Sama Coffee Shop in San Mateo understands that a café can be more than a place to consume coffee;…read moreit can be an exercise in atmosphere and appetite. The room is quietly elegant, its Middle Eastern influences expressed through considered décor rather than theatrical excess. There is an appealing sense of decorum here; a place designed to encourage lingering rather than turnover. The coffee is similarly assured. Turkish coffee possesses the requisite depth and bitterness, while the rose-cardamom-honey latte introduces floral sweetness and spice with admirable restraint. The pastries and sweets--particularly the baklava and kunafeh--provide a luxurious counterpoint without descending entirely into confectionery excess. At roughly $10-$20 per person, Sama occupies a sensible price point for an experience that feels considerably more considered than the average neighborhood coffee shop. Sama is, ultimately, a café with a point of view and that is increasingly rare. The service was designed to provide you with a feeling that you're like a beloved family member. Eager to answer all questions asked and make you feel like you're at home.

We stopped by Sama Coffee Shop for a coffee and a quick dessert while we were in the area. It's a…read morecharming Turkish-style café with a nice selection of coffee drinks, creative lattes, teas, pastries, and desserts. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it a good place to sit for a bit and enjoy a drink and something sweet. Overall, I would say our experience was fine. The coffee and dessert were good, but nothing really stood out enough that I would make a special trip from the South Bay to San Mateo just to come here. That said, if you're already in the area and looking for a casual coffee spot with some Turkish-inspired treats and a relaxed atmosphere, it's definitely worth stopping by.

The lattes here are so good that we decided this would be our coffee shop for the rest of the trip…read more My husband ordered a miso caramel, I ordered the sesame latte, and my sister got a cold brew. The two lattes came in identical-looking containers, but you could taste the difference in each, which isn't always the case. The miso was salty and sweet with an earthy flavor. Nothing was too sweet, and everything was exquisite and unique. Very much worth going out of the way for. Even the baristas were friendly. My sister ended up talking to one of the guys behind the counter about the shop's cold brew process for quite a while. One of my favorite coffee shops I've ever been to, period. Not just the best in the area. Find a better place? Ya can't.

Stopped by on national coffee day for a Black Sesame Latte, and I love black sesame lattes. But…read moretheirs is not something I'd bother to get again: espresso/drink overall seemed sour & the sesame was pretty grainy. Oatmilk taste showed through while I was midway drinking, so whatever milk they use is good. This was my second coffee of the day so I could tell the beans were better than the first coffee I had but the overall flavor really was kind of sour, even when I drank water in between sips. I did get the lowest sweetness, but I also drink plenty of plain lattes and americanos, so I don't think sweetness should be needed to carry a coffee. I feel like with the hype I've heard about this place, the coffee wasn't that great. I picked up a Black Sesame Matcha for a friend too and they thought it was just okay. Though to be fair, I sat with their drink for about 15 minutes before making the 10 minute drive over to them. Very friendly staff that knew their regulars. Narrow shop with limited seating but by the time I got my drink, a table vacated & I was able to sit for a bit. Wifi was solid.

bit of a line Saturday morning, but it moves fast. Very cute vibes, lots of families. We ordered…read moremilk bread, kouign amann, a ham and cheese croissant, an everything bowl, and a pistachio/raspberry croissant. Nothing missed, but I loved the pistachio/raspberry croissant the most. It was tangy and not too sweet, which can be the case for many raspberry and pistachio pastries. Rarer still is when both flavors come through and don't overpower each other. The only thing that I didn't love was the coffee but it's hard to be a barista and a pastry chef. I didn't come for coffee so I'm not going to knock them for it.

My son came into Backhaus specifically for one of their cookies, but they had already sold out for…read morethe day. When the staff realized that was what he had come in for, they gave him a couple of the "reject" cookies that had already been set aside for employees. Needless to say, he was thrilled. It was a small gesture, but an incredibly thoughtful one that really made his day. Backhaus has fantastic baked goods, but it's this kind of genuine customer service that makes the place stand out. We'll definitely keep coming back.

