If you've seen this spot on social media, just know that it's 100% worth the hype! We stopped by on…read morea weekday afternoon, and it was one of our favorite stops in Chinatown. We came in and enjoyed a complimentary tea tasting along with groups of tourists that appeared to be on a tour. Luckily, no dues paid to enjoy the same experience as a walk-in customer! The tea tasting was offered bar-style, and the woman behind the counter was an exceptional host! She poured several tastings including Green, Blue, and Oolong teas and I learned so much about the tea varietals, their benefits, and even how to properly prepare loose leaf tea. I bought my own loose leaf tea set up to take home and a quarter pound of Cocoa Oolong tea, which I got to sample before buying! Excellent and educational experience.

Amazing experience at Vital Tea Leaf! Chris, the man behind the counter was incredibly…read moreknowledgeable about every single tea they had! He let us try practically any tea they had available from Lychee green to duck shit tea (not actual poop) :D I learned that I should be rinsing all tea for 20ish seconds to get the bitter out! And steep for 45ish seconds ONLY We ended up loving their blue people oolong and its subtle sweetness! We walked out with 2 quarter pound bags of it AND another quarter bag of genmai cha (roasted rice tea). I thought these would be the perfect gifts for people who already have everything!

Japantown in San Francisco has many good places to grab a drink. There are bars ( not sushi bars)…read moreto grab a drink like the Bar at Hotel Kabuki or MacGuffins Bar inside the AMC Kabuki theater. When I am looking for a nonalcoholic drink in Japantown I gravitate to my favorite type of beverage. Don Juan de la matcha is always in search of matcha especially in Japantown. Walking through the West Mall in Japan Center Mall I landed at Maruwu Seicha. On a Spring sunny stroll in San Francisco in Japantown I ended up planted in line at Maruwu Seicha for some premium matcha. You will see different varieties of matcha like the pistachio matcha latte along with their strawberry matcha latte . They also serve matcha gelato and classic matcha latte with soft serve. You can order the matcha soft serve on a flakey cone like some in SF. I decided to try their purple yam drink also known as the Hawaiian Ube Matcha latte Max. It was refreshing and not too sweet and it had a smooth taste. I then ordered the cheese tart. It was a little cheesy but a bit flakey like some in SF ( It's national cheese day). It was also savory and tasty. I then had to try their Ube tart. The purple tart was a bit sweet and a was deliciousness and a bit creamy and flakey. Overall a great place to enjoy some authentic matcha. On a Spring stroll in the sun with Don Juan de la matcha in San Francisco walking on Post street past "Mount Zion" a few blocks over in the Japan Center is matcha worth "tryin "and it got good authentic matcha I ain't "lying "and it has Ube flavor that's "Hawaiian" The atmosphere at the Japan Center is "magnetic" come get the the real matcha which is premium and "authentic" and not med like in mediocre which is "generic"a few sips of the Maruwu Seicha matcha you will start feeling "energetic "

I visited on a Saturday in the early morning…read more There wasn't a wait when I arrived but there was a wait soon after. There is a kiosk to order - I ordered the strawberry matcha with 0% sweet The matcha was strong and good quality, strawberry was delicious and complimented the matcha well, since it was sweet. This was probably the best matcha I've had so far in the Bay Area There are tables outside the store to sit and enjoy your drink. Overall a good find! Definitely recommend going here for good quality matcha

Another great visit to this spot…read more These were good High tea _Decaf earl gray Roast beef Sandos Egg & turkey Chicken salad & roast beef Sausage rolls

Upon entering this decorative tea room, there's a sign, 'No Phone Zone,' so there are no photos…read moretaken in compliance to this request. My daughter wasn't hungry so she ordered à la carte the scones with jam, cream and fruit, and I ordeted roast beef and horseradish finger sandwich. Our tea of choice was passion fruit. As per their own website description, the food was average. People come here for the tea experience and setting. Therefore, it makes sense little girls gather here for a tea party, mesmerized by the teapots and cow shaped milk containers. This is a popular place, so reservation is highly recommended. Cost lean towards the pricey side, but you get to wear one of their hats hanging in the store free of charge!

