After dropping off the girls at an all-day playdate with their cousins in Hayward, my partner and I…read morestarted our no-kids date at a gorgeous coffee shop. I had been to the church before, but I didn't remember the massive coffee hangout there! It's so spacious and offers plenty of seating. How long has this place been here? I wish it were closer to where I live in San Jose! I could easily imagine sitting in one of the comfortable nooks, studying or grading papers. It's also a fantastic spot to meet up or chat with a group of friends. It was definitely a nice place for a date! When we walked in, there were hardly any available seats, but the line at the counter wasn't long. We found a quiet corner to sit and enjoyed our breakfast. I ordered a hot latte with maple syrup in the name, though I can't recall the exact name. It paired nicely with my pastry. The almond croissant I ordered was delectable, with just the right amount of sweetness and flakiness. My partner enjoyed his cappuccino and savory bacon croissant. We walked up two steps to the restroom and were surprised to find more seats and tables. I wish I had noticed that area when I was looking for a place to sit. Oh well, it was comfortable where we were. The girls should have more playdates with their cousins so we can come here more often. Is it really called a "playdate" when the kids are 12 and 15, and their cousins are between 21 and 30?

Stopped by to grab a latte and a pastry on a Tuesday morning. I ordered a salted maple latte and an…read morealmond croissant. The salted maple latte was just ok... sadly it looked better than it tasted. I wasn't a huge fan of their espresso as it left a very sour after taste, even with the sweet maple syrup it wasn't very pleasant. Good espresso should be balanced and coffee forward, and I didn't get that. Almond croissant was great, but I was a bit disappointed in their coffee. Ambience is great for studying or getting some work done.

Coffee Connoisseur here ‍ I've done coffee crawls in Portland, OR and have tried many different…read morekinds of lattes. I like to look for new spins on lattes to see what barista's are whipping up to make things unique. I came in thinking I was going to get a basic latte, but the Borgia Mocha caught my eye! I asked the cashier if it was a good choice and she recommended it. I was a little unsure how the two would blend and how much orange they would use in it, but it came out amazing! Honestly probably one of the top 10 unique mocha's I have tried and it was delicious! I loved the burst of refreshing orange that complimented the chocolate. The flavors danced on my tastebuds like two separate flavors that blended together as one. Each holding their own note that added value to the drink making it unique. I was instantly impressed and wish I found this on more menus! A classic mocha with a refreshing twist of orange was a pleasant surprise! I'm so glad I stopped in for a pick me up! I also loved all the art on the large walls and there looked to be plenty of tables and seating for people to eat and work at.

=== Incredible coffee and food. Great vibes ===…read more First, awesome experience. Second, I hate that I keep finding these experiences an HOUR away from where I live. Was meeting up with a friend from Berkeley and he found this spot in between the both of us. Pros and cons! + The coffee - holy shit. Got a cortado. And drank it without sugar it was so good. A touch of bitter (it's coffee - duh!) but so smooth, almost nutty but buttery at the same time. + Got a chicken salad sandwich. It came stacked HIGH with hints of sweetness and curry. Freshest produce. Honestly, I was hungry but could only eat half of it, it was so big. + Friend got a warmed cinnamon bun. Incredible. Yeasty, chewy almost crisp on the outside but pillowy soft on the inside. + Wide open space inside -- high ceilings, one big central area. Not tucked away spaces -- which might or might not match your preference. + Perfect amount of coffeehouse buzz. Music playing lowish in the background and lots of conversations. Just enough to quell my ADHD tendencies. * Honestly can't think of any negatives. Prices are a bit high but happy to pay it for such a quality experience. I think my cortado was decently priced -- maybe $6 or so? Sandwich was $18 or so but done really well and came with a bowl of soup (chips, fruit, and something else was an option instead of soup, but tomato bisque with a sandwich? Divine.) - An hour away from where I live but if you live anywhere East Bay, my curse is your blessing ;-)

Beautiful neighborhood cafe always bustling with locals. They have coffee, smoothies, pastries, and…read moresometimes food like ramen. I believe the owner may be Japanese. They sell healthy packaged boxes at the front. Can usually find a table inside or outside. Some folks may stay long with laptops. One bathroom stall.

Tried this place for the first time recently - fairly busy, so I thought "must be decent". I…read moreordered a medium iced matcha and a turkey pesto panini. Fairly priced: for a medium iced matcha, a turkey pesto panini & two Nutella sticks for my kids = $22.60 The matcha was good, they automatically sweeten it with brown sugar. The turkey panini was pretty good too. Basic, but good. The place looks okay as far as being well kept. Space to chill inside and outside. My only ick about this place is that there were flies flying all around inside, made it hard to sit inside and enjoy our food and drink. Service was also mediocre. Not bad but also not above and beyond.

