On a Thursday night, no wait, and super friendly service - we got to try a sample of the zesty…read moreoolong (aight) - Jasmine Oolong $5.85 + $1 Brown Sugar Tapiochi: tea was sooo fragrant even at 50% sweetness. Would def get again - Roasted Oolong w Pumpkin Spice Tapiochi $6.85: expected more roasted flavor. more subtle. Pumpkin spice was strong to the point of overwhelming. wouldnt get again Quality teas w unique flavors - would def try other things. Loved the vibes inside

I live nearby and finally decided to pop in after hearing about this place so many times…read more The decor was minimalistic and tasteful. It's a long, narrow shop so seating may be limited if you have a larger party, but the ambience was very pleasant and nice. Menu is stacked with the names of different types of teas but offers zero description on any of them, so you have no choice but to ask the barista to describe the flavor profile of the teas you're interested in. The barista seemed a bit tired of explaining the tea flavors on the menu, and I honestly don't blame them at all. I'd be annoyed if I had to recite and explain the same large menu over and over again to countless customers throughout the day, when it could've just been written on the menu. If mgmt is reading this - you should fix the menu to make it easier for workers (and customers). This could also help move your line faster, which I've often heard complaints about. I ordered the Koan-Im milk tea, unsweetened, without toppings. I usually like my teas and coffees dark and less sweet, no toppings - especially when I'm trying a new tea shop so I can taste the quality of the tea first, and see whether they get their milk to tea ratios right. The Koan-Im oolong was described to me as a dark roasted oolong so it sounded like it would fit my preference. Unfortunately I barely tasted any tea in it at all, and the drink was mostly just milk. I'm not even sure it was fully milk, since I tasted hints of non-dairy creamer (I should've asked the barista about this before ordering but I didn't want torment her any further after she just rapped an entire menu to me, so I made a hasty choice here). Unfortunately I had to bring the drink home and add more tea to fix the milky flavor. My honest thoughts - I should've ordered a plain tea drink rather than milk tea, so I could at least taste the quality of the tea. I don't think this place makes milk teas that I would like. They're likely one of those tea shops that are popular for their sugary milk tea drinks that lean heavier on the milk and toppings instead. I'm sure their tapioca mochi is lovely, as is their popular "popcorn milk tea" but if you're a person who prefers darker tea drinks with less of the fuss and frills like I do, this place isn't for you.

Parking: Same store as factory tea bar so parking is a small lot and some on the street. Usually…read morenot packed as the store is only open part of the day. Interior: Factory tea bar remodel quite a bit so it is a lot more modern and well light. Great studying spot. Wait Time: None as I ordered online. Drinks were ready when I got there. Also was empty mid day. Items Order: Larges 9/10 Egg coffee $7.5 - Coffee was very good, strong, sweet, authentic viet flavor. Egg foam was a solid addition but the egg flavor gets lost when mixed so could use more. 7.5/10 Matcha Einspanner $8 - sweetness was about 50% so could use more. the matcha itself was average, foam was solid and creamy. 8/10 Viet Coffee Einspanner $7.5 - solid viet coffee overall but the foam doesn't do much in my opinion 8/10 Nutty Spice Viet Coffee $7.5 - the pistachio milk added a different taste profile to the coffee which was a nice switch up. Pistachio flavor is definitely strong so get it only if that's what youre looking for.

I heard there's a new coffee shop in the area. It's shared with Factory Tea Bar. I believe they…read moreonly sell coffee until 2pm then it's only boba. They remodeled inside and I like how bright it is compared to before. I tried their Egg Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Strong flavor and didn't taste much of the egg part. Overall I'm happy there's a new coffee shop nearby! Definitely check out their coffee menu. Parking lot available but I find it difficult to get in and out. I rather park on the street.

Love all the iced coffee drinks here!…read more This location is smaller than their other locations, but I stopped by for their salt bread drops recently. If you're an iced latte fan, I'd recommend any of their 4 signature drinks. (Tiger Latte, Smokin Spaniard, Banana Milk latte, Corn latte) The strawberry matcha was good but not better than their signatures and their seasonal drinks are always hit or miss for me. Definitely check out their pastries too! The ham n cheese croisssant or cream cheese garlic bread are great

Entering Smoking Tiger is always a vibe, when the door opens and you're hit with the smell of…read morefreshly made coffee. Things are a little slower and calmer here, and I only wish the shop was bigger. They always have delicious looking pastries on display and I love that they have seasonal drinks. This time it was the seasonal pear drinks that brought me in. I got the spiced Korean pear cold brew (there's another name for it) and it tasted like a Korean version of a pumpkin spice drink. The Korean pear jam at the bottom was a lot stronger than I expected and almost tasted a bit alcoholic when paired ( no pun intended) with the cold brew and cinnamon. I definitely needed to take several sips before getting accustomed to it. I still plan to try the corn latte, perhaps one day when their seasonal drinks are not so enticing.

