DAMO — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I entered this cafe fully knowing it has the best matcha in town according to some social media source.

The strip mall it’s in has nothing to offer. It struck me as quite odd the cafe was here. The good thing is that the parking lot is fairly large and parking is free.

When I entered the cafe, immediately I knew I was entering a place that at the very least understands a lot of the things that revolve around matcha. All the paraphernalia you’d expect if you know about the cultural aspects of matcha preparation and drinking are present and for a moment I thought they would even offer a tea ceremony experience. Of course, this isn’t the case but I was impressed by their minimalist decor. Very tasteful. The cafe is gorgeous and its surroundings make it shine even more.

I had an iced matcha einspanner. The presentation is as nice as the cafe. The einspanner is topped with cloud foam and they sprinkle matcha powder on top. Gorgeous.

A work of art may at times be impractical and this einspanner is just that. The cloud foam is really thick so it’s hard to drink it without getting it on your upper lip. Mix it and it gets better but still I believe the cloud foam is a bit too dense/thick. It’s also very sweet but the sweetness does not ruin the intense matcha flavor underneath. Yes, the matcha here is of very high quality. They sell little cans of it and they’re not cheap. They also sell traditional matcha whisks.

We also ordered a mugwort rice cake waffle. Mugwort may sound like something you’d find in a witch’s potion but don’t be alarmed if you get this waffle you will get a work of art and quite honestly one of the most unique items you’ll ever get in any cafe. It’s a real treat for the eyes even though it isn’t my favorite waffle ever. The waffles are a deep green and very thin. They are slightly gooey with a dry exterior. They taste like rice cakes pretty much but have a different consistency.

I highly recommend the matcha drinks here. Even in the matcha einspanner the matcha stands out quite well. This cafe is...

I have mixed feelings. Overall solid latte and tea options, even though they are a little expensive. (Specialty drinks can run you $8-9). Also they have many specialty tea options as opposed to other k-town cafés that specialize in just coffee. The catch? As is common with most popular ktown spots, this location has limited interior space and parking - so you might end up fighting for your life just to put your order in. We went at 1pm on a Friday and it was packed. Overall it’s a local hot spot and has a very buzzy vibe. So if you’re down for a bustling location and mentally prepared to search for parking I’d recommend it overall.

They clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to tea with all the specialty matcha gear you could ask for. I got the iced matcha latte which was good. Having said that, It wasn’t much different from other iced matches I’ve had in LA, but maybe I didn’t order the right thing. They also sell an einspanner matcha which has a cold foam top as opposed to just matcha and milk, so I’d try that next time. My personal favorite though was the einspanner latte. It’s smooth, lightly sweet and delicious. We also got the signature Dag-wa which is a tray of bite sized Korean snacks. They were good, lightly sweet and a fun treat to share.

There is WiFi but you might have to time things right to get a table. If you want a calmer experience I would recommend getting there early. Overall the interior is very zen and they do a very nice job decorating. If we timed it better, we would try this spot again - especially if we wanted a...

What a discovery!! Not sure how long this cafe has existed, but I wish I have known this place longer because the drinks are so unique, i mean in a good way 🫶🏻

This place is very crowded that finding a table is a challenge 😥 The cashier makes sure we get a table before ordering the food (yes, only the food. they don't care if we only order the drinks) and I get why people are upset for this 😢

Hojicha Einspener ♥️ Surprisingly fresh and pleasant. The tea is so refreshing and the cream creates a rich taste to it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 🌟 It gets very sweet towards the end tho! So I might want to request less sweet next time, if they allow 😂

Forest Chocolate (Chocolate forest (?) HAHA 😂 not sure what it's called) 🍫. This is a matcha drink with chocolate cream on top. So overwhelmed by this 😯. The first sip is pretty good, but it is too thick and we cannot finish it. But love the color so much! 😂

Strawberry Latte 🍓. They use fresh strawberry, which is nice! It's good and caffeine free.

Damo Waffle, a rice cake waffle served with the house-made cream and red bean 🧇. A very interesting dessert indeed. The waffle is chewy and has no taste, so make sure you dip it in the cream and red bean 😋

Dagwa, assorted traditional Korean snacks. As a non-Korean, I must say I'm pretty confused with this food HAHAHA 🤣!! Not sure if we eat it correctly and not sure if it's the taste we expect.

Price point is high, but Hojicha Einspener makes me and my friends want to go back! So glad to have found...