Bopomofo Cafe — Restaurant in Artesia

I had an hour to spear before my appointment that was around this area and needed to get some work done, so i googled for a coffee place. I didn't really want to go to a Starbucks or Panera per say. So i found a small coffee shop, however it turned out there were closed, but instead pleasantly surprised, i found this coffee shop instead.

There is a Bopomofo by my house in SGV, and remembering i haven't been to one in a long time, and needed a space to work, i came here. The space is quite cute, its small but warm enough for a welcome.

They have some cute cafe music played in the background (i may say - it is slightly too loud, but it might be to used to drown out the kitchen sound in the back as there isn't quite a door to close that sounding.

I came on a soft opening Monday, i did not know they didn't open money, and they were doing a donation money in which all the money goes to donation cause they choose. I guess this falls on a random day each month which i find it really nice that they are doing that. However the down side is they're not selling food today, and i came wanting to try their food options! its okay though, i will try again next time!

The parking plaza isn't too busy, which is a huge plus compare to their other location where street parking was limited but so was their actual parking lot. the other spot the space was smaller as well.

I will definitely come back to try the other stuff on their menu! The staff are all very friendly! I am excited to see where this place goes!

There is working wifi...

Located in Cerritos, this is BOPOMOFO's second location. It's a bit larger on the inside compared to the original in the San Gabriel Valley, but the quality is still unmatched.

Now I no longer have to wait for special occasions to drive out to the SGV, when this one is so much closer. The staff here are as friendly as the original location, so you can tell that HR is really good at finding the right people.

The girls who helped us were so friendly, down to earth, hospitable, and were so helpful at explaining things and giving recommendations.

This time around though, I didn't order any food, as we had just come in from a big lunch, so I ordered just a drink - the seasonal Frankie's Matcha. I was a little skeptical due to the blueberries in it, as I personally don't like blueberries, but the girls said that the blueberries balances out the flavor, and they were totally right. Even my sister preferred my drink to hers - it was that good.

As for the decor, it's minimalistic, yet still kept a very Asian American vibe. I absolutely adored the stylish Asian/dragon art walls that adorned the café walls. Super unique art to add to the place.

There are a few tables and chairs inside as well, with chargers, perfect for studying, or doing other work for long hours. Water is available on tap near a counter at the wall, so there's no need to ask staff.

BOPOMOFO will continue to amaze. I will definitely be...

Look, the small business food scene in LA is just so much better than in the Bay Area. Maybe the Bay has gotten priced out due to land prices and people are less committed to non tech jobs, but every time I go to socal I'm impressed.

I heard about Bopomofo when they were opening. I watched Wong Fu videos since it's inception when downloading the videos directly back in like 2004-2005. So I heard Phil was opening a boba shop and heard his story as to why. I was at a restaurant in the same plaza and figured I'd stop by Bopomofo to try it out. We got an espresso drink and a Tea drink, and what I can say is that the quality of the ingredients is evident but also the way the staff is trained to help guide you on recommendations and converse with the customer is top notch. They want to make your boba experience great and they executed.

The Assam Black Tea was super toasty and earthy, but not over cooked or bitter or oxidized. And the coffee milk tea gave a nice kick of caffeine before heading out for the day.

We came back the next day too, as it was along our route and grabbed a Mapo Tots and another case of a well thought out and tasty dish. Mapo Tofu works so well on a tot base instead of the traditional rice or even noodles. Really clever rendition and glad to have tried it.

Support small businesses! The food scene in LA is evidence...