Service is fast and friendly, even during busy times. The shop itself is clean, modern, and a great…read moreplace to hang out--especially if you're a coffee lover. My favorite is the Vietnamese white coffee; it has just the right amount of caffeine for me. Definitely one of the best boba shops in the area. I'll be coming back often.

Was in downtown on a Saturday to decided to stop by to try their matcha since I don't drink coffee…read more The interior was quite spacious and seats were available both inside and outside. I really liked the minimalist look. There were a few customers waiting in line around noon. A kiosk was available, but I decided to order from the staff instead. Initially I wanted the strawberry matcha latte but ended up ordering the matchahaya instead. It's basically an ice-blended matcha mix with Tram's signature cream. The drink was surprisingly not too sweet and the matcha didn't taste watered down even though it was mixed with ice. The ice could have been blended a bit longer to make it smoother. Overall, a great matcha/coffee spot to try if you're in downtown. I would like to try other items on their menu next time I stop by.

Ones Cafe is truly an East Bay gem. You can stretch the definition of "hole in the wall" with this…read moreplace because 2/3 of the bake shop is the kitchen and 1/3 is the display/ordering area. Making it a bit cramp when you're trying to stand in line, look at what's available, and order at the same time. Parking here is hard to get to as well, the lot is super small and fits only one car at a time. If you happen to land a spot here your best bet is to reverse all the way out because a three point turn will turn into a multipoint turn quickly. My suggestion is to park in the lot in the plaza next door and walk over. As for the baked goods the Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Croissant is phenomenal and the Strawberry Moon is a classic. The flavor profiles here lean Asian with many call backs to flavors such as ube and passionfruit. They also seem to change their menu often too so keep an eye out on the newer items as you visit. In terms of aesthetics of the pastries you can see the love in the folds of each one. The strawberry moon croissant is a good example of this because the amount of ridges in the croissant shows how many times it was folded while making it. That alone is back breaking work and truly a labor of love for something that gets consumed in minutes. Last but not least the staff, we love a good mom and pop shop. The entire family is in on this, from the cashier, baristas, and pastry chef. If you're looking for a AAPI business to support, this is the one to go to. They're kind, diligent, and when a pastry sells out you can always count on them to make more. Disappointment does not run in this family! Overall looking forward to continue coming back and frequently be a patron here.

Overview: Small parking lot, small shop, big flavors…read more ---- A few outside tables and one inside bench, it can get a little chilly sitting outside esp in th Opening up a location in alameda Very beautiful presentation of all of the pastries and I'm SO, SO happy that they have prices on all of their items!! They offer a unique fusion of Asian flavors with classic French pastries. ---- Pistachio Kataifi Croissant $9.50 - croissant is filled with kataifi and topped with pistachio cream and crushed pistachios - the croissant itself was a little too salty for me and I think it needs the sweetness of the pistachio cream on top - the croissant was still crispy at room temperature, but tasted better heated up - I would recommend air frying it or rebaking it instead of microwaving it bc the kataifi gets soggy ---- Notes: - parking lot is small - service was really quick and friendly - a nice display case with a wide variety of items and with their prices listed!! ---- Overall: unique flavors, picture perfect pastries, I can't wait for the Alameda location to open up so I can try more of their items and their drinks!

Came here for the second or third time yesterday since they opened this location and ordered the…read morebeef stew with dry noodles and the baby milk tea. my cousin had her usual Hainan chicken. Omg the beef stew was sooo good, probably best I've had! I love the concept of the dry noodle where you dip your noodles as you eat so the beef stew stays flavorful it was so tasty and tender and good balance of meat and tendon (actually lots of meat!) I ate the leftovers today and cleaned my plate % Service was very attentive and of course the ambiance is beautiful with the indoor trees

My dad really wanted to try this place and I was happy to oblige since I'd heard my close friend…read moretalk about this place often and how much her in-laws love it. It was past the lunch rush hour so we were seated quickly although it was a little confusing if I HAVE to download the app, go up to order at the counter or try to hail down one of the staff. My dad got the sizzling beef which came with an ice tea and I got the Hainan chicken plate which came out super fast. The food was decent but the service was awful. Because we don't speak Cantonese and speak Mandarin instead? And I don't mean efficient, no nonsense service, I mean downright rude. I asked for to go boxes and she literally came over and I had to get out of my bench seat in order to reach the boxes and bag .... she couldn't be bothered to actually hand them to me. When my dad asked for some refill on his ice tea, she literally yelled at him and said 'YOU GOT THIS FOR FREE." We ordered a Hainan full chicken to go and I waited 20 minutes before going to the counter to ask for my chicken. If you're known for your chicken, why did it take so long to get my order ... and twice as long as what you told me?

