Stopped by in the morning before work and had a great experience. It's a small, clean, and…read morewell-kept spot with an easy, welcoming vibe--perfect for a quick stop without feeling rushed. Megan was super friendly and made the whole visit feel personable and smooth. Service was quick but still attentive, which I really appreciated during the morning rush. I ordered a hot vanilla latte with oat milk--really well done. Smooth, nicely balanced, and served properly hot. A solid go-to drink to start the day. Overall, a great little place for a morning coffee run--clean, friendly, and consistent. I'll definitely be back.

Really enjoyable cappuccino! Smooth, not bitter, didn't need any sugar, which is how I tend to rate…read morethe overall taste of an espresso drink. Love that they carry Bread Lounge pastries (the matcha-ginger scone is one of my favorites of theirs). Baristas greeted me and were friendly, not always the case everywhere you go so, I appreciated that! Only reason I'm not giving 5-stars is because the bathroom was not clean. There were only two people working and they were busy on a Saturday so maybe that isn't always the case but, personally, it is one of those things where I will go somewhere else if the bathrooms are kept up better.

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.

Stopped by Emmi's after hiking Sturtevant Falls so definitely looking for something with a nice…read moreportion and filling. Great location in what looks to be the downtown scene. Driving in has great views of the mountains. Parking was easy and free on the streets. The restaurant was busy but manageable for a Saturday morning and Its self seating and pay first which makes it easy when ready to leave. Friendly staff, clean and nice decor With a decent selection on the menu. 2 of us ate - 1 regular burrito and 1 regular breakfast plate. Burrito was a filling portion to the point i was 'almost full'. Breakfast plate was decent, the one minus I had was the potatoes came out cold. I mentioned it when they came back around for the "how is everything" ask and they brought out a brand new plate of hot hot hot potatoes. Great service. Would recommend it and would again.

Went to Emmi's for brunch! First time here (: I was craving…read more breakfast burrito so was recommended by the sweet cashier girl to go with a pastrami breakfast burrito my first time cause I was deciding between that or the og breakfast burrito! So I went with her recommendation & it was so yummy & filling! Very much enjoyed my meal! As for my drink I got the Italian soda which was in the flavor vanilla. It wasn't the greatest. So asked for more vanilla & it helped a little but just think other flavors are so much better ( strawberry, mango, berry) so I wouldn't order that again. Overall the place was busy always people in & out! It is a cute little local joint to do work on your laptop or have a meal. Staff was helpful & sweet! Would return be back for another burrito (:

The breakfast sandwich and Spanish latte were fantastic and they're very reasonably priced.read more

Muffins were great. Breakfast sandwich was great. At around $4 for a latte, take my money…read more Everything was priced so well that it was like going back in time to a true local cafe. The staff was super friendly and the place looked very clean. Small place, so better for to-go food. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would probably be here once a week.

Had a fantastic experience at Poppy Cake Baking Company! Everything tasted fresh and absolutely…read moredelicious. You can tell they really care about quality. The service was polite, welcoming, and impressively quick. They also have a huge selection of treats, breads, and baked goods -- so many great options it's hard to choose. Definitely a spot I'll keep coming back to!..

NYC prices for a small town coffee shop. SMH…read more I asked for light ice for my matcha drink and he literally just dumped the ice out and added more milk which dilutes the matcha flavor. Dear baristas, add more matcha instead of adding more milk. Don't think they use ceremonial grade matcha either.

I've driven past Gokí Café countless times on my way to work and finally decided to stop in--and…read moreI'm so glad I did. For those who aren't familiar, Gokí Café draws inspiration from the flavors and traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico, which is reflected throughout the menu. You'll find everything from horchata and mazapán lattes to Oaxacan-inspired drinks, pastries, and food items. I ended up ordering the iced Horchata Latte and an oatmeal cranberry pecan cookie. One important tip: mix the latte before taking a sip. The espresso sits at the top while the milk settles at the bottom, so giving it a good stir makes all the difference. Once mixed, it was absolutely delicious. You could taste the horchata, cinnamon, and espresso all working together perfectly. It was smooth, flavorful, and definitely strong enough to get me through my morning. The oatmeal cranberry pecan cookie was equally impressive. It was soft, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the coffee. Honestly, I finished both much faster than I intended. The café itself is beautiful inside. It's clean, cozy, and thoughtfully designed. One thing I especially appreciated was the study/work area along the wall. Each seat has its own outlet nearby, which makes it a great place to bring a laptop and get some work done without fighting over charging space. The only challenge is parking. The café is located near the railroad crossing, and the parking lot is fairly small. If you arrive during a busy time, you may need to look for street parking or park nearby. Getting out can also take a little patience if a train happens to be passing and traffic begins to back up. The owners and staff were welcoming, and while English may not be their first language, they were kind, patient, and made every effort to communicate with customers. If you speak Spanish, that can definitely make things a little easier as well. Overall, this is a charming local café with unique drinks, excellent pastries, and a welcoming atmosphere. I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu because there were so many items I wanted to try.

4++ Smallish cafe located in a somewhat walkable area of Arcadia. It looks like they primarily do…read morepastries and coffee, but have other food items available as well. I actually just stopped by close to closing time so I wasn't able to have my food /beverage here, but the space is clean and welcoming. A spot that seems like it would be great to meet up with people and enjoy beverages/ treats together. Person helping me was very friendly and just ordered a slice of carrot cake to go. I got it to enjoy while watching a movie a little later and it was really delicious. It was also a pretty large slice! Looking forward to coming back here.

Danbi Coffee is easily one of the best cafés I've visited in Pasadena. As a matcha lover, I was…read moreimpressed by the quality and flavor of their matcha drinks--smooth, balanced, and not overly sweet. Their dessert selection is just as impressive. The mango mousse and raspberry mousse were light, fresh, and full of flavor. One standout was their Ferrero-inspired chocolate dessert, which featured a rich hazelnut mousse filling and was beautifully presented. The freshly baked croissants were warm, flaky, buttery, and definitely worth trying. The café is clean, welcoming, and offers a great variety of coffee, matcha, pastries, and desserts. Staff is very friendly and helpful and are on top of everything.They get the orders out , really quick. Overall, a 10/10 experience, and I highly recommend stopping by if you're in Pasadena.

Heard about this place on tiktok but it was very underwhelming. Came here on a Sunday around 12 pm…read moreand stood in a short line. We got the mango matcha rain, banana cream matcha, and banana latte. For $7-8 per drink, you get a very SMALL sized cup, I believe it's a 12 oz. Although oat milk is the standard for the matcha drinks, the price for such a small cup was not worth it. For the drinks itself, not sure what kind of matcha powder they are using but it doesn't seem to be grade quality. The banana latte also tasted like milk. Interior wise, plenty of tables & seating. Great for a study spot with ample street parking. Overall, for the price, quality, and sizes, I unfortunately will not be returning.

I am so happy TEKOSU CAFE opened up. It is by far the best local matcha I've had since I've moved…read morenearby. It is absolutely delicious. I always get the matcha latte and It's very balance and rich, you can really taste the high quality matcha. The staff is ever friendly and the place are cozy for study , Can't wait to try another matcha!

Sleek coffee shop that is located in a somewhat walkable area of Arcadia. (i'm not too familiar,…read morebut maybe it's the downtown area?) Either way, this place has friendly service a nice chill atmosphere and a good variety of delicious beverages. And they actually have food items here too. I was in the area and needed to use Wi-Fi and get a little work done and found this place. It was quite crowded and it seemed like a lot of people were studying here. I just ordered the strawberry Matcha and it was really tasty. It's in balance without being too sweet. Just a perfect refreshing beverage.