It was one of those hot days that just happened in LA. The type of heat that is not for Angelenos…read morebecause it breaks our 71 and sunny expectation that almost seems a clause we are provided with when our residence lies within the Golden State. So my plan to walk and explore LA's downtown was nixed. It neededa an extreme-heatcheck. Subsequentlly, I needed a place to chill and sip before my next scheduled thing began. I landed here, and it was cool that I did because I got a break from the heat and was expose to the chill factor of this place that kind of felt I visited my hipster bud while they were right in the middle of their modern and off-center Japanese decoration phase. This place resides within a modern shopping center. Those that have like a parking lot and around have small bussinesses. So mapquest might say one has arrived to the spot, but one must walk into the shopping plaza to find Kissaten Corazon. When I entered, first one passes a living room in a garage like situation. So basically when one enters, they enter via a garage door, and the garage area has to be passed to get to where the main coffee action takes place. The furniture in this area, is not patio furniture, by the way. It is like a coffee table with chairs that belong in like a dude's apartment, where the dude finally learned how to create a home space with furniture that he found from an eclectic collection of places. Thus, as soon as one enters one gets hit with funky-modern. We have cash, we have style, but no cohesion because cohesion does not belong to the young, only disordely mess that doubles as beautiful mixture of pieces that need a home. If one takes care to look at my pictures, of the whole experience, then one will understand that this place is a medly of concepts with a string-running along that when pulled vibrates to the twang of coffee house with Japanese and wine notes. I ordered my coffee and of course I irked the barista. So the menu (I clipped it) has a heading called tomodachi. It was my first time here and I did not know what that meant. The barista tried to explain it. And I was still confused. She was saying things but not really explaining that it was a coffee chain that supplied their coffees to this spot. So it was like having Nestle at the top of a menu and having different coffees from this supplier. I did not understand if she was talking about a machine or what cause at what point she made it sound like it might be a machine by calling it the roaster. But the roaster was the vendor. And to me a roaster can be a machine that roasts beans. Or did I stretch for the stars? It took like three of four questions to arrive at her understanding. In the process, she kind of rolled her eyes in mild exhaustion. But almost as the universe intervened, her cap said, "to be a learner, you've got to be willing to be a fool." And I was a persistent fool with my questions. But I got my appropriate answer. It is what it is. The coffeehouse had people with laptops. The next Interstellar or War and Peace might be written here. One will find others typing here, if one likes to type only when others are doing it too. There is a central picture of a cherry blossom branch behind blue. I wonder why the blue was not pink? Perhaps because my drink was pink, slightly, not like clearly. I got two drinks. The barista that I annoyed helped me pick. The first one was a strawberry drink. It tasted like a sophisticatd Nesquick that was coffee-forward. The Nesquick taste came from the strawberry flavoring. It was rich, sweet, and frankly, hit the spot that needed to be quelled by the outside heat. Easy to like, long for it because the place is not near my pad. I would need a specific trip to get this strawberry coffee and that will happen someday just don't know when. I also got a pour over drink. I cannot remember, which one it was. I did see another barista create the drink. As the pictures show, he used a non-electric pot and filter to make my coffee. The act seemed ceremonial and birth in a place closed to feudal Japan. I wonder if Shoguns drank their coffee a la pourover too? I also took a clip of different tea pots lined up. It was all so cute and spoke of tradition. Take the time to dip a bag of tea leaves into a cup being held by a doily. If not, then is one taking the time to see the world and its tea leaves? As I was there, there was a customer working hard to retrieve a 20.00 dollar refund. She was right. It was owed to her. She had called. And still they could not figure out what the problem was exactly. I wonder if the world was divided into those who would fight for their 20 bucks like this customer and the other half would be people who forget the 20 bucks, where would the percentage lie? Would people seek or forget? I would forget. I ordered two drinks and gulped one, and tasted the second to around half the way to understand this experience better not just get coffee when I needed a break.

