Tried the hojicha latte and it was delicious. Good balance of sweet and earthy roasted flavor with…read morethis tea. There is a lot of space and it has a very calming vibe. Plenty of places to sit and study/read/hang out. Lots of fun options on the menu but definitely have the basics. If you are not from around here, there really is one easy way(direction is heading south bound on Atlantic) to get into the plaza so keep your eyes peeled and don't miss the entrance. Otherwise I didn't find issues with parking or lines. Staff were nice. Would definitely come back to try this again when I'm in the area.

Nice vibe coffee shop in Monterey Park. Parking in the lot behind and streetside…read more They have a good assortment of coffees and teas. I went with their recommended Vietnamese coffee. It actually was quite strong as I desired when ordering Vietnamese coffee. But tasted more like a Viet coffee as a western latte, but did appreciate it with their almond milk as a lighter alternative. Staff were friendly. There's WiFi and a bathroom if you want to study, and water. They also have some pastries and small food items. Service is a bit slow, but expected given the mom and pop style.

Glad to see another coffee shop in Monterey Park, and such a cute one! Its clean, modern, and…read morecomfortable for studying/working. There is a good amount of seating and outlets, but it can fill up because people tend to spend several hours doing work. I've had their Chai latte, americano, and some other drinks. All were really delicious! They also have pastries and sweets from the case. I've tried their new butter mochi and didn't care for it though. The staff here is friendly and helpful as well.

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab is a decent cafe with plenty of seating, making it a comfortable spot to…read morerelax or get some work done. Coffee - 3/5. The coffee was well-made - it wasn't burnt, overly bitter, or sour, so the extraction seemed solid. However, the flavor felt flat and watered down. It lacked the aroma, body, and rich roasted notes that make a cup memorable. Nothing really stood out, leaving it tasting more diluted than satisfying. Also, I don't think the barista could froth the coffee well. Instead of a nice velvety, dense froth, the froth was a bubbly foam (see photo). Food - 3/5. I visited around 9 a.m., but the pastry selection was surprisingly limited (see photo). The pastries also didn't taste particularly fresh; they had more of the texture and flavor you'd expect from pastries sitting out later in the day rather than freshly baked items you'd hope to find early in the morning. The café has a modern, hip vibe and a warm, inviting atmosphere. It's spacious, with plenty of seating, making it a pleasant place to spend some time. Overall, Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab is a fine neighborhood café if you're looking for a comfortable place to sit and enjoy a coffee. Unfortunately, neither the coffee nor the food left much of an impression. Nothing was particularly bad, but nothing really stood out either. While the ambiance is probably its strongest point, the coffee is just average.

Super quick service, delicious latte and food!…read more I got a London Fog with Matcha and the turkey provolone croissant. The matcha in the London fog was a nice touch recommended to me by the cashier. It's a cute and quiet cafe with lots of chairs for waiting and a couple of tables for anyone wanting to sit down and study/ eat.

I've been here a couple times now when I'm back in the area and do think its nice we have a "fancy"…read morecoffee shop in the area. Its a smaller space so more pick up and go but they do have some space if you want to stay and chat or work. Staff have always been nice and friendly and they have a lot of fun drinks (both teas and coffees). I think I always try a jasmine based drink but the jasmine never really comes through. Otherwise, I do think their lattes and teas have been pretty good, just don't expect a strong jasmine flavor or fragrance.

Just tried this place a couple hours ago and the matcha was such high quality. The matcha is said…read moreto be imported from Japan. I got the Matcha Kinu with oat milk and it's really amazing. The drink is not too light but not that strong. A perfect blend if you're looking for that. The atmosphere is really nice too and dog friendly just small.

Modern coffee spot with indoor seating. Nice assortment of pastries as well, which go 50% off…read morebefore they close. Love that they don't charge for alternative milk. Park in the parking garage behind the building for free. Black sesame latte - not super sweet, well done drink. Doesn't come with espresso unless you add it. Coconut yuzu tonic - I wasn't tasting yuzu, I was tasting lemon. This was yummy otherwise, and again not too sweet. Came beautiful as well

i ordered the horlicks artisinal kopi ($8) to relive nostalgia but was handed a transcendental…read moreexperience instead? the horlicks cream top complimented the single origin espresso EXCEPTIONALLY well. i savored every drop of this drink! there was no line when i arrived around 11 am on a saturday, so i received my order startlingly quickly. my number was called just as i was about to sit down at a table. numerous tables are available for patrons to sit and study or chat, but the space can feel a bit narrow when a long line starts to form in the early afternoon. there is one unisex restroom located in the back.

