I love Neko Nook! They offer delicious Japanese food and drinks. I enjoy their Sandos--the cream isn't too sweet and the bread is soft. Also, their drinks are unique like their ume flavored drink (uniquely salty!) And their refreshers. I absolutely enjoy the vibe of the cafe. It's cozy and has cute decor. Moreover, they play nice music like ghibli instrumentals/soundtracks. There are a couple regular tables and chairs and some chairs and tables set up like a camping area. They also have outdoor seating if you want to enjoy the weather. The staff are always helpful with the many questions I have about their drinks! I've been to Neko Nook several times and I'll continue to go! read more

Friendly service, small cafe. Matcha matcha latte: saw this on their seasonal menu but they were still able to make it for me even though it wasn't advertised on their current menu. Matcha latte was very smooth, not gritty at all, and they asked what sweetness level you want. Overall, it's a good matcha but wished it had deeper umami notes. OG egg sando: only ate half and it's pretty filling! I would come back to try other menu items read more

Neko Nook - Matcha matcha latte, egg OG Tamago Sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Had breakfast. Placed order at counter and waited for all to be made. Chicken Katsu Curry - came in a bowl. Chicken katsu on the left and steamed rice on the right with pickled vegetables covered in a brown curry sauce. There is a lot of curry sauce, so you have more than enough for everything in the bowl. It was good to try, but I might stick to something different the next time - all about preference. Ube Latte - I got it iced. After my first sip, I was expecting it to be a little sweet, but it was not at all. However, as I shook my cup a bit more it tasted how I wanted it - that helped. Enjoyed this drink. Even though there is seating both indoors and outdoors, there are not a lot of seats overall. We lucked out as someone was leaving a table right after we ordered. read more

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Their egg sandwich is delish!!! Ive gone a couple of times and both times were so good. It does take a little bit of time to get your food, but i think its cause they make everything to order. But definitely worth the wait! read more

I have been going crazy for strawberry matcha! I went on a Saturday morning, which means a lot of people. A little hectic in there given it is a smaller coffee shop. I had to wait in line to pick up my matcha, which I had no problem doing. They added a little blanket on top of the top so my drink wouldn't spill and I love that intentional thinking I will say I took off a star just because there was only one person doing everything, which looked super overwhelming. She was taking orders, walking orders to tables, making the orders, and handed me my pick up order as well. In terms of taste, it's freaking AMAZING! I would come here again just for that and maybe try a sando for a treat. Come here to satisfy your craving of strawberry matcha!! read more

Neko Nook - Matcha Strawberry Latte - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Such a cute addition to the Kentlands area. They sell snacks inside, in addition to a coffee/drink menu and food menu. We got the strawberry matcha latte and black sesame latte, but would come back to try one of their sandos! My strawberry matcha latte was good - it was heavy on the sweet strawberry flavor, which I enjoyed, while the matcha wasn't sweet. The black sesame latte was decent, but would've liked the black sesame flavor to come through more. You can order online and it's easy to pick up inside when you arrive. read more

Neko Nook - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Neko Nook might be my favorite bakery in the Gaithersburg Area. It's a cute cafe in the Kentlands area where upon walking in, the entire store has a cat theme upon it. You have merch on the side of the counter along with Japanese Imported Snacks you can get. The Cafe features Espressos, Refreshers, Specials, and even Japanese Sandos you can order. The Sandos are all made with Japanese Milk Bread that's imported and it's something everyone should try. I was recommended to get the Matcha Strawberry Sando from one of the staff members and they were happy to accommodate for any recommendations. I ended up getting the Iced Yuzu Matcha and of course, the Matcha Strawberry Sando. The Yuzu Matcha is a refreshing drink if you wanted something citrusy but more of a lighter lemon taste. Paired with the matcha I'd recommend shaking the cup so you get the best both flavors when sipping. The Matcha Strawberry Sando is honesty the highlight. Homemade Matcha Cream, Strawberries, and Shokopan are the only ingredients for this sandwich. There was so much Matcha Cream, taking a bite out of the sandwich alot of the cream fell off so I'd be careful about that unless you don't mind getting your hands dirty. Each bite however was delicious! I think the strawberries with the matcha cream was a wonderful combination! This is a drive worth visiting again for the sandos and the drink. I am jealous that Maryland has many cool places! read more

