Cafe Tori — Restaurant in Bakersfield

My sister really wanted to try Cafe Tori because she could get Bungeoppang there and she had been wanting to try that treat. I decided to join them. Upon first entering I had no idea what Cafe Tori offered on its menu. I attempted to figure what the menu consisted of and after a bit realized it was Acai bowls, teas, boba, smoothies and other drinks. They had other offerings and the obviously new employee attempted to answer my questions and was quite helpful even though she was learning the ropes.

After we all (4 of us) ordered we took a seat at one of maybe 6 tables that are in the place (limited seating). They had some music going and I was concerned I would miss my order call out as they have a pick up counter as you would find at Starbucks. But the staff made sure that they made eye contact with us as they called our orders to make sure we knew our orders were ready.

The staff was friendly. The orders took a bit (approximately 12-20 minutes) to be called. We all ordered separately. But we all had our food in about 20 minutes. It wasn’t all that busy and I believe I saw 3 employees in there. Overall the wait wasn’t an issue but if this place was packed could imagine wait times would increase.

The food itself was decent and fresh but there was nothing stand out about anything I had that I hadn’t had at other places. The place was a bit pricey for my liking but I understand small locally owned business likely have to charge more to stay in business but a Açaí bowl, a drink and an order of the bungeoppang (3piece) ran me $32 without tip. I’m happy I tried this place and I walked away without any disappointment but I don’t think I would return unless someone else wanted to go there. Wishing this place...

ever since they opened, i have always loved this spot. i love how gentle and kind the owners are 🫶. their options aren’t as extreme as bobatime, but they easily make up in unique korean-influenced options. every drink, bingsu, cheesecake, açai bowl, and boong o pang they serve has so much more love put into it. the store’s interior is very photo-genic, making it easy to feel welcomed and take lots of pictures. they also host a lot of korean events here too so kpop lovers and korean culture come flock here 🕊️💕

i’ve only had boba and shaved ice desserts (bingsu) this good rivaled that in a few stores from the Philippines 🇵🇭.

i highly recommend their Lychee Lime Green Tea 💚, Taro Smoothie or Tea 💜, Mango C+ Smoothie 🧡, Strawberry Coconut Smoothie ❤️, any of their Boong o Pang 🧇, Kuromitsu Coffee ☕️, Dragon Fruit Açai Bowl 🤍, and especially their Brown Sugar Matcha Bingsu & Taro Bingsu 😵‍💫✨.

they also serve milk alternatives for those lactose intolerant :) (soy and almond milk for sure i know)

i made the owners a fan-made tour video of the store last october, and they were kind enough to post it on their IG. if i could be paid to say this, i would spend a whole month spamming their reviews and social media, i swear they’re that good. i hope Maui Pho moving down a couple doors from here will help bring even more people to drink here and show the owners some...

I used to come to this place pre-pandemic to study when it used to be T-Baar. I know this is a different place now but this is the first time I came back after 4+ years hoping it would have a similar ambiance. I was not aware that this cafe is no longer a study place as they don't offer Wi-fi.

Within the first hour, I felt like they started blasting out music to the fullest volume which made me think they did on purpose to kick me out. I stayed for a couple more hours until I was told that I was already staying for too long. I stayed for a total of 3 hours. I usually stay in cafes for 6 hours and would have no problem with it. It's such a shame because I do explore study places in Bakersfield and I have never been told that I was staying for too long before. Granted, they did tell me to move to a different spot as I was occupying a 4-seat table. But there weren't many options. I would've stayed longer but the loud music made me think they didn't want me there.

I was also originally planning to bring my friends for a study sesh or to hang out but I unfortunately did not have a good experience. If you're looking to get some studying/homework done, this is...