I was thrilled to hear that Nana's Green Tea will be opening in SoCal, I have heard great things about their Seattle location (not sure if they are managed by the same company/owner). We came on a Saturday afternoon, there's a small wait. The place is very crowded and most seats are taken already. I ordered a hot matcha latte with oat milk. It is smooth, rich, bold, and earthy. The color is vivid and vibrant. I really appreciate that the default is unsweetened! Of course, you can add sweeteners based on your preference. They do not whisk the matcha per order, the matcha mixture is pre-made. However, the taste is still outstanding. The store is simple and modern. It is a great place for a drink, dessert, or a meal. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended if you are in the area. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

We went a few weeks after the opening to avoid the crowds. Wait time was about 25 mins on the late afternoon the Saturday we went. Staff was working really hard but looked like they were still adjusting so the wait time was longer than expected despite there wasn't that many people. Hygiene - The way how completed orders are placed can be improved. While waiting for our order we saw flies hopped on a few food items that were waiting for pick up at the counter :( As for the food itself - Hojicha ice cream was pretty nice in flavor! For the matcha latte, it had a very strong bitter aftertaste, which was not quite what I personally liked, was expecting a more smooth and earthy blend from their offerings. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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COVID-19: Social distancing is not enforced at this establishment. Some of the staff wears a mask. All customers are not expected to wear a mask. It's optional now. The staff also wears gloves when handling drinks. There are some hand sanitizers available for customers to use. This place is available for take outs and has some indoor seating available with limited capacity. They are not sanitizing in between customers. I mention these things in my reviews for the sake of protecting immunocompromised people like the elderly and people sick with cancer and other illnesses. COVID-19 Vaccination Proof: This establishment currently does not require proof of vaccination. While I was here in this establishment several weeks ago, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They currently don't have happy hour. They also do not allow pets in their establishment UNLESS it's a service animal. Parking: The parking lot for this establishment is located at the various parking garages near the establishment. If you are lucky enough to find street parking, then awesome! Drink: I ordered a matcha soft serve latte. My latte was pretty sweet, tasty, creamy, rich, smooth, and refreshing. I liked that they use premium grade matcha for the drinks. The vanilla soft serve added a nice light, velvety, airy, and creamy touch to my drink. It was perfect for a hot day. I would highly recommend getting this drink. The establishment itself is very clean, neat, and tidy. I came during its soft opening, and I had waited like a good 35 minutes in line. It was worth the wait. Staff: The staff here are very fast, friendly, and courteous. They accept both cash and credit cards. There is no credit card minimum. read more

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I've visited a couple of times, once on a weeknight around 8 PM and again on a Saturday around 6 PM. By the time we left on the weekend, a line had formed outside, likely from people stopping by for dessert. Ordering can be done either through the kiosk or with a cashier. I've tried the hojicha soft serve and the matcha parfait, and both have been consistently good. The matcha parfait especially reminded me of one I had at Nakamura Tokichi in Kyoto, which was a pleasant surprise. Service was noticeably busier on the weekend, which is understandable. On a weeknight, our order was ready in under 5 minutes. During the weekend visit, my cousin received his matcha float within about 10 minutes, while our order took over 15 minutes. The pager system also seemed a bit inconsistent, as mine buzzed shortly after ordering even though the items weren't ready yet, and several completed orders were sitting on the pickup counter. It also felt like kiosk orders may have been moving faster than register orders, though that could have just been the timing. The space itself is a big plus. There's plenty of table and counter seating, the A/C keeps it comfortable, and it's a nice spot for lunch, dessert, or even getting some work done. Despite a few hiccups during a busy weekend visit, this is still a solid spot with quality desserts and drinks. I'd definitely come back and would recommend checking it out. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Hojicha Soft Serve with mochi balls, Matcha Warabimochi Parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Ambiance: this place is a FANTASTIC place to come if you're looking for a place to study, hangout, or chill. They have a ton of seating inside WITH AC. They also provide free wifi and have a restroom to use. They have plenty of outlets to charge as well as a self serve station with stared, napkins, simple syrup pumps, water, and togo boxes. It can get pretty loud when it's busy but if you don't mind it, it's perfect background noise in addition to the music they play! Drinks: they probably have the most different kinds of matcha drinks I have ever seen. From regular matcha drinks, to parfaits, lattes, and ice cream they have so many to choose from. The size of the drinks are large and lets you customize the sweetness yourself with the simple syrup pumps at the self serve station. I got the matcha float, which came with matcha ice cream (this was so so good) and 3 mochi balls (decent). We also got the matcha latte float (just which it was blended a bit more, it was a bit too watery). Service: the staff were very nice and helpful. When the wrong drink was made they made sure to fix it no questions asked! Overall a fantastic experience and would definitely go again to study and hangout! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Self serve station - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My family and I came a few weeks after their grand opening and the wait was significantly reduced thankfully. We ordered the chicken nanban plate, chicken katsu curry, and chicken karage for lunch. All of the dishes were surprisingly tasty despite Nana's being known mainly for their matcha! We also had to order a matcha parfait with mochi as this is their specialty. Having just recently having Nana's in Japan, I can say that the parfait tastes exactly the same which is another bonus. All in all, a nice addition to the Pasadena area with nice lunch/dinner options and a delicious array of matcha products! read more

