We were in the area grabbing lunch and I was in the mood for a fancy coffee, so after a little…read moregoogling I discovered Cotti Coffee in the same plaza. It's located in a ramen restaurant, which is a little weird but whatever. They had plenty of tasty-sounding options, but I opted for the Stardust Crema Cotti. I'll admit I was surprised when it was ready and it turned out to be an iced coffee, but I'm nothing if not adaptable. It's a really refreshing beverage. It's packed with flavor and it's neither too sweet nor too bitter, so I slurped that thing down in record time. I could've done without the edible bubble things, but I just ignored them so it was fine.

It's located inside a noodle/ramen restaurant. I got the coconut latte, which they said was very…read morepopular. The drink was sweetened with coconut milk and had two shots of espresso. I've had other coconut lattes, and this is average. I think because of the quality of the coconut milk and the espresso shots. The service was friendly, and I can't speak much to the ambiance. They have a wine menu of drinks that I would consider trying again.

Heard about all the hype, came to check it out. I ordered a hojicha soft serve which was good,…read morehowever, the hojicha flavor wasn't as strong as I had anticipated despite the color. 4 stars because it's pretty humid inside & the shop is too small to hang out in & comfortably accommodate customers despite the size and variation of their menu, which is a bit of a bummer. I'd be open to returning to give their matcha a try since that's what they're mainly known for.

Tsujiri (Tsujiri Tea Store/Tsujiri Chaho/辻利茶舗) is a Japanese tea spot and bakery of well, Tsujiri…read morethe Kyoto/Uji tea company on Toronto's Dundas and Elizabeth. The company has been in business since 1860 making matcha, hojicha/houjicha and other green teas, and you happen to have this tea and dessert spot here and in multiple cities. (I usually don't get Tsujiri's teas as I have my usuals in Yamamoto and Itou En, but because I see the bad Ohtani/Ootani way too often on the latter's displays as in the one on the Bums obviously, Shouhei [with the good one being Ikue-san who for us non-Japanese residents mostly know her as the voice actress of "Pokemon's" Pikachu], I may have to start getting Tsujiri's more often and Itou En's less often for matcha and houjicha. [I intentionally add the "-san" honorific to the good Ohtani and drop it to the bad Ohtani.] Yes Toronto and Canada, I too wanted the bad Ohtani to go to the Jays, not the Bums, and if you have always wondered why the Dodgers are called that, when the Trolley Dodgers [people dodged incoming trolleys to get to work] and the Giants were still in New York City's Brooklyn and Manhattan respectively until 1958, "New York World-Telegram" cartoonist Willard Mullin back in the day called them that as they didn't win their first and only east coast title until 1955, though the fortunes are the total opposite since they moved out west to Los Angeles and San Francisco.) Just like what I did with my Jirou review, I'll point out what items I see here that are not in my local cafes and vice versa. This will be a good reference section for me should I have the power to return to the city, and it will also give both you Canadians that haven't visited any of their multiple locations yet and international visitors an idea of what to expect. While I sit at multiple spots in my temporary home inserting the usual "Yes guys, the ladies are cute!" statement, I better mention this important note. Do keep in mind that the place, with a simple tea house look, is narrow. There aren't many places to sit at. There are just 2, 3 tables? Right around there. Let me get the item comparison part out of the way. Items I recall seeing here that are not in my local Japanese/Japanese ties cafes/dessert spots (the latter type involves a place I reviewed in Satura, a mainly European cafe at one of my suburbs with Japanese ties, including a partnership with a cafe/bakery in Tokyo)? There are items such as yuzu kakigoori (Japanese shaved ice), shiratama dango, dango parfait, and soft serve ice creams of matcha and houjicha. Items I recall seeing in my usual spots that are not in Tsujiri? Besides the cute decorations (multiple Sanrio characters coming to my mind instantly), the local Japanese bakeries/cafes have items such as kouign amann, "Anpanman" pan, Japanese strawberry short cake, ube matcha latte, and Japanese sodas. The fun part section? Seeing that my K-foodie sis, her friend and I are in a tea shop, a (too) legit (to quit) Japanese tea shop, of course I had to get tea in some form, as I picked the cold houjicha latte. We also had the matcha houjicha soft serve, a daifuku and an order of dango. As expected, the foods and drink are so good. Even my sister's friend said that the place is a perfect 5/5, and my sis likes the place despite not being as fond of Asian cafes or Asian desserts/pastries that aren't Filipino as I am. (She does like European ones like kouign amann though.) The flaws section? Normally, I penalize a cafe a star if it doesn't carry a caffeine free drink as I seriously think about the kids and how I often don't need the insane amount of caffeine, but because Tsujiri is a Japanese green tea company, I can't deduct a point for not having a mugicha. Besides, outside of mugicha, houjicha is a good alternative for kids that are old enough anyway. So, with that said/typed, the only flaw I can think of is the limited parking, but of course, this is Downtown Toronto now. Tsujiri is that good of a tea spot. Though there isn't an ideal parking situation, the place is that good of a spot because of the good tea and food. It may never be my top Japanese cafe (I've known Clover for around 20 years or so), but it is that good never the less. If you're looking for a good cafe/dessert spot in Toronto or in multiple cities in Canada, go to a Tsujiri spot! +/Tsujiri is terrific at being hospitable and flashing dashing foods and drinks, and having multiple locations in the country shows how good the spots have been. -/There's limited parking, but of course, this is Downtown Toronto/whatever Canadian city you're from after all.

