Delicious matcha, delicious pastry and fun environment. They have a lot of fun behind the counter

Came here for the souffle pancakes and they didn't disappoint! My party of 3 stopped by Saturday afternoon 2:30 pm and it wasn't crowded. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. We chose outdoor since it was such a nice day out. They have all of their desserts on display in the case, so you can peruse the options and see what looks good. So many of the desserts looked good, like the matcha yuzu chiffon crepe cake or the rose and lychee crepe cake. We ordered via the kiosk and got the mango sunshine souffle pancake ($16.50) and well as a couple drinks. My drink was the white peach lemon jasmine bliss ($6.25), with 50% sweetness and less ice. Even though there are signs everywhere saying that it takes 15-20 minutes for the souffle pancakes to be cooked, ours came out super quickly, in 5 minutes or so. We got it with the sauce on the side, but I regret doing that as I saw others getting it with the sauce on top and it was beautiful. The pancake was super fluffy and a bit eggy as well. We all really enjoyed it with the mango sauce. I made the mistake of eating the pancake first before trying a sip of my tea. The pancake was pretty sweet, so I could barely taste my drink, but I think it was good? I could taste a bit of the lemon but definitely not the white peach, which is a lighter flavor. I got a slice of their Hokkaido cheese cake roll for $7 to go and had it the next day. It was okay but definitely a bit pricy for what you get. I'd love to come back to try their other desserts and pancakes! read more

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Orders are placed at kiosks and you take a number for dine-in so food can be brought out to you. Ordered: mango matcha drink, brown sugar boba, cheese soufflé & tiramisu soufflé for $50. Drinks came out quickly in under 5 mins, soufflés took 20 mins. It was pretty enjoyable and tasty! Staff was friendly. The place is a little small but clean. Lots of open seating inside though it was busy. I would totally recommend! read more

This cafe is making its rounds on social media and I was asked to pickup something here on the way to a social gathering. So prepare for long weekend lines. Usually this is a bad sign, been burned more often than not. Decided it was probably unwise to travel with a souffle style pancake, so opted for their other offerings. Fruity, chocolatey, full tea flavor in the selection we got. Definitely passes the ever sought-after asian standard of "not too sweet". Goes great with coffee or tea! The cream topping was pleasant. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - A selection of cakes! - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've tried crepe cake before and they're usually pretty bland. This place is spot on!! The lychee rose one was soooo tasty and actually tasted how it was supposed to! The blueberry cheesecake one was good too. The drinks are leaning a little too sweet but I'd mention less next time. Staff is a bit odd, they don't acknowledge you at all even when they clearly see you until you call out or fetch their attention. I wish it wasn't so awkward lol. Anyways great crepe cakes, i'd come back. read more

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Still love this place very much! Always have to try a new flavor or new drink. Their drinks are always so refreshing & their soufflé pancakes are next level. read more

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Super tasty, light/fluffy/giggly souffle-like griddle cooked packages. Ordering from the kiosk was a breeze and very convenient. There's minimal seating inside but plenty of small tables and chairs outside. We ordered a drink each and shared the pancakes. The drinks came out very quickly. My husband ordered the Orange Tea with Jasmine Green Tea Jelly and I enjoyed that Gardenia Green Floral Tea with Matcha Mousse and Matcha Mochi. The matcha mochi added a nice soft chew texture at the bottom and the Matcha Mousse left a melt-in-your-mouth feel. The Mango Sunshine Souffle Pancake was devine! The pancakes aren't too sweet, but the mango puree and cheese mousse brought a creamy sweetness and the fresh fruit added provided nice pops of bright sweetness. Super well balanced. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Mango Sunshine Souffle Pancakes - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Was feeling the fluffy pancake craving and thought I'd try this place. I'd seen it before when visiting a game store nearby. Was not disappointed! The pancakes were less than traditional, drier than usual, but very tasty and wonderfully less sweet than expected (I'm not a cloyingly sweet person). Out of the nutella and creme brûlée, the creme brûlée was my favorite. The teas were fresh and delicious, the staff weren't especially attentive, but that's not a deal breaker. The ordering system (IMO) is inefficient and slow, which is probably 75% of the wait time. I can imagine it gets crazy during peak times, so plan carefully! read more

