Happy New Year and decade, Yelp family! After seeing recent photos of the gorgeous desserts and tonkatsu - one of my favorite foods - at Cafe Mixx on social media and Yelp, I told the hubs we had to check out Cafe Mixx/Cafe Bora the next time we were in Suwanee. Sure enough, we were nearby on Lunar New Year's Day, so my heart was set on coming here for an early lunch.
Note: I'm not 100% clear as to why there are two names for the business, but I believe Cafe Mixx may be the local name of the South Korean chain called Cafe Bora. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)
As soon as I walked in, I loved the look of the interior. The restaurant looked so clean, cozy, and adorable. The hubs and I had our little future Yelper with us, so we were also pleased to see that there were two stacks of high chairs for babies by the entrance.
Options for Cafe Mixx's entrees and savory dishes are limited to different types of "katsu" (cutlets, including a Fish Katsu for pescatarians), fried chicken wings, Sausage Rice cake Skewer, and Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), but I like that their menu is so simple. The focus is definitely on their desserts and cafe beverages.
I already knew what I wanted, and after the hubs decided what he wanted, we placed our orders at the counter, paid, and received a buzzer. The hubs grabbed a high chair and found a table while I snapped photos of the interior. Less than 15 minutes after placing our orders, our buzzer went off and we went back to the counter to get our food.
| Entrees |
* Pork Loin Tonkatsu ($9.95) - The tonkatsu (pork cutlet) was served with a cup of miso soup, cabbage salad, bread and butter pickles, pickled ginger, a scoop of white rice, and a side of tonkatsu sauce. The tonkatsu breading was good, but it would have been even better if it was a little crispier and didn't fall off the pork so easily. I thought the sauce was decent but it tasted strongly of ketchup and not my favorite tonkatsu sauce (Bull-Dog). Everything else was good and the price was right for a satisfying portion of food.
* Crispy Chicken (Fried Wings; Small - 7 pieces, $9.95) - The hubs had a choice between hot and mild wings, and he chose hot. I tried one and thought it was delicious! The chicken had a perfectly crispy batter and the meat was juicy, but there was only a very slight heat to it. Honestly, it reminded me of Popeyes, but no complaints about that. The only thing that the chicken comes with is a small bowl of cubed, pickled radish. It isn't served with any sauces, either. I guess this is meant to be more of an appetizer than an entree. Fries would have been the perfect complement, but alas, they don't serve fries. The pickled radish was fine but it would have been nice to be able to choose a different side.
| Dessert |
The hubs and I aren't usually big on desserts, but I knew we had to try one of them. I mean, they're mainly known for their desserts! I'm not a fan of purple sweet potato, which seems to be their signature ingredient for their popular purple desserts. (In fact, "bora" means "purple" in Korean.) I chose the Matcha Tiramisu.
* Matcha Tiramisu (Small, $3.95) - This was unlike any tiramisu I had ever had before. The matcha powder-dusted tiramisu was creamy (a bit milky) with a bit of cake at the bottom of the cup. I loved that it was only slightly sweet and very light - not heavy or dense. The small size was sufficient for me and hubs to share since we both just wanted a taste of the dessert, but I think I could have eaten the whole thing. I recommend this to matcha lovers who just want a light and simple dessert here!
Overall, Cafe Mixx/Cafe Bora gets 4 stars for their good food and tasty dessert. I typically try not to review a place unless I've been there more than once, but I wanted to share my experience here since I'm not sure when I'll be back in the area again. However, I'm sure the hubs and I will return and look forward to trying a different katsu and dessert next time!
Tip: If you're a fan of loyalty programs, you can get points towards rewards with the Clover app or via text! You earn 1 point per dollar spent, and once you earn 100 points, you will get $5 off any purchase. (See details at the bottom of your receipt.) read more