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Such a hole in the wall! There is nothing better than a simple menu, it shows how much craft they put into their drinks by mainly focusing on just a few ingredients. Their hochija latte was so creamy and nutty, will definitely come back for this gem. They also sell various chocolates, I was able to grab some Vietnamese Cafe Sua Da ones. Employee was super nice and informative.
Loved Tono Coffee Project...such a cool little modern spot tucked away in Japantown that almost has the feel of a pop-up, even though it is the permanent home. The guy running it was incredibly friendly and social, having a real conversation with pretty much every customer who came through. I got the Extra, which is hot chocolate with coffee, and it was awesome...rich and chocolatey with just the right coffee kick. The combination of the hidden location, simple menu, and genuinely warm service makes this place special. Definitely a 5-star find that I'll be coming back to.
A cute little coffe shop tucked away in an apartment complex lobby. Super easy to miss it! It's aesthetic with a simple menu: coffee, matcha, and hojicha. NO FRILLS. I got the Hojicha + Milk and this hit the spot. Iced and sweetened were perfect for me. Creamy and nutty profiles! The barista here was so kind! Loved supporting this small business. We need more of this in San Jose! They're also at the Japantown Farmers Market :)
I got to enjoy Tono coffee project when they did a pop up cafe during Fanime! It was Avatar the Last Air Bender themed which was perfect for the event and worked so well. The vendor booth was a tent made to look like a tea house, there was artwork and flyers from the series (if you know, you know) on the tent, and the menu was themed after the series too. This is how you can tell the owners are actually fans and not LARP, which is AMAZING. Service was efficient and super friendly, even when the lines were busy (it's a con, what do you expect) and even though the food was prepared elsewhere and taken there, it was pretty good and helped tide me over during the long convention. For my order (over a span of 2 days), I got the: 1) Hojicha Milk Tea (Red Blooded Nephew): -I got this iced. -Not bad, not too sweet and not watered down either. Great pick me up. Nice smoky and roasted flavor to it. Pretty good. 2) Fire Nation's Butter Mochi: -Certain days they would run out of one flavor, other days they would swap it up from what I believe. -I got a black sesame and kinako banana. -I think I got a third one, but a friend ate that. It was more of a savory flavor, but unfortunately forgot what it was. -My favorite was the kinako banana since it was a neat twist on what a banana bread would be like in a different form. -Very filling, decently large piece of butter (shaped like a rectangle of butter) mochi and easily shareable too. -You have to eat it the day of since it does get dry and hard if you try saving it for the next day, sadly. 3) Spam Musubi (Sizzle Crisp Rice Snack): -Decent spam musubi. -Rice had the perfect texture, it didn't fall apart and despite it being, I'm sure prepared before hitting the con floor, it wasn't soggy in the slightest. Not bad. Hopefully one day I can stop by their actual location!
Ooh i wanted to try this place and luckily happened upon it while doing the usual stops in Japantown! There was a sign for art gallery so followed it and got to see the last day of an art popup by flabjacks with the coffee shop right next to it in an apartment complex lobby area! They are usually there but still pop up so not a permanent brick and mortar right now. I decided to try their hojicha latte since it was already 3pm and was not disappointed! It was the smoothest, but still earthy and bold hojicha i've had! It was so nice and creamy with the oatmilk i wanted another one right after i finished it loll! Def will be back to try their matcha, regular latte, and their blueberry pie!! Thanks Annie it was so nice meeting u!! (One of the owners)
Cute coffee spot with zero frills inside the...apt complex? Very warm service and legendary aeration of the oat milk in my latte. I could not believe how fluffy that milk got. They're quite the simple setup, with a very pared down meny for easy ordering and cafe basics/cute shop. Ample seating around but not much space inside the shop so takeout only.
Ordered: Iced White (~$6): oat milk & coffee with a splash of sweetener Aya's take: A small but mighty coffee shop tucked away in the lobby of the Exhibit at J Town Apartments. I ordered the Iced White which is simply coffee & oat milk (the only milk offered). The amount of milk varies depending on the type of drink you want. I was going for an iced latte, and this delivered. It was refreshing, creamy, and the espresso was pulled nicely. Lowkey spot that will satisfy the caffeine kick!
