Tea Pavilion

Stopped in during our visit to Balboa Park - ordered a chicken rice bowl and a chicken curry sandwich ($38 total). Rice bowl flavor was good - chicken had a little too much of a bite to it for my liking. Chicken curry sandwich was also good - served cold. Service was very friendly and helpful! Clean areas, plenty of shaded tables to sit and eat + overlook Japanese Gardens. Overall, nice light options for the area but probably would try a different spot on our next visit.

Food looks reasonably good, outdoor dining overlooking the garden. Price wise is slightly more than other cafes. Compared to other eateries/cafe in the garden, there’s no pigeons here fighting over your food, which is a very nice and calm touch while you’re eating. Bring a hat as the sun sometimes gets in your eye depending where you’re facing.

The food is expensive and not great with small portions. I didn’t like the teas they were not very strong and tasted too close to water. I’m grateful to have tried it but will not eat here again given the choice.

Very nice place to drink a tea or eat something Japanese a was walking throw balboa park and found it

Came to the park on a Sunday to walk around and see some of the museums. Wanted some coffee and found out thankfullythis little place. I asked what they had on the sweeter side and they suggested a tres leches late. It was VERY good and I will be back to have another next time we come for a chill day.

This is not a sit-down restaurant because you order your food inside and then eat outside if there's tables available. It is a hot day but there are limited 4-seat tables with umbrellas. However, the best seating is next to the cliff overlooking the Japanese garden. Since they did not have a lot of options available on their menu (salmon, udon, Thai Iced Tea), our selections were limited. So, we ended up having teriyaki rice bowls and salad.

We got miso and a couple of rice bowls. The food was good, fresh and tasty, however the place would really benefit from some extra cleaning efforts. All the outside seating tables were fairly dirty (you can see on the picture what I mean by that). Service also was just OK.

I wouldn't recommend the place if you have other choices at the area. The food is good, nothing special. But the thing I hate the most is automatically included 20% tip. Don't get me wrong, I am ok with tips and I pay tip, but they must be deserved. Just taking an order does not worth 20% tips. The tables outside were not very clean. Chilling homeless at the table does not improve overall feeling about the place.

Pretty setting, prices are pretty reasonable, and despite some of the average reviews, our food was surprisingly good. I wanted to try their sushi, but they had already run out 2 hours after opening, by 12:30, so my mom and I each got the grilled salmon rice bowl. Salmon was tasty, as was the teriyaki sauce and generous portion of rice. No veggies, other than a few sliced scallions; some pieces of broccoli or other veggies would have been nice. We got a Jasmine iced tea, which was very good and refreshing on this sunny day. And don't forget to show your Balboa Explorer Pass for 10% off if you have one!

Such a nice location to grab a bite to eat while enjoying the views of the Japanese Friendship Garden down below. The Tea Pavilion has such potential, but unfortunately, the food and service ruins the zen moments. I think the reason why I come here to eat is simply for the location and ambience. It's conveniently located at the entrance of the Friendship Garden, and there are plenty of shaded tables to sit at. But I do have to mention that your meal may be interrupted by the chaotic music selection they choose to play over the loud speakers. If anyone working there is reading this, I recommend a more zen and peaceful playlist. I've ordered many items before, and each were just not very memorable. I recently had the chicken teriyaki bowl and although it was my first meal of the day, it did not satisfy my hunger. The rice and flavor were both just fine to me, but the chicken was extremely dry and tough to chew. It was very rubbery. It came with some shredded carrots that seemed to have been tossed in straight out of a bag. I hate to say it, but the teriyaki bowl at Jack in the Box tastes much better. It was also pretty pricey for $14 per rice bowl. I did have their iced matcha green tea latte, and I have to admit, it was surprisingly good! There is a good selection of teas and other beverages served there. I guess go there if you're thirsty. Lastly, I was just off-putted (if that's even a word, which im pretty sure it isnt), by the kitchen staff working that day. Customers could hear their profanity-laced conversations in the back. Honestly, it wasn't very zen of them. They almost ruined my peaceful day at the park.

