Asian-inspired cafe drinks in a hustle and bustling area! I came to Paper Son on a Thursday morning around 8 AM and the line to get in was intense because of their Tano pop up. I have actually been to Paper Son more than a handful of times and have personally enjoyed a lot of yummy baked goods from Tano, but today I wanted to focus my review specifically on Paper Son. That being said, if you come here on a weekday, I highly recommend you order outside via QR code for drinks and wait until the time they ask you to come pick up. This will save so much time rather than deciding if you need to wait in line or figure out if you can skip it. Heads up for Paper Son: they have some seating, but this is more of a quick chat/grab and go spot and probably not recommended for WFH (even though I have done it before). What I appreciate about Paper Son is their unique drinks like their Guava Cloud and Thai Tea Cloud, but now also my personal favorite, their Pandan Aerocano. I love how strong the pandan flavor is and how frothy and creamy they made the americano. It was the most unique version of an americano I've had, and it might be one of the best. Highly recommend you check Paper Son out if you are in the area. They have some cool pop up collabs! Tano is their staple, but I have also seen Komakse host here before, as well as Chen's Coffee pour overs. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Pandan aerocano with a sick blue eyes dragon in the background - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I arrived around 7:30 a.m. and ordered couple different pastries. While paying, I asked to add one more pastry to my order, but the girl seemed annoyed by my request and was not very friendly, which was disappointing. As a customer who had waited in a long line, I would have appreciated a friendlier interaction. I was not asking for anything for free--I was simply adding another item to my order and paying for it. As for the pastries, the Salt Bread was okay. I liked the ube cream, but I found the bread itself not for my taste. The Macadamia Guava pastry did not have enough filling. The Chilaquiles Mushroom pastry was very good and ended up being my favorite of everything I tried. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A little disappointed that there is a limit of salt bread. I wanted two plain ones but was forced to get one plain and one ube. The ube salt bread had so much cream stuffed in the middle that made it inedible, just a dab is enough! It would be nice if people who work there are more friendly and make customers feel welcomed. Coffee is ok and unfortunately the entire experience does not warrant another visit for me. read more

Experience: Arrived about 15-20 mins before opening and was 3rd or 4th in line. Opening was prompt and we were quickly let inside to order. Ordering experience was a little weird. I came with my boyfriend and we ordered together. We ordered four salt bread, one guava croissant, and two sesame cookies. The guy taking our order said it's only two salt bread per person. I gave him a confused look (since we had two people) and he just shrugged and said "I can give you two." So...okay. We ended with two salt bread which may have honestly been a blessing in disguise. Pastries and drink: I ordered an oat milk hojicha latte. Wasn't great and something about the flavor was off, slightly sour aftertaste. Now for the pastries. The salt bread was lacking in flavor and too dense in my opinion. It was somehow greasy but dry at the same time. The sesame toffee cookie was just okay. The flavors just didn't work for me. The guava macadamia croissant flavor wise was great. The macadamia nut cream and guava jam were both really tasty and had just the right amount of sweetness. The filling was only piped into one side of the croissant so the first few bites were extremely dry without enough of the filling. read more

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This was a cool coffee spot! I stopped by for a meeting and it was pretty crowded for a Monday mid-morning. They have a lot of different offerings and unique coffee options - so I opted for the guava pillow to try something new! We managed to snag a table and our orders came out pretty quickly. I think the coffee-soda concept is really cool and it was fun trying it out for the first time. I could taste the coffee inside which was offset by the bubbles! The guava foam on top was smooth and tasty as well. All in all this is a pretty cool coffee shop and very popular! I am curious about their other drink options, but alas was only visiting SF for the weekend. I did find the price a bit steep for a soda drink but am glad I tried it. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Guava Pillow - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went for a coffee run with a friend and tried the Pandan Aerocano. I think I was attracted to it by its unique name and wanted to taste pandan in an iced drink but couldn't taste pandan at all. It was still a very good drink with a unique flavor twist to regular coffee! They have a cool vibe inside and friendly baristas! read more

