"This Japanese bakery chain is in the lobby of a Little Tokyo hotel and has a big pastry case full of buns, but it’s more popular as a matcha shop than for bread. The animal-shaped Kobo Kuma is cute (and stays that way as long as you don’t accidentally smush it), but there are better sweet treats at other shops in the area, like Mitsuru or Cafe Dulce. We prefer the savory options instead, including the curry pan and the “Japanini” sandwich with bacon, tomato, pesto, and a single shiso leaf. But the real reason we’d wait in line is for their decadent, cream-topped matcha lattes that are borderline milkshakes." - Cathy Park