk cortado I've ever had. I'll definitely be returning next time I'm in Chicago and look forward to trying their pastries!!

A Taiwanese bakery. How could a place that loves Michael Jackson be bad?…read more Salted Egg Yolk Bolo Bun流心菠蘿麵包: Calling it "流心"(runny) isn't quite accurate; it's a bolo bun菠蘿包 (pineapple -shape bun) with a salted egg yolk filling, but it had an authentic, old-fashioned flavor that made me feel like back to childhood. The crust was thin and crispy, with a large air cavity, making it very soft and fluffy. The salted egg yolk has just the right balance of sweetness and saltiness, and wasn't too cloying. Garlic Cheese Brioche Bun蒜香奶酪麵包: Perhaps its more Taiwanese name is "八蒜包" (Eight Garlic Bun). Its appearance and taste were very similar to those I've had at Taiwanese bakeries in mainland China. The cheese and garlic flavors were very strong, but the bread itself was slightly coarse. Hojicha Latte: The whole milk was very milky, but the hojicha flavor felt a little weak. However, it's already great to find a tea latte that's not very sweet.

Good spot in this area with plenty of space to sit. Coffee was good, breakfast sandwiches excellent.read more

Love the kiosk ordering system. However, I had ordered a long time ago and no one tried to find us…read more It had the table flag included and they claimed the system doesn't tell them the table flag number. This isn't true because I saw the employees go around and take the flags away once the food was served. Otherwise, it is a fine place to meet up and hang out. There are some board games. Matcha was kind of gross here. They do make super sweet drinks and coffees otherwise.

I just knew that when I had one of the best tasting split pea and ham soups ever and Little Branch…read moreCafe, chicken noodle soup had to be another winner and I was right! One of the most flavorful chicken noodle soups I've ever had! Perfect noodle density, bits of onions, carrots, and just full of aromatic goodness, not salty or thin like many soups of the day can be. Accompanied by a hot fresh latte and a side of perfectly grilled ham on bone slices and it's a perfect filling brunch. I look forward to trying many other of their homemade original soups. Thank you chefs!

I have mixed feelings towards Little Branch Café, let me explain:…read more-- the food is always pretty good (I would recommend trying one of their Chilaquiles) -- their smoothies are sugary sweet treats that are a surprise phenomenon! -- the atmosphere is cozy, especially since it's a small restaurant that's family owned -- I repeatedly have had some of the worst service here. More specifically, the staff is not friendly, I have had food come out cold, and it's kind of expensive for breakfast food with all of that to consider. I haven't been back to Little Branch Café in a long time, because I can't accept paying for bad service no matter what the product is like in quality.

Staff was kind and fast in service. We came at 10am and waited probably 5 mins to get a table…read more We got the iced matcha latte and wasn't too sweet but I didn't love the matcha quality and that's my only reason for 1 star off. We also got the custard and earl grey pancakes. It was delicious and not too sweet. Fruits tasted fresh. Would so try the matcha cream next time.

While in The Loop, I was intrigued when I found out there was a Japanese soufflé pancake shop in…read morethe area. Hanabusa Cafe is a restaurant which offers soufflé pancakes and specialty drinks. Unlike in Japan where soufflé pancakes are eaten for breakfast, this is more of a dessert cafe, especially since Hanabusa opens at 9am. The place itself isn't too big and the revolving entrance door placement is a bit misleading since it is off to the side appearing to go into another business. Although tables and chairs are available, ordering is done at the register and I wouldn't exactly classify this as a sit down restaurant. I arrived on a Thursday just after noon and there were a couple parties already dining in. I ordered the earl gray and sea salt caramel soufflé pancake and was told the wait would be around twenty minutes, which was fine since I wasn't in a hurry. This arrived at the table and had earl grey tea sauce under whipped cream and sliced strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. The pancakes were denser than I expected but the earl gray sauce was definitely the star of the dish (and the main reason I ordered this); the flavor was evident without overpowering the rest of the ingredients or adding too much sweetness. The whipped cream seemed like filler, the caramel made the dish a little too sweet, and the slice fruit added flavors to the plate. Luckily I was looking at the fruit before eating since I found a pointy stem sticking out of one of the blueberries. I also didn't notice the sea salt flavor in the mix of everything on the plate. Otherwise, the plate composition was not bad. Hanabusa Cafe is a nice place that offers something unique in the area. However, I do not think it is worth coming out of your way for since the execution could be improved, especially with the removal of stems from the fruit.

Came here on Saturday morning, no line! Really cute space! On the smaller side, maybe around 10…read moreseats. They are dog friendly which I love! The staff were very nice and my latte was made very quick! I got the iced butterscotch latte and it was great! The perfect espresso flavor and I loved that it wasn't overly sweet! I will be back!

Very trendy and aesthetic cafe attached to the Monos store. Decent amount of seating, outlets, and…read moretable tops. Biggest issue was how aggressive their policies were. Apparently there's a mandatory purchase rule and they will confront everyone. Our friend ordered a pastry so we joined him at his table. We were told and said we all had to order something or leave even tho the place was half empty. We ordered something else but I feel like there's a better way to let people know there's mandatory consumption. Pastry was expensive and my friend said their iced latte wasn't very good. Just a reminder why I actively avoid west loop.

NERD ALERT I am going to dork out a little bit, so stop reading if you do not care about quality…read morecoffee--a great find while in the area for work. I popped in here on a cold winter's day for an early afternoon coffee. I noticed the beans at the counter, then glanced left and saw a beautiful roaster off to the side. I ordered a latte and picked up a bag of beans that they said is their house roast. It was a medium Ethiopian roast, which I usually don't care for, but they smelled amazing, and so was the latte. I noticed they were using a commercial Rocket espresso machine, which I don't see much of in the area. They even obliged me when I handed them my phone and asked them to snap some photos of their espresso machine. While the latte was excellent, I am partial to making my own at home. I saved my review until I had a chance to use their beans at home. It turned out fantastic. I also use a Rocket machine at home. I consumed 6 shots of espresso within a short time because the taste was so good. I have a feeling that I am going to fly through these beans and have to make a road trip back. I highly recommend Momentum Coffee.

Was staying at the Marriott nearby and took a nice stroll over in the AM to grab a matcha latte &…read morebrekkie sandwich. The shop is cute with nice jazz music playing & lots of available seating. When I got my matcha it had no matcha flavor. I took off the lid and saw it was a very, very light green color. I then grabbed a straw and tried to stir the drink but alas the drink stayed the same color. :( The breakfast sandwich was fine, but unfortunately had to toss the latte. Hoping it was an off day, or they need to rethink the matcha powder they are using.

We saw this restaurant on a walk the previous evening and decided to try it the next morning. We…read morewere not disappointed at all. Service was very good, frequent coffee refills which made my husband, who loves his coffee, very happy. Food was well prepared. We loved the decor and atmosphere. Definitely recommend!

This was close to our hotel. The food was fresh and delightful. It certainly did not dissapoint…read more Great service. Cooked to perfection. We will go back while we are in town . 10/10

The rose cardamom latte here, among other specialty coffees, are wonderful. They have a not obvious…read moreselection of mishti doi sometimes in the side doors. The pastries and sandwiches are SO GOOD

Both the coffee and the croissant were a 10/10! I've been wanting to try this cafe for a while so…read moreit was nice to finally get to go. The service is quick and I loved the interior and overall ambiance. I definitely recommend for a quick coffee stop/Café vibe