A cute little kissaten (Japanese cafe) on the outskirts of Chinatown! I got the matcha coconut and…read moreit was really good. It was a strawberry calpico, coconut water, with a matcha foam top. The egg salad sando was alright. I just have too high of expectations because I will always compare it to the ones in Japan. The bread just wasn't soft and pillowy enough. I would still rate the sandwich a 7/10 tho. I do enjoy the interior and it just screams old school LA vibes just like how the kissatens scream old school Japan, without the smoke tho iykyk :) What I didn't love was when I asked one of the blonde baristas what "tomodachi" was she replied with "the line starts over there". She didn't even listen to what I had to say and assumed that I was trying to place an order with her. I again pointed to the menu and asked again what "tomodachi" was and I couldn't hear her at first but I could tell her tone was rude and sarcastic. So I asked again and told her I couldn't hear and she again rudely said that it was the roastery but in a tone like I was stupid. I really didn't love that interaction. But she messed up and made an extra matcha coconut drink for us so I guess that's forgivable.

Free validated parking (make sure you bring your ticket). Very easy to find, right next to the…read moreelevators pretty much The shop itself is nice and cute. Customer service was great, and the ambiance was nice. I'd be able to work here for a few hours, it's not loud either. The matcha is great and probably my favorite out of all the common matcha spots in LA. It's not too expensive, parking is easy and the ambiance is nice. 5/5

1. The matcha was well-crafted since that slice of orange really complimented the matcha!…read more2. The spot has chill casual vibes with a beautiful interior! 3. The staff was friendly and timely with my order! 4. There are indoor and outdoor seating! There are a lot of tables! 5. There is a parking garage! They can validate for the first 30 mins! Note: Elevator access is required! Find the elevator lobby from the courtyard, and then go into the elevator clearly displayed for Archives of Us! Photo: Orange Mint Matcha

Really enjoyed Thank You Coffee! I walked here, so parking wasn't an issue for me, but it does look…read morelike parking could be a little tough depending on the time of day. There is metered street parking available. I got the matcha latte with regular milk, sweetened, and it was delicious. The sweetness was the perfect amount for me and balanced really well with the matcha. My friend got the blue milk with matcha. Our drinks were ready in maybe a minute, so the service was super quick. They also have a lot of cute merch and pottery for sale inside, which was fun to browse. Would definitely come back and recommend!

Stopped by thank you coffee on a Saturday morning and was super excited to try the sticky rice…read moremango matcha. The green matcha color was so pleasant but unfortunately the drink fell flat! It tasted nothing like mango, or sticky rice for the matter, and just had some lingering sweet notes. I wasn't sure what they put in the drink but you definitely had some bits swirling in there to mimic the sticky rice texture. Willing to try again but this fancy combo was a miss for me! (Interior is v cute - cool place to hang out!!)

Great coffee shop tucked away in Chinatown. Stopped in with the Black and Gold Running Club after a…read moremeet up at LA State Historic Park. The shop was not too crowded when we got there, but the staff did a great job to get orders taken and filled for our group without too much of a wait. Ordered a cold brew and croissant breakfast sandwich and both were excellent. Would definitely stop by again when in the area.

This is not Chinatown, just like how the eastside doesn't stop at the 5 Freeway…read more Tucked adjacent to Chinatown and across the rail tracks from the LA Men's Central Jail, Chimney Coffee shares the same lot as one of the best Thai markets/warehouse experiences in LA City. The coffee here is good, and the food is amazing. Breakfast items are really delicious, and many other menu items are equally well made. Parking is in a private lot, making this an excellent spot in this industrial area. The indoor space is large, with some outdoor seating.

My coworker told me about this place a couple months ago prior to my LA trip in July and since then…read moreI had made it my mission to visit. There are not many places I would walk around in the dark for but this is one of the place. The orders are taken through a kiosk and the drinks come out in ten minutes. I ordered a thai tea and picked up one of the large thai tea leaf canister to take back with me to NorCal. In regards to the thai tea, it is one of the best thai tea. It's the right amount of sweetness while also maintaining the strong tea taste that I like. I wish I have the opportunity to try more of the drinks but we were on a time crunch so I went with the orignal tea. If I'm in the area again, I will try the ice cream.

