Came here one morning and I was surprised by how busy this cafe already was at 9am! This cafe…read moreoffers Vietnamese coffee, matcha, and a variety of food options--from banh mi to rice bowls to pastries and more! I got their Kyoto Fog and a cold cut banh mi. The banh mi was pretty solid with good pate and Vietnamese "butter" and their Kyoto fog (earl grey matcha) was sweet but to die for. Would love to come back and try some of their other items!

I went in here for coffee which is good but the highlight was the ube tiramisu. It was light and…read morefluffy and perfect to pair with black coffee. It was packed with a lot of people who were working with their laptops so it is hard to get a seat. Probably because it is a really nice spot to work with amazing pastries like the aforementioned tiramisu. Would go back I hope it's still there

This is gonna be a popular spot once it catches on. I couldn't believe it when I walked by and saw…read morea new cafe I had never heard of! It's so cute inside, with plenty of seating. They were attentive to my fiancé's food allergies. I watched them make their matcha with the traditional whisk--no pre-packaged matcha syrup here. I got an iced matcha latte with oat milk and my fiance tried the mango matcha. They were not too sweet--can be good or bad depending on what you like, but I did wish mine was a touch sweeter! The mango was super fresh and you could taste fruit chunks in it. Excited to come back here and try pastries and more! The milk options, not listed on the menu, but they told me are: whole, skim, oat, almond

Really cute interior and nice study/chat vibes! Jazz/piano music was a bit loud, but the service is…read morefast and interior is clean. I ordered the Hong Kong milk tea, which was served quickly. I had high hopes for a delicious Hong Kong style milk tea flavor, but it tasted pretty watery overall. Not a lot of tea flavor, and while it was not too sweet, the aroma of the tea barely came through. I would be interested in coming back and ordering another drink as I try the food!

There isn't much I miss about Boston/Somerville food wise, but this place is definitely one I hit…read morewhen I'm in the area. Probably the best, freshest poke I've ever had. The boba is pretty good too. I miss when I was right next door and getting it every week. They have tablets to order on or you can give your order to a cashier -- service is quick and pleasant. They have tables to dine in and free fruit flavored water to drink. It gives local boba shop w fluorescent lighting type vibes. It's popular with the local college kids despite having a competing chain nearby. (I do like pokeworks but I would kill for a Waikiki near me). My only complaint is they have no rewards program (like Pokeworks does). I guess they know the food is good enough to not need it ‍

Solid poke spot - is it the best and freshest, no, but I've never had a bad meal here…read more All fruit teas are made with real fruit. Sometimes the fruit isn't the ripest but it's definitely fresh fruit and nothing artificial. Lots of protein options including cooked meats for those who don't want raw fish.

Green tea and matcha can be bitter if done wrong.. Nana's is none of that!! It is smooth tasting…read moreand delicious!! I have been waiting over a year for this place to open and thank goodness it has!! I have gone there at least 4 times different days and different times!! It was consistently high quality and the staff is exceptionally nice and knowledgeable!! They currently have drinks and the parfaits only. I am waiting patiently for when the savory foods and the matcha cakes and pastries to be available for sale! Yes we used to live in Seattle and it gad the full menu like in Kyoto and everything was delish there too!! Take your time and enjoy the best of the best of green tea and matcha from Japan in Boston!! It is worth the time and cost!! There are plenty of tables and chairs to sit and eat your parfaits and drink up your teas!! Very clean and lit!! Highly suggest you go before it gets way busy and the line is out the door!! Love this place! Take time to savor and enjoy these extraordinary foods without having to spend over 15 hrs or more to Japan to get it!! Thank you!!

The matcha soft serve leans closer to bitter matcha as opposed to sweet matcha which was a really…read morenice surprise. The cone/cup/cone+cup option appeared to be the same price on the ordering kiosk which was a huge surprise-- I normally expect an additional charge for the cone. There are simple syrup pumps near the self service station near the restroom and right at the counter for use if you did prefer more sweetness. There is only one restroom and when I went there was a small line to use it. Ample seating (indoors and outdoors) which made it more desirable than waiting for Mizu Matcha (though next time I would love to try out their different matcha levels).

amazing customer service from ann and wen the best ever. this is the most life changing drink ive…read moreever had.

Exotic coffee flavor would bring you to a French -Vietnamese cafe with modern fusion style from…read moreSaigon, Indochina. Then you could blend back into the multicultural atmosphere of Boston Chinatown while the memory of the great coffee willbe on your mind forever. P/S: ALL THE STAFF ARE RIDICULOUSLY ATTENTIVE & KIND!!

