Fika Fika is a great shop to get a fragrant floral tea and a small bite to eat. The menu has…read moreadjusted slowly over time, but they maintain a solid coffee and tea selection, with some food options and (at the Pasadena location) about 16 flavors of gelato. On this weekday I came for the Jasmine Milk Tea. Last time this was under the Tea Latte section, but they menu changed and there is now a dedicated Milk Tea section. And also there is a Jasmine Latte with Espresso in it, but that is under the Espresso section. I was able to get it chilled but without ice. The lowest sweetness level was 50%, but I asked nicely and they estimated they could make a 25% for me. It turned out wonderfully, extremely floral, barely any sweetness so the Jasmine aroma and taste were the dominant ones. In the food side I selected the popcorn chicken. I can take some heat but only a small bit, so I asked for the spice powder in the side. I just looove the texture of the popcorn chicken. You can see in the picture that it's a very thin breading, almost not there, but the texture seems almost as if an invisible rice flour was tossed in the outside. Still juicy in the inside, and small pieces to make every bite pop-able. The chicken comes with a ranch sauce, though to me it's a second thought. Add a hint of spice or even have the chicken as is, no ranch is needed.

TL;DR: I've been here a handful of times and keep coming back for the work-friendly atmosphere,…read moresolid rewards program, and flavored lattes. Traditional espresso drinks, however, aren't their strong suit. Pros: Plenty of seating, lots of outlets, reliable Wi-Fi, and a comfortable space to work or study. They also have a solid rewards program if you visit regularly, plus various avocado toast options and Asian-inspired ice cream if you're looking for more than coffee. My favorite drink is the brown sugar latte (I'd recommend 25% or 50% sweetness), followed by the Thai tea latte. Cons: Traditional espresso drinks feel more modernized than authentic. On my most recent visit (Friday around 10:20 a.m.), I ordered a cappuccino that took 15 minutes to receive and was surprised it only came in 12 oz or 16 oz. I was expecting a smaller cup like other places. The 12 oz tasted more like a latte with extra steamed milk than a classic cappuccino. The ube and hojicha lattes were decent, but I've had better elsewhere. Parking in front is limited to 15 minutes, but there's additional one-hour parking in the rear.

I love the looks and vibe in this shop. The location is great and covered in shade around the…read moreexterior which makes for a chill java, indoors or out. The echo inside was notable so we chose outside today. I am making this our routine start when I meet up with a homie every few months in this area. I tried to order a Ricotta Jam Toast that was posted in photos on their Yelp but as happens it must have been a retired offering. I will have to do it home. The morning was cool, so I was going to go for "hot drip" but needed decaf today (sadly) so I chose an ICED LATTE. They do offer house made flavors, but I forgot to ask which they offer. Maple would be my preference. ICED LATTE: -- whole milk taste -- smooth -- not sour or bitter -- perfect java to milk color in cup -- tasty RATING = A+ Love the proximity to Colorado Ave but in a cooler tree lined spot.

food matcha - meh…read more coffee - also meh service pretty good service i didn't feel rushed but the second time was weird and I did in fact feel rushed ambiance vibes are ok not the greatest depending on the crowd sometimes it's a working vibe, other times it's a really weird Pasadena vibe thats like a eerie/judgey vibe parking: ass booty price: priceyyyy

Mandarin Coffee Stand has been on my radar for a while but it's a bit out of the way. Finally had a…read morechance to try it though. It's in Burlington Arcade (which for my Ann Arbor folks is literally just like Nickels Arcade! except this one is weirdly empty - lots of empty storefronts) but, MCS is popping! I was a bit split on what to get because the Gui Hua latte has so many mixed reviews on Yelp. So, I went with my gut instead (and the caffeine fiend in me) and ordered the cold brew item of course. But theirs is so lovely - it was the Sicily ($6.25 - Ethiopian cold brew, orange blossom water, lemon juice, touch of raw sugar, lime zest). It drinks like a refreshing tonic BUT I love that they shake this beverage and then top it with fresh lime zest. Lovely. I also had the ham & cheese croissant and it was awesome. I was eyeing the miso kouign amann but opted out, I'll have to come back for it as well as some of their matcha options!

