I would recommend this place! I've been a fan of boba shop mainly for the quick service,…read moreaccomodating owner, and comfy ambiance. I'm currently a fan of the honeydew milk tea offered here, and not many of the place I've been to have offered this flavor, at least close by.

Great customer service and delicious drinks! Owner was so friendly, and everything tasted amazing…read more Definitely coming back!

Fika Fika is a great shop to get a fragrant floral tea and a small bite to eat. The menu has…read moreadjusted slowly over time, but they maintain a solid coffee and tea selection, with some food options and (at the Pasadena location) about 16 flavors of gelato. On this weekday I came for the Jasmine Milk Tea. Last time this was under the Tea Latte section, but they menu changed and there is now a dedicated Milk Tea section. And also there is a Jasmine Latte with Espresso in it, but that is under the Espresso section. I was able to get it chilled but without ice. The lowest sweetness level was 50%, but I asked nicely and they estimated they could make a 25% for me. It turned out wonderfully, extremely floral, barely any sweetness so the Jasmine aroma and taste were the dominant ones. In the food side I selected the popcorn chicken. I can take some heat but only a small bit, so I asked for the spice powder in the side. I just looove the texture of the popcorn chicken. You can see in the picture that it's a very thin breading, almost not there, but the texture seems almost as if an invisible rice flour was tossed in the outside. Still juicy in the inside, and small pieces to make every bite pop-able. The chicken comes with a ranch sauce, though to me it's a second thought. Add a hint of spice or even have the chicken as is, no ranch is needed.

Fika Fika Coffee is a coffee and tea and ice cream shop in Pasadena. They have a modest selection…read moreof drinks and snacks. I have been to their other locations but my first in Pasadena. I was perfunctorily greeted by one of the staff at the counter. I ordered a cold Fresh fruit green tea (Mango) x boba toppings. And it was refreshing and delightful. Atmosphere was relaxing. Staff service was spot on and prices were reasonable. Overall, I had a good experience and I recommend you visit.

I tried the matcha einspanner here and I was originally worried it'd be overly sweet, but the cream…read morewas lightly sweetened and provided a really nice silky mouthfeel to the drink. I also tried a sip of my friend's strawberry matcha and that was also pretty good. Nothing against the business, but the parking situation can be really awful. I lucked out with a spot in the corner but also had to wait for a trash truck to back out. Due to the parking situation, I'm not sure if I'd want to come here to study or anything, but I'd happily come back if someone else drove lol

Iced Creme brulee latte has a really deliciously flavored cream top, not overly sweet. I ordered my…read moredrink half sweet and it's perfect for me! I tried my partner's full sweet one and I do prefer the half sweet, altho the full sweet is totally drinkable. They have cookies and brownies that look and an assortment of Asian flavored potato chips. This is a small shop, so when there are a lot of to go orders it gets chaotic to wait in. Service was kind and knowledgeable. The seats inside are comfy and inviting. They have a whole patio area set up and extending into the parking lot, as well. Its a little bare bones, but perfectly serviceable. Music inside is maybe too loud for studying or work without earbuds, but ymmv. There is a small lot that they share with the Thai place next door, and there is sometimes also street parking.

PARKING in the back (free), NO WIFI on weekends, MILK SUBSTITUTIONS available, lots of seating…read more Love the ambiance here and their table policies - great spot for a quick chat or stop for drinks. We got their macchiato and blueberry matcha (seasonal?) and I wasn't too big a fan of the matcha as it carried no blueberry flavor at all. It wasn't bad as a matcha latte but it's definitely not a standout. Their coffee roasts, on the other hand, are much better and I would recommend those instead

Great weekday Wifing/Work from Cafe, plenty of free parking, decent caffeinated drinks, lots of…read moreseating, and some outlets (bring an extension in case). Good for individuals and larger groups. Wild Parrot Brewing Company opens at 3pm. Anyone sitting on the brewery orange side will need to vacate unless they become a brewery customer. I believe there is no wifi during the weekends. Best place to wifi in east Pasadena!

I love this business. I've tried everything and loved everything. Their December seasonal Mandarin…read moreLatte is the best! The gui hua latte is always perfect.The temperature is always perfect and ready to drink, but if you're a freak like me order it extra hot and they will accommodate! I don't care for matcha but I've tasted my daughter's order and their matcha latte and matcha tonic are so smooth and delicious! The hojicha latte is perfect, the pineapple tonic, refreshing and tasty, the Vienna latte is decadent, the ayr black tea latte is so comforting! Pair it with one of thei super delicious Sugar bloom pastries, brought in fresh daily...my favorite is the vegan pretzle, croissant and you are set! Everything is delicious and made with artistry and love! Everyone is super nice. They always have lovely flowers from Crankys, very unique! Come with patience and time because you will encounter a line, delicious perfection takes time and you will not regret it. Enjoy!

I go out of my way to make a pitstop here. It is by far one of my favorite coffee shops to visit…read morefor create drinks that tie me back to flavors I grew up with. Cute and quaint is the way I'd describe the vibes. With no more than 4 people allowed in the shop at once, there's almost always a line in front and seating is limited to a few out in the arcade courtyard. I usually like to take my drinks to go so I can grab a pain au chocolat at C.A.R down the street but sometimes I'll linger if a table opens up. They team up with different microbakeries on weekends to host popups, my fave being crumbs and flakes, so that keeps the pastry rotation interesting. My drink of choice now, having tried a few items off the menu, will forever be their gui hua (osmanthus) latte. No one can convince me otherwise. Everyone I know who has tried it, has loved it. While there are a ton of hyped coffee shops and cafes, this one is definitely not one of them.