Great food and service! Food including fresh rolls are made fresh to order…read more Super nice staff Lovely cafe to study and read too. Nice ambiance

Cafe Lava and Bento has such a cozy, slightly old-fashioned feel inside: rustic/vintage-ish in a…read moreway that makes you want to settle in and stay awhile. I'm writing this review from the cafe right now and can hear the jazz piano playing softly in the background, plenty of people with laptops, wifi, comfy seating, and an atmosphere that is perfect for working all day, reading a book, catching up with a friend, or bringing some artwork to work on. I wish I lived closer because I could see myself parking here for hours. The food is largely Vietnamese-inspired, and I appreciate that there are quite a few options. The spring rolls have good vegetarian choices, including mushroom and tofu, and the bánh mì selection is surprisingly broad: chicken, pork, beef, classic, even smoked salmon. This time I got the $9.99 special with a half classic bánh mì and an iced latte with oat milk. The latte was probably the weakest thing I've had here; it was quite light in color and tasted a little watery. BUT (!!!), I was oddly impressed by the bánh mì. It wasn't overflowing with meat or toppings, but for $9.99, especially these days, I wasn't expecting something enormous. What they nailed was the bread. It was wonderfully warm, light, crisp, and crunchy in exactly the way good bánh mì bread should be. The pâté spread also really hit the spot. They also serve boba. On a previous visit I got an avocado shake with boba, which was really nice on a hot summer day. More than anything, though, I like this place because it feels like somewhere you can actually linger. I see lots of people working on laptops here, and it has that increasingly rare café feeling where you want to sit down and stay. (And not be shooed out.) Cafe Lava and Bento is definitely a place I'd come back to, especially for the atmosphere and that delicious bánh mì bread.

I saw Pixlcat on TikTok a few months ago and had it on my list, and I discovered it at the farmer's…read moremarket by chance walking around Newbury today! Obviously there was no seating due to this being a pop-up, but the service was phenomenal with the cashier being super friendly and well-versed in the store's products. This was right by the Boston Public Library, which made it perfect for a light snack; I believe they're here every Tuesday and Friday. The cashier recommended the Honeycomb Dopo Panna Latte and the Ube Butter Mochi, so I got those and two other butter mochi flavors. Honeycomb Latte (8/10): The first few sips of this were AMAZING-creamy, nutty, caramel-y, and sweet with slight textured bits that I assume were honeycomb. I think I didn't fully stir bc the drink became much more bland and tasted like very lightly sweetened/flavored milk after the first few sips. The drink was a bit hard to stir due to the large ice cubes and the cream being at the top. Overall, not bad going off of the first few sips and giving benefit of the doubt with my partial stirring. Chocolate Butter Mochi (10/10): My favorite of the three! Strikes a great balance between the signature bouncy texture of butter mochi and the breadiness of a muffin without being dry or hard at all. Subtle chocolate taste yet just the right amount! Black Sesame Butter Mochi (9.3/10): They really nailed the black sesame flavor! Not overwhelming, seeds added some nice texture. Felt ever so slightly less bouncy than the chocolate mochi, but still great texture. Knocked down based off personal preference, not the quality of the mochi. Ube Butter Mochi (9.2/10): Felt lighter than the black sesame mochi, which was nice! The frosting on top adds sweetness; not sure I really felt the ube flavor come through that clearly, but still a good mochi overall. Knocked down due to personal preference (slightly too sweet, flavor not as easily identifiable), not the quality of the mochi.

Thoroughly surprised by their matcha! It had the grassy taste but the bearable yummy mix that…read moretastes high quality. My favorite is the ube and the strawberry. The strawberry flavoring was very subtle but still good nonetheless. I got the sampler that came with three butter mochi: ube, original, and black sesame. It was chewy and soft and my favorite was the ube.

SO good omg. New coffee/tea place opened inside Novo marketplace and I'm so glad we stumbled upon…read moreit. We ordered from the kiosk and I got the iced matcha jasmine milk tea with half sugar. They are not skimpy with the matcha (it's perfectly strong!) and the jasmine was a nice compliment to the matcha. The half sweet (which is the default) was a good choice because full sweetness would've been too sweet. My boyfriend got the iced honey jasmine milk tea and don't let the white color fool you because the jasmine is fragrant and strong as well. This one was also half sweet and again, it's perfect. The drinks came out quick (under 5 min) and I was given a free sticker sheet for their opening. The price is reasonable too- about $6 for 16 oz, plus today was BOGO :) There's a few tables for sitting but if it fills up, there are plenty around the novo marketplace. They have a lot of unique flavors which I definitely want to try next time. I'm going to be honest and say this might've dethroned Heytea as my #1. Trust me and come visit!

Cute Cotti Coffee is now open at Novo Marketplace in Allston!…read more Originally from China, Cotti has become one of the country's fastest-growing coffee chains and has gone viral for its affordable drinks and creative flavors--so I was excited to see it finally make its way here I tried a few drinks, and they definitely lived up to the hype! My absolute favorite drink was the Mango Pomelo - so refreshing, fruity, smooth, and perfect for summer. For coffee, my favorites were the Pandan Coco Latte and the Pampas Blue Coco Latte. The Pandan Coco Latte had such a smooth, subtle vanilla-like sweetness from the pandan that paired perfectly with the creamy coconut milk. The Pampas Blue Coco Latte was also incredibly smooth, rich, and creamy--another drink I'd happily order again. For a lil sweet treat, we ordered the Egg Waffle Sundae, which was the perfect thing for a hot summer day in Allston I already have a list of drinks I want to come back for, including the Matcha Red Bean Latte, Pandan Mango Coco Frappé, and their variety of milk teas. Safe to say this won't be my last visit!!!