Paper Son Coffee - Pa Pandan Aerocano - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very aesthetically pleasing cafe and cute spot in FiDi. I got the hojicha latte and the pour was very pretty -- the latte itself was good and I enjoyed it unsweetened ~$7. The decor was fab and they have Ube Salt Bread on Wednesdays from Tano. Small menu, small space but every inch is well utilized. It does get crowded quick so come early at 8am or wait. read more

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i got the hojicha latte! i could tell they use high-quality hojicha here & the color itself was a gorgeous brown. definitely could taste the hojicha flavor, though i did feel like the drink felt a bit watery towards the end. it's a lovely coffee shop that also sells pastries from tano wed-friday, so the line can get a bit long! however, their drinks aren't overly sweet & pair perfectly with the tano pastries! read more

Paper Son Coffee - hojicha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

the staff is sosososososos nice. bc of the bakery add-on. lines are a bit long. 10am line is approximately 20-30 mins. they sold out on multiple pastries by 10:40 when i got to the front of the line. very cute decor. nice seating, but limited. lots of light! got the thai tea cloud. it was ok. it wasn't that sweet, which imo thai tea needs to be to bring out the tea flavor. it was kinda flat. all i was getting was the cardamon cream flavor. next time i would try an espresso drink. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Thai Tea Cloud - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

5 stars for: - innovative coffee and tea drinks - innovative pastries - helpful staff I ordered the guava pillow that a staff member recommended and enjoyed EVERY SIP: coffee soda with a guava foam. It's bubbly, slightly tart and tropical (it's subtle). The drink looks like a cloud sitting on soda coffee. 5/5 read more

Paper Son Coffee - Guava pillow: coffee soda with a guava foam. It's bubbly, slightly tart and tropical (it's subtle). - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Arrived on a Wednesday around 8:30am to a line out the door but don't let that scare you off. It moved quickly and I was in and out within 10-15 minutes. I came specifically for the pastries, and wow, was that the right call. I also grabbed the Pandan Aerocano to drink, and I'll be honest, I couldn't really taste the pandan at all. It got the job done caffeine-wise, but flavor-wise it was just okay. I'd probably try a different drink next time. The pastries, though? An entirely different story. I went a little overboard and ordered basically everything, and I have zero regrets: -Japanese Curry Potato Salt Bread -Black Sesame Salt Bread -Jasmine Lychee Cream Puff -Everything Cream Cheese Salt Bread -Mango Sticky Rice Butter Mochi -Ube Filled Salt Bread -Sticky Toffee Red Bean Banana Bread -Strawberry Shortcake Cookie -Sesame Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Every single one was delicious, but if I had to pick favorites: the Ube Filled Salt Bread, Strawberry Shortcake Cookie, and Mango Sticky Rice Butter Mochi were on another level. I'll 100% be back to work through more of the menu and find my go-to drink. This place is the real deal. read more

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Had some time in the morning before work - showed up at 8:19 and there was already a small line (for the Tano pop-up). Moved pretty quickly and they have a limited amount of seating inside and outside. Drinks were great - iced latte (simple or pandan syrup) and guava pillow (I love a sparkling moment with my coffee and this had a great guava flavor as well). They have my favorite SJ roaster Moonwake Coffee stocked at the counter! There is a constant flow of people in the shop so can feel crowded and noisy, but the staff are patient and kind! read more

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Wow, this was worth the wait. We lined up around 7:40am on Thursday (opening is 8am) and were second in line. The line quickly formed after us before opening! Note they open at 8 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and 8:30 on Monday and Friday. There was a 2 per flavor per person limit which is great to ensure there's enough to last. I also got the guava cloud, interesting and refreshing coffee soda with guava, and the matcha passion fruit soda (delicious). I highly recommend eating the salt bread there (our 15 min walk changed the second one dramatically!), but the ube one definitely holds up better. I was bummed there was only two flavors available but they had a salted egg cinnamon bun not on the menu! That was really soft and delicious. We also bought a bag of coffee, and it came with a free drip coffee, which is such a nice touch! There were a few tables inside and outside. read more