A very retro Indonesian coffee gem!…read more If you are looking for an incredible study spot or a completely unique caffeine fix for a nice sip bev, this place is a must visit! They serve original Indonesian specialty coffee in LA, and the quality of their craft really shines through. Their Ice Putu is a must try. If you are a bit less adventurous, the Kopichino is a great option. To pair with any of the drinks, honestly I'd recommend the Pandan Chiffon cake! The parking is a breeze because there is a massive public structure right behind the shops. It is only a minute walk at most. Their service has always been a great part of the visit. They ask all the question and provide very good guest forward satisfaction.

Visited The Tea with my wife on a Saturday evening and it was pretty chill. There's two self…read moreordering kiosks by the front desk which is always a nice sight to see. They have some tables but not enough for a place to hangout to be honest. Their whole concept is pretty much a open kitchen, order and walk to the back and wait for your order. Can get pretty cramped but that's just how their shop is designed. Parking - Free in a one way outdoor lot. If it's full, there's the plaza right next door and/or street parking, plenty overall. Their menu is quite extensive, from teas, boba, coffee, fruit teas, they've got it all. For first timers, they have a signature section which I think is basically their most popular drinks, they're all recommended to try. My wife and I ordered the Oreo Matcha Brulee and the Uji Matcha Latte to share, both came out pretty quickly, around 5 minutes or so. I'm a huge sucker for oreo matcha brulee type drinks and this place made it perfectly. Each sip is full of the ingredients, very refreshing, and perfect sweetness in my opinion with 30% - 60% sugar level. Overall, great tea shop, it's pretty ironic to find a place that's just called "The Tea" which can be hard to search up, but their drinks are high quality, staff is quick, and their shop is clean. Very impressed.

Among the many bubble tea shops in the SGV, The Tea is one of the more interesting ones. This shop…read morehas a creative menu and a broad variety of drinks. For first timers, I would definitely recommend trying some of their specialty signature drinks. One of my favorites from here is Or-Lichee, which is a lychee blended drink topped with fresh squeezed orange juice and aiyu jelly. It is fragrant, fruity, and refreshing. The aiyu jelly has a soft, slippery texture that melts in your mouth and adds a kick of lemon. Another drink worth mentioning is their Uji Matcha Latte, which my partner always gets. It has just the right balance of matcha and milk, so neither flavor is too overpowering. There is a slight bitterness from the matcha, with creaminess coming from the milk. Essentially, this shop has a strong menu selection with lots of good drinks to choose from. I have also enjoyed some of their other teas. The shop has a modern layout, an open kitchen, and a laid-back atmosphere that makes it a good spot to hang out at.

Decided to grab a drink after dinner in this plaza…read more The location is located in the Atlantic time Plaza in the front. The shop is very small, there is only a kiosk to order or you can order from the staff. It's one of those order and pick up your drink kind of shop where there is no seating. I ordered the Mango coconut bloom and it tasted ok. It was a refreshing drink but there was not much mango taste to it.

3 stars I think the…read morebeverages are decent, but the execution can be pretty bad. The first time I tried Hey Tea was probably in 2025 when they had a BOGO promo for the Matcha Cloud Blue Coconut juice. I remembered really liking the beverage b/c of how refreshing it was on a hot day. BUT, I also remembered waiting 45 minutes for my drinks while premade drinks were kinda just sitting on the counter. More recently, I came in for the Matcha Cloud Blue Coconut drink and I got my drink within 5 minutes of ordering. There were no promos that day. The drink was good, but it's not $7.99 good. I think Hey Tea's drinks are overpriced for what it is. There are definitely other options in the area worth visiting.

Solid spot for creamy popcorn milk tea and plenty of decaf options! This is one of my go-to places…read morewhen I'm craving a more dessert- or latte-style boba drink. I usually get the popcorn milk tea, which is sweet and creamy and pairs really well with the boba jelly. The tea flavor is a little harder to pick out in this drink, but everything works well together. I also love that they have several decaf options, including the barley milk tea, which has nice roasty flavors, along with other milk tea and fruit tea choices. The interior is also really aesthetic and inviting. I know that whenever I bring a friend here, they'll enjoy it--it's a spot that seems to be a crowd-pleaser with everyone around me!

Stopped by here for some milk tea. There's several parking spots located right in front of the…read morestore including some 20 minute parking spots that made it easy for to go. The interior is very clean and aesthetic, love the vibe. There's plenty of seating to wait for your drink. Not really a place to sit and study as no tables. Service was good. I was pleasantly surprised at the popcorn milk tea! It was pretty good although a bit sweet for my liking with the perfect sugar level 70%. I liked the ember milk tea at 50% sugar more, although wish it was more tea forward as I prefer less milky milk teas but still very good and refreshing! I absolutely love their tapiochi jelly's!!!