Wanted to check out their place for a while! Finally came to try their coffee and milk tea and it was so good! You can explore the art gallery located right next to the coffee shop! The owner designed the logo and cafe itself inspired by their experience living in asia! They said they believe nothing is permanent so they wanted to arrange as a popup cafe which is unique and cool! They can simple move their cafe location to every where! Drinks (milk tea and coffee) were so good! We love to come back :)
This small coffee shop located in Japantown has a nice aesthetic and simple menu. White (5/5): Sweetened and very simple. Cant go wrong with this.
Nothing beats a simply good quality drink from Tono and walking around Japantown on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I've loved everything I've tried at Tono so far. The brew of the white (milk + coffee) was perfect. The matcha has a vibrant green color and subtle sweetness. The baked goods are delicious too. The Korean cheese bread was scrumptious. Can't wait to come back
This little pop-up shop has been on my sights for coffee in SJ this year of 2025. I wasn't expecting to visit them anytime soon until I passed by while walking in Japantown. It is located in the Exhibit J-Town Apartments lobby with a small sofa for inside seating while tables for two are scattered out the building. Tōno Coffee Project, with its equally minimalist logo, has a simple menu of single-origin coffee and matcha with oatmilk & chocolate milk as variants. They did offer baked goods from local bakers this particular Saturday but I was here for coffee only. The baristas were fast, efficient and good with small talk. I doubt that they had restroom access as I didn't ask but the Hot Black I got was full-bodied and a waker-upper even without real milk.
A damn good cup of coffee. Friendly, warm service; nice seating area; beautiful art. But the coffee is really where it's at. They have some unique pastries, we had their blueberry hand pie, it was not too sweet and even a little savory with a hint of rosemary. Very pleasant, will come back.
Nice location, friendly chat with the barista while he was preparing our drinks. Simple and elegant place. I can't vouch for the other offerings but the matcha latte was smooth and just the right size.
17 days ago
18 days ago
GAHHHHHHHH. WAHHHHHHH. sorry i really like their coffee. its genuinely really good. i always talk in my reviews about how i'd sell this organ that organ to consume more food/drink but i don't know what i'd give up for another one of tono's flat whites - it's just too fire!! maybe like idk my favorite shrek plushie or something. parking is okay, they are literally in an apartment complex. service is so buss the barista is super chatty and nice. perfecto for extroverts. i tried the flat white, i would get it in a smaller size so the oat milk doesn't overpower. speaking of oat milk THANK YOU for accommodating my weak wimpy dairy free lactose self the lot today was a washed mexican bourbon AHHHHHH. i like it a lot. i usually hate bourbon varieties because they taste like...alcohol! but this one was perfectly funky and caramelly which worked super well with the alcohol aftertaste. they also have a bunch of chocolate yum! overall will come back read more
2 months ago
Such a hole in the wall! There is nothing better than a simple menu, it shows how much craft they put into their drinks by mainly focusing on just a few ingredients. Their hochija latte was so creamy and nutty, will definitely come back for this gem. They also sell various chocolates, I was able to grab some Vietnamese Cafe Sua Da ones. Employee was super nice and informative. read more
Loved Tono Coffee Project...such a cool little modern spot tucked away in Japantown that almost has the feel of a pop-up, even though it is the permanent home. The guy running it was incredibly friendly and social, having a real conversation with pretty much every customer who came through. I got the Extra, which is hot chocolate with coffee, and it was awesome...rich and chocolatey with just the right coffee kick. The combination of the hidden location, simple menu, and genuinely warm service makes this place special. Definitely a 5-star find that I'll be coming back to. read more
A cute little coffe shop tucked away in an apartment complex lobby. Super easy to miss it! It's aesthetic with a simple menu: coffee, matcha, and hojicha. NO FRILLS. I got the Hojicha + Milk and this hit the spot. Iced and sweetened were perfect for me. Creamy and nutty profiles! The barista here was so kind! Loved supporting this small business. We need more of this in San Jose! They're also at the Japantown Farmers Market :) read more