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Always will support an Asian based cafe. In the menu, you can see the creativity in taking the familiar and adding a twist: a Thai tea cloud, coffee soda with guava foam, passion fruit and matcha. The inside is small but well designed. I want my living room wall to look just like Paper Son's. Thai tea cloud - 3/5 - the drink unfortunately did not have anything unique in its execution. The foam sat too firm on top of the drink and all I had was a Thai tea drink with some foam to sip on at the very end once the Thai tea was finished. With ice, the quantity probably came out closer to 6oz, so the drink didn't last very long. Tip - if you're a blackbird user, there are deals that might incentivize your visit (e.g. 20x blackbird points). read more

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We were craving some coffee with asian-fusion inspired pastries and saw that Tano was recommended. It's a little confusing because we originally were looking for Tano and didn't realize it wasn't a standalone bakery and that it was a pop-up within Paper Son Coffee. The shop was small and though the furniture appeared sleek, they were far from ergonomic. The metal chairs were ridicuously uncomfortable and the table was too small. We were readjusting in our seats and ended up spilling one of our drinks. Thankfully, the staff was understanding and kind enough to remake it. We got the cortado and pandan latte. The cortado was a bit bitter for my taste and the pandan latte's flavor was a bit subtle but good. We would not likely stop by for just the coffee again. read more

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The drinks here are delicious and the pastries are to die for. They get their drinks out fairly quickly and boast a decent variety of classic coffees to more trendy matcha/hojicha offerings. I've had their Thai tea with a cloud foam top and morning bun, along with the salt bread from their Tano pop up! Paper Son has plenty of indoor seating, but the location makes it really easy for people to grab their orders and take them to the office. Excellent option for something swift and on the go near Fidi. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Morning bun and Thai Tea Cloud - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fun beverages! Got the guava pillow - yummy foam with guava sugar sprinkled and coffee soda was very bright and refreshing - service was great - cute merch! They accommodate cafe orders and purchases without having to line up for the bakery! My next visit, i will definitely want to try their pandan drink or hojicha latte! The nook in their cafe would be a great cozy sit and chat - the only drawback here is, parking is nonexistent... read more

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Found this out again on Blackbird and loved the vibes. Still no chance to try their pastries but the drinks are amazing. Hojicha is a bit more on milky side but still super. Will come back again for Ube salt bread and coffee specialities. A good stop for mid-day coffee! Drinks: 4.5/5 Service 4/5 Ambience 4/5 read more

Paper Son Coffee - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I stumbled upon this spot because my office is nearby and there was a line out the door--always a good sign. Turns out it's a super cute, very vibey little café. I'm a total sucker for good branding, so yes... I ended up buying merch. Their logo is adorable (a bear with a pour-over/coffee cup on its head), and I couldn't resist. I also picked up a bag of their coffee beans, which were great quality. What really pulled me in was the Asian-inspired drinks--that always gets me. I tried the pandan latte, which was really nice. I personally would've loved a bit more coffee-forward flavor, but the pandan definitely came through and was well balanced overall. The space itself is on the smaller side, but there's still room to sit and enjoy your drink. Service was friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. I didn't get a chance to try the pastries this time, but they looked really tempting. Overall, I really enjoyed this spot. If you're into Asian-inspired coffee flavors, cute café vibes, or just need a nice place nearby to grab a drink, this is definitely worth checking out. Also feels like a great spot for a casual one-on-one walk-and-chat coffee. read more

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Stopped by in the morning and the place was packed. I normally take a 15 min walk during my lunch break to come here and it's less busy. Pandan latte - my go to order. The pandan always sits at the bottom so I have to swirl the drink every now and then so it mixes. Most times when I get to the end of my latte, I'm left with a strong pandan flavor. Pandan cappuccino - my favorite hot drink to get when it's cold in the mornings. The pandan isn't as strong when it's in hot drinks. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Pandan Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