I was eating next door on a Sunday afternoon and saw lots of people going in and coming out with…read moredelicious looking matcha drinks. I watched their reactions when taking the first sip, it was a lot of head nodding and thumbs upping to their friends so I felt like I had to go in and try for myself. Went in and ordered an earl gray matcha and my partner ordered a passion mango tea w boba. The matcha & the passion fruit was so good! The boba was chewy and sweet. I would definitely recommend coming and trying! I really wanted to try their strawberry matcha but I'm always so skeptical (I have trust issues w bad strawb matchas) but the earl gray was good, so maybe I'll try next visit. The interior was nice, menu was straight forward on the wall and on the check out table -- only thing is the description of the drinks weren't shown on the menus until you're on the self check out kiosk. I was curious about the sunny side up matcha thinking it was made with real egg yolk (which I thought kinda weird?) but the kiosk said that it was mango. You didn't really talk to staff at all & the drinks came out pretty fast! Would come back again.

I'll round up because I want this place to do well. This was my second time coming here. The first…read moretime, my husband ordered a hojicha einspanner. The second time, I ordered a matcha einspanner, and he got the hojicha einspanner again. Maybe I'm just not too familiar with how to drink einspanners, but the cream pretty much sat on top of the drink. At first, I was mostly just drinking the matcha, which was fine because it was flavorful and seemed to be good quality. Once I got toward the end of the drink, that's when I started tasting the cream. The cream was a little too thick for my liking and left a film-like texture in my mouth, which I didn't love. Since I enjoyed the overall flavor of the drink, I'll give it a 4! The ambiance is cute, and the service was easy. You just order from a kiosk, and they call your name once your drink is ready. The first time I went was on a weekend, and the line was out the door. This time, I went on a weekday, and it was pretty empty. If you're looking for a sweet, caffeinated drink as a pick-me-up, I'd recommend trying it at least once.

The cakes are so yummy! And the staff is extremely friendly! I especially loved the durian cake and…read morethe durian panna cotta, while my son loved the mango panna cotta. Definitely will be ordering again!

This was my first time ever coming to this local bakery and as I walked up, I was surprised it was…read moreclosed around lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon. Just then a police officer walked by, so I decided to ask him if he knew the stores hours, since he was in the office next door.... He didn't try the bakery before, but guessed the owner was probably out on lunch and didn't post anything. So I went to check out 3 Bee's instead, since they have Gluten Free items and they're a couple blocks away. (S my review on that place too!) hee Anyways, I parked my car here at this garage, so I'd be back and man was I ever glad I came back! The bakery was closed for lunch and the barista working behind the counter was so sweet and friendly! I wish I could've stomached another coffee, but I was full from the last coffee yet this place was known for its cakes and pastries! So I bought a slice of the Hojicha and it was so soft and pillow-like! I also loved the chocolate croissant. The flaky-ness of the pastry was perfect and there wasn't too much chocolate per croissant either. There wasn't much for a sitting area, but the shop was really cute inside. I got my items to go and enjoyed them later that evening. I'll be back! Hee.

Lovee Molly Tea for their flowery-Jasmine drinks. Super refreshing and unique tasting milk teas…read more For milk teas, I normally get the Apple Milk tea or Matcha Jasmine. When it's mango season, I always get their Jasmine Mango Smoothie. It's my favoritee thing here and I love the toppings in it. It's super light, not too heavy. Definitely worth trying.

I have came here before and it's very busy everytime. This was the first time the person giving me…read moremy drink was a bit rude. I greeted her with a smile and said 'hi!' & showed her my phone which had the order # on it, she responded in a very direct/annoyed tone of voice with 'what's your order number' . I told her the number as she looked away after asking the question and said 'what?' , I repeated my number again. I understand it's busy, I've worked customer service before but I feel like you should still be professional/polite to your customers regardless of what's going on in the back of the house or front of the house. Now the drink itself was delicious, I got the velvet champaca matcha. No sugar just how I like it.

This time we got some fruit teas and they were so good not overly sweet, and you can actually taste…read morethe tea (which I love). My friend got a fruit tea, and I tried the Toffee Matcha... omg, so thick, creamy, and just really satisfying. Service was also super sweet, the cashier guy was really friendly and helpful, which made the whole experience even better. Simple, solid, and always hits. Will definitely keep coming back

Came in here for some caffeine and was happy with the Hong Kong Milk Tea with drinkable mochi that…read moreI ordered. They didn't have their seasonal options displayed very well so I had to scramble and check their Instagram for descriptions/pictures but ultimately I'm happy I just went with a classic drink instead. The shop is super small and a little bit dark, could use some livening up! This location is a little hard to get to if you wanted to just pop in to pick up a drink but there is a parking garage about a block away. But otherwise loved my drink and haven't been disappointed with any visit to Urban Ritual.