Been wanting to try this spot. So let's see if they're pretty good eh or ew. The owner is so nice…read moreand let me try their new beef fried rice ball, spam musubi, and pandan strawberry cooler. The rice ball had a fun chewy soft sticky rice with a nice crisp pan fry and was filled with like a bulgolgi like beef and it paired really well with the bright herby sauce that came with it. Spam musubi is one of my faves and is hard to nail but this one was yummy. Good ratios of salty spam, egg, and more fun chewy sticky rice. It even had a layer of Furikake for some extra flavor that I liked. The pandan strawberry cooler was nice and snowy, had plenty of coconutty vanillay pandany flaves complemented by the bright strawberry puree. MNM. Overall this place is pretty good. Rice ball $4.50 Spam musubi $4.50 Pandan strawberry cooler $6.50

I made a visit to L&B recently to try out their seasonal jasmine matcha and their xoi musubis. As…read morealways, service is amazing! The musubis were made to order since the sticky rice patties were pan fried. I think this might be my favorite take on it; the xoi patties were crispy and it came with a sweet sauce to balance out the spam slices. It truly is a labor of love. Their matcha jasmine was quite divine too. The seasonal menu is definitely a creative way to expand on their current drink rotation! Coming back for that pandan matcha!

tl;dr the Indonesian-influenced lineup of beverages and pastries is as tasty as it is unique; come…read morefor novelty, return for the quality Peter Then (aka Uncle Fung) is the mind behind the Alhambra staple (and Michelin Guide-recommended) Borneo Kalimantan Cuisine. Right next door, find Uncle Fung Coffee Stall, his daughter's tribute to her Indonesian roots. Here, relax in the retro-modern space and enjoy coffee and tea with an Indonesian flair. The vibe feels timeless. The paint-speckled brick walls and polished tiled floors starkly contrast the heirloom porcelain and framed Indonesian memorabilia. Small square tables and metal chairs are crammed into the narrow space. Close to opening, seats are plentiful, and serene pop blends with the espresso machine; later in the morning, the air is filled with chatter, and the queue stretches to the door. Of the drinks, our go-to has been The Putu, a pandan-forward latte that isn't too sweet. But don't sleep on the Indonesian pastries. I particularly enjoyed the Dadar Gulung, a vibrant green pandan crepe filled with sweet coconut. The scarlet, tortoise-shaped Angku Kueh is stuffed with an addictive mung bean filling. The Talan Ubi sweet potato-and-coconut treats tasted like fall. The Kueh Lupis, a sticky rice triangle with a side of palm sugar syrup, sports a spot-on Q texture, but is one-dimensional in flavor. Service is friendly and efficient. Pastries cost about ~$3-5, while specialty beverages run in the $7-8 range. The location is stellar (just steps away from the Alhambra Farmers Market), and the coffeehouse fare is uniquely crave-worthy. In all, Uncle Fung is a key member of Alhambra's specialty coffee scene, and it cracks my regular rotation.

I absolutely love the aesthetic of Uncle Fungs coffee stall. Having grown up in Asia, the interior…read moredesign really gave me a wave of nostalgia. The coffee shop is very spacious with lots of seating and there's something interesting to look at every corner. There was a short line when we arrived but it moved pretty quickly. The servers were very friendly, warm and efficient at their job. You see a fun selection of Indonesian / Malaysian desserts as you get to the counter, and their drink options are unique and plentiful. We tried two of their artisanal kopi, Kopi Susu and The Putu and tried the Putu Ayu dessert. The drinks were absolutely incredible! The flavour combination and sweetness level of The Putu was perfect. I love that the bold delicious espresso came through, it wasn't overpowered by the sugar, pandan flavour or coconut cream. The drink wasn't too heavy or creamy, it was just so well balanced it left me wanting more! The Putu Ayu however was just alright. The cake flavours were fine, but it was just a bit dry for my taste. Highly recommend coming by to check this place out! Knowing how good their coffee is, I really want to come back for a pour over. Thanks for a great time!

The pastry is absolutely delicious! Hojicha flavor is my favorite!!! Macha is also good!! The staff…read moreis polite and helpful

