Ever since coming back to Illinois to visit family, I have made a stop to Releaf to order my…read moreVietnamese coffee. It the best spot for Vietnamese coffee in Illinois! No other place has come close to Releaf. It is a perfect mixture with chicory coffee and sweet condensed milk. Every order I have received had the been created consistently the same from day 1. I have been going here for years and I enjoy every cup of Vietnamese I order from Releaf. The service is amazing and the staff members have been very nice and had my order correct every time. It is a small coffee / dessert spot in Mitsuwa and always busy. When there is a line in front, follow the crowd. You know there is something good in there. The wait is always worth it! Yesterday, my brother and I ordered 2 Vietnamese coffees. My brother and I loved our Vietnamese coffees and tasted excellent. The sweet level was perfect. I enjoy mixing the chicory coffee and condensed milk before drinking it. When I get that light brown color during mixing I know that is the right time to drink the coffee. Today, I also ordered a Vietnamese coffee and it tasted excellent. Thank you Releaf!

Delicious soft serve match and sesame swirl for $6 (a little pricey when you think of soft serve -…read morebut it's definitely worth it). They served it up so quickly that I blinked and our cones were ready. It has a nice 'not too sweet' taste and so refreshing for sure. I haven't tried any of their other items, but I think I definitely will try some more of their desserts in the future.

This is a small pastry shop. Parking lot is sufficient but kind of limited. We tried a couple…read moreslices. One was raspberry mousse and the other was moka coffee cream. They tasted kind of average, nothing extraordinary. The owner was very kind and helpful. It's about $5-6 for one slice.

Cakes are fresh. Seasonal flavors. Fresh cream. Super delicious. We got them for a small birthday.read more

I keep forgetting to write a full review of the Best breads and pastry! It's definitely worth the…read morehour drive. I miss Japan and the treats here take me right back. I can't wait two months to come back for more, but it's an all day affair to make the drive down and hit up other markets in the area. I always regret not picking up more snacks to bring back, but after a few days it goes stale. Still yummy, but never as much as day one! My favorite are the pillowy yeast breads filled with chocolate pudding. If I could allow it, I'd eat ten. Also some baked apple bread with cooked apple slices is one to watch out for. Sooo good. I love the self-serve setup. Take a tray, grab some clean tongs and take whatever your heart and stomach desires. The cashiers are all very kind and move fast. They also package up delicate items safely, like those cake slices in the cool case that you didn't know you needed. I wish I lived closer!

With demand and supply, we now have a vast variety of Asian bakeries in the suburbs. However, we…read morecontinue to keep Pastry House Hippo on our revisit list because there are several baked goods that we thoroughly enjoy: melon pan, choco melon pan, cream pan, Doraemon, apple custard pan, and raisin bread. We recently diverged from our usuals and tried the sando with pork katsu. It had some shredded vegetable and ketchup-base sauce. I am indifferent to it but I am not opposed to trying the other savory items. We have gone on different days and times over the years. The shelves are almost always well-stocked. Sometimes we would have a brief wait for them to replenish the raisin bread loaves but it is the mister's favorite so it is worth it. The bakery staff are very friendly and quick so the lines are kept moving.

We had a wonderful high tea experience at the Bakester. We made reservations ahead of time and…read morenotified them of our dietary restrictions (vegetarian) which they were able to easily accommodate. The cafe is really cute with lots of floral decorations. There's beautiful tea pots and lots of different teas to pick from. The food was delicious and ample, we couldn't get through all of it and left with a few boxes of treats. I enjoyed the sandwiches, scones and am eager to try some of the leftover dessert.

An amazing High Tea and experience in NW Suburbs. We went there on a Sunday for a family Bday. Make…read moresure you make reservations ahead of time as i don't think they do walk ins. We also asked for vegetarian options for the sandwiches which they honored and everything was so good. So good that you cannot try everything out in 1 go. We tried 3 different kind of teas. All were amazing. The decor in the restaurant was so cool. All flowery. There was Bridal shower going on there too. Definitely a place you should go. We tried Cucumber and cream cheese Turkey, havarti cheese, spinich and artichoke spread on croissant Smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill sauce with spinach Avocado sandwiches Scones Served with Cream and Berry Preserve French Macarons and cookies

04/04/26 - Yummy Tommy I love Tous Les Jour & I love having guests from out of town to share these…read moredelicious goodies with. (In this case my sister). Tous Les Jour bakeries are popping up all over Chicago, Chicagoland & all over the country. As you may or may not know Tous Les Jour a fine French Bakery (NOT). Tous Les Jour is a Korean bakery that has hit on a winning formula. I have personally gone to at least 6 or 7 TLJ's in Chicago & Chicagoland. TLJ is international & have also eaten at locations outside the US. For me they have a great selection @ a reasonable price & availability @ numerous locations both nationally & internationally. For me TLJ is one of my favorite bakeries as I have repeatedly gone to different locations w/the same high Quality baked goods

I stopped in at the Arlington Heights Tous Les Jours for some tea and a treat. My friend and I…read morereally enjoyed our experience and will definitely be coming back. Interior is nice and clean with plenty of seating. It's also nice that it's open till 9pm on weekdays. They have really good Korean treats (and drinks). I got a matcha latte and a matcha brownie. They were very good. I highly recommend their bakery goods (I'm obsessed with anything green tea or matcha related). Service was prompt and order took no time at all to receive.