For me, this take out restaurant is more like Tears Pavilion. I wept a river of tears for a lost meal in a land of hundreds of great food options. Part 1 started last November where we met up some family at the Japanese Friendship Garden. We opted for a quick meal at this pavilion before heading to another Balboa Park museum. 3 stars, can't be that bad? Oh, it was bad, and I vowed never to return. Part 2 was 3 months later, same Friendship Garden, different people. Like how mothers forget how painful childbirth is and how parents forget the memories of sleepless nights with a newborn, my brain had blacked out the trauma from my first experience here. TWO wasted meals in San Diego in the space of a few months. Ok, enough ranting - here is the food: Miso soup - my daughter tried this and thought it was passable Teriyaki chicken bowl - imagine Minute Rice, Costco Rotisserie Chicken, and bottled Teriyaki sauce. That would be a Michelin starred masterpiece compared to what you get here. A huge glob of overcooked rice, some unseasoned dry strips of chicken, and I have no idea where they are getting their sweet and flavorless teriyaki sauce. Tea Pavilion, please just buy Kinders or anything readily available out in market, it will taste better. California Crab Sandwich - chopped up surimi dressed with spicy mayo. The surimi didn't have enough dressing and this was served on slightly stale sandwich bread. I'm really sorry/angry that I have nothing nice to say, but the food service is slow and the outdoor tables are a mess since customers are busing their own tables. Also, if you would like a fortune cookie, you need to buy it.

Inside they were out of everything. No Thai Tea or Matcha teas. The girls (there were 3) at the register were loud speaking different languages . I could not be sure what was happening, they were cute and having fun. We purchased a small can of watermelon mela water and I tried the Blue Lady tea which was very good. Outside seating was enjoyable with approx 14 tables and very welcome umbrellas. The music was Japanese which added to the ambiance.

I feel like having a tea place inside a park is a necessity and tea pavilion is doing a great job at filling that necessity. The place is located in a convenient area, being near a tram station and parking, and also by a decent view and stadium. The iced matcha was pretty good although it was a little sweeter than I usually have it. As for the cherry Sakura tea, my girlfriend said this was one of the best teas she's ever had and downed it before I had the chance to try it. Will get back to you when I actually try it.

The Tea Pavilion is located right outside of the Japanese Friendship garden inside of Balboa Park. Plenty of outside seating with umbrellas to provide shade. The experience with the restaurant was less than ideal. I ordered 3 rice bowls and it took us about half an hour to get our food. It was somewhat frustrating because the tickets were not called in order so all these tickets after my order were being fulfilled before mine. Once I got my food, it looked like day old rice covered in slices of meat with pre-packaged sauces. The rice was super hard and kept getting stuck in my teeth. The chicken was bland and really dry and extremely tough. I've never had chicken like that before. The beef was somewhat better. I would not recommend any chicken bowls nor Teriyaki. If you're getting a rice bowl, stick with the curry.

So here's the thing....the ambiance was nice, albeit loud. Balboa park is lovely, so it goes without saying the surroundings were beautiful. There was contemporary music blasting over the loud speakers (it's outdoor seating) and I wished it had either been a lower level or none at all! How about we just enjoy the sounds of nature and conversation with our loved ones? But, even hard of hearing me sat there thinking, "this obnoxious music is loud"! Now, as for the food: I had an order of miso soup and a grilled chicken teriyaki rice bowl. The soup was good. The broth was very flavorful. The rice bowl, however, was a great disappointment. This did not taste like anything teriyaki to me. Just an odd, bland flavorless flavor. It was actually kind of weird. The chicken was scarce and what I did have was tough. The majority of food in this bowl was rice and julienned carrots. And I hate to say it, but the rice kind of had a moldy zing to it. There were no visible signs of mold, mind you, but the first mouthful was not pleasant. The service was typical, busy, understaffed Gen Z/Millenial service. Not rude, not polite, not welcoming. Just a sort of no social skills "I'll take your money" feel to it. I have to admit, I shan't be experiencing this place again. It was a dud. But balboa park itself is a great place to visit. Just don't bother wasting your money at the Tea Pavilion.

I think the Cohn Restaurant Group should be embarrassed to have their name affiliated with the Tea Pavilion with all these one star reviews! Fix it. It's broken. Rude employees with a I don't give a fu*k attitude. The food is horrible! Dried up chicken, mushy rice, gas station fare! It would be so terrific to have lovely tasting food to enjoy in a beautiful setting. How's wrong with you people?! Apparently the manager doesn't care. What a pity Cohen Group! Rescue it like you did 333 and Vintana! Make Balboa Park, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the locals proud. It shows you don't care. What a pity. Such potential.

I've been going to the tea pavilion for many years now but recently I've been craving their beef rice bowl for lunch any time I go to balboa park for resident free tuesdays. Their miso soup is also good. Located right next to the Japanese Friendship Garden, the tea pavilion is a great stop for someone going in or out of the tea pavilion. Service is friendly and you do get employee discount if you work in balboa park. I love going here on a nice sunny afternoon since they don't open after 4 pm. If you're lucky, you can even sit on a picnic table with a good view of the garden.