I got to enjoy Tono coffee project when they did a pop up cafe during Fanime! It was Avatar the Last Air Bender themed which was perfect for the event and worked so well. The vendor booth was a tent made to look like a tea house, there was artwork and flyers from the series (if you know, you know) on the tent, and the menu was themed after the series too. This is how you can tell the owners are actually fans and not LARP, which is AMAZING. Service was efficient and super friendly, even when the lines were busy (it's a con, what do you expect) and even though the food was prepared elsewhere and taken there, it was pretty good and helped tide me over during the long convention. For my order (over a span of 2 days), I got the: 1) Hojicha Milk Tea (Red Blooded Nephew): -I got this iced. -Not bad, not too sweet and not watered down either. Great pick me up. Nice smoky and roasted flavor to it. Pretty good. 2) Fire Nation's Butter Mochi: -Certain days they would run out of one flavor, other days they would swap it up from what I believe. -I got a black sesame and kinako banana. -I think I got a third one, but a friend ate that. It was more of a savory flavor, but unfortunately forgot what it was. -My favorite was the kinako banana since it was a neat twist on what a banana bread would be like in a different form. -Very filling, decently large piece of butter (shaped like a rectangle of butter) mochi and easily shareable too. -You have to eat it the day of since it does get dry and hard if you try saving it for the next day, sadly. 3) Spam Musubi (Sizzle Crisp Rice Snack): -Decent spam musubi. -Rice had the perfect texture, it didn't fall apart and despite it being, I'm sure prepared before hitting the con floor, it wasn't soggy in the slightest. Not bad. Hopefully one day I can stop by their actual location! read more
Ooh i wanted to try this place and luckily happened upon it while doing the usual stops in Japantown! There was a sign for art gallery so followed it and got to see the last day of an art popup by flabjacks with the coffee shop right next to it in an apartment complex lobby area! They are usually there but still pop up so not a permanent brick and mortar right now. I decided to try their hojicha latte since it was already 3pm and was not disappointed! It was the smoothest, but still earthy and bold hojicha i've had! It was so nice and creamy with the oatmilk i wanted another one right after i finished it loll! Def will be back to try their matcha, regular latte, and their blueberry pie!! Thanks Annie it was so nice meeting u!! (One of the owners) read more
Cute coffee spot with zero frills inside the...apt complex? Very warm service and legendary aeration of the oat milk in my latte. I could not believe how fluffy that milk got. They're quite the simple setup, with a very pared down meny for easy ordering and cafe basics/cute shop. Ample seating around but not much space inside the shop so takeout only. read more
Ordered: Iced White (~$6): oat milk & coffee with a splash of sweetener Aya's take: A small but mighty coffee shop tucked away in the lobby of the Exhibit at J Town Apartments. I ordered the Iced White which is simply coffee & oat milk (the only milk offered). The amount of milk varies depending on the type of drink you want. I was going for an iced latte, and this delivered. It was refreshing, creamy, and the espresso was pulled nicely. Lowkey spot that will satisfy the caffeine kick! read more
Wanted to check out their place for a while! Finally came to try their coffee and milk tea and it was so good! You can explore the art gallery located right next to the coffee shop! The owner designed the logo and cafe itself inspired by their experience living in asia! They said they believe nothing is permanent so they wanted to arrange as a popup cafe which is unique and cool! They can simple move their cafe location to every where! Drinks (milk tea and coffee) were so good! We love to come back :) read more
3 months ago
Nothing beats a simply good quality drink from Tono and walking around Japantown on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I've loved everything I've tried at Tono so far. The brew of the white (milk + coffee) was perfect. The matcha has a vibrant green color and subtle sweetness. The baked goods are delicious too. The Korean cheese bread was scrumptious. Can't wait to come back read more
This little pop-up shop has been on my sights for coffee in SJ this year of 2025. I wasn't expecting to visit them anytime soon until I passed by while walking in Japantown. It is located in the Exhibit J-Town Apartments lobby with a small sofa for inside seating while tables for two are scattered out the building. Tōno Coffee Project, with its equally minimalist logo, has a simple menu of single-origin coffee and matcha with oatmilk & chocolate milk as variants. They did offer baked goods from local bakers this particular Saturday but I was here for coffee only. The baristas were fast, efficient and good with small talk. I doubt that they had restroom access as I didn't ask but the Hot Black I got was full-bodied and a waker-upper even without real milk. read more
7 months ago
A damn good cup of coffee. Friendly, warm service; nice seating area; beautiful art. But the coffee is really where it's at. They have some unique pastries, we had their blueberry hand pie, it was not too sweet and even a little savory with a hint of rosemary. Very pleasant, will come back. read more
10 months ago