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Been wanting to try this place after the transition. Cute little cafe shop nestled in kentlands , with kitties theme. We only came for the latte/matcha this time. Got myself Ube latte and my friend got hers matcha latte with soy milk. We both thinks our drinks were delish and oh so pretty haha. Friendly customer service, cute cozy and clean dining area and quiet. Oh and they brought our drinks to us... which they didn't have to but they did :). Next time we will be back for full and tying on their sandos! read more

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Cute little cafe with cat themed merch. Staff was super nice and was busy for a Sunday afternoon! Ube Latte was super delish! My favorite sandwich was the Ube Strawberry. Wish they sold half sandwiches so you could mix and match. Wouldn't go out of my way for this spot, but wouldn't mind visiting again if we were in the area! read more

Neko Nook - Ube Latte & Yuzu Matcha - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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It's such a cute cafe! Great drinks and the food is tasty. The staff is welcoming and the atmosphere is relaxing. I'll definitely be revisiting this place. read more

Cute little Japanese inspired cafe in Kentlands. Ambience inside is nice, a couple of small 2 people tables. Ube Latte was good and priced fair. The Shrimp Katsu sandwich was tasty, just a bit pricy for the size. I would recommend coming by. read more

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We having been looking for a place that serves Japanese Sandos and came across Neko Nook. This is a nice little "cafe" and we were lucky to find a place to sit during our visit. The place was busy throughout our visit with a mix of dine in and takeout customers. Placing the order was easy and food was ready is a reasonable time as well. Here is a review of the dishes we ordered Strawberry Sando - very good and perfectly made Matcha Strawberry Sando - very good and perfectly made Hambagu Sando - the sando was good as well - the flavors were good though a tad bit on the weaker side Shrimp Shumai - good shumai and nice crispy shell Berkshire Pork Gyoza - this was a good dish as well Teriyaki Chicken Bento - probably the weakest flavors of all the dishes we tried Beef Bento - a good dish The free sando chips were a good addition to the meal as well! This is a good food option in the area! read more

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This place is so cute and love the options it has for drinks and food! Service was friendly and fast, it has cute decor, and the sando is filling from my perspective. I got the ube latte, which was a nice mix of ube flavour and ground coffee. Not too sweet too! I liked my buldak chashu sando--the noodles are stir fried and not ramen noodles so don't expect buldak ramen. The buldak sauce itself I feel like could have been more but still tasty. The chashu was tender and juicy! The bread from the sando is pretty meh but it's filling too. The place has some nice pins, tote bags, and snacks. We got free bread chips which were really tasty and free! Came and seated around 2 pm and were able to get seats on a Saturday. However after that time, it got packed. I wouldn't say the place is jaw dropping in terms of quality, but still love the place and worth checking out! read more

Neko Nook - Ube latte - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Monday 2/3/25 I made a takeout order over the phone and got the teriyaki chicken sando $12.50, ube strawberry sando $9.95, beef bento $15.95, and shokupan chips FREE. The customer service over the phone and in person was nice and friendly. - Teriyaki chicken Sando was decent: the bread had a soft, fluffy texture, but charging $12.50 for it is not worth it as it's quite simple and easy to make. I believe it's just thick white bread, teriyaki chicken thighs, and coleslaw, which isn't worth $12.50, but that's just me. - Ube straw Sando was unique, but underwhelming. I didn't taste much of the "ube" flavor that I was expecting, and I wouldn't get it again. - The beef bento was my favorite item: it was aesthetically unique, and the beef was good & kinda sweet. Shokupan chips were a complimentary item I got while picking up, and it's just the bread crusts that have been baked and turned into "chips". Overall, the overpriced items and relatively limited menu make this spot unappealing for me to return to, but maybe it's not for me. read more

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Our favorite sandwich was the OG egg salad but also the chicken teriyaki was really delicious! I also ordered a strawberry matcha latte. The strawberry milk was amazing I just wish it had more matcha in it because the matcha was mostly foam so the flavor was overpowered. Service was quick! Seems like a great place to chill or study. read more

Neko Nook - strawberry matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Cute small cafe. The teriyaki chicken sando is yummy but very messy to eat. Service was quick and easy as they even brought my order to my table while I was waiting. read more