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First time trying motto tea. It was nice to order through a digital kiosk. I always get intimidated with what I want. At least with a kiosk I can play with the add ons. Overall it was a nice refreshing drink. Matcha tea with less sweetness. This is a plus since you can change the sweetness of it. There's plenty of outdoor seating and it's in the shade too. Stopped by here after my visit to Japanese BBQ. Needed caffeine to get me going after a large meal. Recommend checking out this place if you're in Pasadena. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Milk Tea - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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First of all, I feel terrible for the poor picture quality because it does not do these cakes justice! I bought several cakes to bring over to a friend's house and they were a huge hit! All the cakes were rich and creamy but also light. Most importantly, not too sweet! The perfect sweetness for Asians lol The black sesame roll cake was actually a hit amongst the kids. Ordering with the kiosk is easy and the service is pretty fast. They have lots of outdoor seating too so we were able to sit outside with our dogs while we waited for our order. Will definitely visit again to try their teas and pancakes! read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Blueberry Yogurt Crepe Cake, Pistachio Crepe Cake, Mango Coconut Crepe Cake, Strawberry Matcha Crepe Cake, Black Sesame Kinako Soy Roll - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

First time having Soufflé pancakes. Gotta say this place is absolutely delicious. Very clean establishment. Fast service. Everything was delicious. The establishment is cute. Seating is limited. Parking is great. Lots of UNDERGROUND parking. We ordered the Pork Sung and salted Egg yolk soufflé pancake. It was so fluffy, light, creamy, salty but little sweet. It was perfect. It complimented the taste of the cream mixed with pork sung. I highly recommend ordering it! I would definitely recommend if you come to San Gabriel come visit this place. read more

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Visited Motto Tea Cafe and had such a great experience. They have so many options for teas, plus yummy pastries and snacks that all looked tempting. I decided on the Matcha Jasmine Latte with boba and it was very good ..super smooth, flavorful, and honestly delicious. Their matcha is definitely worth it, and as you know, not all matcha is the same. Overall, really enjoyed my visit. Worth stopping by if you're in the area and craving a good tea! read more

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I'd like to start off by saying whoever was in charge of music on Wednesday 2/18/26 around 7PM, FIRE PLAYLIST!!! 10/10 Anyways, I've had this place in my bookmarks for so long and my friends wanted dessert after eating at boiling point. I knew this spot was just down the street so we walked over. Upon entering we were greeted immediately. The staff is friendly (and has great taste in music lol). The 3 of us ordered a slice each to share - tiramisu basque cheesecake, matcha yuzu crepe cake, and hokkaido. They were all pretty good but my favorite was the tiramisu cheesecake. It was THICCC. Overall I had a good experience and though it wasn't amazingly good, I would definitely come back! read more

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This place is amazing. We got cheese soufflé pancakes and peach matcha drink. The pancakes had to wait about 30 mins which is reasonable. The drink came out really quick and so good. The pancakes were so fluffy and yummy. We came around 9 PM on Saturday but there were plenty of seats available inside and out of the shop. Can't wait to go back there to try different items. read more

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Very busy in the evenings but a good amount of comfortable seating with a cute interior. Food took about 15-20 minutes to come out and they were a bit busy. The pancakes were pillowy soft and absolutely delicious. Pretty much the best pancakes i've ever had. The matcha tastes of great quality and it isn't overly sweet or heavy of a dessert. The black toppings on the side are tapioca cubes that gave and interesting texture to it but it could have done with or without it. Wish they gave some more strawberries but still amazing pancakes nonetheless read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time because I love soufflé pancakes, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed. First off, this place can get busy so plan accordingly. They have a few tables inside as well as outside. Also parking can be a bit challenging. There was a self service kiosk to order from. They have a variety of drinks and dessert options. I got the taro matcha and customized the sweetness and ice levels. The drink itself was a 7/10. We also ordered the salt grey soufflé pancake. Our drinks came out fairly quickly, about 10min. The soufflé on the other hand was a different story. I had to ask someone on 3 different occasions when our order would be ready. And then when it was brought to us, it was served on a paper plate! Honestly for the price, they can at least serve it on a decent plant with regular utensils. The pancake was soft and delicious, 9/10 and I would come back. I just hope by then, they speed up the wait times and presentation. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great big place with good service and great choices. The Soufflé is the reason I came here and I didn't not disappoint. They wer soft creamy and the toppings made it a win. Very busy spot with old fast service they have outside seating and also inside. Clean and well kept. read more