This is one of my favorite coffee spots with plentiful parking. There are sometimes lines during…read morethe busiest times of day but the line moves super fast. I like the Vienna and the toasty. Matcha and Hojicha are good too. Staff are friendly and make things easy. One suggestion: please, Mandarin coffee, upgrade your thin plastic cups. I was trying to put the lid on and the flimsy cup collapsed under the pressure. I spilled coffee all over the floor in the cafe and onto my suede purse and clothes. I thought it was my fault and mandarin kindly remade my drink, but when I took it to my friend, the same thing happened when she opened and closed the cup, got coffee all over my car. The cup is too flimsy. All in all, a great place for picking up coffee

Banana matcha. Strawberry rain matcha. Idk. Best matcha. Best matchachacha! This place makes me so…read morehappy. I dream about it. Don't forget to go to blue rooster art store to pet the cat after! :)

Thought the matcha here was ok. I got the Matcha Rain and the Strawberry Matcha Rain. The Matcha…read moreRain was not bad. I wish the matcha was a bit stronger, and I would've preferred a little more sweetness. Overall, it was ok and a bit bland. The Strawberry Matcha Rain was better, but there was nothing striking about it. I liked the strawberry bits, but it's just your standard strawberry matcha. I would've preferred a stronger matcha taste for this one as well. Overall, drinks are not bad but on the pricier side where each drink costs about $8. The service was great though! I asked the cashier for recommendations and she was super friendly and accommodating. I might come back to try their coffee drinks.

Came by at noon on Friday on a pleasant day to explore a local cafe! There was no wait and plenty…read moreof seating indoor and outdoors. It was my first time here and the barista was very friendly in explaining their menu and pastry selection. They have a new menu every season but since it was my first time here, I opted to go for a staff favorite, the Cinnamon Creamed Honey Latte (the other is the Brown Sugar Latte). I chose the Coconut Oatmeal Chai Cookie Sandwich for the novelty but I found that it was rather sweet for my taste. So for anyone interested in their cookie sandwiches, I definitely recommend getting a drink that's not sweet to balance out the flavors! Otherwise I'd absolutely come again to try out the rest of their menu.

It was one of these hot days and I was looking for some refreshing drinks. Fortunately,We were near…read moreby Lavendar & Honey. Of course, we stopped by it. I was glad to find out that there is an adjacent parking lot especially in this weather. The place has both indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating is limited. The cafe menu includes unique lattes, espresso bar, coffee, cold brew, tea, toast , sandwiches, salads bar, parfait, and kids menu. They also have fresh pastries. I ordered the following: - Picnic pastrami sandwich x2 4 /5 It had Pastrami, jack cheese, pickles, onions, lettuce on sourdough baguette. - Caprese sandwich x2 5/5 Mozzarella, tomato, basil , olive oil, balsamic glaze on Ciabatta. - Chocolate croissant 5/5 Was flaky, buttery and filled with chocolate. - Matcha ginger cranberry scone 5/5 Was very delicious - Mango coconut matcha 4/5 It was a refreshing drink. I love mango, so I wish I could taste more mango flavor in the drink - Iced teddy graham latte 5/5 It was a traditional latte sweetened with honey syrup, Heilala vanilla bean paste & cinnamon milk as it was described. It was very refreshing and delightful one! The flavors balanced perfectly and the sweetness was on point. The staff were nice. The place has welcoming vibes. We received our order very quickly. It's a nice place to stop by and enjoy a refreshing drink or grab a fresh pastry or a sandwich.

Stopped here after walking around old town. It's super cute inside with plenty of seating. They…read morehave some very different and unique drinks, as well as the standard coffee drinks. I appreciated they offer some sugar free options for their syrups. Staff were friendly enough, not over the top with small talk but not rude or anything. I went with a special drink, the "na na na" which was banana flavored. Yummy on the hot summer day.

I love their cute green cafe environment! Everything was decorated nicely with plants, and there…read morewas a decent amount of seating. The entrance is little discreet - it's down an alley. They have a creative and unique selection of drink specials - I got the rosey cheeks, which I think was a rose latte. It was good, but leaned on the sweeter side and the coffee flavor was somewhat less visible.

I love the coffee here and the chocolate croissants. I highly recommend visiting if you're in the…read morearea and you can visit the bookstore next door while you drink your coffee. It's such a cute place to also sit and do your work.

I may be biased but I love everything about Tepito Coffee. From the coffee itself to the mission,…read moreTepito Coffee is changing the lives of farmers in México as well as those impacted by the criminal legal system.

Cute interior but not many tables if you wanted to go here to study. I really enjoyed their menu…read moreoptions as someone who can't pick between fruit drinks or milk tea. I think it had such good combos and good variety. I got the peach mango blended and it was really good, more on the yogurt side. Would love to come back and try their other drinks!

Came here for a boba after Zankou Chicken and I did not like it at all!! We got the Taiwanese milk…read moretea and it was extremely thick. The viscosity of the drink was strangely off putting and the flavor felt like they put pudding powder inside or something. For $7, I was expecting something more fragrant or sophisticated in flavor. But it was pretty one toned and sugary at best. Servers here were really nice. I asked if the owners were Taiwanese but they didn't know.