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Upon arriving there was a line. Possibly 10 people ahead. There was the option to order thru the kiosk or at the register. We ordered with a human. Customer service was great. The girl staff was sweet & friendly. I asked for recommendations and what she liked. She was pretty detailed. We got a few items. I ordered Hojicha & matcha parfaits to share. My friends got the Hojicha latte and brown sugar matcha. I was able to try the brown sugar matcha. I guess I m more of the sweeter end so I preferred more brown sugar. They added so little that there was literally no taste of brown sugar. One of the friends went to ask for more. The matcha tasted so much better afterwards. Matcha quality was not bad, but did it stand out compared to the many other matcha places? Not really... We enjoyed the Hojicha parfait more than the matcha. Hojicha was a a bit sweeter while the matcha was more earthy and leaving us with a slight bitterness in our throats. The parfaits came with wara mochi or reg mochi, cornflakes cereals ice cream, and etc.. The sesame pudding in the Hojicha was really good. The matcha pudding in the matcha parfait was good. Might be slightly bitter if you're not a fan of matcha. Overall, it was a nice place to hang out and people watch hahha read more

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No wait on Friday 9pm. There's only 1 order kiosk inside but you can also go to the counter (which is preferable coz you can order extra toppings or ice cream on the side.) I got the #1 matcha parfait and black sesame ice cream on the side -- both unique to Nana's only. At $12 + $2.50 side it's very good value when you compare it to higher prices at places like Oakobing and Meet Fresh. What could be better? pick up some yummy mango desserts from Delight Bakery next door and enjoy them with Nana's matcha concoctions. No one has mentioned, but I LOVE their cute and super lightweight chairs! read more

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Stopped in after I saw the insane line die down and ordered at the singular kiosk. There is plenty of seating inside with signs on the tables notifying patrons of a seating time limit. MATCHA CREAM LATTE: 4/5. Matcha purists rejoice! While the matcha latte comes unsweetened, Nana's has simple syrup dispensers you can use to sweeten to your liking. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha cream latte - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Worth. The. Hype. Ah!!! Get anything matcha here, it will be of amazing quality - but if you're asking me what is a must have, try their matcha parfaits! So good!! I was so excited to hear that this popular matcha spot in Japan has finally opened its first flagship US location right here in Pasadena!! We went on opening day at night so it did take a little more than an hour to come in, but it was worth the wait! My piece of advice for people who are scared of lines at popular places are to just wait for the hype to die down or go on a weekday - it's definitely worth the wait nevertheless though! The employees are kind and streamlined the lines well! The menu is HUGE and I loved how other than matcha, they had hojicha, black sesame, and even food! But I came here to try their matcha FOR SURE. We got Matcha Float w/ Mochi and the famous Matcha Mochi Parfait. So yummy omg, I could cry FOR REAL. I loved the texture of the pudding the parfait has, the corn flakes for crunch, the matcha in ice cream form, and the fun mochi! The float my partner had was also delicious. Nana's, I will be visiting again real soon to try so many other of your menu items! read more

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I first tried Nana's in Honolulu, and I was so excited that they were opening one in my area! The quality of the matcha desserts is top tier and authentic. We ordered the matcha parfait with warabi mochi, which had ice cream, jelly/pudding, red bean, whipped cream, and a corn flake topping. The dessert is not too sweet, which is a huge compliment in my eyes. There are a couple of electronic kiosks to order from as well as a cashier at the front. There's plenty of seating inside the restaurant to enjoy your desserts. It can get really busy during peak hours and on weekends! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Very easy to find and located. It used to be the old Jumak and it definitely got plenty of space to work, have dates, and do family chatting. Service was thru a kiosk so make sure to know what to order since it's only one kiosk. We ordered salmon don, pork curry rice and a green tea ice cream with mochi and red beans. It was super delicious and had to remind the staff of the additional mochi( 3 pieces for 1.50$) Overall delicious and just right to fill our tummy. Will return to try the other pastries. I did have a matcha by itself but it was on a blander side to me read more

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I have been wanting to come here and it did not disappoint!! I arrived on a Monday, there was still a line, but it didn't feel too long. When looking at the menu, I was surprised at the number of items they had. I tried the red bean latte which is just red bean and milk. It tasted good, but the straws are very weak and kept bending at the opening, making it hard to drink. The beans are also still mushed together, so they would get stuck in my straw. The matcha parfait I got in a Togo cup because the dine-in cups look too difficult to eat, especially since there's jelly at the bottom of the cup. The jelly has a strong matcha flavor, tasting more bitter than sweet. The matcha latte does not come with sweetener so it's quite bitter. I would either add maybe brown sugar or take home and add my own syrup. The frappe was great, especially with the chocolate topping. Each drink had a really strong matcha flavor!! Service is just the kiosk then you pick up your drinks at the counter. There's a lot of seating, but since the place is quite busy, it's a hit or miss. read more