Truly love their drinks here!! Can't go wrong with green thai tea or regular thai tea…read more However, they recently said they stopped serving pandan boba, which is my favorite topping here. It's so unique, I wish you will bring it back! I'll update my review to 5 stars if you do...

Loveeeeee Damo! The service is always so fast, which I really appreciate. There's street parking…read moreright outside--it's definitely tight, but I can usually find a spot pretty quickly. Usually I have to tell baristas to dial down the sweetness but damo is always perfectly not that sweet for the "Asian palette" my order is always the hojicha latte even though I've tried everything on the menu. Everything is great which is very rare. Definitely appreciate how consistent they are every visit. The space itself is huge with tons of seating, so it's perfect for hanging out with friends or bringing your laptop and getting some work done. I also love that there are other spots on the block to check out, so you can grab your drink and walk around not too sketchy.

8/4/2026 3 1/2 Stars…read more First time at Damo. MATCHA EINSPANER Very creamy matcha. Matcha flavor is there, but it's not distinct matcha where you can taste the nuances of the matcha flavors. The cream top does make it very creamy and it does mask majority of the matcha flavor. It did taste like a dessert drink. It was enjoyable though. COLD BREW VANILLA Weirdly sour and smoky flavored cold brew. Slight floral flavor too. It was such an odd combination of flavors with the vanilla cold foam. The lingering aftertaste was not good either. It's neither this nor that. Would not recommend! FINANCIERS Their financiers are made by a local bakery called Musk. It seems their financier flavors are changed often, so no same flavors are in rotation. Sausage & Parmesan - The almond cake's vanilla flavor with the sausage and salty parmesan was a unique flavor. The almond cake was nice and spongy. It did take a bit of time to get used to the savory flavors with the almond cake. It's like a breakfast in an unexpected way. Nutella - Buttery almond cake with nutella and roasted hazelnuts. Enjoyed it! I think Nutella fans would like it. Mugwort + Fig - Buttery in the beginning and it ends with a good, medium-strength flavor of mugwort. Fig was garnish on top, so you barely get it. However, I like that they added the sweetness of the figs with the earthy bitter mugwort. Overall, it was uniquely delicious and mugwort was the star. Yuza + Apricot - A tad sweeter than expected due to the outer brush of yuza aka yuzu simple syrup. Loved the chewy apricot on top. It really brought a lovely fruityness to the financier. The yuzu flavor was there alongside the butteryness of the almond cake. All the financiers were done well! Delicious! Recommend trying at least one when you're at this location. Not sure if their financiers are offered at their other locations. CUSTOMER SERVICE It was good. Not terribly friendly, but still answered my questions. Staff were all busy making the drinks. AMBIANCE + SEATS Really large space with rows of tables and chairs. It was strange walking in and seeing various tables and seats to one side and it almost looked like a cafe used as office space. Seeing all the people sitting down on their laptops or talking, as though they're having a casual business meeting there. It was just strange. The tables were mixed wooden tables and chairs. There were long benches too for people waiting for takeout orders. The large space felt so roomy, I get why the tables were all taken. PARKING Street parking is available, yet when I was there in the early afternoon on a Tuesday, it was packed! The only place to park was the paid parking lot right across from Damo. Parking was $5.00. I wouldn't recommend parking elsewhere outside of that street, as it is a sketchy area and lots of homeless encampments around the area. Would I return? Not sure. I like the large, roomy warehouse space with lots of tables to sit in, but the cafe being in a sketchy area gives me hesitation. Not in love with $5.00 parking too. One of my drinks was good, but the other was bad. The only thing I loved was the financiers.

I love Minon cake for their custom cakes. This place is my go to when I need a cake for an event…read more I just ordered a custom cake for my sister-in-law's wedding. My SIL wanted a simple cake and it came out exactly how we requested. For flavors, we requested matcha on the top layer and strawberry on the bottom. Everyone loved the cake!! They especially loved that the cake wasn't too sweet and tasted very fresh. Definitely give this place a try if you're in need of a custom cake! Their prices are pretty reasonable too!