The food is combini style we ordered curry tofu and vegetable, hot macha latte Calbee chips and mochi rice cake. The servers were kind and helpful. The ambiance is simple and reasonable.

I've been up and down the coast almost 2 weeks. This was the worst place we have been and we've been eating our 3 times a day. We ordered the teriyaki chicken and udi noodles soup, iced chai, iced Thai tea. It was all terrible. I threw my drink away. I'm writing this to save someone $40. I would rather starve then eat here again

This was a nice little place for our family to rest and eat lunch before exploring the rest of Balboa Park. I liked the food options on the menu because I knew my kids would eat it. They had a variety of snacks and drinks inside as well. The line could get pretty long at peek hours but they were pretty fast and efficient. It wasn't too hard to get a table either. People eat and leave pretty quickly. And the best part was that there was plenty of shade! There is the Japanese garden right next to it as well but I think you have to pay to enter.

This place is your classic cafe situated next to a tourist attraction (in this case, the Japaense Friendship Gardens). If you set your expectations accordingly, then you won't be disappointed. For a cafe that appear like a tourist trap, the prices are actually surprisingly good (~$10-12 for an entree like a bowl of udon or rice with curry). The Chai latte is also pretty great! They also had a selection of fun Japanese style drinks in their fridge like Melon calpico and Ramun Japanese soda which was very cute. I ordered the vegetable curry udon bowl which was a bit salty but hit the spot. Of course if you compare the food here to Asian food from Convoy etc. you will be quite disappointed -- but if you're just looking for a quick caffeine fix or bite to eat during your day trip in Balboa Park, then this is a really nice place to stop by! No indoor seating but there are nice picnic tables right outside, just steps away from a beautiful outlook over the Friendship Gardens.

Bland flavorless food made with pre packaged sauces. Located outside the beautiful Japanese Friendship Gardens we had expected more authentic Japanese fare. Total disappointment! Service is non existent.

I always love coming to Tea Pavilion when I visit Balboa Park. The service is friendly and the food is fast and delicious. They always have fun with different snacks and delicious teas. It's one of my favorite places in the park.

I LOVE the Japanese Friendship Garden, and I really really wish this spot held up next to it. The first time I stopped in, it was during the week and the building was empty. I literally tried to order four completely different items off the menu -- soba noodles, a salad, a sandwich, and finally a bowl. Every item, one after the other, the cashier told me they did not have available. I asked what they did have to eat and she named two dishes off the whole menu, neither of which I wanted, so I left empty handed. The second time I came in it was a bit more crowded, and I just ordered a tea to take down to the gardens. It took over 20 minutes for a single iced tea, and once I finally bit the bullet to ask if it was coming, they started making it. I think they forgot my order entirely. In the end, the tea was refreshing but nothing to write home about in terms of flavor and not nearly worth the price or wait. Overall I'm bummed to say this spot is massively disappointing and I don't have plans to try it a third time.

Decent place, but service is really slow and the line gets really long. Food quality is pretty decent and they have a few tea options, but they are a bit unsweetened. Still, the product is quality. However, they need to hire more employee's as things move really slow. Overall, a nice spot, but expect to wait longer than you would expect to.

The Tea Pavilion at the Japanese Friendship Garden is a place to pause and rest while visiting Balboa Park or attending a concert at the Organ Pavilion.  It offers hot teas and cold drinks, along with sushi, rice bowls, soups, salads, and sandwiches.  Most of the food items are prepackaged. Order inside the Pavilion and enjoy your selections at the outdoor picnic tables.

Very disappointing experience. I was looking forward to enjoying a simple lunch but the tasteless soba salad with tofu had no flavor even when dosed with soy sauce . Long line to get food but my order came out fairly quickly. They should add more tables with umbrellas in the summer. After walking around I found several other places suitable for a quick lunch. Balboa Park is always worth a visit.

Checking this place out on our vacay. It's cute . If you just want a quick eat it's a good place . It's little pricy for fast Japanese food but trying it anyway . Their sushi was good . Udon soup was ok .