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GOOD MATCHA LATTE AND VERY GOOD SOFT SERVE ===================================== My first visit was on the weekend and I just kept driving because the line was around the block. Apparently they were giving away free teapots for the first 100 customers. I am so glad I didn't wait. Then I decided it would be better visiting on a weekday because Old Town is less of a zoo on weekdays. There was still a line with about ten people ahead of me and it took about a half an hour to make it to the one iPad for ordering. I had some problems using the iPad to order and of course there was no staff member to help. I don't usually add sweetener, but you need to specify no sweetener or the whole order will crap out and I you have to start again. There was a line out the door behind me and I am lucky I did not get jumped for taking too long. Then I waited for another half hour to get my order. I sat down to enjoy the soft serve and it was very good. I drink matcha lattes quite regularly and as I mentioned above I don't add sweetener. Big mistake on this order as a little sweetener would have offset the earthiness of the matcha. My daughter-in-law has told me many times that matcha tastes like dirt. Sometimes it kind of does. If I was rating the things I ordered alone it would have been four stars. The annoying iPad and slow service killed a star for me. read more

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I was super excited that Nana's opened in Pasadena. I've had it in Japan and Hawaii before and it was always good. Came by the other night around 8pm after dinner and got lucky with no wait. I ordered the green tea parfait with warabimochi and added mochi balls. The parfait was really good. Sweet in a balanced way with a mix of ice cream, cream, and red beans. I also liked that they added corn flakes which gave it a nice crunch and made the textures more interesting. The mochi was nice and chewy too. Overall it was a great dessert and I'm excited to come back and try more items. They also have savory options on the menu which I didn't get to try yet. By the time we left the line was out the door, so the hype is definitely building. read more

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After months of watching the store take shape, Nana's is finally open! Longish line as expected, but not horrible. Lots of options to choose from. I was happy to see that they also serve food, but only one vegan item (teriyaki tofu) in the entire menu. Staff are friendly though the entire ordering process is automated, so you definitely lose the element of human interaction and welcome and feel a bit more like you're a number. They are still early in their opening process, understandably, but that's why I docked a star. They were sold out of many items by noon. Then, even though we were able to order a meal still available on the kiosk, we were informed much later that they ran out. They asked us if we wanted to substitute the item. Despite the substitution costing less than we already paid, we weren't offered a refund. The restaurant is much larger than it appears from outside. Ample seating, high ceilings, modern industrial feel with exposed ducts and all. Still nice though. It was so busy I didn't even have time or space to snap a picture of the hojicha soft serve latte I ordered. The drink was decent but not amazing. I think I'll try a matcha item and their tofu plate next time. Hoping it's calmer then and that the team will have found their stride by then. read more

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Very quick service for a place that just recently opened. The matcha is very strong!! If you want some high caffeinated matcha this is the place to go I tried the brown sugar matcha and it was pretty bitter which I like, but if you want something sweeter I'd recommend the chocolate latte or their dessert menu. The place inside is very spacious with a lot of seating. read more

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Nana's was one of my favorite cafes to get a parfait at in Japan so when I saw that there was one locally, I was beyond excited to try it! I ordered the green tea mochi parfait & the black sesame latte with the soft serve. The menu & visuals of the parfait was almost identical to the one in Japan. It tasted pretty similar but definitely not as good as the one I had back in Japan. It's most likely due to the quality difference and ingredient choices. Despite this, it still satisfied my parfait craving. I would definitely come back again & try another dessert. I hope they open more locations! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha Mochi Parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