When looking for an excellent cake that's artfully crafted and delicious in flavor/texture plus…read moreingredients-- look no further than to Minon. And, as an added bonus, the drinks here from iced teas (the whole range : green, black, matcha, etc., etc ... ) plus great espresso -- whoa, Minon gets it right again. And, if you're on your cheat day, treat yourself to a pastry -- your taste buds will bring you much joy!

Is this possibly the bougiest coffee shop in L.A. (bougie defined as pretentious)? Yah, it's…read moredefinitely in the running. The patrons include bicyclists whose bikes cost more than my car, folks driving Porsches (the bougiest car of all imho), lots of performative tattoos, and more athleisurewear than I've seen in my life. And this is in Cypress Park, which to me is most famous as the location of my favorite King Taco (not bougie at all). So, is gentrification happening here? That's a big yes. When the word "elevated" gets used to describe menu items, that's a dead giveaway. And yet....that Mascarpone latte is a work of art. Per their website, it's a "Tiramisu inspired drink layered with espresso, mascarpone cheese foam, and muscovado milk." It's just as good as it sounds. And honestly, these days, $8 was a bargain. Shocking how many young people were up and ordering their custom drinks at 7:30 am on a Sunday morning. I'm guessing the line gets really long on weekends. So order early! Five stars for creative drinks and free street parking.

Was able to revisit LOQUAT COFFEE a few times since my last review. A couple of times with…read morecoworkers and another couple of times with fam. In each and every visit, I know I am boring, I ordered the same thing - CORTADO. The benefit of being boring and visiting several times is that I can definitively say that they churn out consistently GREAT cortados. I was able to finagle some of the following as well: - HOT LATTE. Not "watery", or should I say "milky". Strong and creamy. - FONDRY KOUIGN AMMAN. Sooo good. Of course. And without the Fondry line. Staff is always awesome. Parking looks challenging but I've never had a problem. There was always space for me to sit and down my bean drug.

Heavy Water Coffee was a great experience. I had a single-origin cortado that was balanced from…read morestart to finish, with a silky texture, great body, and a clean finish. The milk complemented the espresso without covering it up, allowing the coffee's character to come through. It was a well-executed drink that showed real attention to detail. The staff was genuinely friendly and welcoming, and I had the chance to meet the owner, who was incredibly knowledgeable about coffee. After talking with him, it was clear he cares about sourcing high-quality beans and getting the most out of them. That passion shows in the cup. I'll definitely be back.

I had been looking forward to trying this spot but must admit I was pretty disappointed with this…read morevisit. Given all of the coffee competition in the area, I was expecting a higher bar. Pro: a good amount of umbrella/covered outdoor seating on the back patio, which has a relaxing ambiance. Cons: the baristas were not super friendly. Barely acknowledged me when I walked into the shop. It's extremely small so it's not really ideal to sit inside. I ordered a cold brew with a non-dairy cream top, and the "top" immediately sank to the bottom in curdling chunks. The cold brew itself wasn't bad but they really shouldn't serve that cream top. Maybe I'd return to try something else if I happened to be in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way.

This coffee spot has such grate coffee. Starbucks who !? I recommend this spot to everyone in…read moreDTLA

Tried Tilt Coffee for the first time today while I was in the area…read more The shop is a very small coffee bar tucked between a few buildings, so there isn't a dedicated parking lot, but street parking was easy enough to find (for reference, I came at 11am on a Sunday). Seating is limited, though they do offer a few outdoor tables and a bench inside while you wait for your drinks. The service was great. The employees were friendly, welcoming, and the overall atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. As for the coffee, it unfortunately wasn't my favorite. I tried the Cloud Latte and found it a bit too thick, lacking the smoothness and flavor I was hoping for. I also tried the Cinnamon Cloud, which was smoother but still tasted fairly bitter to me. Coffee preferences are subjective, of course, but the flavor profile just didn't quite hit the mark for me. That said, I enjoyed everything else about the experience and would be willing to come back and try a few different drinks from the menu. The service and ambiance were definitely highlights of the visit.