Endorffeine

Best Americano I’ve ever had! Solid prices. Nice people. Worth the visit, and it’s always fun to scoot around China Town. (Really cheap suits two shops down the street!)

What a delight! It is calm, minimal the coffee is amazing and the toast is the bomb!

This place is so easily missed if you’re not paying attention. The shop is super simple and plain. At first I thought the place was still under renovation. I couldn’t figure out what they were selling initially, but the wonderful smell of coffee beans instantly helped me piece the picture together. They have a large wrap around counter and some seating, but this isn’t the type of coffee shop you hang out in.
My husband ordered a large drip coffee and they did something amazing — they steamed a cold brew. It was so good. Creamy and frothy, and still authentic to the taste of a cold brew. The steam brought out the flavors of the beans. The only problem is that the coffee doesn’t end up being piping hot. Overall, great coffee shop in the neighborhood if you’re in need of a quick pick-​me-​up.
Note: No wifi. womp womp.

This is a very eye-​catching coffee spot.
It reminds me of the apple store due to their clear glassed appearance. It’s a very hip place which also reminds me of a bar due to their set up and stools.
The employees were very kind and recommended a few stuff off the menu for us. We ended up trying a cold drink.
I loved watching the man mix our drinks. It literally looks like he’s making us an alcoholic beverage with his choice of mixers. He noticed I was recording him and asked if he was gonna be on T.V. hahah but I told him that he’d have to suffice with just being on Unilocal
Purchased their vvanilla pandan iced coffee which was about $ 3 – 4 for a medium cup. At my first sip, it honestly tasted like a boba milk tea drink — my bf agreed. I think they put a tad bit too much milk in it and it overpowered the coffee taste. That was a bit disappointing because I love my coffee strong
We weren’t satisfied with our first visit but we’ll definitely return and give them another shot

If you continue reading you’ll notice that simplicity is the key word. This small shop is a very inconspicuous resident at the Far East Plaza. You’ll notice the interior is devoid of any decorative ornaments or colorful items. There are just the essentials, light and the equipment with which to make those phenomenal drinks.
I had a cortado made with almond milk, and it was good. That itself was ordered well enough by other visiting patrons, giving me the impression that it was the best seller on the menu. But with the passage of time I noticed that most people were ordering the iced palm sugar whiskey latte. That’s what you’ve got to go with! If I don’t tell you, the pictures tell it all.
Unfortunately it’s only offered as an iced drink, which isn’t ideal for the chilly mornings we’re having this time of year. For those of you that don’t mind a cold drink in the morning, I’d really recommend you try it. In fact, I recommend it at any time of the day.
The approach is different from the usual way to make a latte. Instead of pulling a shot, cold brew is used to make the specialty drinks on the menu. For this particular drink, the cold brew is first mixed with the whiskey reduction in a shaker, then of course the milk is added after. Not only is this an interesting take on a latte, it’s perfectly crafted. Watching the owner create the drink with such grace and precision was captivating, at least for me. Seems as if it’s an exact science to him.
The taste was tremendous. It was subtly sweet and full of flavor. An overall great finish with every sip.
Now I’ve got another stop to make whenever I drop by to eat at Chego. It’s absolutely worth a stop, especially since the owner is a nice and soft-​spoken man.

Fun facts about Far East Plaza, Chinatown:
Built in the late 70’s and was noted for being architecturally unique for its open air mall concept, this beauty hasn’t had a facelift in oh, EVER (can you tell) and housed the original Sam Woo BBQ for 30 some odd years until it moved a couple blocks down on Broadway.
I grew up coming here, my dad worked for said Sam Woo until his passing. For many years the reason to come to this dinosaur of a plaza was Hoan Kiem, a chicken phở joint with the most lovely owner that was in the spot where PokPok is now and Wing Hop Fung, for all things tea. Ok, an honorable mention to Kim Chuy, for begrudgingly delicious Teow Chow noodles eventhough I’ve found hair in my food and service is super shoddy.
But now I have a real reason to visit this eyesore of a mall, and that is to get my caffeine fix at Endorffeine f/​k/​a Cognoscenti. The pop up coffee shop became permanent! Congratulations Jack and Jill, for planting roots and classing up this humble community. Thank you for making the damn tastiest lattes I’ve ever had. You know, for a while I was content with Makrut and Malbec while occasionally flirting with Pandan and Vanilla but now I must bow to my new favorite, Palm Sugar and Whiskey.
My mouth rejoices with every sip. I close my eyes and imagine everything right with the world, if just for a brief second. Savor and indulge, savor and indulge. HOW CAN COFFEE TASTE THIS GOOD, I ponder silently as I sit and watch Jack work his magic, crafting each drink ever so precisely.
Suddenly he looks up as if reading my thoughts and it dawned on me.
CHEMISTRY.

Cool little coffee shop in an up and coming neighborhood. Chinatown is the next spot in LA that’s going to blow up.
There’s a small menu with the essentials as well as specialty drinks. The Whiskey Palm Sugar Latte is pretty popular here, but it’s the time and patience the owner takes in making everything that is most impressive. I’m a big fan of the space as I really enjoy minimalist design. Every time I come here, I have a great experience with the owner and a great cup of coffee.

I wanted to like Endorffeine more, but I’d only come here if I was already in Chinatown. The space is as minimal as it comes. No décor and no seating inside (but you can sit at the picnic tables in the courtyard). The owner, Jack, is the only one working behind the bar. The menu is a bit limited too, though there are a few espresso-​based drinks, cold brew and pour-​over available. The shop’s specialty is a shaken iced latte. I tried one of these, the PALM SUGAR-​WHISKEY ICED LATTE. It was ok, not something I would rave about.
If you haven’t eaten elsewhere in the plaza, they also offer a toasted brioche with seasonal fruit jam or an assortment of pies.

Great little coffee place located in Chinatown. Simple and minimal place. Coffee was unique.
Nothing too extravagant and coffee is not bad .
I had the Palm Sugar Whiskey Latte ($ 5.25) and it was very unique indeed. As the name suggest there is a tint of whiskey taste in the coffee, but don’t worry you won’t even get buzzed from it. When I was drinking it, theres a feeling that is hard to describe because it went down my throat so smoothly and different than other coffee I have tasted. Some alcohol oh yea! No not a lot of the whiskey but very unique. You can choose regular milk or almond milk. It was a bit more for a cup of coffee so probably one time try for me only.
Ambiance/​Service: good service, quick and did not have to wait long for drink. Not a lot of décor, very minimal and felt comfortable. Cool coffee bar style.
Location: Located in same plaza as Chego and Scoops Ice cream. Parking is at basement and can be validated.
Overall, a cool minimalist set up of a coffee store. Coffee was fresh and unique.

Endorffeine is a little coffee shop in Chinatown in the same plaza as Chego, Ramen Champ, and Pok Pok. They have not been open for too long, but the couple of times that I have been there, they have never disappointed. The décor and menu might seem very simple, but definitely does not lack in quality. My favorite drink here is their palm sugar whiskey latte. There are also different seasonal variations of it so it’s nice to the option to switch it up a little bit. I love talking to the owner Jack because you can definitely see his creativity and passion for his craft. In addition to coffee, they also have pies/​baked goods here! I haven’t tried them, but they all sound pretty good so I’ll definitely be back for those.

Sometimes simplicity is the best. I love how simple, clean, & minimal this place is. You walk in and all you see is Jack, his lovely mom, and the essentials to make the delicious beverages they offer. I know what you’re thinking: how in the hell does just one person make all the drinks?! The answer: Magic. Haha, I’m kidding. But with all seriousness, how Jack does it and how fast he blasts through the orders is quite magical. We’ve all been to places where they have 4 – 5 people working and you still wait 15+ minutes for that café au lait.
I’m also so in love with Endorffeine’s Modbar set up; I’ve decided that I want this kind of set up in my house. Now to tell my wallet about these big plans. Their approach to promote interaction over skillfully presented products through their minimalist set up is great.
| L O C A T I O N |
Quietly tucked away in the same plaza as Chego!, Ramen Champ, and Scoops. There’s no outside signage but you’ll know you’re here when you look inside. But to help out a little more: it’s on the right of Scoops.
| D R I N K S |
Palm Sugar-​Whiskey Iced Latte | $ 5.25
I LOVE this fuhreakin drink! It’s made with real whiskey (no silly, you won’t get drunk off of it!) and has a nice balanced mouth feel (Not sure that makes sense? Haha!)
Cold Brew | $ 3.75
I’ve been told by a good friend of mine that this place has THE best cold brew; it is very good but I’m not 100% sold on giving it the medal for best though. It definitely is top 3 for sure ;)
Cappuccino | $ 3.50
I actually came in here for a capp on National Cappuccino Day: 11|8|15 & it was a good choice. (:

Story Liner:… A biochemist (Jack) becomes a coffee expert… Come on! You must be kidding me… It’s true folks! He’s been doing this stuff for 3 years! Very nice!
Coffee beans: They use Heart coffee beans from Portland (Portlandia)!
Location: Located in the heart of Chinatown! Another hint for finding this place is that it’s in the same plaza as Ramen Champ, Scoop, and Chego! Hope that helps! :)
Ambiance/​Décor: Not much ambiance… just a small coffee shop with no outlets and minimal seatings. Simple is nice I suppose. You can also drink and catch up outside on the communal benches.
Service: Jack was friendly and attentive.
Coffee of choice: Cold brew fans unite and drink it black! Sooo smooth and soooo gooooood! :)
Stay thirsty my caffeinated friends!

This place is definitely adding to the new hipster revolution going on in Chinatown. I wouldn’t call it a straight up coffee shop, as the coffee drinks we had weren’t exactly packing the java; but the flavors are certainly worth trying at least once. Think your local boba shop drinks, minus the boba. There’s certainly a milk tea texture going on with the Plum Whiskey and Vanilla Pandan lattes. Both are subtly sweet, pair perfectly with their yummy pie slices, and don’t feel like you’re packing your body full of harmful chemicals.
Jack & his helper are cool, down-​to-​Earth, soft-​spoken people that are happy to share their passion & knowledge of what they do with their customers. As you’ve probably already heard, this tiny unassuming shop is situated in the plaza where you’ll also find other great spots like Chego, Ramen Champ, & Scoops. I can’t think of a more perfect spot to grab a good iced latte before or after indulging yourself at any other of these fine establishments.

I could smell the hipster from a mile away, but the coffee was so amazing I didn’t care.
Average pricing for la coffee, not too crowded, short wait, very attentive service. But no nonfat milk, which only made me a little sad. I don’t hate being forced to have whole fat milk.

I took the bus down to LA and my bus arrived 40 minutes early. Running on low levels of sleep and having to wait on my cousin to pick me up at Union Station, I decided to find a coffee shop. This place showed up and I saw it was a new joint so I decided to check it out. It’s in a Chinatown shopping center and it sticks out from all the other shops. Very modern, chill and the interior all in white. There were a few people sitting inside so I was immediately helped. I quickly scanned the menu and decided on the Palm Sugar Whiskey Iced Latte. They had me at whiskey. It didn’t take long to make my drink. It was so good. It was a nice balance of coffee, sugar and cream. It’s definitely worth checking out.

I enjoy these electric hipster coffee shops because when you come to these places you know that the barista is really passionate of their trade and they concentrate on every single glass of coffee they make. This place is no different. It’s located in the same shopping center as Pok Pok and Chego. Parking is available underground or on the streets. Parking is free on the streets on Sunday, but you gotta be lucky to find one.
As for the design, the shop is pretty small with a handful of seats around the coffee bar. It’s a place to sit and chat while you see the master at work as he puts so much attention in to each drink. We ordered the Cortado, the Pour Over, and an Iced Latte. I’ve never had a Cortado before so I can’t compare it to anything but the coffee flavor wasn’t prevalent and the the milk overtook any flavor that it could’ve had. The pour over was decent. He took around 5 minutes to grind the coffee, get the filter ready, and slowly pour water over it. The taste of the pour over was OK. Also not as dark of a toast that I had expected. The subtle coffee flavor had a slight sour ting but it wasn’t overpowering. I didn’t get the try the iced latte but the drink was pretty easy to make. The coffee had already been brewed and he just pour the milk and coffee together, shook it a little, and poured it in a cup.
For around $ 14, the three cups of coffee creations were decent. I enjoyed the precision and passion I saw and felt from the barista but I didn’t exactly enjoy the drinks. I enjoy a stronger coffee flavor but that might just be a preference thing. I would suggest giving it a try, even if it is to see the master at work.

Craved some tea while waiting for a foot massage. Found this gem thanks to Unilocal.Not much of a tea selection but was very happy with the hot gunpowder green tea. There is only one tea offered daily. Lots of regulars already and the place has only been open for a few weeks. Will come back to try the whiskey latte.

Got to check out this new coffee spot in LA’s Chinatown, and I was very impressed. The décor inside is very simple, but I really liked the «not yet finished» feel to this spot. It’s located in the Far East Plaza in Chinatown and it’s definitely worth a visit.
I tried two of their iced lattes, the Plum Whiskey and the Vanilla Pandan. Both were very good and did the trick on a very hot Downtown LA day. Of the two, I especially enjoyed the Plum Whiskey. You get a good mix of the coffee flavor with the whiskey, and it gives that perfect caramel nutty taste that I enjoy. The Vanilla Pandan reminded me of a boba milk tea in terms of flavor.
Overall, great coffee spot, and I’m very excited to see what else is in store for this place!

Jack does it again.
Gorgeously designed coffee shop with his own flair and spin. Brings his shop into community.
The flavors in his drinks are unique and you won’t find them anywhere else. It takes knowledge of ingredients to come up with his flavors. I saw the preparation and thought that went into the whole idea of Endorffeine while he was making my drinks.
Down to the to go cups that already come chilled in the freezer with ice ready to go to speed up the process. He doesn’t overload the cups with ice so you get alot for your money.
I had three drinks. I do believe they were the specialty drinks. I loved the palm sugar with a taste of whiskey. Wow that was a treat. The Vanilla Drink was mild but very tasty and refreshing especially in this heat.
Did the standard latte which was great too.
It has bar style seating which i love. Great to hang out and drink and chat with the owner jack as he is center stage at the bar.
This whole Far East Plaza where Endorffeine resides at is a treat! they have outdoor picnic style seating to accommodate the restaurants. You won’t run out of places to sit. Coming here is just a great treat. The Mall picnic seating only brings the inside out to the people. Brings everyone closer. A great social experience.
Some major hitters in the food industry in this Far East Plaza. Jack and Endorffeine fit right in alongside them. Jack is a seasoned veteran so there are no bad drinks here. There are some nice experimental drinks so expect something different if you choose to explore with your tongue. Like the palm sugar and whiskey cold latte. I need another one those right about now.
Grab a bite to eat then visit Jack’s Endorffeine afterwards. Or do what i did and do it before your meal.

Been going to their pop-​up coffee shop next door for the last yearish and was super excited when I found out a permanent spot was coming. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally opened up and is going to make a great addition to Chinatown!
The space is modern, minimalistic, and beautiful! A u-​shaped bar with barstool seating around where the coffee magic happens, like his old coffee cart has been expanded and is now all grown up. Some of the pieces from the old cart were even repurposed directly into the bar.
He is continuing to use beans from Heart coffee, and will have another roaster’s beans on rotation.
The offerings are still the same from his cart pop-​up, espresso based drinks, a very great cold brew, his signature iced coffee drinks (including the iced coffee with lime). However instead of doing pour overs he is steaming his cold brew. I haven’t tried it here yet, but I did get to try it when it was just a concept and it actually works really well.
Right now there is no food but there are plans to start offering pastries very soon.
Definitely my new favorite coffee shop in DTLA!