San Francisco, FiDi. August 2025. I love this Asian inspired coffee shop with forward thinking flavors. Located in 303 Second, on 2nd St and Folsom, the simple interior is plastered with notices of all owner Alex Pong's previous pop ups and collaborations before opening Paper Son Coffee. The inspiration for the name comes from Pong's family history where his great-great grandfather circumvented the immigration restrictions aimed at keeping out Chinese. The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco destroyed many paper records creating a loophole where Chinese-Americans could claim to be American born and thus able to bring "family" into the country. Paper son. Paper daughter. You'll find the usual drinks well executed here. There are good pour overs of Gesha coffee varietals. But the inventive Asian inspired riffs are what you come for if it is your first time. There is the Thai Tea Cloud. Passionfruit Espresso Tonic. Guava Pillow. My first time drink was the Pandan Aerocano - an aeropress steamed americano full of effervescent microfoam and flavored with pandan syrup. Yes, there are lines out the door. Yes, it is worthwhile. read more

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Finally had a chance to try these amazing salt bread pastries. Last time we tried to line up but they were sold out. So we were very excited when a friend brought this collection of different saltbread and other pastry varieties. The salt bread here is the highlight. It reminds me of my recent trip cafe hopping in Seoul. Texture was perfect and the variety of flavors we tried were spot on including the ube filled and cream cheese savory option. The curry filled option was also surprisingly delicious. Eating these makes me itch for another trip to Seoul! Prices are a bit high though and can range ~$9 for single saltbread pastry. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love this cafe/coffee shop!!! I used to go to the one in dog patch but when I heard about this new location and how they have pastries available on Wednesday- Friday, I had to go and try it out. I came here on Friday and the line was out the door and I was lucky there was some pastries left. I usually like their coffee pandan but I ordered their matcha cappuccino and it was so good. I love the quality of their matcha and their coffee art is so cute too. They are known for their salt bread too and I got their Halloween special - Thai tea filling and it was my favorite! But the ube filling was also amazing as well as their chocolate caramel cookie. Honestly, everything is so good, and the staff are so sweet and friendly which made my experience even better! read more

Paper Son Coffee - Matcha Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Disclaimer: Only a review for the coffee and not a pastries review The coffee at Paper Son is really good and honestly quite affordable for an iced latte compared to the majority of SF. Really enjoy coming here except when there are lines for the pastry pop ups! read more

Really cute café with adorable branding and friendly service. It's super busy due to the popular bakery that shares a space in the line with this café. Americano skews acidic. Pandan latte was really smooth, but since pandan is such a subtle flavor, it was hard to detect after the first couple sips. read more

I am always looking for the best croissants in San Francisco. The search has lead me trying traditional French bakeries and places of all types of different cultural backgrounds offering the croissant . I headed to 2nd and Folsom in the SOMA neighborhood in San Francisco to try Paper Son. This place has a diverse of good flavor pastries. Some are salty and purple like the Ube filled salt bread and there is the also the Earl Grey ( like the color grey) toasted banana bread. There is limited amount of pastries and it's first come and first serve and do run out (like Butter & Crumble). I decided to focus on their croissant. The croissant was a bit buttery and not too doughy. The first few bites were smooth but then it started to get very flakey. After all said and done my plate was almost not spot less and full of flakes. This croissant is one of the best croissants in San Francisco definitely top 10. I then had to grab some of their buns ( cinnamon) which were flavorful and so tasty. I wanted to grab something to wash it down so I wanted to relax and try their pillow like in the drink Guava Pillow. It was refreshing with a tropical tang to it but it was not too sweet. Paper Son also offer different types of drinks like Matcha Passionfruit Soda and the Passionfruit Espresso Tonic. First come first serve basis and there is a "line "for pastries where the flavors intersect and "combine" as people stand outside "align "to the Paper Son coffee "sign" waiting for minutes and staring at its logo "design" Paper Son offers flavors of drinks which "intertwine " with drink with different tasty flavors that are not too sweet and for me it's suits me just " fine" and the drink flavor will even "shine" in the cloud even if Karl the Fog shows up you could still be up with a Paper Son drink on the "Thai Tea Cloud Nine" read more