FINALLY I HAVE NO REASON TO GO TO SAKURACON ANYMORE!!! One of the main motivations of me going to Sakuracon in Seattle is that there's a Nana's Green Tea next to the con. I've had oomfs and mutuals go to Nana's during Sakuracon, sometimes more than once, so you know it has to be good to warrant that level of visiting since you know it's definitely going to be busy next to an anime conventions of all places. So when I heard that we were getting one in SoCal, I was SUPER excited for it. Inevitably will be fisted and really busy, not just because of it just opening and the whole matcha craze, but because, as of my visit, there was only 1 ordering kiosk and they weren't doing any cashier ordering (not sure if that's different for more busier days). The other locations have Toast Tab online ordering and their POS is run off of that, but is currently closed for online orders. Hopefully, they'll open that option up in the future when things calm down. Plenty of seating when we went (Wednesday evening) and it didn't take too long for our drinks and desserts to come out. Took a bit longer for the food to come out and the stock is super variable due to things selling out. When I first got there, the chicken soboro was out but when my friends came in later, it was in stock again, but other dishes were completely sold out. So keep this in mind. They use A LOT of trays here, so get ready to stack them and I think they should have a separate stacking station for utensils, etc. Since when people are throwing away trash, it's just piled there. In the same area, you can get complimentary water, to go packaging, simple syrup to sweeten up any drinks (very Japanese), and other utensils and napkins. I like that the parfaits come out with a little printed blurb about Nana's and it's printed on nice quality paper too. Our savory dishes came with a waxy paper too. Probably a bib of some sort, but it doubles really well if you need it as oil blotting paper. For our visit, we got the: 1) Matcha Latte (50% sweet) & Matcha Soft Serve Latte (50% sweet): -Our other friend got their matcha latte with whipped cream (thinking it was an einspanner but it's literally matcha with whipped cream that he paid an extra 50 cents for lol). -50% sweet us sweet enough and I'm glad I didn't go down to 0% sweet since that would probably make the drink much more grassy and gross. It's a decent matcha latte with the soft serve one tasting like McD's vanilla soft serve was added on top. -Honestly tastes like a slightly better matcha latte than what you'd get at a boba place. If it makes any sense for "those who know", it's slightly better than Matcha Maiko, but it's nowhere in the same league as Yamari. 2) Hojicha Warabimochi & Matcha Mochi Parfait: -THIS is the reason that I wanted to go. Every picture that I see of moots at Sakuracon, the parfaits were the main attraction. Except when my bf went and didn't even get a dessert (he said the visit wasn't memorable at all). -Super aesthetically pleasing, lots of different ingredients that gave a diverse variety in tastes and textures with each scoop, so much so that the first spoon in, it was hard not to spill things over. Crunchiness from the cornflakes, smooth creamy ice cream, jelly texture, and chewy mochi. Good stuff. -The jellies for both parfaits had a very dense flavor of their respected titles, which is great. Lots of the time, it's more gelatin/jelly than anything. Not super sweet, but it definitely enhanced the saltiness of the other dishes. 3) Tofu Teriyaki Stir-fry Plate: -Friend got this and they ran outta plates so this was in a to go box which was fine. Rice is fluffy and a great carbs side for both dishes. -The teriyaki was a sauce that drenched the veggies and the tofu. You get broccoli, shimeji mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sliced carrots, etc. Friend, who works in food, says it's likely that it's frozen, but that make sense cost and business-wise with the volume that they use. -Not bad. Tofu has a nice thin crispy layer on top. Just because they have other dishes and there's other businesses around, I wouldn't get this again. 4) Chicken Katsu Curry: -Solid chicken katsu curry. Slight crisp breading and moist chicken. I do like the smoky flavor of the curry. That's a bit more unique. Comes with fukujinzuke as well. -Solid katsu curry, but not the best there ever was. 5) Matcha Gateau Chocolate Cake: -Definitely gets outshined if you eat it after the parfaits. Brother liked it when I took it home to go. -Very dense, darker matcha taste with the slight sweetness from the chocolate. Both savory dishes came with a small mug of miso soup filled with seaweed. TLDR; Parfaits delicious and a MUST. Everything else is ok. Will come back again for the parfaits and try things that were sold out. read more

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Nice cafe but the opening weekend kinks are still alive during the second weekend. The staff tries their best to yell out numbers and find people when food is ready but it's too loud in here so they really need some sort of board or text message when food is ready to help with getting food. Also while the delayed dessert pick up option is nice if getting savory food, I took a star off for the fact that it's still quite late after we finished the savory items before the dessert was ready. It also required my fiance going up to check in with the staff to see if the food is ready to make sure we weren't being forgotten. The savory food is ok but come mainly for dessert. Like pretty standard soboro don and salmon don. I do however enjoy the small cup of miso soup that comes with the savory items. I think they may improve when things slow down but the amount of traffic makes it difficult for quality control and picking up food in a timely manner. Expect spending well over an hour to get your items if you get the delayed dessert option, and we got here already before the traffic up tick at a 5pm on a Saturday. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Hojicha cold brew - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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A newly opened dessert shop of course we had to try it. It was seriously delicious. We order the matcha mochi and the whole cup was filled with so many different things I like and tasty topping and sweets all together. Everything worked really well, and it was such a satisfying dessert. The shop is designed for customers to order and pick their own food, which makes the process simple , convenient and fast. You don't have to spend too much time waiting. Overall. We had a great experience. There is a one hour dining limit, and they also have free WiFi. The restaurant has been newly renovated, and the space feels clean, comfortable, simple and easy to navigate. Highly recommended this place for dessert lovers. Their menu has a lot of options. read more

