LOVE LOVE LOVE! Sama…read morehits the sweet spot of delicious drinks, good space to work, and decent surrounding parking options. The Rose Cardamom Honey Latte surprised me because I LOVED IT. It reminded me of a Vietnamese coffee in terms of coffee strength but balanced by sweetness. I was scared it would be too sweet or one flavor would be overpowered, but you can taste everything and the latte is very well balanced. My drink came out super fast after ordering at the register, and the decor is super aesthetic. Lots of good seating options and there are outlets for studying or working.

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.

A long overdue review for my favorite coffee shop ever!…read more I go here religiously (literally any time I have a day off!) and get the same iced matcha order every single time, and it's always such a comfort to see the same friendly, welcoming faces behind the counter. They have great indoor seating if you want to hang out for a bit too. The strawberry matcha specialty chocolate is hands down my absolute favorite treat, and I make sure to snag one every single time they have it in stock. Parking can definitely be tricky, and you might have to circle around a couple of times on busier days, especially over the weekend. But just know it's so worth it!

Location: Busy street with limited parking. Wait time:…read moreClose to lunch and waited at least 10 minutes in line.Plan on another 10+ minutes wait after ordering. Watch Potential: You get a chance to see them in their crafting of drinks, food and how they team. I saw a lovely carafe of hot tea with loose leaf tea steeping while I was waiting for my order. Store: They have a unique variety of coffee available on the shelf as well as some Kaizeon chocolate bars, coffee making supplies like canisters and scale. Ambiance: Music is playing, chatter of conversation and keyboarding with people working while here. Wi-Fi: They offer free connections for customers while in the vicinity. Drink: Black Sesame Matcha - Iced First and most importantly, the taste of the matcha was very smooth, not chalky not too strong. The black sesame balanced it out perfectly. It did not turn watery. I customized with oat milk and half of the sweetener (their house made syrup). I ordered cold foam but they were out so I was credited. Once I receive my drink I was on my way sipping happily. Very good quality!

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 rating may not be accurate since I didn't actually order anything. Nothing looked appealing to…read moreme, so I just went in, took a look, took a few photos and went about my day. There's a couple areas to sit and the bakery items are all on display so it's easy to see what they have and don't. I liked the simplicity of the exterior design. No dogs, only service animals. Service felt a bit pushy for me to order & the other person standing at the cashier didn't seem too welcoming or friendly.

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.

$7.25 for the Osmanthus Matcha Latte. Matcha is pre made in batches. For an expensive price point,…read moreI would expect it to be freshly hand whisked. This drink is described as matcha, milk, and Osmanthus Syrup. I didn't taste any of the syrup, the drink wasn't sweet at all, which isn't bad but I paid extra for the flavored latte rather than plain and it just tasted like plain matcha. It did have some flower leaves in it though? Which was unexpected as I would think a syrup would have been strained. You also don't interact with anyone here, you order on an iPad. The table I sat to wait at was dirty.

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.

*foodie DEETS here* - 10.09.26, my review #230, its #658. 4.5 stars. Would've been 5 if non-tea…read moreflavs weren't so subtle. Been hearing nice things about this chain w/ 2K locays worldwide, mostly in China. Soft opened 10.31.25 in DTSM. We were already picking up togo din on the next block. So, mind as well grab a tea as "d'sert." T L ; D R . . . Omg, surprisingly sooo fragrant that I couldn't put it down!!! Grape & salted cheese were mild AF, bbbut florals bursted thru! wOw, can't wait to return to work thru the list. Picked out my next 3 orders, lol. V I B E S . . . San Mateo foodie street, closed to traffic, w/ tables & chairs for al fresco. A crowd was gathered in front on a Fri nite close to 10p, but they weren't in line. N O M S . . . Ordered the following: * Premium Jasmine Grape Salted Cheese, 7.49 | floral forward w/ subtle fruit. Hey, where's my salted cheese?? lol, srly + White Boba Pearl, 1.29 | diff texture: "crunchy," not soft = 8.78, no tax in store! Wanna try: * Snowy Peach Oolong or Gardenia, 7.79 med | w/ signature Jasmine Whip + Sago, .99 * Peach Tieguanyin Oolong or Gardenia (Green) Milk Tea, 6.59 med + Oat Milk, 1. * Velvety Matcha Champaca, 8.49 med + Hazelnut Cheese, 2.99 (or Matcha | Pistachio, 3.99) S E R V I C E . . . Fast, nice, & even accommodating at closing time P R O T I P S . . . Cheapest to order in person cuz no tax, which is prob an error, shhh. DoorDash p/u is higher, ofc. Forget about Grubhub. Take advantage of the rewards program. 1 pt for every $1 spent. -10% @ 15pts: stack up the xtras u wanna try for best value. -10% for inviting friends too. Appreciate my efforts? Use my Referral Code: yQleXo3EL Show this (Asian) sista some love by SMASHing reactions & FOLLOW if u don't already, thx!! ;-P Remember to live to eat, not eat to live...

Finally had a chance to try Molly Tea, and I would agree that lives up to the hype…read more Citrus jasmine green tea. 50% sugar, was very refreshing, and I'll be back to try the other offerings.

Matcha toffee was excellent! I also loved how quick the drink was made, top quality. The space…read moreitself is a bit tight, but the product makes up for 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

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.

Visit July 2026:…read more Hmmm....I really wanted to like this place more. It's cute. It's clean. They are friendly. It's a good vibe. But dang it....I paid nearly $11 for a Good Morning Burrito (ham, eggs, tots, a ton of cheese) that was only the length of my iPhone 14. Great taste but I was hungry still. Plus I wish it had come with some sort of salsa. There was a hot sauce bottle, bulk size, that was almost empty so I said meh. A homemade salsa would be a nice touch. My daughter got a vegetarian omlette which was basically a mushroom omlette. That seemed a good size but basic mushrooms and they had a side of spinach with some sort of dressing which I was sure was just mayo. There were a sad four tots on the side. She didn't like her matcha latte and my Vietnamese coffee lacked kick. They are well situated to serve the area and clearly have regular business. For that younger tech crowd across at Sony this seemed like a spot for them to pound away at their laptops while drinking boba and listening to lo-fi jazz.

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.

We stopped by this cafe for breakfast a couple of days ago after a long walk around Foster City,…read moreand unfortunately, we left with very mixed feelings. We ordered two breakfasts, and I have absolutely no complaints about the food. Everything was fresh and tasty, with fresh vegetables and berries, and overall the breakfast itself was very enjoyable. The coffee, however, was a completely different story. It was honestly terrible. Both the cup and the coffee itself had a strong plastic smell and taste, which made it almost impossible to drink. I took one sip and couldn't finish it. Unfortunately, the coffee really ruined the overall breakfast experience for me. If you're going to serve coffee to customers, I really think the quality needs to be improved significantly, whether that means using better equipment, better cups, or having someone who actually knows how to prepare good coffee. Another downside was the lack of personal interaction. Almost everything is handled through an AI/self-service terminal, with very little communication with the staff. For a new cafe, I personally think that takes away a lot from the experience. Hospitality and human interaction still matter, especially in a place where people come to relax and enjoy breakfast. The food was good, but considering the coffee quality and the overall service experience, would I come back? Unfortunately, no.