To call this place a "Tea Pavilion" is a disgrace. The matcha latte was awful. No matcha flavor whatsoever. No milk flavor either. It was incredibly watered down and tasted borderline like bad freezer tasting ice. To charge almost $6 is a crime. We came on the third Tuesday of the month so the Garden was free for San Diego residents. Of course it was very busy but the place didn't staff properly so the wait was very long. Higher quality matcha is definitely recommended as this is a "Tea Pavilion" after all.

TLDR: it's a misnomer to call this place a "Tea Pavilion" and is a diminishing experience compared to the lovely Japanese Gardens it fronts. The tea is "good enough" but doesn't rise to expectation given it's location. The food is rather inexcusable, sadly, to the point that Panda Express or Yoshinoya is of far superior quality and flavor. The views on the patio are the most redeemable aspect of this sub-par fast food joint posing as a tea house. The details: Even without COVID the flow of people is mixed up with pick-up and ordering being near one entrance such that customers need to criss-cross each other multiple times to get kitchen and drink items. On the day the A/C was also lined to blow cold right on lined up customers during colder weather. The cashier mistook my tea latte order, but the regular hoji-cha was good. The kitchen didn't communicate what they were out of such that the cashier submitted my kitchen order and it wasn't available. Wanted udon but no udon. Got soba instead. Wanted kitsune, but no kitsune tofu. The kitchen staff did suggest submissions. The broth of the soba noodle bowl was bland and only lukewarm, which was unfortunate for the price and the cool weather. I added Kikkoman soy sauce to give the broth flavor. The tofu and mixed veggies were okay but nothing special. Was about $7 or $8. Fellow diner seemed satisfied with the Thai Iced Tea. Total bill was about $18 (with tip) which wasn't break-the-bank expensive but given the quality and nature of the food it should hover in the $10-$15 ballpark max. All in all the outside patio is the highlight, overlooking the Japanese Friendship Garden. The food was on par with maybe Amtrak meals, below the quality of most airline meals. The tea was satisfactory. The customer service was fast food grade, staffed by younger kids likely earning minimum wage with minimal senior staff supervision or leadership on site. Disappointing.

Rude awful service - they took our order and did not give us a receipt which you need to know your order number. Waited 45 minutes for one rice bowl. A sign explaining how their ticket order system works would have been helpful, or at least workers who were kind enough to smile and explain. Do not recommend, better to eat at the zoo.

Tables are unclean and covered in food. We ordered Chicken Teriyaki bowls that came with a reasonable amount of Chicken and rice, but very dry and bland. Barely any Teriyaki sauce. For being a Tea Pavilion, at least the Chia Latte was very good. We had to get everything ourselves. Just please consider the absolute lack of service when tipping.

No bad food. A bit pricey but the food and drinks are pretty good. The iced Chai latte is good!

Came here for lunch on a day in the park. There are lots of Japanese snacks and teas (more Western than Japanese) for sale. I appreciate that they had lots of no-sugar added iced teas, including herbal caffeine-free options, and I would come back for those again, but not for a meal. The food was not so great. The cold soba salad had some nice elements, but the dressing was very thin and flavorless, so the dish as a whole was flavorless. The teriyaki bowl was just "teriyaki" sauce dumped on top of protein and rice, which I guess I should have expected. But the fish was dry and the rice was mushy and seriously overcooked. Essentially, come to put your feet up and rest with a drink, but go elsewhere to eat. The food trucks are around more often these days, so you may have other choices!

Yesterday, my son and I had lunch here. I accidentally said it was the Japanese garden. So, thanks again Jon from Japanese garden. This restaurant is owned by the Cohn group that owns 24 restaurants in Southern California. Well, we had the worst lunch and for another 10 or 15 dollars we could have eaten at The Prado. You would think with several eateries in Balboa Park that the TeaPavilion would take pride in serving some really good food. I did let the nice gentleman up front know our feelings about the food. Sadly, we will not return.

We saw rotten vegetables inside the salad but they threw into the trash can. But the rest of the foods were delicious! 2/5 stars for the salad was bad And everything we ordered was okay & great Here are the pictures below The second pictures is the vegetable was bad.

the chicken teriyaki bowl wasn't worth getting. I asked the cashier which rice bowl was best, and that's the one she recommended, so I doubt the others are much better. it's about jack in the box quality at best. all tables are outside and you come up to the counter to get your order. if you're in the area, I'd go to the prado instead. some annoying music was playing in the background around the tables. not really a suitable entrance for the japanese friendship garden. mediocre overall

Service was "oh well", "whatever" attitude for a match latte & latte. Seating was good with Japanese Garden overlook. Music could have been better. Didn't eat anything. Don't believe 5% surcharge was worth it.