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I went a few days after opening, it is a beautiful interior and all employees I interacted with are so nice and knowledgeable. The only downside is that there is only one kiosk to make an order. Make sure to print a recite to fetch your order at the counter. Parking can be a nightmare, street or parking garage. The drink was so rich but not heavy. Good quality matcha. The food was very good. Crispy chicken and the curry was a good consistency. It came with a small cup of miso soup. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

I went to Nana's Green Tea multiple times when I was in Japan, so I was super excited to find out that they opened one in Pasadena! My family and I ordered karaage curry, pork curry, karaage salad, matcha latte, and matcha parfait. The curry was decent but not my preferred go-to for curry. The matcha on the other hand was very delicious! Unlike in Japan where the matcha latte is already sweetened, you have to add the sweetener (simple syrup) yourself. The matcha parfait was also delicious with the matcha ice cream and red bean on top being sweet and the jelly on the bottom being more earthy/bitter to balance it out. The interior was very spacious and there were lots of workers so we were able to get our food/drinks pretty quickly! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I had been waiting for Nana's Green Tea to open for months. I'd previously tried it in both Waikiki and Japan, and I was honestly a little sad that I moved away from SGV before this location finally opened. But somehow the matcha gods worked in my favor--I happened to already be in Old Pasadena for lunch on grand opening day, so I figured, why not? From the moment we got in line to finally receiving our desserts, the whole process took about two hours. I expected a long wait because of the grand opening, and thankfully most of the line was shaded, so it wasn't too bad catching up with a friend while we waited. We decided to share the signature matcha parfait, a black sesame latte with soft serve, and a cold brew sencha. We had just finished lunch, otherwise we probably would've tried some of the savory dishes too. I do wish they had more than just one ordering kiosk, especially since I later realized you can customize your parfait, which probably contributed to the slow line. That said, the desserts were worth the wait. The matcha parfait was delicious and definitely satisfied our sweet tooth. The black sesame latte was rich and flavorful, while the cold brew sencha was light and refreshing. There's also a self-serve station for utensils and water, and guests are expected to return their trays and dispose of trash afterward. While waiting, we did notice a few frustrating things like someone blatantly cut the line, and another group practically took a nap after eating. I'm not exaggerating; they literally had their eyes closed at the table while people were still waiting outside. I just wish the staff had addressed it. Despite the long wait and minor annoyances, I will still come back to try more desserts whenever I'm in the area. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I stopped by recently on a weekday and was absolutely obsessed! Their matcha drinks are the perfect matcha/milk ratio and not too sweet which is what I prefer, and their parfaits are absolutely delicious! Their Cold Brew Hojicha was really refreshing and overall you cannot go wrong with any of the drinks here. We didn't realize that they had a good selection of food here so we decided to try a few items out! Overall we would give the food a 7/10, some pieces of the chicken & pork Katsu were pretty dry but other pieces were really juicy, but definitely worth it for the price and considering how it's a matcha place, the food is a great plus! I would definitely avoid coming during peak hours since the line could get a little long. We waited about 20-30 minutes to order and another 15 minutes to get some items to go. There is only 1 kiosk which makes it take a while, but hopefully they can speed up the process in the future. Overall such a great matcha location and I look forward to returning! read more

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I dined in at nana's last Tuesday, May 12, about three days after the grand opening. We parked in the garage on Raymond about two blocks south. The first 90 minutes is a dollar. I always recommend parking in the garages south of Colorado because after Colorado, they can get really pricey and charge by every half hour or even every 10 minutes. That being said, we made it to the front door around 10:50 AM, ten minutes before doors opened at 11 AM and were already order party #11. Don't be intimidated by the line outside (unless it rounds the corner of the block) because the kiosk is right by the door. However, there is only one kiosk... At some point, the cashier started taking a few orders, or maybe at least the ones to go. I believe Nana's can benefit from another kiosk machine, especially because the space is large and can seat a lot of people. If you want to purchase gifts and souvenirs, they are on display by the cashier, and I believe you pay at the register. There's also a display of cakes to order, and I didn't see them on the kiosk menu, so maybe they are a limited quantity, and you also order those at the register. I did notice on the nana's green tea mobile website, there is an "ORDER NOW" action button that loads into an order.toasttab page, but messages were saying that they were "not accepting orders". So you can't order in advance or for pick up off-site. At least not yet. From the time we got in line, before opening, until our order receipt was printed, it had been about 25 minutes. And then another 15 minutes until our order was ready. We ordered savory and sweet dishes since it was lunchtime. I rated this experience 4/5 stars because it would be better if there were an option to have desserts brought out a little later, especially desserts with ice cream. Or at least an "add-on" option and system, because if you want desserts later, after savory food, you would have to go back and wait in line to order at the kiosk again, and wait who knows how long, depending on how busy they are. So your whole order comes out all at once, and you pick up the trays at the counter and bring them to your table, wherever you chose to sit. By the time we finished our savory meals, the parfaits had already melted more than halfway. So we had to act quickly and eat dessert right away after savory food. I ordered the Chicken Nanban Rice Plate, which was pretty good except for the salad. There's no dressing, so it's just a handful of dry, tasteless leaves. And it comes with exactly one little cherry tomato cut in half. The chicken was good tho, and actually full of chicken, not just breading. It was also my first time eating Japanese tartar sauce, and that was good too. My mom ordered Tofu Teriyaki Stir-Fry. She said it was good, but the sauce was way too salty. I tried it myself and can say the same. Too salty. Both rice plates came with tiny miso soup in a little mug, too. For dessert, we had the Matcha Warabimochi Parfait and the Hojicha Warabimochi Parfait. First time hearing about and trying warabimochi, and it was pretty good. Jelly-like, softer, and less chewy than mochi. I think I prefer regular mochi, though. Both were delicious, but again, already more than half melted by the time we got to them :( I had the matcha one, and when I reached the bottom of the glass, I was all matcha'd out. I think the matcha jelly was a bit too much for me. After dining, there's a station where you're supposed to return your trays and dishes. Sometimes, as you go through dishes, the staff will already collect them from your table. They are very on top of cleaning. And very nice and attentive as well. Oh! And restrooms are located in the back, just straight upon entering after the kiosk. I would definitely come back. There's so much on their menu I want to try. Overall, a good first experience. read more