Neko Nook - Chicken teriyaki sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Was in the kentlands and stopped by here to get a sando. Opted for the ube cream with strawberries and it was delicious. Really hit that sweet spot for me. The inside is very cute and nice. The cashier was also pretty cool. They also crisp up the bread crust which you can grab for free. Will have to come back and try a regular sando next time. read more

Neko Nook - Ube sando with strawberries - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Went to Neko Nook for the first time this past weekend for a day time date with the boyfriend. I had the chicken sando, so good and perfect for when you're really hungry. Don't underestimate its size as it just appears to be a small sandwich but it's truly filling. My boyfriend had the hamburger sando which in my opinion tasted better. Would like to try the strawberry sando next time. As for beverages the strawberry matcha is probably their best drink. A staff member told me the ube is pretty bitter and I ordered the black sesame which was also somewhat bitter in my opinion. Matcha is probably a safer option in general. Service is great even when it's busy. You place your order to the counter but they bring your beverages and food to you. Would definitely come back! read more

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I was so excited to come here! Neko nook is a cozy Japanese-inspired cafe in Kentlands. They offer coffee and tea drinks, sandwiches (or sandos), and other small snacks like gyoza. Came here on a late Thursday afternoon and was able to grab a seat. I ordered a latte and tamago sando (egg salad sandwich) for lunch. The latte was good, but the tamago sando was the highlight for me. The bread was super soft and pillowy. The sandwich was packed with egg salad seasoned well. I really want to try one of the sweet sandos or the speciality ube latte drink. I will definitely come back here; it's such a nice place to study! read more

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Service is wonderful. Drunk is a hit or miss. Strawberry cocoa matcha is my favorite. If you want authentic matcha flavor in your drink, this place is not for you. Fruit sandwiches are ok, not authentic enough and too expensive. Gyudon is good but Fukujinzuke (red pickles) should not be on it. fukujinzuke is for Japanese curry. Beni-Shoga( red ginger) should always be on Gyudon. read more

Neko Nook - Matcha Strawberry Sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Online ordering is up and working. I was able to place my order online for pick up in 30 mins. I arrived a little early, let them know my name at the register and already ready. I arrived at about 12:35 pm and it was crowded but service was quick and staff were friendly. I ordered the OG tamago sando and the matcha strawberry sando (for dessert). The packaging presented the sandwiches really well. The egg sando was solid. I wish there was a little more yolk or maybe fluffier yolks but still a pretty good egg salad sandwich. The matcha strawberry sando had perfect strawberries and the creme was sweet enough so you don't taste any bitterness from the matcha but not too sweet (ultimate Asian dessert compliment). It wasn't until I came on Yelp to write this review that I noticed they have other items on the menu. I would love to try more menu items like the donburi and drinks. read more

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Cute little cafe located in Kentlands. Japanese themed cafe that serves really delicious fare! We got some tea, OG Tamago, strawberry sando, and some shrimp shumai. Everything was delicious! Service was also really fast and friendly. I highly recommend this place! Perfect for hanging out with friends and getting light snacks and drinks. read more

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3.5 star! Cute quaint Japanese cafe. Not too much seating and definitely gets packed on a Friday morning. The staff was super friendly and helpful with ordering. Not the quickest service since it gets busy. We got a Tamago Sando, Hot Ginger Latte, and Iced Black Sesame Latte. The sando was solid, but could use more flavor. The bread was fluffy! The ginger latte did not come with epresso and was very comforting. It had strong ginger flavor and sweetness. The black sesame latte was very strong in black sesame flavor! It was not sweet at all so I had to ask for more syrup (supposed to be sweet). There was free shokupan chips! They're the bread crust from the sandos. I love that they don't waste. You can ask for some dip on the side too. We got some matcha cream! read more

It was ok. Social media algorithm was hard at work and recommended me this right as I was missing all the eats from my Japan trip so had to check it out. It's tucked away in a suburban shopping center but pretty easy to find. The place was bustling with online pickups and customers filling basically every seat on the weekend afternoon. Seemed popular with the local 20/30 crowd. Ordering is straightforward and service was friendly though interaction is just at the counter. Interior is typical coffee house vibes. They ran out of the original strawberry sando so got the matcha. It was ok. Appreciated that it was not too sweet but wouldn't have minded if it was a bit sweeter since matcha can be bitter. It was a generous portion size but did feel like $10 was a lot for this. Undecided whether I agree or disagree with them keeping the sandos at room temperature to sell. The drink menu looked good but didn't order. Perhaps the original is much better but not sure if I'll come again. Glad I gave it a try. read more

