Lizzie A.
Google
Lovely place with exciting new beverage options. I tried their ube and earl grey tea latte with oat milk. I loved it, but was displeased with the quality of its preparation.
As I was sipping my tea, I noticed that the string attached to the tea bag was not removed. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem--during the prep process--but that wasn't the case here.
Instead of cutting off the string, or removing the tea bag before serving, the barista decided that it was okay to submerge the tea bag--with the string still attached to it--which ruined my tasty delight.
This quality problem ruined my overall sipping experience because as I was sipping my tea, the string came through and in a very unpleasant way. Not knowing what the mystery texture was, I gagged and nearly vomited.
I noticed that the mystery thing that entered my sweet palette was rough in texture, as opposed to the smooth drizzle of the sweet ube fluid that uplifted my café-loving spirit. Unfortunately, my dream-like state turned into a moment of nightmare. When I checked to see what the problem was, I saw a tapeworm-like thing hanging from the spout of the lid!
After closer analysis of the disgusting offense, I realized that the disruption was caused by a string attached to the gourmet tea bag, but they failed to have it removed from my frothy delight. 😅
Next time, a barista needs to allow the tea bag to soak into the beverage for a minute or two, followed by its prompt removal before serving. Otherwise, if they're just going to remove the tea bag's paper-tag and then submerge it for serving, 99% of the string needs to be cut off with a pair of clean kitchen scissors. That's for the sake of quality control, health and sanitation, maximized customer enjoyment, and improved café experience. I removed a single star given this benign blunder.
Other:
Outside of the submerged tea bag with the string issue, baristas were attentive, approachable, caring, and incredibly helpful. Their café also uses gourmet style tea bags. I think Riishi might be their go-to brand, which I happen to like.
Their location is eclectic and fun, as well as hidden, which makes them a local gem. They also expended their hours of operation, now being open from 7:30am to 7:30pm and on a daily basis.
The ambience of the café is cool. Their walls are painted black and covered with wallart. I'm not sure if the intent was to feature local artists; hopefully, it is. I also noticed that they sell custom jewelry and random trinkets created by local artists. A collection of sold earrings uses upcycled materials and share progressive messages about the violation of human rights, given the current political administration's enforcement of immigration policies whilst perpetuating modern slavery, racism, and discrimination.
This Bohemian café is my kind of place. Their painted black walls decorated with random abstractions means I have something to do when when waiting on my beverage. Their hanging teacup display is whimsical in a wonderland kind of way. I appreciate their random vintage fixtures, including lamps and ice boxes, and would love to see more. Their colorful pops of pink, including a vintage TV on public display capturing and sharing security camara footage for public viewing as you walk past the café is modern and random. Like me, their love for plants and dim mood lighting hits like home.