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Motto Tea Cafe was a lovely cafe with ample seating inside and outside the establishment. I only tried their drinks this time but I want to come back to try their souffle pancakes because they look MASSIVE. They also have other cakes and pastries too! You order at the kiosk and you can take a table number if you are dining in, but they just ended up calling our names for the drinks and we picked them up at the counter. Items ordered: - White peach moonlight oolong milk tea with cheese mousse and popping oat: Light and airy feel to the drink as it didn't feel like the drink was overly sweetened, so I really enjoyed it! White peach flavor was very pleasant and the cheese mousse had a stronger cheese and cream flavor to it. My friend recommended the popping oat and it's similar to popping boba with a different texture from the oat. Would get again! - Matcha mochi and white peach moonlight oolong milk tea: Same flavors and the mochi was good, not too chewy. There were so many unique flavors to choose from so I'll definitely have to come back again to try more items on the menu! read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is a small cafe with a decent amount of seating. We ordered on the tablet and got seated while waiting for our pancake/drinks. Everything came out within 20 minutes which was expected. Strawberry cheese souffle -- 10/10! This was a new menu item so we got a 20% discount which was a nice surprise. The pancake was super soft without being too soft/gooey in the center. The sauce was a little sweet, but it paired well with the salty cheese foam. We finished eating this in 6 minutes... Matcha strawberry smoothie -- 10/10! This was also a new menu item which got us a 20% discount. This tasted really refreshing considering the hot day. I couldn't taste much of the matcha, but I mainly got it for the strawberry smoothie aspect so I didn't care too much. Would recommend if you love strawberry smoothies! read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Strawberry Shortcake Souffl Pancakes - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I ordered a large White Peach Moon Oolong Matcha and the texture was genuinely unpleasant. Even after stirring extensively, the drink remained thick, slimy, and goopy in a way that did not seem normal or properly prepared. The matcha had settled into dense clumps at the bottom and the consistency felt more like syrupy sludge than a smooth tea latte. I ended up throwing most of it away. Very disappointing experience. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Sludge - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Really great spot. I got a refreshing drink during a busy day. Lots of places to sit in a shady outdoor area.

First time trying Japanese Soufflé Pancakes. I need to preface this with I do NOT like pancakes or sweet breakfast food. I tried the creme brûlée pancakes. They are so light and fluffy. The creme brûlée was very minimal just on top. The cream was very creamy and not too heavy or overly sweet. I personally would have loved some meat with this. I also tried the Fruit Medley tea. Big chunks of fruit. The tea was a little too floral for me. This is not fast food. Each pancake is delicately made. Be patient. Sit to the left and you can see the fluffy creations made. There is no human taking your order. There are two kiosks. Be patient! Don't be that rude old lady behind me sighing ‍ at the three of us placing individual orders. Calm down. Inside the cafe is very small and narrow. It was impossible to get from one end to the other to pick up our drink orders. The tables and chairs are not for comfort or long stays. There are a lot of chairs and tables outside. From what I saw there was a self serve station to clean your own tables. read more

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I've clearly been sleeping on this place because everything we got was amazing. I had one of their persimmon tea lattes and I swear I've been dreaming about it since. What's really cool about their Japanese pancake offering was a "sampler" so you can try two flavors slightly smaller than normal size. Freaking loved this place and will for sure be back read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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As always, choices were superb! Wasn't planning on stopping but since I was very close, decided to splurge with a friend! read more