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Third time coming here! Great service, food, and drinks as per usual. The cafe was very cozily decorated, being a small space, and looked very inviting. We got the sesame latte and the ube latte (forgot to take a picture of the sesame latte), which expressed the notes of their respective flavors pretty well. As we chatted, we browsed their diverse collection of Asian snacks next to the window, and I'm hoping to get some next time I come around. read more

Neko Nook - Ube Latte - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Gave Neko Nook a try as we were interested on their take on the "Japanese Sandwich". My partner got the strawberry Ube, which was delightful! I wanted to try their Hamburg sandwich, but it was sold out by 1pm, so I got the gyudon instead. The gyudon didn't disappoint with flavors of sweet and savory balanced through the meal. While I'm very accustomed to the Japanese side salad, I won't be surprised if other guests aren't sure what to make of it The owner was great to chat with and I really enjoyed how they renovated the space! I hope they continue to do well! read more

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Came on a Saturday around 12:45 and unfortunately they were out of sandos! I was pretty surprised seeing as they had pretty much just opened at 11. We ended up ordered 2 bento boxes, a beef for David and a teriyaki chicken for me. FYI they're not really "bento boxes", more like rice bowls that actually came in the exact same looking bowl as the ones you get from Chipotle, which we thought was hilarious. We both agreed that David's beef bowl was better, the thinly slice beef definitely soaked up a lot of soy umami flavor. Both bowls came with Japanese pork sausage, purple rice, and cabbage. The fact that the cabbage was totally raw and undressed kinda threw the bowls off a bit. And there was a lot of cabbage. I think if the cabbage had some dressing it would have made the bowl much better. It was just odd to have that much raw shredded dry cabbage in a bowl. Even though there were no sandos the place was completely packed when we came. There was a decent amount of seating, and it looked like there was a downstairs area but we didn't go down to look. Came for the sandos so I'll be back to try those, hopefully will have better luck next time! read more

Neko Nook - Teriyaki Chicken and Beef Bento Bowls November 16, 2024 IG: @pharmingfoodies - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I remember watching a reel about this place opening from the Instagram page dmvbite. I was pretty excited to try this place since it's Japanese snacks and who wouldn't want that?! Being in Kentlands, the café is noticeably small, but has a cozy feel to it. It's also cat theme, so I thought that there would be some cats walking around, alas no. Plan on ordering out because this place was popular, and the line was long! But in all the staff was friendly, throughly, and did their very best to accommodate the orders. Menu was limited to a select options: I got the Strawberry Sando, Egg Salad Sando, and a Matcha Latte. The Strawberry Sando is basically the same sandwich that is popular in Japan; the cream was light airy, with the right amount of sweetness. And the strawberries were perfectly ripe. The egg salad sandwich was good, I was hoping for a little more of the tang from the mayo and some subtle saltiness from the seaweed seasoning. I know that most people are not fans of Matcha, but I felt that there latte was tastefully, balanced, especially with it being sweetened. I hope they may look into some more vegetarian friendly options. But I'm glad that there is a new Asian inspired café for everyone to enjoy! read more

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Teriyaki Chicken Sando 5/5 Ginger tea latte 5/5 Iced American 4/5 We came on a Friday evening and they were out of all the other sandos besides the chicken teriyaki. Howver, we enjoyed it and thought it had a good portion of chicken. I would recommend coming earlier to be able to try the other sandos. The service was friendly and fast. read more

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cute little japanese cafe in gaithersburg with a lot of interesting drinks and sandos. I ordered the chicken teriyaki sando and dirty jasmine latte and both were good. nice place to hang too if you're able to get a table (but wasn't too too busy when I went on a Saturday afternoon around 12) read more

Neko Nook - chicken teriyaki sando and dirty jasmine latte - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Such a cute little coffee shop! They have a few chairs for seating as well. Stopped by to grab a sandwich to go and coffee. I got the ube coffee but I will say it had a very light uber flavor. Good coffee tho! I ordered their egg sandwich. Loved it! Reminds me of being in Japan and buying sandwiches to eat from a convenience store. Prices were a bit steep for sandwich tho. The Japanese bread is so gooood and thick!! I also tried their ube whip with crackers. The cracker was just the crust of the bread which was crisped. The combination was really tasty! Better than I expected since I normally would peel a crust off. The also had shelving of Japanese snacks you can buy. Really neat to have! read more

