Cafe Take 5

Stopped by for a cappuccino and milk tea while waiting for lunch at Diakokuya across the street. The cappuccino looked fine, but tasted like watery milk tea, and the milk tea looked watery and indeed tasted like dirty water with a bottle of honey dumped into it (with some interesting white colloids circling around the tough, chewy boba sitting at the bottom). Would never come back here, not even for a glass of water.

Waking up and looking like a hungover mess, went downstairs from my hotel room because i was super dehydrated. In my fugly pajamas, last night’s makeup, and the thinnest flat shoes of all times (they’re the ones you stick in your purse after your feet hurt in heels), i went to Café Take 5. I didn’t think people would be dressed up already! It was like 9AM on a Sunday morning, lol. I picked up 3 Dasani water bottles for my friends and me, $ 1.50 each (not bad compared to $ 4 water bottles at fair and vendor events these days). They had a great menu, plenty of options, but I had drunken leftovers that I already ate. I picked up a vanilla latte, and it totally hit the spot. The cashier and barista (same person) was really nice, and she made my coffee well. Thanks for an easy recovering morning! A real «pick me up»

Café Take 5 is located on the first floor inside the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo. They seem to have expanded their menu over the years — as they now offer a range of sandwiches and soups that I don’t remember from my last stay there. I had booked a Get-​Away package at the hotel that included certificates for complimentary continental breakfast from the café which was two small croissants, yogurt, fruit juice of your choice and coffee. More than enough for me to start my day! The croissants were obviously store bought and warmed in a microwave — but I’m not really one for being too picky first thing in the AM. To be honest, the café is more of a coffee kiosk than a true café — but still a much valued amenity for the hotel.

My friends and I were waiting in line across the street at Daikokuya Ramen and was super thirsty. It said «TAPIOCA» on the window and we decided to go check it out. (I’m a TAPIOCA FANATIC). They only had ONE type of Milk tea which was just normal MILK TEA. So I decided to give it a try. $ 2.24 and plus $ 0.25 for tapioca. Which was pretty decent. The Milk tea was REALLY GOOD! It had a really nice TEA taste and wasn’t drowned in sugar. And didn’t have that powder taste like some boba places. Milk tea was a 5 out of 5!!! I would totally go for another! As for the tapioca, it was okay, some of it was really HARD. But ALL IN ALL it was good!

Eh. This is a quicky stop for locals to the area. You can grab a quick coffee and bite to eat. The sandwich was eh. There are so many good places to eat in the area, you may prefer to order ahead of time from those places and do take out. If you just need a quick coffee, then this place is for you.
Meter Parking.

This tiny café is pretty interesting. It’s a café inside a Japanese hotel selling Chinese chicken salad & boba, served by a Hispanic worker.
Ordered japanese style sandwich & Chinese chicken salad.
Chinese chicken salad ($ 6.95): one of the worst chicken salad I’ve had in my life. It’s basically mixed salad with dry chicken breast, overcooked wonton strips, 5 grape tomatoes and slices of almond. It needs more dressing, juicier chicken and mandarin oranges. Super dry salad.
Japanese style sandwich ($ 8.45 for full and $ 6.95 for half): ham and cheese w lettuce and tuna sandwich. It was served with salad and a bag of Lay’s potato chips. The tuna was better than ham & cheese for sure. The salad was pretty dry… more dressing please. I did enjoy the melted mozzarella but I expected a Japanese sandwich. Most Japanese sandwich @ the bakeries or supermarkets are cold sandwiches. This sandwich was panini style so the lettuce inside the sandwich was wilted.
2 stars!
Café Take 5 is not yummylicious!

I usually only buy the iced coffee, sweetened, and it’s ok. For the price that it is, it makes it taste a bit better. The pastries look like they’ve been bought at Costco, and they even display it in the plastic containers they come in. You’d think to put it in a fancy plate or something, but nah. The older dude is nice, but there’s a girl there that gave me the stink eye when I clearly ordered a sweetened iced coffee, and instead gave me sweetened iced coffee WITH MILK god forbid. After I told her exactly what I had ordered, she seemed to still suggest I take the coffee she made. I then explained that if I drank that coffee, it would cause something heinous to happen to my digestive system, resulting in a horrific situation in the bathroom, not exactly in those words. I can’t remember if I used the word «squirties.» I digress. I come here for the quick service, usually anytime between 3 – 5 and because it’s cheap!

Not good!
We got up early to take our time to get a good breakfast before heading out to the Natural History Museum of L.A. Toman opened up at 6:30am, but the buffet just didn’t look too appetizing. I searched for the nearest breakfast place and Farmer Boys was the closest. It seemed like a Denny’s, so we decided to try Café 5 in the Miyako Hotel lobby we’re staying at.
Very small seating, not bad since the lobby’s got plenty of comfy sofas and coffee table for overflow. It was pretty busy with business people in their suits grabbing last minute breakfast. You would think, they would have a pretty good breakfast selection.
My cutie pie picked a plain bagel with aluminum squeeze cream cheese. «Mommy, why does it smell like this?» It smelled yeasty, about to grow a forest in seconds. I told him not to eat it.
My hubby and I ordered Blueberry and Banana Nut muffin with 2 regular coffees, not bad, not so good either.
Offer a breakfast panini since there is a panini maker already. Pre-​make single serving scrambled eggs ahead early in the morning, stick it in the fridge, and flop it on the sandwich, then press. Unless the hotel wants you to spend the $ 16 buffet, is why they don’t offer this.
My couple of cents, anyway.