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Nana's Green Tea was a restaurant that I had on my Japan itinerary a few years back, but never got to try. Fortunately, Pasadena opened a Nana's Green Tea branch, so I decided to come give it a try. I came with my wife a week after grand opening. The line was not too bad on a Sunday evening. The service was fairly standard. The restaurant was decently sized, but still a bit crowded given second week of opening. As noted by others, currently the only way to order inside the restaurant was a single kiosk. My wife and I ended up sharing a tofu teriyaki and a matcha warabimochi parfait. I added a scoop of black sesame ice cream to the parfait. The tofu teriyaki was solid, and did not have the overwhelming sweetness I typically associate with many teriyaki places. The vegetables were solid. The parfait took a while but it eventually came out. When I go to a matcha dessert place, I tend to like my matcha to have that bitter green tea after taste that I like with straight matcha. I did not taste that strong matcha taste with the ice cream. The matcha jelly did have a good tea taste though, and the black sesame ice cream was solid. Given that Nana's Green Tea is rooted in a Japanese chain, it's worth trying just once. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha mochi parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Really enjoyed the matcha mochi parfait! The corn flakes added a nice crunch that it needed. Mochi was fresh and the soft serve was so good, everything paired well together. I also really liked the matcha float, if you're a fan of root beer floats I think you would enjoy the bubbly and creamy combo. The food was okay, I wish that the salmon bowl came with more contents but I like how each dish comes with miso soup. Would love to come back and try different drinks! read more

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Attempted to drop by the grand opening but it was crazy busy, so I stopped by around 9:30 PM on a Tuesday and there was no line. We quickly placed our order and received the matcha parfait in about 5 minutes. Parking wise, we were fortunate to find metered street parking and it was past the paid hours. During the daytime, I'd also likely look for street parking. Taste-wise, I'm not a huge fan of red bean, so I'd definitely opt to omit in the future (I didn't see an option to modify via the kiosk ordering system though). But other than that, I really enjoyed the parfait! The cornflakes provide a nice crunch and the mochi was incredibly chewy and delicious. Admittedly, the matcha jelly at the bottom wasn't my favorite, so I'd considering trying one of their soft serves in a cone next time. I would also love to try a matcha and/or hojicha latte in the future as well. Not sure how busy it gets during the daytime, but dropping by later at night seems like a solid option to avoid long lines. Overall, I'm so excited that Nana's is finally open, and will definitely be returning! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

After dinner, we were craving something sweet and happened to come across Nana's Green Tea. Seeing a line outside immediately caught our attention. We looked at the menu and also decided to wait in line for some green tea desserts! Waiting in line wasn't tooooo bad. We ordered on a kiosk and then we were able to find a seat quickly. Our desserts also came out fast. We ordered the Matcha Shiratama Parfait and the Matcha Soft Serve, and both were absolutely delicious. We really appreciated that the desserts weren't overly sweet. They had the perfect matcha flavor. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha soft serve Matcha shiratama parfait - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tried this in Hawaii and really liked their matcha latte so came here for their grand opening. I wanted their free gift so I lined up at 7:30am to be the first 100. The line moved pretty fast after the opening time and they took orders through the kiosk. It was a bit slow but wasn't too bad. I really liked the gifts they gave, the teapot and the cup looked really nice. The interior design is very nice with good amount of seating. Luckily, we were able to get a seat even with the amount of people who lined up. I ordered the Matcha Mochi Parfait (12.50), regular Iced Matcha Float w Mochi (8.50), and the regular iced Matcha Red Bean Latte w Mochi. I shared the parfait with a friend and it was a good portion. The order was ready in about 15 minutes which isn't bad for grand opening day. They even had text message alert to let you know when it is ready. They have self serve areas to grab straws, lids, and napkins which is convenient. The matcha latte is as good as I remember, very authentic and matcha taste is strong. I got half sugar which was perfect but my friend got no sugar so it was very bitter. As for the parfait, it looked very nice but was just alright. The ice cream and red bean tasted good with the cereal, but the matcha pudding didn't have much matcha taste. It was also a bit pricey for what it is. But it was worth trying. I recommend this place for their matcha lattes! You can trust their matcha quality and are made very well! As expected from a Japanese owned branch. read more