Thanks to a nice and sweet Yelp experience, I was introduced to J. Sweet, which is located in…read moreMitsuwa Marketplace, just the second store from the entrance next to the Kinokuniya Bookstore. You won't miss it. The store is bright, colorful, and beautiful! That's very typical of an upscale Japanese snack and treat shop. The aesthetic packaging and the vibrant, enticing mochi and snacks really appeal to many senses! I truly feel like a kid in a candy store every time I step inside. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. Today, the second day of the New Year, there were so many people everywhere inside Mitsuwa, including J. Sweet. Even so, the two female staff members were amazingly patient and polite with every customer, they truly made the experience even better. I was so happy to find a stunning Lunar New Year cookie assortment gift box. The festive red tin features the year 2026 and a galloping horse as the star of the design, that's perfect for celebrating the Year of the Horse! While $35 for 0.4 pounds of cookies (20 cookies to be exact) is a bit on the pricey side, they look absolutely delicious, and I know my loved ones will be so happy to receive such a lovely gift.

Checked out this store inside Mitsuwa Market in Arlington Heights today…read more It's loaded with delicious looking treats so i had to grab some to try later. The staff is nice and the display is not over powering and makes it easier to shop.

We returned and our favorite friendly staffer Jun was on duty. The wife picked up a couple loaves…read moreof her favorite item here, and that is their tip-top fresh milk bread. I did get to clarify with Jun that the current owner also owns the other Bakery Crescent location in the Joong Boo Market in Schaumburg, and he's not the Pastry House Hippo bakery owner in Mitsuwa Marketplace. That's just for the record, but it doesn't take anything away from the excellent and very reasonably priced products here.

Small mom n pop Japanese bakery tucked into a small strip mall…read more What I loved was their price. They were at least a point n a half cheaper than their giant marketplace competitor. Tastes were fine, too. Nothing out of the world, but certainly comparable to the others. Dude behind the counter was super nice to answer any questions I had for any items. Compared to competitors, I found a few interesting items that I hadn't found elsewhere, then there were some typical items missing. I guess it balances out. All in all, it was a good experience and tasty Japanese pastries. I'd try them again fo sho.

Yummy Messy Boba dessert, fast service and great ambience. The location of this place is by Streets…read moreof Woodfield. We walked there after eating at Big Bowl.

We dropped by Kurimu because they had a limited edition Ube/Pandan soft serve which my fiancée…read moreabsolutely loved (he even went back for a second one). It's creamy and the flavors were spot on. Kurimu's ice cream never disappoints. We know that we're always going to enjoy the flavors there. It's a small location so just keep that in mind when bringing in large groups. As for the service, it was okay. I wish the workers were nicer or acknowledged us at this location. Other than that I would absolutely recommend trying out Kurimu!

We were absolutely heartbroken when our favorite bingsoo cafe closed, so my friends and I were on a…read moreserious mission to find a worthy replacement. Then--by pure luck--we stumbled into Hangout Cafe after dinner next door, and WOW... this place saved us. They have an amazing selection of drinks--coffee, tea, bubble tea, bubble milk tea, and bubble milkshakes--but let's be real, I was there for the bingsoo. Choosing was tough because everything sounded incredible, but I went with the strawberry bingsoo, and it was next-level delicious. Light, refreshing, perfectly sweet... 10/10. The service was fantastic, the cafe was clean and cozy, and there's even a parking lot (major win). We left already planning our next visit. Safe to say, we've officially found our new go-to dessert spot. Cannot wait to come back--HIGHLY recommend!

Wanted something sweet so decided to stop by to try. Couldn't decide between the bubble waffle or…read morethe bingsoo so ended up getting both. Decided on the matcha bingsoo and the matcha bubble waffle. So delicious. Going to have to come back to try their boba.

Super pleasant experience at Around Cafe. Friendly service, cozy (approachable, nothing fancy)…read moreinterior perfect for a small group chat or reading, and delicious drinks! Black sesame latte was great. Earl Grey drink was also very tasty. Thanks for a great spot! We'll be back.

spending nearly $1,000 a year on coffee there Your math is…read moreright: $3.35 × 6 days = $20.10/week $20.10 × ~4 weeks = $80.40/month $80.40 × 12 = $964.80/year went twice today.Benefiting from loyalty, not doing you a favor stopper jar situation is a real hygiene problem asked for a stopper -- a normal request. Instead of handing you one, she points to a community jar that: * everyone's hands go into no one knows if people washed their hands people sneeze, cough, scratch, pick, whatever COVID or not, it's still unsanitary food‑contact items must be dispensed in a sanitary way. Cook County Department of Public Health and FDA Food Code both require: No bare-hand contact with items that go on or near food/drink Single‑use items must be protected from contamination A jar full of loose stoppers is not compliant. asked for a stopper -- a normal request. Instead of handing you one, she points to a community jar that: everyone's hands go into no one knows if people washed their hands people sneeze, cough, scratch, pick, whatever COVID or not, it's still unsanitary food‑contact items must be dispensed in a sanitary way. Cook County Department of Public Health and FDA Food Code both require: * No bare-hand contact with items that go on or near food/drink * Single‑use items must be protected from contamination A jar full of loose stoppers is not compliant.