Tea Pavilion is a tea/coffee place located neat Japanese Garden in the Balboa Park. The location is perfectly situated right on top of the Japanese Garden so you can enjoy the wonderful view when you have their tea and food. Despite its small store size, they offer a wide range of tea, including several types of green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. Other than tea options, they also have coffee, wine, beer. They have food options including rice bowls, noodle soups, and sandwiches. We tried their Curry Rice Bowl with vegetables and tofu and Udon Noodle Soup with fried sweet tofu. Similar to many Yelp reviews, we weren't too impressed by their food. The curry rice bowl was actually okay. The portion was pretty large, packed in lots of rice. However, the curry sauce was too salty and lack of the depths of spice flavor. The sauce did come with a lot of ingredients such as potato, carrot, onion, and vegetables. If the sauce can be less salty, I believe it has the potential to be delicious. On the other hand, the udon noodle soup really missed the mark. The broth was way too salty to be able to taste anything The soup was also filled with seaweed that overpowered the soup base. The udon noodle was very soft. If the soup broth can be less salty, it has potential as well. Although their food really wasn't good, I don't mind coming back trying their tea or other items.

They ran out of everything we ordered but waited 20 mins to call our number and let us know.

Date of visit: August 4, 2018 While on the way to the Bon Otori festival inside the Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park, my girlfriend and I wanted to grab a bite to eat. The Tea Pavilion looked inviting enough, and it was next door, so we figured we'd give them a chance. We both ordered the same thing - their Krab Salad sandwich on wheat bread with potato salad. The best way to describe the sandwich is imagine eating a California Roll in a sandwich form - at least the avocado and cucumber was pretty fresh, and the imitation crab was filling. The potato salad had an interesting brown dressing (curry sauce?) on it, but it hit the spot (in fact, I was wishing for an extra scoop). Ultimately, I finished half the sandwich and ate the fillings of the other half... Also, the Tea Pavilion boasts 40(!) different teas to choose from; we both settled on a couple of large iced green teas. There's also a refrigerated section that carries both Japanese and American soft drinks to choose from, as well as various snacks and salads. Not that pricy (especially given that it's Balboa Park), and while outdoor seating is at a premium, at least it's not that crowded. Think I may give this place a few more visits after work...

The food here is very average, or even a little below average. It's bland, unseasoned, and the portions are small. The tea is good though. The inside of the restaurant is a bit hectic and stressful. Service was relatively quick though. Good view as well. I'd eat somewhere else in balboa park though, like one of the cafes.

3 stars for the excellent selection of tea. But as far as food goes, I highly recommend passing on it here. I've had a few different items on the menu and they're all pretty disappointing. Lackluster and overpriced microwavable meals that, after eating, you think to yourself, "Gee wiz, did I really just eat a box of gravy-smothered rice? Is my impending intestinal discomfort worth it?" Nahhhhh. Stick to the tea. The Cherry Sakura is delightful.

I try not to come here if I don't have to but on my lunch break I had nothing else to eat and nothing else is open nearby. The curry is not even as good as instant curry...it's waaay sweet and the rice is over cooked and goopy. The potatoes were alright. Who puts celery in a curry? So odd. I really don't recommend this dish. I've had the teriyaki before as well and it's the same story.

Food was good. And it was a beautiful place to walk. We just missed the cherry blossoms.

The curry dish is not that bad, and the patio is nicely situated, though seating is very hard to come by. So, yes. I am having a hard time finding complements. Most everything is so underwhelming. Like, everything. The space is cramped. The service is inattentive and overwhelmed. The food is overpriced. I shouldn't have to pay $30 (excluding the tip) for two rice bowls (most of it rice), one mochi dessert and two terrible coffees. $30?! You know what I could do with $30? Nearly fill up my gas tank from empty (and Cali prices for gas are ridiculous) Go to the drive-in theater and have junk food for two films. Have Starbucks coffee for a week. Buy enough groceries to have breakfast for more than one week. Buy a fabulous bottle of wine. One of the most frustrating interactions here happened with one of the cashiers: Me: Hello, I don't see any iced teas on your menu. Do you offer any? Him: No, none of those are iced. Me: OK, thanks. I'll go with coffee instead. I finish placing the rest of my order and swipe my card. As I am waiting to sign off, I see a printed sign on top of the cooler section, where you can find desserts and prepared to go options. The sign gives mention to "Iced Teas." Perplexed, I reference the sign. Me: I thought you didn't sell any iced teas. Him: Yeah, we sell iced teas. Me: *tilted head, blank stare, fluttering eyelids* Mind. Blown. And that was just one of many mini frustrations at this restaurants. Given the costs, the terrible service and the difficulty in finding a seat, I would recommend eating elsewhere on the Balboa Parks grounds, or eating before you arrive or after you leave.