They have good pastries & cream puffs. We're generally happy with our pick. Drinks are okay-decent…read more A bit pricey though. The pastries/baked goods & cream puffs are definitely their specialty or signature/highlight. Service has always been good. Never an issue. They do run out of stuff in the last hour or two on the weekends. Parking. There's underground parking. Street parking is limited. Both Valley Blvd and Del Mar are busy streets. Seating. Bar inside. Bench outside. Two patio table with chairs. PASTRIES/BAKED GOODS: Rose Raspberry Lychee Croffin 4.5/5 Liked it. Lemon Almond Croissant 4.5/5 Gotten this one multiple times. It's good. Blueberry Ricotta Danish 4.5/5 Gotten this one multiple times as well. Good. Pain Au Crossiant 4.25/5 Decent. Buttery Pressed Croissant 4/5 At first, I thought it was so-so. It's rather plain and simple. However, after pairing it with my Nespresso, thought it was not bad. Good pairing. Plain Croissant 4/5 It's alright/fine. Bf likes the plain croissant from Tierra Mia better and I like it from Artisanal Goods by CAR. CREAM PUFFS: The cream puffs are not cheap. 4pcs for $16. So, $4 a pop. They're tasty and more exquisite than other brand's cream puffs though. It's different taste and texture, so a bit hard to compare. We still like them. Flavor & taste vary vastly depending on which one you get. 4pcs for $16 6pcs for $23 8pcs for $30 Lemon 4.5/5 We both like it Dark Chocolate 4.5/5 Good. Taro Salted Egg Yolk 4.25/5 Not bad. Oolong Tea 4.25/5 Kinda liked it. I can see it as acquired taste, but kinda like the interesting/unique tea flavor. DRINKS: Hazelnut Praline Latte (hot) 4.25/5 Kinda like the taste the best among all the ones we've tried from here. However, $7.20 (before tax & tip) for a small cup is a bit steep. Pistachio Cream Top Latte 4/5 Liked it slightly better than the black sesame cream top. Black Sesame Cream Top Latte 4/5 It's alright/fine. Sounded good. Hot Latte 4/5 Fine. Nothing special or bad. Kinda ordinary, but serves its purpose as a simple hot latte.

A fine quality tea shop that offers the traditional milk tea and toppings (boba, grass jelly,…read morejellies, etc). The space is small but there are seats available inside the shop and plenty of outdoor seating available. The tea baristas are very knowledgeable and can share their suggestions based on your personal tea preferences. I enjoyed watching them brew my fresh tea leaves with their machines.

Really great drinks, absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, but you can of course adjust the…read moresweetness levels. Service was super quick and friendly. There's not a ton of testing inside but there are additional seating outside. Very clean, can't wait until I'm in the area again to try more teas!

It's fantastic. My friends all agree that the flavor appeals to everyone--a real treat for food…read morelovers. It isn't greasy; the texture is silky-smooth with a lingering aroma, and the service is excellent

We first stopped in at Bopomofo last December, on our way to Yama Sushi Market. The place had such…read morea cool vibe, and we had a really good drink. We were back in the neighborhood today and decided to visit both again. Lately, I've been feeling like everywhere I go, people are caught up in deadlines and rushing on to the next thing. So many interactions feel like people are just going through the motions, without much care or heart. Then we walked into Bopomofo and Lev greeted us with so much warmth. Lev asked if we'd been here before--who even asks that these days?--and took the time to walk us through the extensive menu of really unique drinks and ask what we were in the mood for. Lev even asked our names, then came over to ask if we were enjoying our drinks. Boy, were we! That kind of genuine friendliness really stood out. Bopomofo has a great atmosphere, and Lev made our visit feel special. Lev kind of made my day and gave me a little hope in humanity. We'll definitely be back soon!

Tried the San Gabriel location of Old Ferry Donut, a Korean chain, and it did not disappoint. Staff…read morewas very friendly and the flavor selection is genuinely unique. Their best seller is the butter pistachio, but I went with the tiramisu (their second best seller) and the hazelnut choco since I'm a hazelnut person. Both were really good. They also have merch, and the whole shop has a very cute aesthetic. Worth a stop if you're in the area.

We came here after dinner for dessert, but unfortunately, the crème brûlée donut was already sold…read moreout. We tried their black sesame latte and iced cream latte instead, and both were delicious! Jordan was amazing and made our visit even better. We were so sad that the crème brûlée donut was gone that we decided to come back the next morning. We finally got to try it, and yes--it was perfect! Definitely worth a visit for the drinks and donuts!

I love studying here!!! I just wish there were more outlets. Nonetheless, I love their coffee, it…read morekeeps me AWAKE! I always get their caprese baguette at any Paris Baguette bakeries I go to. Their service is very good too, so friendly. The place itself in this location is spacious and nice. I wish I had a picture because I love how this one connects to the store next-door with the claw machine (iirc).

I tried some cake slices from here and they were all decent…read more I tried the new Chocolate Matilda cake from here and it was pretty decadent. I liked the moist and chocolatey cake, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the chocolate mousse frosting which seemed goopy. It was a lot to eat in one sitting just for this slice. I also tried my friends' chocolate strawberry cake and fresh cream strawberry cake slices and those were light, but compared to the Chocolate Matilda cake, those slices were dryer. The interior is clean and spacious with a good amount of seating and tables. I did see some outlets and some people on laptops, so it looks like there may be wifi as well. The staff here were super nice and there's free parking in front, but busy on the weekend.