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Fun coffee break! I like how creative the drinks are with Asian flavors. There's a bit of inside seating. It's got a cute modern feel! Thai tea cloud: The sweetness of the Thai tea paired well with the spice from the cardamom cream. Pandan aerocano: The pandan was pretty subtle in mine, not sure I could really taste it. Still yummy though, tasted mostly like coffee. Service was nice and fast. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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After four tries, I was finally able to purchase their pastries! I arrived around 9:30, and the line was already out the door. I thought, "Pastries sold out again..." But as I got closer and could see inside, I was thrilled to spot pastries still on the counter. The Ube-Filled Salt Bread and the Matcha Banana Dulce de Leche Cream Puff immediately caught my eye. I also ordered my usual--a hot Hojicha Latte. I'm a happy camper! If you want to buy their pastries, the key is to get there before 10. The past three times I showed up a little after 10, everything was sold out, so I could only grab my latte. If I didn't have to rush back to the office, I would've loved to sit outside and enjoy my latte and pastries. The staff was friendly as always, and the space is cute and welcoming. Parking is tough, so walking there is your best bet. read more

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Came here at around 10 on a Tuesday craving a hot matcha latte, and my boyfriend wanted to try the pandan latte. There were a lot of people going in and out, but the line went by pretty quick. If you want a hot drink, I recommend asking it to be extra hot, and even then I'm not sure it will be hot enough because my drink was barely warm. The matcha was fine, and I enjoyed the flavor, but the temperature completely ruined the whole drink for me. You could mistaken the pandan latte for a plain latte with the minimal pandan flavoring in it. Good for if you're looking for a subtle flavor, but we were looking for something more. It's a small place with a few tables inside and outside. Some of the tables are right by the door, and it gets super stuffy when there's a line of people waiting to order or pick up their drinks, so it's a good spot to do a quick coffee chat read more

Paper Son Coffee - Iced Pandan Latte and Hot Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Absolutely delightful coffee, matcha, and baked goodies! This adorable little coffee shop always has a giant line, but I can absolutely see why -- the coffee is rich and nutty, either on its own, in a classic espresso drink, or mixed with one of their delightful Asian-inspired syrups. They have some of the best matcha beverages in the city, and I am consistently impressed by their selection of classic and Asian-inspired pastries. Everything is available between opening and when they're sold out, and they definitely run out of the exciting, house-made pastries -- like their ube salt bread, kimchi furikake chorizo scones, or sesame toffee chocolate chip cookies -- quite quickly, so you have to get there early if you want to indulge. I usually try to arrive within an hour or two of them opening if I want one of their delicious Asian-inspired pastries, but it's absolutely worth the early morning trek. It's a bit of a plain Jane choice, but I especially love their salt bread, which is super buttery and pillowy, and it has a great balance of salty vs. sweet. I also love their more classic pastries that they got from another bakery for later arrivals. The millet muffin is my go-to -- it's not overly sweet, has a great grainy texture and crunch from the millet, and is a nice hearty breakfast. Even though the line looks long and intimidating, it moves quite quickly. The team is really efficient, so I've never waited more than 10 minutes to order or more than 5 minutes for my order to be made afterwards, even when the line is out the door. read more