I know there are tons of tea shops in the area but I think this one really stands out! Teapresso…read moreuses high quality ingredients and once you have a taste then you will know what I mean. I got to come here for their soft opening and was offered to try three drinks and I am not joking that I loved all three. I even got to sample their housemade Gelato and it was soo uniquely good! Seating is limited so it is pretty much a pick up your drink and go spot!

Came to check out the new tea spot at Commerce Gate. First impression of this spot is that it's HOT…read moreinside - a very uncomfortable type of hot. You order through kiosks and wait for your drink. I had to wait outside of the shop after ordering since it was so uncomfortable waiting inside. Opted for the Mango coconut matcha which I thought was just okay. The mango at the bottom definitely had some sort of weird aftertaste to it, kind of like artificial mango syrup. I think I'd still like to try their other drinks another time to see if they're better. Overall experience was okay from the drink and the interior/ atmosphere temp.

Place is very busy, and we had to wait a bit to get a table to sit at. So plan ahead if you want to…read morestay and hang out. But perfect for grab and go. So much tea and matcha that you can grab to make drinks at home with as well. They also seem to brew fresh tea pots as well which is super cool. Team was very nice - kept the place very clean , including the bathrooms. - I think there could be a tad bit more lighting, but just a personal opinion. Hojicha latte was the perfect temperature for a cold day - and just the right amount of sweetness - Will drop by again in the future to explore the menu!

This is a tiny spot with minimal seating and the back area is currently under construction. They…read morehave outdoor seating area but not comfortable and inviting enough for you to enjoy your lattes. I have high hopes that the matcha here will be good since I always see this spot packed with people but was really disappointed when I tried their popular Strawberry Matcha Latte. It's incredibly frustrating to pay a premium price for a matcha latte only to end up with a dull, muted matcha flavour and overly milky drink. This is also one of those places that doesn't let you customize ice level so you're left with an over diluted drink that you can barely taste the matcha flavour. Their cakes aren't any better specifically the matcha roll cake. Tasted blah and has an underwhelming matcha filling. Yes the cake is soft but at the same time tasted gummy and has a dense texture which gives off a floury flavour. Unfriendly, unwelcoming and rude staff who leaves your takeout order on the counter without handing it over directly to you. Definitely will not return back to this place.

This is the second Matcha Matcha location I've been to and this is now my favourite. This location…read morehas so much seating which is wonderful. Today I tried the black caramel matcha was so good. I also tied the matcha biscuit. It was pretty solid as well. I am so happy that this locations is across the street from the AGO which is perfect for me. The service was quick but not much interaction since you order on an iPad. But I like that.