The staff was friendly but for a place specifically serving tea, they need to step up their game. We got a couple Thai teas, a rose tea latte and a chai latte. We returned the rose latte because it was curdling with the added milk and the Thai tea and chai latte were not good. They have no flavor and really not worth it.

I was wandering about Balboa Park with my family when we decided to pop into the Tea Pavilion for lunch. The menu was pricey but I've got no issue with paying for good food. We ordered beers and they had to be repoured several times because the cashier was pouring them straight on and they were just filled with foam. When our food arrived, it was actually gross. The tuna roll smelled especially fishy and tasted disgusting. Neither my husband or I are more than one piece of it and we love sushi. His teriyaki bowl was flavorless and my udon soup was over cooked and mushy. The edamame was undercooked. This cafe might pull you in with its location and ambiance but keep walking- your taste buds and wallet will thank you!

Not only are the prices incredibly high for a can of soda, but they will short change you. When I said something, the person working the register said "oh well."

Don't let the long line into the Friendship Garden distract you from getting an affordable, super delicious tea or coffee. Friendly nice staff and so many tea options. Fast, easy and safe during current protocols, definitely recommend.

COULD A FOOD ESTABLISHMENT BE ANY LESS EFFICIENT? On a weekend afternoon in Balboa Park, you expect to wait a little while to get food anywhere, but this place sets new records for inefficiency and bad service. The whole setup is designed to fail, which I suppose you have to blame on management. The same two workers who take orders and collect payment also prepare drinks, so no one is there to take orders much of the time. As a result, even when there are only half a dozen people in line, it can take a half hour to place your order. Once you order, the wait for food is considerable, which suggests the kitchen also is understaffed. And then, to pick up your order, you have to get to a counter which is across the line of people waiting to order. The food is ok, but definitely not worth the hassle. There are far better options nearby, e.g., Panama 66 and the Mingei Cafe.

Found a hair in the teriyaki bowl and the drinks tasted watered down. Would not recommend

A nice hidden gem in Balboa park where you can get affordable food at a tourist park. I like that they have food that I would actually want to eat but quick and easy with good prices. We got a chicken curry sandwich, and large ice tea, and a seaweed salad to share. The chicken curry sandwich is pretty big and it comes with a scoop of mash potatoes. The ice tea was really refreshing. It was a good simple meal that lasted us until dinner. They also offer soup noodles.

The ice tea's were great after the walk at the Japanese friendship garden,passion fruit and black cherry tea's

This place is just kind of disappointing. It's main redeeming feature is if you can get a table with a beautiful view of the Japanese garden. Otherwise, the wait was long, the food was mediocre, and even the tea was kind of weird and tasted a bit artificial.

We came here for a quick snack before heading over to the Comic Con on 7/20/2019. Seating available outside, but it was very busy and we were lucky to find a table after waiting about 5 minutes. We got 1 box of pocky sticks, 2 red bean mochi, and 1 green tea ice cream. The total was $11 for everything which is quite pricey, but that's what happens when you want to snack in the middle of Balboa Park!

This little restaurant is tucked away in Balboa Park, right next to the Japanese Friendship Garden. The restaurant was a welcome option among a limited range of cafes and delis in Balboa Park. The inside is small, but there is plenty of seating outside, with umbrellas at the tables. The menu features sandwiches, curries and soups and a large assortment of teas. It is popular on weekends. I went on a Sunday with a group of 4 people and waited a while for my food. I ordered a beef curry with rice and an iced macha tea. The tea was very tasty, with a good amount of sugar (not too little), though most of the teas are not sweetened. The beef curry was filling. The sauce was simple, but the pricing was reasonable, and I was glad to have found a restaurant with a lot of options. Would recommend the Tea Pavilion for a casual afternoon out in Balboa Park.

There was such a long line/wait when we came here but we were really craving some refreshing drinks after visiting the Japanese Friendship Garden, which is the same reason that I think everyone else was there. Considering how long we waited, the drinks didn't impress me. The iced matcha latte was pretty overpriced and really sweet. The Thai iced tea was even sweeter if that's possible. Maybe try something else to drink here. The food smelled and looked really good though.