Spot Coffee & More — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Myself and a few friends recently visited The Spot Lounge. Unfortunately, we had the worst experience ever and I am writing this review for the benefit of others who may be better off spending their valuable time and money somewhere else.

First, the whole store is quite dirty and sloppy. As we entered through the parking lot in a rainy evening, dirty water was standing every where including on the steps which were very slippery and definitely a safety hazard with no alarming signs. The lounge itself was very sloppy: the floors were all dirty and muddy continued as one could see through the kitchen door which was wide open. Multiple big dirty water tanks were kept next to the kitchen area and where all the hokkas are and this raises a serious concern for ordering and eating food in this place. I am pretty sure that an FDA inspection will reveal multitude of apparent violations of required health practices in this place where food is served.

Second, in terms of customer service, after presenting our request for being seated in a sheltered area to be safe from rain and a bit warmer, they rejected even though multiple tables were empty with no reservation signs on them. As we insisted, a Bobby-named guy emerged saying that he is the manager: we gently requested the same and instead of reasonably explaining why he could not help, he loudly said that he won't serve us at all. After asking about the reason, he started ranting and swearing like a gang person. Bobby was not even working and he was seating smoking hokka with his friends. It is quite unfortunate for the business owner that he has appointed this guy as the manager because he is an apparent threat to the business flow and operation. The way he treats customers should speak to the fact that he would be treating the employees far worse with minimal respect as we witnessed him shouting and ranting on the poor guy who helped us upon our arrival. Overall, very negative experience on the customer service presented by The Spot staff, especially Bobby, and all these were upon a very polite and simple request for being seated in a sheltered area with multitude of empty tables. Their behavior was quite unnecessary and this request is so simple that any other intelligent manager or business owner would gladly grant to leave the customer with a positive outlook and will for return.

The whole experience, including the sloppiness of the lounge and kitchen area as well as the poor, impolite, gang-style behavior of the staff, especially Bobby, speaks to level of care that this place wills to expend for the customer. That reflects itself in the poor quality of food, hokka, and the profile of the managing personnel. Strongly recommend you to spend your valuable time and money somewhere else where it is neat and the staff present good...

Came here on a thursday night with my girlfriends. Got the black sesame shaved ice, exotic cake, cloud smoothie, herb tonic, and the decaf muskat tea. Man, Oakobing got some competition. The black sesame bingsoo was so friggin good and they layer it too so you're not left digging some ice shards to the floor. They top it off with mochi and almonds. The exotic cake was so good too. Very tart.

As for drinks, we got the cloud smoothie which was also really pretty. Looks like an Erewhon cloud smoothie. The muskat tea was so fragrant too, and my friends were trying to look up where the tea bag is from to get some for themselves. I thought the herb tonic would be some carbonated hanyak but it's actually just ssanghwacha. I like it so I'm happy but I know some people don't like it because it tastes like medicine.

I love the atmosphere inside because the music isn't too loud, and there are nice white marble tables. On the outside, the shop looks like a nightclub but on the inside, it looks very innocent, clean, and white.

The parking is valet, $3. Cries.

Service here is awesome. Very nice unnie.

Edit 7/21/22: Came with my boyfriend this time. The strawberry bingsoo exceeded my expectations because I normally go for earthy flavors like Injeolmi or black sesame. The strawberry puree didn't taste so artificial and went well with the fruits. Also got the banana pudding in a really cute sized cup. It's not as sweet as Magnolia Bakery's. Overall, second time coming here very good, and I did my work here too.

The major con I have is that the valet guy is super stingy. I wish he could...

Cafe Spot, Koreatown, Los Angeles

I've been eyeing this spot since they opened earlier this year and finally got to visit! We tried a variety of their drinks and desserts, including:

Coconut Pudding with Peach: The coconut pudding is a collaboration with Kokonut Desserts. I've had their coconut pudding in the past and it was just as creamy, light, and delicious as I remembered.

Injeolmi Latte: The injeolmi latte was sweet, nutty, a bit savory, and creamy. The strong milk flavor combined well with the roasted bean powder.

Black Sesame Latte: the black sesame latte was a bit bitter and not as strongly flavored as the Injeolmi one. The cream foam top on its own was sweet and strong but once mixed it lost a lot of flavor.

Matcha Crepe Cake: The crepes were combined with thick layers of cream which made it quite a rich and heavy dessert.

Mango Bingsu: This was sweet and fruity, and the mango flavor was very strong with the cubes of fresh ripe mango and mango jam on top. The shaved milk itself had a light and fine icy texture which was perfect for the lightly warm day.

The inside and outside of the cafe has a casual and comfortable vibe. There are tables and free WiFi so you can...