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We came on their grand opening and waited in line since early morning for the freebies. Staff was very organized and efficient with the process. There was one kiosk by the door to order from, then you use your order number to pick up your order at the counter. Ambiance was really nice with plenty of tables. There's a bathroom and free wifi. If you dine in, you return your tray and dishes yourself. It's nice that they have a station area to get napkins, utensils, lids, water, and even simple syrup! Matcha parfait was $12 so kind of pricey but worth trying. It comes with matcha pudding, soft serve, cereal, mochi, red bean, matcha ice cream, and whipped cream. There's a lot and the combo works. Matcha latte was very authentic and strong. I got no sugar and it even tasted kind of bitter. With some sugar, it'd be a perfect balance. read more

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Although there was an organized line and plenty of staff, the grand opening could've been done better. I get the average forty minute wait just to go in and order. But it's when you finally pay and wait for your food where things got messed up. I waited another half an hour just for three parfaits. Everyone else similarly also got parfaits. But because there was too much customization options for each menu item, I noticed the workers kept having to redo it. For example, you get jelly on the bottom, vanilla ice cream in the middle, corn flakes on top, the red bean, ice cream scoop and maybe a mochi or warabimochi. The customizations easily disrupt that parfait layering order if someone says "no sauce" or even "no jelly." On my three parfait order, I watched the worker redo it twice in a row and grab a more senior worker to crosscheck her work. It would have been better if Nana's Green Tea had a soft opening with a limited menu item of maybe top ten desserts and hot foods. Because I was there for roughly over an hour already, around 70% of orders were for desserts solely. I noticed for the people who dined in and ordered both dessert and savory, their order was bumped up in priority ahead of other customer orders. For the cashier, there was a senior male cashier and female backup in training. They were in charge of final plating on a tray and bagging the togo orders. I hate being the person to say this but the female backup needs to pull back her hair properly. Her long neck-length side bangs kept falling into her face and going into the food. At some point, she left the senior male cashier to fend for himself for more than fifteen minutes. This alone caused at least half of the delay because only the cashier team can close out orders and give it to the customers. The other half was offering the full menu instead of just a couple. Today's crowd was big because it's the grand opening. But given how popular Nana's Green Tea is, I think it'll be very similar to the crowds Din Tai Fung gets on the weekends. Some other things that could be added are QR order codes for the menu and online order pickup. Perhaps another tablet order machine besides the single one in the corner. What made today's line even longer was that there was only one line for ALL orders. Most people wanted togo but ended up doing dine-in because the line was so long just to order. There were plenty of workers but I noticed 70% of the workers kept going to the senior workers for help. I think part of it is that the workers aren't used to large crowds yet but the bigger reason is the structure of roles needs fine tuning. The parfaits desserts are the ones needing the most attention in terms of layering the toppings and ice cream. That should get at least one more person helping out as a final check like parsing out the order checks and labeling the cups. Instead, they all crowded around to read the order check since there wasn't a designated person to filter through it. Another option to organizing better would be to set up three tablets for the workers to reference orders and mark as completed. One for the kitchen, drinks and parfait station. The paper order checks are cute but create paper waste and has a higher odd of making mistakes. At least two people who were dining in did come back to complain because their order was wrong. The only way to verify that was for the cashier team to go through the paper stack versus pulling the info up on the computer. Overall, Nana's Green Tea is in a good prime location with free public parking about two blocks away. There is a restroom (with door code) and free wifi. One major downside is that it's entirely cashless. Everything is by credit card or tap to pay (Apple/Google/Samsung). I ordered for takeout but I did see the workers clean the tables and keep the trash clear consistently. I look forward to visiting Nana's Green Tea once they've worked out these kinks and better prepares itself for the large crowds that will keep coming. read more

Nana's Green Tea is a new shop in Pasadena. It serves classic Japanese dishes It is very spacious and has plenty of indoor seating. The shop is well lit, clean and organized. It has inviting vibes. The staff were friendly and genuinely warm. I ordered the following: - Large Cold iced matcha chocolate latte 5/5 It had vanilla soft serve with chocolate sauce and chocolate crunchvanill It is a very authentic matcha drink. It has a bitter and slight earthy taste. soft serve, chocolate sauce and c - Matcha Warabimochi parfait 5/5 Matcha frappe with warabimochi and brown sugar with corn flakes. It was such an amazing dessert. - Chicken Naban 5/5 Special Japanese fried chicken cutlet topped with Japanese tartar sauce. It came with potato salad , green salad and miso soup. It was savory and flavorful. I enjoyed everything I ordered. This place is such a wonderful Japanese place to try. We definitely will be back . read more