Quick and clean but the taro smoothie wasn’t cutting it. Too sweet and no taro. I do love that it’s clean though!

I always order the green tea boba. Boba is soft, chewy, and sweet. And the green tea has just the right amount of sugar-​not too sweet, not too bitter. Perfect boba drink!

Like a visit to a Japanese café but the staff speaks English. A very nice place to relax by yourself. Good coffee, good croissants. Outstanding Chinese Chicken Salad — good for breakfast, too! Limited food choices, but all delicious. Only complaint is that some of the tables don’t have chairs with backs — so you have to sit up straight and can’t slouch.

I had the mocha and it was tasteless.

this is a nice coffee shop located in a corner of Myako Hotel. It’s very beautiful with lights and color windows. When I was sitting outside and looking at the antique building suround me, I felt so peaceful! This is realy a place that I love to come most. The price is even cheaper than Starbucks, but I dont know why they put $$$ for this, and only $ for Starbucks. It’s absolutely wrong! The only thing more expensive is the blended drinks; however, this coffee shop has many kinds of frappes just like Tapioca Express. It also has many kinds of tea and sandwiches, especial the famous Japanese hot sandwich! And the service is very good too!

My friend and I each ordered boba slushies. Her almond slushy was a little tasteless, but my peach one was quite good (really sweet, but satisfying nonetheless). Compared to other boba places I frequent it was a little on the expensive side, but I suppose it’s downtown so that can’t really be helped. The location is also quite nice (very convenient if you’re bored waiting to be seated at Daikokuya). I enjoyed the seating area; it’s a little small, but the tables were a funky and really cool and the chairs were very comfortable.

We came to this café because it looked like a cute coffee shop and were in a rush to get down to Orange County for a wedding. I thought independent coffee shops were supposed to be good! The iced mocha I ordered was rather flavorless and watered down and not sweet. I won’t be back for the coffee, but I’m thinking of getting some thick toast now. :)

This café is located in the lobby of the (wonderful) Miyako Inn. Their menu is small, but everything seems to be healthy and pretty inexpensive for hotel food. They also serve boba drinks here, though you kind of have your pick of those sort of places in Little Tokyo. Their croissants were only ok, but I had my favorite THICK TOAST for breakfast, and some really yummy grapefruit juice. Their tea selection is quite good, and their coffee helped me wake up in the morning. Their paninis look really yummy too. The inside seating is kind of cramped, but you can choose to sit outside on the sidewalk.
The guy who took our orders was this older Japanese man with a salt and pepper ponytail — he was super nice and reminded me of my dad for some reason.

Ehh, my experience wasn’t so good here. I went here a couple days ago while on break from jury duty. I was fiending for a boba tea after lunch (random, I never actually crave boba or drinks for that matter) and instead of walking my dumba** over another building and into Japanese Village Plaza or further down to I Love Boba, I decided to stop in here. I even had lunch at Weller Court and thought about going to Senka Café but didn’t. Should’ve went with my first instinct!
Maybe this place has changed since the last time it was reviewed? I ordered a milk tea ($ 2.25 + $ 0.25 for boba – plus tax, ha). The counter service was OK, not very friendly but whatever. I took a look around as the lady prepared it. Hmm, their drinks are made from Pi water so it’s supposed to be good and good for you. Interesting. I think Orochon has a sign about this as well. The menu looked pretty good – sandwiches, salads, paninis, and the like.
I got my drink and took a sip. Ugh. So watered down! Damn that Pi water? It tasted like powdered creamer mixed into a icy cup of water. Make that powdered milk. I think creamer might actually taste better. Barely any taste of tea and the milk flavoring was thin and unsatisfying. Lots o’ ice so the drink was finished quickly. Didn’t want it to get watered down any more! At least the tapioca pearls were a good consistency and sufficiently sweetened. Wouldn’t come back here for tea, but might consider coming back for lunch.

The caf is located on the first floor of Little Tokyo’s Miyako Hotel. There is sidewalk seating outside or, if the wiz of downtown traffic makes you dizzy, past the 10 foot stained glass wall are zen sandbox tables (you have to see it to understand) and comfortable arm chairs. There’s also wireless access available.
While the coffee here isn’t that great (somewhat bitter and never sweet enough despite asking for extra vanilla syrup) the bobas are to die for. This is by far the best blended thai tea boba I have ever had. I’ve been in and around the San Gabriel Valley (THE area for boba) and have never found a blended thai tea that can compare. It’s the smooth consistency of fresh fallen snow and the color of a rusted old gate after that snow has melted. On a good day (which I must say isn’t always) the boba has that perfect chewy bounce in your mouth. The blended green tea and taro lattes are also divine. Instead of just ice blending they add real milk which creates a creamy dreamy dessert or light lunch. Yes boba makes a tasty and filling, if not nutritionally sound, lunch.
For those who require balance, they also serve croissant sandwiches and panninis with salads. The BBQ chicken sandwich is high quality at a reasonable price.