Tang and Java — Restaurant in Los Angeles

November 2024 Divine, Delectable, Delicious! Yes, I'll be back.

Worth every penny. Prices are: $5.25 1 scoop $7.95 2 scoops $13.95 1 pint

Great service: John and the other person working the counter were all about hospitality. They let me try a couple different flavors, and I settled on two.

The Gelato is made like real Gelato should be made. There's very little air incorporated into the final product, and it's not overly sweet. I can taste the cream and milk. The mouth feel is extraordinary. Dont rush to finish it. Let it linger in your mouth for a better experience.

Today's flavors I tried: Amaretto: you have to really Savor this once you take a spoonful. The longer you let it melt in your mouth, the more subtleties your palate will pick up. It's not overly sweet, not overly strong, it's just the right blend of almond and a toasted wafer flavor I can't quite identify.. malt?

Fig & Mascarpone: omg! My favorite today. Again, something you really need to savor and let melt in your mouth to truly appreciate all of the nuances that are going on here. It's savory, not overly sweet, something you would have after say like a steak dinner. The fig is amazing in combination with the marscapone.

I tried the Goat Cheese as well, another savory winner. It wasn't sweet, and the balance of just the right amount of sugar with the saltiness of the goat cheese hits every part of your palate.

In general, their Gelato is creamy, it's smooth, it's like a trophy you celebrate. Marinate on it, taste it, enjoy it.

One of the other reasons I know this is true gelato, made in the real gelato making style from Italy is because there is a super fine structure and texture about it. It's not crystalline like ice cream would be, and there's not a lot of Incorporated air. Basically, the real gelato making technique takes time, and it's typically taken out of the gelato maker in a semi-solid state, more liquidy. Then it gets transferred to a deep freezer to come down to its final temperature below freezing. This means that the texture is more smooth, less rough, and more of that true mouth feel which coats your palate as it melts.

I didn't notice or taste any of the typical cheat method ice cream making additives like guar gum or xantha gum. To the contrary, Tang and Java truly is gelato! No doubt about it. There is a quality here that you just don't get at other so-called "gelato" places. It's worth every penny. And the Pint for $14 is truly the best value.

Parking: pretty easy to find parking in the lot, also on the street. Just beware of that light on Fallbrook and ventura. Sometimes you can get stuck there for an eternity. But that's not the fault of Tang and Java. I blame the city of Los angeles. Lol.

Atmosphere: it's kind of like Steampunk meets Swanky 1960s Los Feliz Jazz Lounge. Great date spot for sure!

The owners are great people! They put their heart and soul into this establishment, and you should definitely give them a chance to earn your business. Please tell them you saw this review...

I REALLY, REALLY wanted to come on a give them 5 stars but I just can’t. For the most part the place is great and MOST of the people working there are friendly. Idk why they, the main one is and older women, make it a big deal when I order a Vietnamese in a large cup…. I’m anemic and I love the extra ice to chew on when I’m done with my drink. No one, NOT ONE other employee has given me an issue about this and I’ve ordered it multiple times. But this lady, this lady just seems to hate it. Like I’ll pay for a bigger cup, I’m not asking for extra coffee, just extra ice in a larger cup. What the big deal? That if I get a larger cup you actually have to give me the actual amount of coffee as opposed to a getting the small cup that the Vietnamese coffee comes in and only getting a fraction of the coffee? I loved this place. I was so happy to have found it and now I’m dissatisfied and disappointed. That lady just does it for me. She doesn’t even have a friendly demeanor when you walk in. She always looks like she doesn’t want to be there. Sad to say I won’t ever come back.

Update: 7/5/24 Thank you for your reply. Sadly, in all of this you have confirmed that it is about the cup. Like plenty of other small coffee shops that I’ve been to, none has had an issue offering a larger cup. Some even charge me for the cup, which I’m ok with paying. Not once did I say your coffee wasn’t great. Your coffee is great in a small cup and in the large cup. It taste the same to me in either cup. You saying for me to bring my own cup…. No. Not once have I been asked to bring my own larger cup for ice. I like my drinks with extra extra ice and since it seems to be a problem for you to let go of that extra large cup, I don’t think you deserve my business. Im sure you won’t miss it since I am just one person. It’s just a disappointment since your place regardless of this issue, is a...

Tang and Java has arguably the best ice cream and coffee in all of this area of LA! I have visited a couple of times now and I am blown away with everything I get each time. They are a Filipino coffee shop and gelateria and they do a GREAT job with both! I’ve gotten their Espresso Sparkler, Iced Café Barako, and a couple of their soda/mocktail drinks. The Espresso Sparkler is a super unique sparkling soda that reminds me of my last travels to Thailand, where it is super popular there! The Iced Café Barako is REALLY good - if you’ve never tried it before, it’s a very strong Filipino coffee with some house-made pandan syrup. Great flavor that is unlike any coffee I’ve had before.

And who can forget their gelato?! This is the best part! I always thought another shop nearby had the best ice cream in this area…and Tang and Java gives them a run for their money! Might be the best ice cream in this whole area of LA! All the flavors are super unique Asian-inspired flavors (from Philippines to Japan to many other places) and they are SO CREAMY! Like it’s almost a mix between ice cream and soft serve! The Hokkaido Cheese, Biscoff, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, and Goat Cheese with Passion Fruit were the ones we tried so far and they are wonderful. The Hokkaido Cheese is almost like a cream cheese type of cheese (so don’t be weirded out by it being “cheese” ice cream), and the others were all perfect. I would get all of them 100 times more and I can’t wait to try more flavors!

This place is a hidden gem - you need to try it if you are in the mode for either coffee or ice cream. You will NOT be...