This store utilizes a self-serve point of sale. When you enter the store you will see tablets or…read moreself-serve kiosks where customers can independently browse the menus and make digital payments (cashless) either paying by card or mobile wallet. You enter your name and staff will call you when your order is ready. The biggest downside for this mode of payment is that some people still rely on paying cash and there's concern about consumer privacy. And if you like personalized human interaction like I do, this is a big turn-off especially if it's your first time in the store and need staff support. On top of that, they're asking for tip even though there is no direct service involved. I love cheesecake flavoured cold foam so I tried their Iced Cheesecake Matcha Latte. Iced matcha latte over eleven dollars is pure daylight robbery imo. You pay an additional one dollar if you want to substitute it for an oat milk. For the premium price you paid you would expect the matcha drink will have that earthy, green tea flavour but not in this case. And since you don't have options for ice choices, the drink tasted watered down since they put lots of ice. Wouldn't go out of my way to return back to this overhyped and overpriced matcha place.

Forget Me Not is a Korean coffee shop along the Ossington Strip. This is actually their second…read morelocation in the city where they offer your classic espresso based drinks as well as specialty drinks. They also have pastries that you're able to grab as well while grabbing a drink. This particular location is not accessible as there are some steps you need navigate in order to reach the entrance. However, the small patio at the back of the cafe is the perfect space to spend some time when the weather is warmer. Having been to Forget Me Not several times, their espresso based drinks are always great. However, I tried their banana bread matcha latte last year when it went viral and it wasn't bad. This year, they have their banana bread latte series again but they now have a banana bread hojicha latte. Being a huge fan of hojicha, I had the banana bread hojicha latte recently at Forget Me Not and it tasted pretty great! Price wise, it is on the more expensive side. Service wise, the staff at this coffee shop are always friendly and service is efficient where drinks are made at a reasonable time. Overall, a solid spot for coffee along the Ossington Strip! Definitely love the small patio they have at the back, the perfect place to escape to during the warmer months.

We were in the Ossington area to grab lunch, but first I wanted to find some cool coffee place I'd…read morenever tried before. Forget Me Not seemed quite promising, so we popped in and I began perusing the menu. I knew I wanted some cold, so I was immediately drawn to the Vanilla Dream Cold Brew ("cold brew brewed for 12 hours topped with house-made vanilla sweet cream"). It's delicious. The rich coffee and that vanilla sweet cream balance each other out perfectly. It's a refreshing, satisfying concoction that reminded me a little of the similar drinks I just quaffed at Disneyland. The fine folks at Forget Me Not Coffee obviously know exactly what they're doing. I'll be returning very soon, that's for sure.

I got the ube matcha latte with less sugar and grass jelly. Since it was fixed ice for the ube…read morematcha latte, I was worried about getting too much ice and not enough drink... Well, it was unfounded! Worth the price solely because you can't change ice, but they don't overdo it (cough most boba places). I paid extra for grass jelly and it was a decent amount. They also sell Gelato which seemed decent too but I just came from dinner. Ambience is a small lo-fi beats track in the background. Service is one person behind the counter but the drink was made pretty fast.

Looking for bubble tea in this area and happened on this place in the old location of the cupcake…read moreshops on Yonge street. It's in the alley. Nice interior with small tables and stools. We tried the mango slush and strawberry slush. The drinks were offered at 30% sweet because it's known to be sweet. On trying the drinks it tastes like 100% sugar level no change at all. Strawberry slush just made with syrup only with ice no fruit nothing else. Mango slush so sweet had to stop drink before even reaching halfway. Didn't look anything like the advertised picture with lots of mango chunks rather sparse mango. The bill was $20 for 2 drinks for sugar and ice. Overall poor quality drinks all sugar. Would not return.

I passed Mooncha yesterday and decided to stop in to try their bubble tea and bubble waffle…read more I decided to be safe and order a mango slush (50% sugar) so I can share with my daughter. The pearls were cooked at the right texture. The bubble waffle was good like other shops. It took 5-10 minutes for the bubble waffle to be cooked. Overall, good first experience. When I'm in the area, I'll try their pearl milk tea next.

Unfortunately, this was not my favourite matcha I've ever had. It was extremely sweet and tasted of…read morepure mango flavouring and the matcha was extremely watered down and barely distinguishable. It was on the pricier side as well. I would pass if you are looking for a good matcha.