Was visiting the area and decided to stop by Kiss of Matcha after seeing the reviews. Really glad I…read moredid. The shop has a cozy Japanese-style atmosphere with good music and a relaxing vibe that made it easy to hang out for a bit. I'm not usually a big matcha person, so I tried the hojicha soft serve instead and it was honestly really good. Rich roasted flavor, not overly sweet, and something different from the usual ice cream spots. I also sampled the black sesame and definitely want to come back for that next time. The staff were friendly, patient, and happy to explain the menu since it was my first time there. Everything came out quickly and looked carefully made.

I'm Korean and usually very picky about matcha, but Kiss of Matcha genuinely impressed me. The…read morematcha has a strong, rich flavor without being overly sweet like many other places. You can tell they use quality powder. The soft serve was smooth and creamy, and the hojicha drinks were also excellent. The atmosphere feels calm and cozy, similar to cafés in Seoul. The staff was friendly and patient even during busy hours. Easily one of the best matcha cafés I've tried in San Francisco.

I came here at the recommendation of a friend along with a few other people and we got a pot of…read moreturmeric chai to share so we could sit inside and chit chat. They have quite the selection of teas which are pretty fragrant and the menu is helpfully organized based on the level of caffeine in the teas. I thought the tea was decent. I learned that The Center is a space where events and classes are often held, and that there's actually people who live here (presumably upstairs). When I went on a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people there to talk or work on their laptops. I admit this place is a bit too "woowoo" for me, but I'm sure for some other people this would be a good fit for their desired atmosphere.

A lovely third space! The inside is a lot bigger than I was expecting, since the entrance is a…read morelittle hidden down an alleyway. This space feels super homey compared to other cafes as everyone mainly sits on the floor and you also take your shoes off inside. There's a huge selection of teas, and you can get free refills on the pots for as long as you want ($12)! I came on a Sunday afternoon and it got SUPER packed while I was there and pretty loud. I'd recommend coming earlier if you want to snag a table. I saw a lot of people catching up or doing work as well!

This place is absolutely amazing! The food and teas are so delicious and the ambiance was so…read moreadorable. The teacups are all so cute! The staff are also so sweet and knowledgable about the foods and tea selection. We went for our anniversary and they brought us a special tea(: will definitely be coming back and would 100% recommend!!!

This place is awesome! Wasn't sure what to expect, just wanted to grab some tea in a relaxing…read moresetting on a cold sf day. Came Saturday afternoon and it was pretty empty and super cozy. It's just a coffee/tea room with super chill vibGreat tea, super nice staff, cool vibey music and just got to enjoy tea in a comfy setting. This place is honestly one of the best "coffee shops" in town and I can't believe it's my first time coming. I was apprehensive at first because I thought I had to go through the church to go in, but the entrance is on the side through a wooden gate that's open and leads into a cute side area with a fountain. Along with tea they have chocolate drinks and I think coffee too. So happy to have a relaxing place to grab a beverage that's in a setting that doesn't feel like a sterile Apple Store. Love it!!

THE BEST PLACE TO GET RICE BALLS IN THE BAY…read more Hot. Fresh. Fragrant. Delicious. I wish I could get these on the streets. I usually get the mushroom one. The lines can be long, but it's worth it. Dango is also delicious here!

kissako tea is a small japanese snacks stand located on the bottom floor of the east mall in sf's…read morejapantown. there's always a short line, but it moves quickly. the daily selection of mochi is on display at the counter, and there's a decent selection of onigiri on their menu that's freshly made to order. each onigiri is made with a good amount with piping hot rice, so it was a treat to eat them right away. I ordered the fruit mochi, and although it was very pretty & the texture of the mochi itself was perfect, the fruit flavor tasted really artificial. in the future, I'd stick to only ordering from the mochi with bean filling. as for the onigiris, the mentaiko was by far my favorite!! there was a generous amount of mentaiko, and it was so savory. the beef sukiyaki onigiri was delicious too, but I wish there was more filling because the rice-to-meat ratio was off. the spicy furikake spam musubi was fine. it was good, but it didn't stand out as much as the first two

Obsessed! Discovered Urban Ritual two days ago, been here twice back to back. The quality of…read moreingredients, the option of no ice, the level of sweetness (when not adjustable), diversity of drink options, prices and the staff are all AMAZING! The young lady who has assisted my orders both days is so sweet and friendly. She prepared my drinks both days, she's amazing and so were our drinks. The store interior is not large yet spacious and clean. There is no where to enjoy outside in front of the store. There is a grassy/parking area nearby (2 min walk). From Civic Center Bart it is a 15-20 minute walk, depending on your pace. There is online ordering available as well as self service kiosks in store. Definitely worth a visit and revisit. I know I'll be back!