NICE!!! To me, GooluTea is hands down the best drink spot in the Bay Area I would say. Their drinks…read moretaste genuinely natural, and you can tell they don't rely on artificial flavoring. I'm really sensitive to artificial flavors, especially in milk tea, and I can usually tell immediately when a drink has added flavoring. I've tried pretty much all the popular boba spots around the Bay, and honestly, most of them taste heavily flavored or artificial to me. But Goolu Tea is different -- their drinks taste clean, natural, and the tea itself actually comes through. At this point, I barely even crave drinks from other boba shops anymore. Still waiting for my favorite Golden Tea to make a comeback.

I highly do not recommend this place…read more I ordered the A1 Phoenix Tea with their recommended 100% sugar level. This was actually my fourth time coming here, and unfortunately I've noticed the quality has steadily gone downhill. This visit was especially disappointing. The tea was extremely bitter, so I politely brought it to the staff's attention. The younger employee tried to help and asked an older employee for assistance. Instead of addressing the issue, the solution was simply to add more sugar to the drink, which did not fix the bitterness. What really left a bad impression was the customer service. The older employee came across as rude and condescending during the interaction. After this experience and the noticeable decline in quality, I don't plan on returning at all.

2Oi is an home kitchen that opened 2 years ago in Argyle Palms Apartments. Initially I didn't know…read morehow to order. Lately, I saw instructions posted on their website on Yelp. I called to place order. Got a recording. Got a return call confirming my order. Found it's better to text with C6 or F7 unless one can speak Vietnamese. Main associate lacks English proficiency. Much easier for her to get "code" Place was an easy find. Street parking slightly difficult. Unknown if parking in their lot is permissible. Went towards big building on the right . Found unit with "Taste of Asia" brochure on window. Just before the gate. Bingo! Stood in front of open door until Vietnamese lady came out with my order. $21 cash. Unknown if Zelle has tax added to it. Tipped a little. Lady hesitated to give change. Offerings (Vietnamese): street food, drinks, coffee. Sips: Cafe Muoi Bien (sea salt foam Vietnamese coffee, 7)-Viet coffee, sea salt foam, condensed milk. -coffee didn't look full. No doubt foam on top shrank/mixed into coffee. -bold coffee with alternating sweet & salty tastes depending on sipping foam or condensed milk. Bites: Banh Trang Cuon (Vietnamese Special roll, 14). There's also a salad version with same ingredients & no wrapping. -dipping sauce had sweet & savory notes. -rice roll had dominant theme of beef jerky. The surrounding nuanced taste was a symphonic medley of carrots, quarter sectioned boiled eggs, coriander, green mango, dried shrimp, fried onions, peanuts & green mangos, 5 stars Worthy! Quality: freshly premade. Quantiy: ample enough for a meal. Would repeat. *Taste of Asia "passport" given to win prizes from buying from food vendors in Oakland Chinatown & San Leandro Asian businesses. May is Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Like others have said, text to order and pick up. Fast and efficient and they accept cash/zelle…read more Needed a pick me up on a work trip and ordered the chia seed and grass jelly Vietnamese coffee since that was a unique mix I haven't had before and I've had a lot of Viet coffee. Couldn't ask for a better drink, it had the right amount of sweetness and creaminess you'd expect in Viet coffee. edit: my mistake! only zelle and cash :)

Haven't been in years, when our son was young, I would take him fishing, and we would always eat…read moretheir great burger!!! I can still taste it! Miss coming now, and also go biking around the lake! Thanks for the good old days!

I would recommend bringing your own food and buying latte from them. The seats facing the lake are…read morealright and I don't think they care if you bring your own food but I didn't ask.

Outstanding and beautiful drinks, indoor/ outdoor space and the right friends can make this a very…read morepleasant afternoon. My drink was very refreshing and fragrant. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up. Some mint on top and not overly sweet. I ordered something straight from the menu and it was just right as is. Indoor space with real leather couches and seating and some bar seating with views out to the boulevard. I spent some time here with a very close friend that I just didn't spend much time with in recent times. Covid and other reasons I suppose are to blame. Hours here could be a bit better but the general area is great with the BBQ and marketplace next door. Value seems good too.

Ok first of all I love Philz and have never had a problem until now. I went in and tried to order…read moreseveral different kinds of coffee and the person literally refused to let me customize my order. I wanted the pistachio spice without the spices and she then said "well then it wouldn't be a pistachio spice". So then I asked if I could just have the filtered soul with the pistachio syrup and she said "no we can't do that, maybe try the cashew drink cause it has pistachio". Ok sure since that's what she recommended, so asked if I could have it with regular milk instead. And so then she said "no sorry cashew is in the name so you can't change the milk". So I had to settle for a mocha tesora. I've never once had my customizations denied at any coffee place let alone been made feel stupid for even asking. Btw - the sign above her literally says "all drinks are customizable". I just don't get what the big deal was. Ok that's my rant. Thanks for reading.