Easily the best coffee in Japantown, San Jose! I think I've visited Tono at least 10 if not 20 times now. Convenience plays a big part, but the coffee and service is what really keeps me coming back. The menu is simple and straightforward with just a few options -- Black - coffee only White - coffee + milk (my personal favorite and go-to) Extra - chocolate, coffee, + milk (when I'm looking to switch it up) They also have matcha and hojicha latte options, all of which are great! Their baked goods are all made in-house and of the items, I've only tried the Korean Cheesy Bun, but I absolutely love it and get it almost every time. Maybe I'll get tired of it one day and then I'll be ready to try the other bakery items! The location is almost like a semi-permanent pop-up out of Exhibit J Town Apartments. Not a lot of seating, just a few inside and a few outside, but a cute and charming little locally-owned spot. read more
Tono Coffee Project is a hidden gem-easily missed yet hard to forget. Tono serves one of my favorite hot mochas to this day, and the creamy chocolately oatmilk flavor still lives in my head rent-free. This location is within walking distance of SJ Japantown so parking is mostly free street parking. The cafe sits on the bottom floor of an art gallery/shop with a small seating section inside as well as an uncovered outdoor patio with small tables. The menu is simple with just 3 options but these three options are done meticulously and with care. There is a small selection of baked good to enjoy your coffee with and they are certainly not your average pastries. The pastries are unique in flavor and textures. My favorite one was the furikake bun filled with an overflowing amount of cream cheese (not complaining at all). I do wish they served their pastries warm, that would be my only complaint. Service is warm and friendly as always. The owner really takes his time to make each cup of coffee with love and care. He always makes short and sweet small talk with each customer too. If you're looking for a simply heartwarming cup of coffee, come to Tono. read more
5 months ago
Super cute coffee shop near japan downtown! We stopped by and grabbed a sweetened ice matcha and iced hojicha. We both thought the hojicha was more flavorful! Staff was friendly and the space was very quaint but cozy! read more
This is seriously some of the best coffee around! Was happy to find out Tono has a brick and mortar store now, inside the lobby of Exhibit J Town Apartments. It's a small spot but very chic and modern. Their menu is simple with only a few options that are done very well. Their coffee has a unique and distinct taste. They usually have a few baked goods as well. The barista was very friendly and knowledgeable. There's a few couches since it's an apartment building lobby, but most people get their coffee to go. Will definitely stop by any chance I get whenever I'm near Japantown! read more
5 months ago
11 months ago
I've visited Tono Coffee Project a couple of times recently, and I'm consistently impressed. It's such a charming little spot, offering a straightforward coffee selection and some really interesting snacks that are a nice complement to their drinks. What stands out the most is the staff; they're always incredibly friendly and very helpful when it comes to making recommendations, which is great for someone like me who isn't always sure what to order. The coffee itself is good quality, and I also appreciate that they have a small outdoor seating area, perfect for catching up with friends over a coffee and a chat. read more
Love visiting Tono when I'm in Japantown! Small spot, easy to order with no frills. I usually opt for coffee + milk or matcha + milk (both sweetened)! Their hojicha is also really good. They make their drinks quickly and sometimes have beautiful latte art so service is top tier. The taste def shows that they use quality ingredients! There's some seating indoors and outside too. It's next to an art shop/studio so it's nice to walk over and check out their items read more
I would come here again when it's a slow day Pros Really affordable matcha and expresso at a nice apartment lobby Everything tastes high quality Cons Not enough space inside the store. The cashier is the batista so it might result in some wait time read more
4.5 Located in Japantown, might be hard to find parking. It was initially hard to find because it is in an apartment complex. I love the simplicity of this spot. Very simple menu, which is nice for indecisive ppl. There is black, white, and extra on the menu. If you're not a coffee person, there is also matcha and hojicha. My friends and I got the hojicha, extra and white drinks along with two pastries to share. Every thing was amazing, I will def be back! read more
I've been trying to go to the little place for the longest time!! I didn't realize it was on the other side of Japan town by the new tall condo building with a beautiful murals and a little Parkside dog run!! There's also a cute local gallery, seventh empire over here as well! This café was actually inside of the condo/liming community but open to the public. I ended up getting an iced Matcha latte with oat milk, and it was perfectly mixed and tasted delicious! I also got one of their almond cookies, and it has the perfect almond taste to it! Not overwhelming, but not so fat I couldn't taste the almond within the flavor itself!! My friend got the roasted Matcha, hojicha and it traditionally does not come with sugar so she asked if they could add a little pump of simple syrup and she loved her drink also!! We were very impressed with this cute quaint little coffee shop, as well as their customerservice and unique drinks and the mural was beautiful to look at outside while we got to play catch-up! We will definitely be back and next time we'll just walk since it was two blocks up from the Manju shop. We thought it was farther away so we drove on Accident. Lol. read more