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Motto is a popular little café that offers an extensive variety of hot & iced tea and fruit drinks such as Kyoto Uji Matcha & Japanese Genmai. Beverages are prepared with loose tea leaves, pure cane sugar, & organic milk. They don't use artificial ingredients, which is good. The cheese mousse drinks are popular - boba is available too. They also serve sweet & savory Japanese souffle pancakes and have a tempting selection of crepe & roll cakes. I met up with my darling friend here before having dinner nearby. The aesthetic is clean and minimalistic. You place your order at the Kiosk. There are a few tables inside and several outside. This place is popular. I noticed a steady stream of patrons coming in and out during our visit. We sat at a table across from the pancake station, so I got to see the process of how these fluffy creations are made. If we weren't heading to dinner, I would have ordered some because they smelled so good. My friend got a Cheese strawberry tea and said it was quite tasty. *Metered street parking or nearby parking garage on De Lacey. *Pet friendly. read more

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It's a great place to stop by for drinks and cakes. We're planning to have their soufflé, but the wait seems long, so I placed an order for cakes and a drink through the Snackpass app. We had crepe cakes and milk tea with boba topping. They all tasted flavorful to us. The cake was soft and fresh. The drink wasn't too cold and was a perfect match for the cakes. read more

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Got the grape jasmine cake and really enjoyed it. The jasmine fragrant is nice and cake is not too sweet. Drink is pretty good too. Will come back to try the pancake at the store next time. The store is nice, chic and plenty of outdoor sitting. Highly recommend! read more

I love soufflé pancakes so I was excited that there was one nearby when I was visiting from out of town. I placed a delivery order and everything was still good when it arrived. We shared the matcha creme brulee pancakes which had matcha creme on top and red beans between each layer of pancake. The flavor of the matcha cream was good but I'm not a fan of red beans so I ate around them. We also shared the mango sunshine souffle pancakes which came with mango puree and cheese mousse which were good but I still preferred the matcha creme brulee pancakes. I got the mango in Kyoto drink (mango puree with slightly sweetened milk & Motto's original matcha mousse on top). It was sweet but not overly sweet and the matcha and mango flavors worked well together. Hubby had the osmanthus oolong milk tea which I also helped myself to. The osmanthus oolong milk tea had a floral taste which I liked. Overall, both the pancakes and drinks were good even though we didn't enjoy them freshly prepared in store. Would like to try them in person next time. read more

Bewildered prices for basic pancake batter and minimalist ordering experience via screens, would assume to pass along serious savings as customers do all ordering work! Nope! Our group added up well north of seventy bucks for a couple cakes and drinks, quite the bang to the wallet. There is a sublime craft to each bite, cannot fault fresh fruits, tangy citrus, smooth chocolate and nutella. Motto provided cute take out boxes and friendly smiles across the counter. Outdoor corner seating space proved very popular as well as other cheesecakes we hoped to get again later but noticed many items sold out. Wish they offered discounts on family purchases, these costs surely shut down kids getting the full yum moment with five or more appetites taking a small loan to satisfy. On the plus side, the cheesecakes are worth saving up for but again, why small diet sizes? This places desperately needs to invite groups in without pompous price gouging or holding back large options for families. read more

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I'm seriously obsessed with their Japanese-style fluffy pancakes; the light, airy texture is unbeatable. Their taro cake with pork floss and salted egg yolk is another must-try; it's such a unique combo and surprisingly delicious. This spot is my go-to dessert place whenever I'm in Pasadena after dinner. The service is always friendly, and even though seating is limited, the vibe is super chill and cozy. The drinks are great too! Highly recommend for anyone who loves good desserts! read more

Popped in for dessert after a bday lunch a block over; place was super busy! We hovered a bit and was able to get a few tables and chairs pieced together while the others waited inside to place an order. The soufflé pancakes were good, but I preferred ones at Flippers. Service was friendly enough considering the rush and I appreciated that they were organised in all the chaos. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