TL;DR Mandarin 2 is the only place for the serious spro…read moreenthusiast! Over the years, I've been incredibly honored, blessed and humbled to experience coffee in deeper way than most, locally having the experienced Thee Coffee GOATs/Royalty & LA Coffee Pioneers (Glanville & Babinski and the OG crew that includes but not limited to Jaymie Lao, Percy Ramirez, Brent Glanville, M'lissa, Sumi Ali, etc...and including so many more like Mike Phillips, Tyler Wells, Yeekai Lim, Leon Li, Frank La...I can go on and on), to which I am eternally grateful. Regrettably over the last 10 or so years, it has been my perception that much of the specialty coffee industry has: 1) capitulated to the taste buds of the casual coffee drinker (or the masses) and have abandoned their desire to change hearts and minds with education about a new wave of coffee drinking experience; 2) are shops owned and operated by people who are non coffee professionals (you know who you are!) and lack pedigree & experience. I get it. It's tiring and frustrating trying to help customers understand that what they are drinking is not "weak" coffee just because they "can't taste coffee." The masses & self-proclaimed coffee enthusiasts want "strong/bold" coffee but they themselves don't even understand what that means! Youngsters want to drink their iced lattes all the while pretending to be grown ups and/or be part of some trendy shop. they take 100s of pictures of the same latte and finally post one to their intriguing Instagram story. Why? Because trendy, duh! Thank God for Sherry Gao and the undeniably talented team at Mandarin & Mandarin 2. THESE KIDS ARE BONAFIDE COFFEE PROFESSIONALS!!!! They have phenomenal coffee pedigree! If you are familiar with my senseless ramblings, or so-called "reviews", you will notice that this one lacks my customary per item ratings and elaboration. This is intentional. Considering the subject matter of coffee, I simply cannot and will not write about "how good this latte is", etc. With all due respect, I drink spro, and almost always only spros at shops that actually know what they are doing (with an occasional deviation of a spro & some milk or something else interesting to my palate at the moment). So yeah, if you must know, Mandarin 2 is THEE PLACE for coffee. And to all the iced latte experts, please do spare us your expert opinion on coffee.

This place is for someone who wants to try something new and interesting…read more I'm not Chinese or Asian so these flavors were new to me. I got the seasonal coconut latte and I liked the espresso it was smooth and creamy. My mother got their latte with the milk tea and I personally liked it but she wasn't very happy with it. The baristas weren't accommodating about substitutions or offering to make a new drink. Each business has a right to run it the way they want but be warned that you kind of have to commit to trying something you may not like. This place gives an either you like our drinks or just don't come back type of vibe. They don't really seem to care about appeasing you. Do with that information what you will.

Pretty expensive when you get the specialty lattes / in general, but this place seems like it's got…read morea good reason. The drinks are good, and the croissants might be better. They regularly sell out of certain croissants, and a line out the door is regular. Street parking is relatively easy, but be careful cus they're quick with the tickets here... Their espresso drinks are consistently very good. Good espresso, good flavors, etc. Tastes like you know exactly what went into it. Matcha latte - the matcha is beautiful. They hand whisk behind the bar and color is gorgeous. This is definitely one of their more expensive drinks to make, and price reflects. There's interior seating (and some outdoor), but it's usually noisy and bustling. Much better to socialize. I would take someone here to impress them, because it seems they're always in the business of impressing me.

I've had this place bookmarked for some time and this morning all the stars aligned. I got there…read moreabout 15-20 minutes before they opened and was third in line. By the time I was done ordering and had everything there was probably 20 people in line. So getting there a little early makes sense. I ordered 4 chocolate croissants, 3 Monkey Breads, 2 Kouign Amanns, and a partridge....sorry. Wrong song. 1 chocolate bar and a cappuccino. So far I've had a Kouign Amann and the cappuccino. The cappuccino may be the best I've ever had. I don't know what kind of coffee they use, but it was very smooth. That alone is worth the trip. AND, my barista did a cute milk art on top. The Kouign Amann was AMAZING. Layered and flaky I confess I ate the whole thing! I can't wait until I can try the other 2 things I've purchased. After all, the chocolate croissant was the primary reason for going. Now for the negatives: Management should figure out a way for more than one person to take orders and box them up. Even Mom & Pop donut shops often have multiple people taking orders. And Porto's has it down to a science. It would go a long way toward clearing the line faster. My second issue was the price. Quality is expensive. I get it. And I'm fortunate enough to be able to splurge for a treat like this. But with a small tip added to my total I spent just shy of $100! Not something I can do every week. But I would encourage you to save your nickels and check them out!

Came by at noon on Friday on a pleasant day to explore a local cafe! There was no wait and plenty…read moreof seating indoor and outdoors. It was my first time here and the barista was very friendly in explaining their menu and pastry selection. They have a new menu every season but since it was my first time here, I opted to go for a staff favorite, the Cinnamon Creamed Honey Latte (the other is the Brown Sugar Latte). I chose the Coconut Oatmeal Chai Cookie Sandwich for the novelty but I found that it was rather sweet for my taste. So for anyone interested in their cookie sandwiches, I definitely recommend getting a drink that's not sweet to balance out the flavors! Otherwise I'd absolutely come again to try out the rest of their menu.

So happy to have stumbled across the coffee shop while I was in the area! I love honey, so I was…read moreecstatic to see that they had honey-infused specialty coffees on the menu. The service was friendly and the interior was cute and cozy. It's a relatively small cafe, but there's both indoor and outdoor seating. I got the cinnamon creamed honey latte which was soo good! Although a bit too sweet for me, the honey and cinnamon flavors came through really nicely and the drink was so smooth and creamy.