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WOW! Came here and was blown away by how good these pastries were and how cute the coffee shop is. I tried a collection of pastries and their seasonal coffee: + Pandan Latte [3/5] + Original Salt Bread [5/5] + Ube Salt Bread [5/5] + Salted Egg Foccacia [6/5] (would highly recommend) I thought the Pandan Latte was good but not anything too special. Couldn't taste too much of the pandan. The Salt Breads both blew me out of this world... They were so beautifully glazed, crunchy on the outside, and surprisingly fluffy on the inside. The Salted Egg Foccacia was (believe it or not) EVEN BETTER. It's a savory, sweet, and salty flavor bomb all in your mouth at the same time. :) I personally came here for a work-from-home cafe day and thought it was nice but there are no outlets (at least that I could see), the cafe gets super loud on the inside, the tables are small, and the staff gave me the different wi-fi passwords that did not work. Despite that, I would probably still come back on a no-meeting day because the vibes and pastries are unmatched! read more

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Tiny store... not easy with a walker / rollator limited seating Good service and decent coffee read more

Had some time in the morning before work - showed up at 8:19 and there was already a small line (for the Tano pop-up). Moved pretty quickly and they have a limited amount of seating inside and outside. Drinks were great - iced latte (simple or pandan syrup) and guava pillow (I love a sparkling moment with my coffee and this had a great guava flavor as well). They have my favorite SJ roaster Moonwake Coffee stocked at the counter! There is a constant flow of people in the shop so can feel crowded and noisy, but the staff are patient and kind! Read more read more

Finally found some time to make it to this part of town! It's in an area I don't find myself often, but I had some time early afternoon one day so decided to pop by. Super cute decor everywhere with nice touches of cute trinkets everywhere. I really enjoyed the pandan latte I ordered. I wish there were still pastries left to order! read more

Paper Son Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Pandan aerocano was more subtle than I thought it would be but really airy as advertised! Very interested in trying the guava pillow and matcha passionfruit soda on a warmer day :) read more

Paper Son Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Finally found the time to stand in line and check Paper Son and Tano out! I'm not sure what the line situation is on days when Tano (the bakery) isn't open, but I came on a Thursday morning around 830AM and waited in line for about 20 minutes. I ordered a Matcha latte with the cloud on top and a friend ordered the Thai tea cloud. The matcha latte was incredibly caffeinated (I was wired) and the thai tea tasted legit! I can see why people love their matcha, it is not watered down nor is it too milky. It is lightly sweetened and doesn't have that much of an earthy flavor. There are a couple of seats inside and some outside. I would say if you are looking to do work in this coffee shop it can get really noisy, especially if there is a long line. Paper Son is located on Folsom St so if you are driving, it is street parking. If I am ever in the area and have time, I can def see myself coming back. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Matcha Latte w cloud - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for pastries and was so happy I could grab some caffeine while I was here! I was worried about parking in this area but luckily there is a paid parking garage with a charging station just steps away. Despite the long line, we got our drinks very quickly! My favorite was the Thai Tea cloud, I loved the cream on top. The Pandan coffees interested me but I've never had a guava coffee so I just had to get it. The Guava Pillow has a delicious guava foam on top! It's topped with what I think is li hing mui so it does give that tart aftertaste. I'm not a huge fan of americanos or carbonated versions but this one was more bearable for me, because I enjoy guava! The space inside is small but there are tables and chairs inside & outside if you can snag one! read more

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Hmm salt bread sells out by 9am according to barista. The matcha latte and hojicha latte didn't really hit, it's more on the milky side Service: okay but there's a line Ambiance: small casual and hard to find parking unless garage read more

I love going here! It's fast and convenient. It's busy inside but I ordered outside w the QR code. I got my drink in 6 mins. There's seating inside and outside. I ordered the Thai tea which comes with a foam super creamy and not too sweet :) I forgot to take a picture of my drink but would definitely come back at an earlier time to try out their pastries and coffee! read more

Paper Son Coffee - hours - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I got an espresso (hologram by Counter culture). Good crema, smooth texture, some depth in the flavors that changed as I sipped. I tasted mild acidity and milk chocolate sweetness. No bitterness or burnt notes. Not the boldest flavor but definitely high-quality beans and solid execution. 4.5/5. read more

Paper Son Coffee - Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California