I don't frequent as often but they make yummy drinks & desserts. Love the jiggly japanese pancakes. Cake slices are delicious too. If you're like me & prefer mild sweetness to drinks & desserts--then Motto has a lot of great options. Fresh fruits in their drinks. Bold matcha, great quality. Recommendations: -Mango in Uji -Messy Taro Popping oats as a topping I still have more to try. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - "MANGO IN UJI" boba & popping oat toppings - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm addicted to this place. The original pancake and the cheese pancake are always a win. Their match beverages always on point. If you're in the area, definitely worth going to. read more

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Finally had the opportunity to try Motto Tea Cafe. We had the mango matcha drink and mango Souffle Pancakes. The place has nice covered outdoor seating as well as indoor seating. You have to use the kiosks to place your order which was pretty easy and had plenty of options. They made our drink pretty fast. The Souffle Pancakes took about 30 minutes since they are freshly made which is typical for this dish. I appreciate that they had a sign advising of the wait time. The cups used at many of these types of places for these drinks are cleverly designed to be tall and concaved to make it look like you are getting a really huge drink...which you are not. I added an entire tiny cup of water when we were about 75% done and it filled it up more than half way. Don't get me wrong, the drink was absolutely delicious and looked amazing! The Mango Souffle Pancakes were delicious as well. The white sauce was not sweet but creamy. The mango sauce and fruit added the right amount of sweetness and the drink more than satisfied our sweetness cravings. Overall great experience. read more

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I am obsessed with their mango soufflé pancakes! I go on weekdays when it's less busy and usually order pick up. Parking in the area is a hassle and it's crowded with hardly any seating left on weekends. Casual place to catch up with friends and enjoy a sweet treat. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Mango Sunshine Souffle Pancake - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

I have love and hate relationship with this cafe. My coworkers and I order from them all the time thru doordash. Their drinks are one of best! All the ones I have tried are really good. I especially love their White Peach Moonlight Milk Tea & Gardenia Milk Tea. The drinks are so flavorful and smooth. Seriously one of my favorites to get drinks from. However, I have visited the establishment before in person & it was a horrible experience as far as service. We ordered drinks and souffle pancakes. The drinks were good as always. The souffle pancakes took forever to come out... like more than 30 min and we were like their 2nd customer since opening time. When I went to check on it, the girl behind the counter just pointed to the pick up area without even hearing what I was able to ask. WTF. I told her I am not asking where to pick up but wanted to know how much longer the pancakes would take... she just said it's coming without even looking up... When they finally brought out the pancakes, they brought it out without any utensils.. ??? When we asked, they said we need to go pick it up at the counter... I don't know it was shitty service. I regretted pre-tipping them. The souffle pancakes were ok,,, I've had better. The drinks are good. I would stick with ordering online/pickup/delivery and forgo actually going to the location. read more

Consistently great quality of cake menu! This place never failed to amaze me. We came back on Spring with good weather, it is perfect to sit outside. Service was lesser contact with customers but that due to self service kiosk. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Light Cheesy Strawberry Cake - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I was excited to come here when I saw it on Tik Tok, but when me and my sister came and made 2 separate orders and we waited for about an hour until we realized they never made our orders. It really sucked and the pancake was really mushy it could've been better especially since it wasn't even busy and they forgot about us and gave us 3 small mushy pancakes. More whipped cream then anything else on the plate. They also really need more seating areas since the place is always busy. Theirs really no where to sit. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Motto Tea Cafe - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California

The price was very high ($21 after tax), but the Japanese cloud pancake tasted very good.

Every time I visit Motto I'm always impressed by the soufflé pancakes. Even after visiting Japan and trying them there Motto is still so yummy to me. It is worth the wait these are cooked to perfection. The texture is so light and fluffy. And the flavor of the pancake is tasty. The cream on top with the strawberries makes this one of my favorite desserts. read more

Motto Tea Cafe - Strawberry Soufflé Pancake - Desserts Near Me - Pasadena, California