Recently discovered this place and today I was with my baby who fallen asleep in the car. I ordered…read moreonline but I couldn't park or figure out how to pick up my order. I stopped in front of their coffee shop and run back forth saying that my baby is sleeping, let me know when it is ready. So the cook bought my sandwich to the car even though I didn't ask for that. Awwww as postpartum mama who did not have her breakfast and coffee at 11am, I was so touched by their excellent service! Coffee was so smooth and my sandwich like my grandma did - so yummy! They just earned forever customer! :-)

I've been here a number of times, they're located in a business complex, but they're also open on…read morethe weekends so we pop in here and there for coffee or a snack. We've tried a good number of things on the menu and the main thing for me is that even though the prices are not steep, the food portions are quite small. Even the bagels are not standard-sized bagels, they're smaller and feel more like a mini bagel. Whenever I order any rice dish, I'm never full. Taste is average at best across everything I've tried. So even though it's not expensive, it doesn't feel quite worth it. The drinks are good, I've enjoyed most of what I've tried. The space is pretty big and open, good for working or hanging out and the staff is usually friendly. The only time I've had a negative experience with service was with the owner or manager (not sure), she was a bit rude and stand-offish.

I love their einspanners! Both their black sesame and pistachio are so creamy and packed with…read moreflavor. Parking is pretty easy since it's surrounded by not only street parking but also a parking garage and parking lot just across the street. Inside, the space has a lot of bright natural light and I love the assortment of tables, chairs, and benches. There's even a back area with more seating but there's usually enough spots to sit inside.

Nice guys working the bar. I ordered the matcha latte and…read moreadded vanilla. The good quality flavor was present but very subtle, I think they could have used a little more matcha. I also noticed they bulk their matcha, so no whisking, just pouring from a bottle. Small seating area but good vibes.

cafe kazka is such a hidden gem in foster city! my friend and I came to check it out for lunch…read moreafter hearing it was a hong kong-style cafe, and were not disappointed at all. first, the cafe is so cute and also spotless- I could've stayed all day just reading or doing work. there was lots of outdoor seating overlooking the water which was so nice! I got an iced HK style coffee + milk tea which I've never had before but was so delicious. I'd definitely come back to try the other fruity drinks too! we ordered the tom yum noodles, preserved vegetables & pork noodle soup, salt & pepper fries, and the HK style french toast with peanut butter. the french toast was our favorite- it was fluffy and chewy and was just like the HK classic. the noodle dishes were both so hearty and flavorful too, and the portions were a good size. it did take a bit long for everything to come out, but it did seem like there was only one person working and she was very kind and accommodating when we had questions about our order. we didn't mind at all, especially sitting outside and enjoying the view! overall, I'll for sure be back for the drinks and to try some other HK style street food.

This was my first time trying Cafe Kazka, and unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The…read morerestaurant seemed seriously understaffed and very disorganized. I ordered the lemongrass pork jaw rice. There were only about six pieces of meat, and the lemongrass was chopped into very tiny pieces and mixed into the sauce. The problem was that the lemongrass was extremely tough, almost like small pieces of tree branches, and impossible to chew. I had to spit them out, but because they were chopped so finely and mixed throughout the sauce and meat, it was very difficult to eat. If this is how they prepare the dish, they should reconsider the way they cook and serve lemongrass dishes--or consider removing this dish from the menu. I also waited about 30 minutes for my food. After such a long wait, I expected the food to at least arrive hot, but it was already cold. It seemed like the food had been sitting in the kitchen for a while because there weren't enough staff to bring it out to customers. The table service and cleanliness were also disappointing. There were no staff available to clean the tables, and I actually saw customers moving previous customers' dirty plates to one side and wiping the table themselves. Our table was also extremely sticky. The restaurant really needs to review its food delivery process. Instead of having staff run around the dining area trying to find the right table number, they could simply have customers pick up their food using an order number. This would probably make the process much faster and more organized. Overall, the food was just so-so, the service was slow, and the whole restaurant felt very unorganized. Unfortunately, I will not be coming back.