I know this was a highly rated boba place and my sister even spoke good things of it, and I had…read morehigh hopes for it... but in the end it fell short. The line was long, waited about 10 minutes for the ordering system, because it's by machine now. Then waited another 15 minutes for the drinks. There were a bunch of teeny boppers in front of me ordering drinks (6-8ish), so it took a bit. I ordered a house milk tea with 25% sugar. Honestly it just tasted like ash. No creamy tasting like other boba places. Not sure what their house cream was but it wasn't creamy or rich in flavor. Big disappointment. My husband got the crème brulee milk tea and that tasted even worst. It just tasted like bitter burnt pudding. Some sweetness once you get pass the pudding. Not sure who made the drinks but it was not good. The boba however was nice and soft. Not sure if it's the day or the rush of hella orders, but I normally judge a boba place by their basic milk tea and that day it was not good. And maybe that's not what to order? Not sure. But willing to try again on another time.

Came here for the Neko Oji-san collaboration, as that's how I learned about the cafe (I love the…read morecomedy short form manga online, check it out!). Parking nearby is horrendous, super busy even on the weekdays before the rush hour so I can't imagine weekends when people are out or other high traffic times. Get ready to make some rounds and pay for parking and be careful since there's very specific signage and times. The cafe itself is cute and cozy. Front area is a gift shop with lots of cat themed gifts and goodies like keychains, stickers, and such, and also some items from local and small artists too, which is neat. The cafe also has community events like movie showings ("The Cat Returns" was one of them which is a great choice) and cat yoga. If you're local, you can also get a time stamp if you are a frequent visitor. Definitely follow their socials for more information. There's reservations online and you can also do walk ins if it's not super busy. You can book for a 55 minute visit or a 30 minute visit. PRO-TIP: There's a discount for students, so if you want to be surrounded by some feline friends while you study or relax, great place to do so. You can hang your coat on the rack and there's a mini shelf area for your shoes. So you gotta walk in with socks! With each visit you can either get a hot cup of tea or a cold can or box drink from their fridge (sparking water, juices, etc.). Very refreshing and you can enjoy it in the cat area too. Sanitize your hands before and after visiting. There's lots of cats hiding around, sleeping, walking around, and some are super friendly and will go into your lap. There's toys you can play with the cats with and there's a wall of adoptable cats. Lots of seats or you can opt to sit on the floor with the cats too. There's relaxing lo-fi music throughout too. Pretty cool that they rescued 2 cats from Qatar and neat that we got to see them. As with all cats, some can be a bit spicy but it's usually just a warning teeth rub. I own cats so there's nothing new. I'm horribly allergic to the cat that specifically lives in my house, but I didn't get an allergy here, meaning that the cats are clean and well taken for. My favorite was a large sleepy orange boy, Ron (permanent non-adoptable resident) that was hanging out next to me the entire time.

The cats here are so cute!! Theres so many of them and they do not feel stressed at all. We stopped…read moreby a Friday afternoon and opted for the 30min session which I don't remember seeing available as an available option if reserving online. We didn't have any trouble walking in though and we were the only ones inside for most of the time. You get to choose a beverage of your choice from the fridge. They're mostly sparkling waters. We took off our socks and found a table to sit at. Some of the cats came up to greet us when we were sitting. There are also toys available for you to use to play with them. Many of the cats were napping or lounging around but don't mind if you come up to sit next to them and give them pets. There were all types of cats and some of them are actually available for adoption if you happen to fall in love with one!

What a lovely place to browse! So many gorgeous ceramics and the employees really know their stuff…read more They gave us some samples of cold brewed barley tea (SO GOOD) and then my partner talked tea with them for a while before deciding on a sencha purchase. They knew how to answer her specific questions and make a good recommendation!

Came here to shop for matcha accessories and the staff were so nice and helpful! They were amazing…read moreat explaining different products in the store. They have a great selection of matcha bowls and other drink ware, perfect for gifts or for yourself. Will be my go-to store for tea and tea accessories.