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I was pleasantly surprised by the matcha latte. As someone who has been preparing and drinking matcha for over 15 years, I can be quite particular about it, but this one met my expectations. I believe they use high-quality matcha. One thing I found a bit odd was that, despite the café being quite spacious, there was only one ordering screen available. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food: When I heard that this cafe sells Japanese style parfaits especially in my favorite flavor Matcha. The Matcha Parfait had good mixing ingredients like the corn flakes which gives that texture along with the mochi and the red bean paste. The Sukiyaki Don is my favorite rice bowl with the meat so juicy and the egg and tofu were just as tasty. Overall the food is great and I really enjoyed it. Service: The service was good but they nearly gave me someone else's order when I waited for my Sukiyaki Don, but again they just opened recently and they seem short staffed at the moment so I won't give them a hard time. After finishing you must put away your dishware by yourself in a area rather then staff clean it up on the table. Ambience: Feels like a modern Japanese look on the cafe from actual Japan. That's all I have to say. read more

Nana's Green Tea - Chicken Kaarage Curry and Sukiyaki Don with Miso Soup. - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This review is posted within the first three weeks of the opening. I am hopeful the business owner(s) can correct these hiccups as the staff finds their rhythm. The staff is courteous and willing to help but the waiting time is frustratingly long. I was really looking forward to the opening of this restaurant, but after visiting twice, it has not quite redeemed itself. I really wanted to leave a glowing 5-star review, but unfortunately, my experiences didn't quite meet that standard. Food- out of the seven meals and two parfaits we ordered, the chicken katsu curry and chicken nanban were great! The teriyaki tofu was definitely the least favorite. It would be great if there was another vegetarian option. The hojicha parfait is excellent and on point! The dining area likely could not accommodate the number of people who are excited to try this place. The vibe is still a blank canvas. Food- 3.5 stars Parfait- 4.5 stars Ordering system and wait- 3 stars Service staff- 4 stars read more

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Came with my sister and husband on their grand opening day so can't give an honest review on the wait. They have a pretty ample amount of space/seating inside. The matcha flavor for our latte and frappe were perfect with the cream in the latte and matcha ice cream in the frappe adding a nice touch of sweetness (the mochi in the frappe had the chewiest texture which is what you want for mochi). The hojicha parfait was definitely sweeter so it was nice to sip our drinks in between spoonfuls of parfait. Each element of the parfait was well balanced and provided a nice variety of textures and flavors. read more

Nana's Green Tea - hojicha warabimochi parfait, matcha cream latte, matcha float frappe with mochi - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California

I first had Nana's green tea in Vegas, so I was super excited to learn it was coming closer to me. I haven't tried too many different varieties because you know... Vegas being so far. However, my favorite so far is the black sesame frappe. It comes with three glutinous rice balls and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. SO good. And tastes just like the one in Vegas. The only thing that I don't think they get right is the rice balls. Wonderful texture, but bland as air. What they're missing is mixing a bit of sugar in it. Then it would be great and I would love more of it in the drink. I just tried nana's green tea in Tokyo and their rice balls were SO good. Just perfectly done. However, I actually didn't like the drink part. I guess it's true, us Americans like our things sweet. If I could have the rice balls from Tokyo with the drinks made here, it would be perfect. Parking is a bit hard to find, but I was told there is a lot that charges a dollar for the first 20 mins or something on one of the sides of the restaurant. Lots of staff right now, still learning and training. I waited 10 min for my drink. A bit long when it wasn't even that busy. But I can see them checking, double and triple checking to make sure the orders are right. And appeasing some customers who seemed to have wanted something done differently. Some move at a bit of a slow pace and some I could tell were handling the customers very well. They're still new, so I'd advise some patience. Otherwise, they were all very friendly. Place appeared clean. Only unfortunate part is that there is only one kiosk to order. But maybe they're keeping it that way for now to minimize any rush until their workers get into the rhythm of things. read more

This place was packed! Maybe due to the hype on TikTok or word of mouth but there was a line out the door when I arrived mid afternoon. I ordered the most popular item which was their matcha mochi parfait and a black sesame drink. The parfait was amazing - the cereal made gave it the extra crunch and sweetness that I enjoyed. The matcha itself wasn't overly bitter. The black sesame drink wasn't too memorable though. I overheard they ran out of ingredients to make the parfait when I was leaving the restaurant so I would not come at a later time. I will come back next time to try their food because it looked delicious as well! read more

Nana's Green Tea - Cafes Near Me - Pasadena, California