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Such a great little spot in Kentlands! Absolutely love the tamago sando- soft, seasoned and delicious. Service was fast & friendly. Definitely will be back to try more! read more

Neko Nook - OG Tamago Sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Super cute cafe! Smaller cafe with less than 10 table. Lots of little trinkets from various Japanese films in the cafe, with apparel for sale, and Japanese snacks. The Sandos were delicious and big! The sweet potato fries were good, the dipping sauce was a little sweet, so we opted to eat without the sauce. The strawberry matcha latte was great and so pretty! read more

Neko Nook - Tamago Sando, strawberry sando, sweet potato fries, cheesecake - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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We came here for a late breakfast and tried the tamago sando and strawberry matcha latte. The tamago sando was really good. Everything was handcrafted and made to order. They really take their time. The matcha was whipped on top, which is interesting because it's not usually like that but I really liked it. I guess it was their take on a koicha matcha. I would say the matcha is better than most places I've been too. The store was very clean and it felt very calm in the store. I almost fell asleep from the music! I think this would be the best place to study in the area. I would recommend this place! I need to go back and try the strawberry sando. read more

Neko Nook - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Cat themed Japanese snacks and sandwiches Cafe? It's like they looked into my dreams and made it a reality! This cafe replaced the Chinese bookstore cafe that was there before and I like this new place a lot better. I've tried a few things and will come back with friends to chill and have some snacks. The strawberry and ube strawberry sando are really good if you're craving something sweet. I've also tried the velvet coconut latte and the ube latte. The coconut one tasted like a regular latte, but the ube had more flavor and was my favorite of the two. There's some seating inside, but the downstairs is staff only. I also picked up some Japanese potato chips I like on the way out. read more

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This place is GOOOD! Not just good, GOOOD! Doesn't really remind me exactly of Japanese sandos (from when I was back in Japan) but the bread was good, the filling was rich and flavorful! A little expensive for what you get but overall a great experience. read more

Neko Nook - Strawberry Matcha and Egg Sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

We came in on a Sat noon and this place was packed. It's great for grabbing a quick bite. The food came out quickly except for the fried purple yam. Unagi bento: small portion, the shredded cabbage took 1/3 of the box, not sure if it's for decor or salad since there's no sauce. rice's overcooked, Strawberry latte: decent but a little sweet for my taste. Teriyaki sandwiches: good size with quite big pieces of chicken Fired purple yam: comes with maple syrup. The portion is really small and overpriced imo. But it's admittedly crunchy. read more

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Came on a Sunday afternoon and they were pretty busy - all the tables were full but luckily one cleared up while waiting for my order. The interior was very cute and clean with a nice catching up with friends/study vibe. I got the strawberry matcha latte and the strawberry sando. The sandwich tasted exactly how it looks like - a few strawberries and light cream on white bread - honestly kinda underwhelming for the price. I had high hopes for the matcha, as it looked so pretty and vibrant, but it just tasted like strawberry milk after mixing it. They premade matcha in a big container and I watched her pour it on top of the milk so it might've been the matcha to milk ratio or maybe the matcha was a bit diluted. Overall, the cafe was very cute but I would probably try their savory sandwiches next time. read more

Neko Nook - Strawberry matcha latte, strawberry sando - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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My husband, daughter, sister and friend stopped by Neko Nook during a recent visit to Kentlands. This cozy café is a pleasant spot to take a break from shopping. We all ordered the Strawberry Matcha Latte, which comes in beautiful layers. Important tip: mix it well before drinking! The earthy matcha and sweet strawberry create a delicious blend when properly stirred together. It was a hit with our entire group! The café has a warm atmosphere with friendly service. Perfect for a quick refreshment or a longer sit-down break with friends. 4/5 stars - Will definitely return to try more of their menu! read more

I love this cafe and wished I lived closer! Saw this cafe on an Insta reel and wanted to try their sandos. My husband and I ended up getting two savory sandos and a sweet one as well as a Ube latte & yuzu lemonade. Everything was delicious and reminded me of when I lived in Japan after college. Can't wait to come back try more of the menu. read more

Neko Nook - Egg salad, chicken teriyaki and strawberry Ube cream sandos. Purple potato fries. Ube latte and yuzu lemonade. - Cafes Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland