Uncensored Former Yelper(s) Back from the Dead

Do you love egg tarts? If so, do check out Naisnow, a tea and bakery concept from China (and now in several countries). It took over the old Tancha (boba shop).

Head to the left to order at the kiosk. The menu isn’t the most descriptive. They have drinks (tea, yogurt, fresh juice). There were six kinds of egg tarts on the menu, but I only saw two kinds on display. It might be the case that all of the egg tarts have the same base but different toppings?

After you place your order, you’ll get a number. You can track the progress of your order number on the flatscreen. The order was ready in a few minutes.

Matcha tiramisu tart ($4.50): The tart shell had plenty of thin, crisp layers. Really good. The custard part was silky, soft, and not super soft. The matcha flavor came from matcha powder dusted on top of a plain egg tart (that is, the custard was not matcha flavored). The matcha was slightly bitter. The tart also had whipped cream (not too sweet) and a square piece of a soft matcha cake.

Caramel egg tart ($3.90): I had this a few hours later and the tart shell was still super crispy with thin layers. The caramel wasn’t obvious, and the custard was not overly sweet. It was a wonderful egg tart.

They bake on site, so the shop smells really good. Currently in soft opening mode. Cashless. It’s in a busy strip mall with parking.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Motto Tea Café just opened a new concept a block south of their tea shop. Kissa is inspired by the kissatens in Japan, which are cozy retro-style coffee cafes that often play classical or jazz music and serve hand-brewed coffee and desserts. It’s more coffee-focused than Motto.

The baked goods are baked in-house – cakes, cookies, scones, caneles, shokupan, shio pan, etc. They are pricey. A canelé is $5.85. The treats are on the smaller side. They also have a wide variety of drinks include your typical espresso drinks, matcha, pour over coffee, tonics, and specialty lattes.

Shokupan toast with garlic butter ($5.25): a thin slice of toast that’s made to order with care. The bread was soft with crispy edges. The garlic butter softened the top. It had real bits of garlic and some parsley. Very tasty, simple but well done. And they made the shokupan.

Flat white: The flat white had nice foam art. It looked darker than usual but wasn’t bitter.

It’s a lovely, quiet place with free wi-fi, different areas to sit, floor to ceiling windows on two sides, and artsy things to look at and relaxing jazz music. The food is served on trays. One of the employees had a maid outfit on.

The tables are pretty close to each other and chairs aren’t padded. Parking isn’t hard to find but you have to pay. The public lots are cheaper than the metered parking on the street. Online ordering is available.

4 out of 5 stars

Loose Cannon Café just opened about a mile north of Glendale Community College. There isn’t much in the immediate neighborhood. The café is already very busy. It’s popular with families and dog owners. I also spotted laptop campers but not that many.

Drinks include your usual espresso drinks (milk: oat, almond, whole), cold brew, espresso tonics, and teas. No pour over/hand brew or drip. The pastries, mostly croissants, are from Saint Honore. The bread is by Jyan Isaac. For coffee, they use Stumptown Roasters. You can also order food from the menu: breakfast sandwich, avocado toast, Buddha bowl, BLT, tuna melt, grilled cheese.

Avocado toast ($12): it was simple but good. A super thick slice of buttery toast (like brioche) was topped with smashed avo and pickled fresno chilies. The chilies weren’t spicy, but I heard someone else say that they were too spicy. They tasted sweet and mild to me.  

Flat white ($5) with whole milk: thought it was good, stronger with nice foam art

It’s a cute brick building with large windows in front. The front area is small with the kitchen and counter taking up most of the space. There are stools by the window.  Towards the back there is another seating area with larger tables. And there is a large outdoor patio (no sunbrellas or shade) with smaller tables.

They have a small parking lot.

The plan is to add wine and additional items to the menu.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Tekosu Café is an Asian-style café in downtown Arcadia that’s popular with campers. It opened in October 2025.

The pastries (cookies, sugar bun, babka pinwheel) looked good. You can order salads, all day breakfast and brunch (toasts, croissant sandwich), honey butter toast. Breakfast and brunch items are served all day.

For drinks, they have classic espresso drinks, cold brew, espresso tonics, pour over coffee, milk tea, loose leaf tea, ceremonial grade matcha, and hojicha. The matcha and hojicha are sourced from Japan. Milk choices: Whole milk, oat, almond. Cream top is available. I’m pretty sure that the flavor syrups and purees are made in-house. The employee said they didn’t roast their own beans but wasn’t clear on who roasted the beans that they serve.

The matcha latte was rich and tasty with foam art

I can understand why it’s popular camping spot: plenty of outlets, easy parking, free wi-fi, a restroom, and indoor and outdoor seating. The décor is minimalist – white walls, white counter, white tables, white benches, white shelves with touches of black and a few plants. The acoustics amplify the sounds inside. The seating isn’t comfortable.

The entrance is on First St., not Wheeler Ave.

4 out of 5 stars

Fro-yo girl here. VL’s downtown Miami Brickell location opened on March 19, 2026. It was the first VL outside of NY to offer VL froyo. The froyo is made with A2 Bulgarian yogurt and cane sugar. It is counter-serve.

There were four froyo flavors available:

Tart

Matcha (non-tart), the best-seller

Strawberry (tart)

Chocolate (non-tart)

The toppings were displayed on the counter in white bowls. They included fresh fruit, toasted coconut, sprinkles, mochi, nuts, granola, gummy bears, sauces, crumbles, strawberries in syrup, cherries, honey, whipped cream, sauces, etc. They had more toppings than the other shops that I visited.

Prices: Small with 1 topping, $7.95/ Medium with 2 toppings, $9.25/ Large with 3 toppings, $10.25

Tart and Strawberry froyo with fresh strawberries (small): The texture was creamy and smooth, though I found it wasn’t firm enough. Both the tart and strawberry flavors tasted like real yogurt with natural tang. The strawberry flavor had little strawberry flavor though.

This location is also an ice cream scoop shop with over two dozen flavors, including vegan options. They had basic flavors like vanilla bean, chocolate, and strawberry, but also interesting flavors like Earl Grey tea, key lime pie, and strawberry matcha latte. You could also add a cookie. One scoop was $7.95. I’d much rather have a small froyo with toppings than a scoop of ice cream. You can also pick up a pre-packed pint of ice cream from the freezer.

The shop was spacious with a long yellow tiled counter and yellow wall tiles. They also sell froyo hats and t-shirts.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

4 out of 5 stars

Novo Coffee operates two kiosks at the Denver International Airport, one at Gate A and another at Gate B. The menu and the offerings are the same at both.

Novo Coffee is a local specialty coffee roaster founded in 2002. The kiosk offers coffee (drip, cold brew, espresso drinks), tea, pastries (croissants, scones, cookies, financiers, muffins), sandwiches, breakfast burritos, all day burritos, quiche, calzones, sandwiches, and more. There are some grab and go sandwiches and salads in the cold case.

Grilled cheese ($10): Havarti and cheddar on focaccia. I would not call it a grilled cheese sandwich. It was a cheese sandwich heated in a toaster oven. The focaccia was soft and spongy with a hint of rosemary. The sandwich was small and plain.

Latte with nonfat milk: They make their espresso drinks by pressing buttons on the espresso machine, so there is no foam art. The latte was definitely bitter.

The kiosk opens at 4 AM. It’s not a great coffee option, but I’ve had a lot worse.

3 out of 5 stars

I’m impressed that you can get to many parts of Miami on a free trolley. The trolleys serve 13 neighborhoods:

Allapattah

Biscayne

Brickell

Coconut Grove

Coral Way

Flagami

Health District

Liberty City

Little Haiti

Little Havana

Overtown

Stadium

Wynwood

The City of Miami Trolley app shows the routes and where the trolleys are in real time. Trolley stops are clearly marked. Look for the orange and green signs that say Miami Trolley. The trolleys run from 6:30 AM – 11 PM Monday – Saturday, 8 AM – 8 PM on Sundays. The frequency varies from every 15 – 45 minutes.

Trolleys are air-conditioned and equipped with a wheelchair left and bicycle racks. I waited for about 20 minutes for the Little Havana trolley, which took me through Little Havana all the way to downtown Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. It even passed by a froyo shop, Yuzu.

The orange and green trolleys look like old streetcars. The interior has brass rails, wooden benches, and wooden ceilings.

5 out of 5 stars

I wanted to stay close to the airport. The location was convenient as it only took 5 minutes to get to the airport. The complimentary airport shuttle is available 24 hours a day, every 20 minutes.

The hotel is older, but renovated and clean. It didn’t smell bad, so that was a big plus. The hallway areas actually smelled pleasant. The room was large with a huge, comfortable bed (pillow-top mattress), a writing desk, chest of drawers, two small side tables, large flatscreen TV and the usual amenities: coffeemaker with coffee and tea, ice bucket, alarm clock, hairdryer, clothes steamer/iron, Archive toiletries (nice green tea scent), plenty of towels (they weren’t soft though), safe, mini fridge, complimentary water bottles, etc. The balcony was a nice feature. You could step outside and get some fresh air.

The lobby area had a small market with drinks and snacks, an Italian restaurant, business center, ATM, books you could borrow, and a pool table. There was a pool in the back. The second floor had some meeting rooms. There were six floors.

The main negatives were the customer service (the front desk staff didn’t tell you where the gym was, the ice machine – anything). Second, the planes flying overhead were very loud and went on well past midnight.

The gym was very small with a few cardio machines and free weights. The hotel is pet-friendly with a small outdoor smoking area.

The area had a few restaurants and was 0.5 miles to Target, a supermarket, and more restaurants. It seemed like a safe neighborhood for walking.

4 out of 5 stars

This is a large supermarket with covered garage parking and everything you’d expect and more. They had a café/coffee bar with Cuban pastries, deli, sushi, made to order sandwiches, lots of prepared foods (e.g., fried chicken, soups), fresh produce, bakery, pharmacy, ATM, check-cashing, free wi-fi, curbside pick up, delivery, online ordering, etc.

It was the only store that I visited in Miami with local kombucha brands. The store was clean and well-lit with wide aisles. They had their own brand of products, including Publix frozen yogurt. They also carry Yasso Greek froyo bars. Their website has froyo recipes.

My picks:

Plantain chips

4 out of 5 stars

Located inside MIA Market, the upscale food hall in the Miami Design District, Jaffa specializes in Mediterranean street food. The chef is Israeli. Choose from starters, pita sandwiches, platters (falafel, shawarma, kibbeh), and rice bowls. Look for the Happy Hour specials from 5 PM – 8 PM, including a side of falafel with tahini and fresh pita for $12. Order at the counter and get a buzzer. The food is Glatt Kosher. There are some vegan options like falafel.

Sabich pita sandwich ($17): crispy fried eggplant, sliced hard-boiled egg, amba, hummus, tahini, Israeli salad and zhoug in a thick Israeli pita, served with a crunchy sour pickle spear. I didn’t eat it till over an hour later, so I’m not sure how crispy the eggplant was. The eggplant was thinly sliced, as was the hard boiled egg. The green zhoug brought everything together. The creaminess of the egg,  tahini and hummus, the freshness of the Israeli salad, the soft and chewy pita, the spicy zhoug, the soft eggplant – so many flavors and textures. Every bite was a delight.

The kiosk has some counter seating with additional seating inside MIA Market.

5 out of 5 stars

Versailles, which calls itself the World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant, includes the sit down restaurant, Café Versailles (a coffee and pastry stand), and Versailles Bakery. There was a 20  minute wait for a table at Versailles Restaurant, so I decided to check out the bakery.

The bakery serves Cuban sandwiches, Cuban coffee, empanadas, desserts (ice cream, cakes), cookies, cupcakes, and pastries (e.g., croquetas, pastelitos, merengues, papa rellena). The items in the pastry case were not labeled.

Cubano sandwich, $9.25: Served hot, it had thin layers of ham and roast pork with melted Swiss cheese, dill pickle slices, mustard and mayo on Cuban bread. The sandwich was pressed and cut in half. It had all the proper components and was balanced. However, the bread was surprisingly tough (I assume that they baked it themselves) though it had a hot and crispy exterior. The ham was sweet.  The pork seemed lean like tenderloin.

Café con leche, lightly sweet: this was pleasant and went well with the sandwich

The bakery looks older but clean. Take a number and order when your number is called. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

4 out of 5 stars

I like the concept – an all-day, casual Cuban bakery café. The monkey mascot smoking a cigar gives it a bit of an edge. You can order at the register or use the self-service kiosk. Or order online. There were sweet pastries (e.g., pop tarts, monkey bread, cinnamon rolls, cookies) and savory pastries (empanadas, pan de bono, croquetas). You can order pixas, sandwiches, wraps, bowls, soups, acai bowls, toast, breakfast sandwiches, coffee drinks, shakes, smoothies, juices, etc.

Spinach & cheese croqueta ($1.49): the log shaped croqueta had been rolled in crumbs, the spinach and cheese mixture was soft and mushy

Ropa vieja empanada ($3.79): a baked shell filled with shredded beef in a sweet tomato sauce, the shell was thin and didn’t have much flavor, the beef filling was tasty but I took one bite and all the filling came out

Pan de bono ($2.49): these were my favorite, chewy round golden balls with a touch of glutinous flour, a buttery and cheesy flavor

Café Cubano ($1.69): espresso with sugar – strong and small

The place was busy in the morning. It’s colorful inside (those purple walls). Merch for sale included the plush monkey mascot, tumblers, bags of coffee, and t-shirts. They have a rewards program.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Fro-yo girl here. Pharos is a bit hard to spot as it shares a space with Sandwich Qbano. Look for the counter to the left of the entrance.

There were two froyo flavors available, Plain Greek Yogurt and Hazelnut.

The toppings were displayed in white and blue ceramic bowls on the counter. The toppings are healthier and include fresh fruit, nuts, granola, coconut, cacao nibs, crumbles, zero sugar spreads, kataifi pistachio crunch, honey, olive oil, matcha powder, etc.

Prices: Small, one topping, $7.99/ Medium, two toppings, $9.99/ Large, 3 toppings, $11.99

Plain Greek Yogurt with chopped pistachios, small: The froyo was smooth, creamy, and had more air than average. It also tasted sweeter than Tata’s, Meli, Plants & Bowls, and Myka. There was a bit of an icy edge. It tasted like yogurt but also had a distinctive taste. It was moderately tangy. The texture was softer, and it melted quicker.

The hazelnut froyo had a mild hazelnut flavor and was also creamy and sweet.

The décor is Greek-inspired with lots of white and blue. There is limited seating inside (two small tables). Pharos opened in November 2025. It is counter-serve.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I’ve been to a few Book-Off locations, some larger, some smaller. The one in Monterey Park is really good. It seems better organized. Book-Off is the largest used bookstore chain in Japan. You can buy, sell, or trade a wide variety of merchandise, including books, music, games, DVDs, electronic devices, toys/collectible figurines, etc.

There was also a long row of Japan trinket vending machines. Some of the merchandise comes from Japan. The sale books were $1 and the sale DVDs were $2.

While books, music, and DVDs were organized by genre and title, the titles are not alphabetized beyond being grouped by letter. However, prices are lower than other used bookstores. I didn’t feel like browsing but I did like the selection of used foreign movie DVDs though it was a small selection.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Opened by the owner of Little Fatty which is around the corner, Fatty Mart is an Asian bodega with a hot food/BBQ bar, grab & go sandwiches and cold dishes, coffee, ice cream, and snacks. You can order dumplings, Fatty Folds, banh mi sandwiches, popcorn chicken, smash burgers, breakfast burritos, salads, and noodles.

Fatty fold (like an Asian taco) with popcorn chicken ($10): crispy, flaky scallion pancake topped with chili crisp, hoisin mayo, pickled mustard greens, cucumbers, green onions, and cilantro. This took awhile but they assembled it with care. The scallion pancake was extra hot, crispy and chewy. It was too hot to hold. The popcorn chicken had a thin batter. The chicken was dry but tasty. The cucumbers fell out. Sauces were tasty combined with the pickles and fresh herbs. It was about three times to size of a street tacos but even more filling because of the thickness of the scallion pancake.

The groceries include Asian snacks, (candy and chips) noodles, drinks,  condiments, etc. You can get most of what they have at H Mart or 99 Ranch for less, but I don’t think either are close. There is a Mitsuwa less than a mile away but the products tend to be more Korean and Chinese than Japanese. There’s also Fatty Mart merch, cookbooks, wine and spirits and frozen foods like Fatty Mart’s dumplings and garlic noodles.

Look for daily specials like 15% off the hot bar on Thursdays and $10 breakfast burritos on Fridays.

Online ordering is available.

4 out of 5 stars

Fro-yo girl here. Go Greek quietly opened yesterday in Larchmont Village. I expect they’ll have a grand opening at a later date.

It’s an attractive shop in the heart of Larchmont Village. You’ll find six self-serve froyo flavors and toppings for $1.35/oz, classic (non-frozen) Greek yogurt, sweet and savory Greek yogurt bowls, and smoothies made with froyo ($13.25 each). The yogurt is kept in big terracotta bowls, like you’d see in a yogurteria in Greece. The yogurt is imported from Greece.

The toppings are healthy, for the most part. Some of the toppings cost extra, including the Greek spoon sweets, honey, shaved chocolate, and even peanut butter. It seems stingy to me when the yogurt is already expensive.

Before entering the shop, I saw a sign that said sorry, we do not offer samples. I think that’s just bad practice. Have employees dispense the samples to avoid sampling abuse.

Froyo flavors of the day:

Plain

Greek honey

Chocolate

Strawberry

Mango

White Chocolate

I decided to try a savory bowl, the Greek salad ($14.99). Mr. Froyo pointed out that the sign did not specify that the Greek salad came with yogurt. The Greek salad wound up being 50% plain Greek yogurt and 50% sliced Persian cucumbers, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and olive oil. I did not see or taste the oregano, salt, or pepper. The salad was fine though it didn’t feel like a salad. It was fresh but very plain. The yogurt was silky, rich, and smooth. It wasn’t sour. It was good yogurt and the ingredients were fresh, but it felt like there wasn’t much effort put into the bowl for $14.99 plus tax. I wanted more salt and pepper at least and would have also loved some feta, onions, and fresh herbs.

This location is owned by a franchisee.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Changan Kitchen is in soft opening mode. The new Chinese restaurant specializes in handmade noodles and Shaanxi (Northwestern China) cuisine. You’ll find soups, stir-fries, noodles, cold appetizers, and dumplings. And did I emphasize that the noodles are handmade?

Biang biang hot oil noodles with minced garlic, green onions, Sichuan chili peppers ($9.99 with a choice of wide or hand-pulled noodles, option to add proteins) topped with stir-fried cumin lamb ($6.99). I should have gone with the traditional wide noodles. The hand-pulled noodles were excellent (round, long, chewy), but they were so long that it was hard to separate the noodles for sharing. I asked for extra spicy, and they did pile on the dried chilies. Combined with all the garlic, it was a flavorful, highly spiced bowl of noodles. I liked how the sauce had some acidity from vinegar. The noodles also came with some bok choy and bean sprouts for texture and flavor. The cumin lamb was tender. It was a huge bowl of noodles, enough for two people. I did find it to be saltier than I prefer but not crazy salty.

The interior looked elegant with neutral colors but large TVs. Service was good. They brought water to every table. All of the diners were Chinese.

4 out of 5 stars