3 months ago
Ordered the white and it was amazing! The last time I had coffee that good was when I was in Taiwan. I appreciated the small menu and that Tōno was the type to stick with the basics and make them really well. The barista/cashier was really friendly and made my drink super fast. I enjoyed my drink outside and the vibes were great. Downsides: no internet, outlets, or bathroom. I could easily overlook these because of how good the coffee was read more
8 months ago
2/5/26 - I haven't tried them since they were doing pop ups at SJSU many years ago! Still so good and happy they have a physical location now! Simple and delicious community coffee! read more
Came across this place via social media. I didn't know it was a pop up concept inside an apartment complex, but it was nice, clean modern look. There is seating outside in the shade and inside there's a long couch and 2 chairs. There's no restroom but you can go to the grocery store that's about a block away. The menu is straight forward which I believe helps customers out. The drinks automatically come with oat milk. The menu on the wall is the original menu, but they had a special menu where the matcha was added. I ordered an iced matcha w/ a bit of sweetener and my boyfriend ordered the black coffee. Simple easy. I think because the matcha is premade, it loses a bit of the taste, but it was still good. The barista was friendly and approachable. They greeted us when we walked in as they were helping a customer. Whenever we're in SJ again, we will be back! read more
The menu is straightforward, and the drinks are simple but very customizable to your liking. I ordered the white with less sweet- I liked how it automatically came with oatmilk. The drink was refreshing and had a good balance of milk and coffee. I enjoyed the simplicity of the drink! The space feels like a good spot to catch up or take a short break. There's not a lot of seating, but perfect for a quick pause in your day. read more
1 year ago
Wonderful hidden lil caffeine pick me up spot with unique snacks! There's not a lot of parking in this area depending on what time you come but def worth checking out. Lots of cool artwork nearby as well for some aesthetic photos if you'd like. There's not much seating inside though but that's fine if you weren't planning on coming here to do work. It's inside an apartment complex (lucky for the people who live there) and the owner was super friendly. He's the only person working so he takes one order at a time and makes your drink on the spot quickly! When we got there I thought they only had coffee drinks, since the menu on the wall only had 3 coffee drinks, which is pretty cool for those who are indecisive! When i got to the front of the line, I saw a paper menu showing they also had some teas so i opted for a Hojicha since i was in a tea latte mood at the moment. I asked for light sweetness which he accommodated and it came out perfect and a nice pick me up for the day! Very cool pop-up spot to check out :) read more
If I opened a cafe, I'd want my menu to be as minimal yet customizable as tono coffee project. It's tucked in an apartment complex in Japantown next to an art gallery and you can either get a water-based "black", milk-based "white", or chocolate milk-based "extra" at whatever ratio you'd like. I got a white at a latte milk ratio. The coffee is toasty and subtly sweet and they only offer Oatly oat milk which was a bit strong, so I'd probably try a 1:1 ratio next time, but I still really enjoyed my drink! The barista was sooo friendly too! There's no bathroom or WiFi but there's some outdoor seating and some couches inside that make it a great place to sit and yap. read more
got some drinks at a thrift pop up and i thought the drinks were okay. it was a little pricey for the size they give (~$7). i got the hojicha latte and thought it was good, not the strongest, but it was decent. the matcha latte hot was good as well, i think their hot drinks are better and the flavor shows more. yummy rating: 7/10 read more
Super cute little shop in an apartment complex! I'm so jealous of the tenants that can get good coffee right in their lobby. It's a one-man team but he is very friendly and efficient. I got an iced matcha drink and my partner got a hot coffee. We took it plain w no milk/sweetness and it was very tasty. I would definitely come again! There's a few sitting areas outside but it is very small. There's street parking but you may have to search a little since there's a few apartment complexes nearby. read more
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More info about Tono coffee project
525 N 7th St
San Jose, CA 95112
Downtown
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(408) 634-2414
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http://tono.coffee
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