KAIZEN & COFFEE — Restaurant in San Mateo

TRUST AND BELIEVE: THESE DRINKS ARE FIERCE BUT THE WAIT IS A CRIME! ✨⚠️

• The eleganza of these lattes will leave you GAGGED • Parking? A mess. Wait time? A MESS. • Serving minimalist realness with premium coffee and matcha • That line is longer than my Friday night fake lashes, and not worth it honey!

Listen up dolls, let me spill the REAL tea on Kaizen Coffee! This chic little number is serving up some of the most STUNNING lattes your thirsty eyes have ever seen, but let's talk about that LINE. Thirty minutes of my life I'm never getting back, standing there like last season's Louboutins in a consignment shop. And finding parking? Had me sweating my contour off!

Now the matcha latte? She was giving what she needed to give - none of that watered-down nonsense you get at basic cafes. And that Okinawa Brown Sugar moment? Sweet, rich, and camera ready. The baristas are serving SKILLED professional realness, working that espresso machine like they're conducting an orchestra.

But mama, let me be real with you - not even these pretty drinks are worth that wait. It's giving slightly pretentious energy with those minimalist white walls and fancy equipment, and the line is giving "iPhone launch day" realness. Sure, the drinks are good, but not "stand in line for 30 minutes while your feet are crying in your stilettos" good.

Would I go back? Only if that line is shorter than my patience (we're talking 5-10 minutes max). Because life's too short to wait 30 minutes for coffee, even if it does come with a side of Instagram-worthy latte art!

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Blink and you’ll miss it, this modern Asian fusion craft coffee shop located down on El Camino somehow became a staple in San Mateo.

Sticking out like a sore thumb in the old and sleepy part of town, this modern and sleek cafe stands out with its contemporary and moody looks that bring tons of foot traffic where there previously was none. While most would be forgiven for driving by without being any wiser, often the huge line out the door can serve as an indicator to locate one of the best cafes around.

And that’s the thing, even 2 years after opening and despite the high prices, you’ll often find people lining up and waiting for their caffeine fix, showcasing that Kaizen and Coffee has serious staying power and it’s not just hype.

Once you make it inside, the cafe is long and narrow. The interior is modern and sleek but doesn’t shy away from boldly using dark colors whereas most going for the contemporary athletic just stick to white walls and light wooden accents. There are but a handful of small 2 person tables.

The focal point is obviously what happens behind the counter. With high tech and expensive coffee making equipment, quality beans and ingredients, and a skillful army of baristas working in unison, Kaizen and Coffee is able to pump out five star drinks at a fast pace without sacrificing on quality.

From the everyday espresso to the more creative matcha americanos, hojicha lattes, and calamansi matcha tonics, Kaizen and Coffee delivers on the classics as well as more modern drinks and blends in an effort to offer something for everyone.

Overall, despite the long lines and high prices, Kaizen and Coffee delivers on high quality, exceptional taste, welcoming atmosphere and top notch service, quickly becoming a staple in San Mateo and a cafe that...

Honestly, it's a little over hyped. It's not bad, but I wouldn't call it "line out the door" worthy coffee.

I got the ube latte and it's ok. It's not super sweet, which is a huge plus. I can't stand ultra sweet coffee. But, it doesn't impress either. It kind of just tastes like a general sweetener. It does add a creaminess to the texture, which is probably the best addition it brings. Again, it's good. But I have had coffees where I take my drink and I'm like "WOW!" This is above average for sure. It's just held back by massive wait times.

I also got the black sesame mochi cake and I have almost the same criticisms, which is funny because this is food, not beverage. The mochi adds a great texture to the food and the black sesame isn't overly sweet, but it lacks an oomph that makes it stand out. It's a little bland. And bland can be fine if you have the richness of a buttery texture like in a croissant or scone. Here, there isn't much richness. It's all very subtle. But again, it's good! I would get it again. Again, again, it's held back by the huge wait.

It took me over a half hour to get my order. That's too long a wait for coffee, for me. If I have to wait that long, it needs to be the best coffee I've ever had, or a contender for top 5 at least. This is good coffee and I would regular here if the line was short. But considering the commitment you have to make to get this, I would consider it a divergence for variety rather than a mainstay. Hopefully the hype dies down just enough to keep them busy without making customers wait so long. I never want to root for a business making less money. I just want to find the happy medium so I can get my morning coffee in a reasonable amount of time.

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