Brunch @ Cafe Maji

There’s this cute coffee shop that Matt and I love to go to when we go back to socal called Cafe Maji. Their first location was in Arcadia, CA inside a gym. That was really awkward. They opened up a standalone shop now in Artesia, CA and not only is it much closer to where we stay, it’s huge and less awkward! There aren’t old people exercising less than 10 feet away from you.  They were there last time we were in their Arcadia location. The Artesia location is also much easier to find. You can see it directly from the street.

It looks like there would be no shortage of tables on a normal day, but we were here on a Tuesday morning at 11AM and it was surprisingly packed. Although I hate eating cramped around a lot of people and in noisy spaces, I’m happy about this! This might mean that the shop will be around for much longer. 🙂

I forgot to snag a picture of what the shop looks like when you first walk in because I felt weird with the 15 or so people that turned around and stared at us going in, but you can take my word for it that it’s suuper cute. There’s little bits of decor along the walls and on their counter that make it feel very home-y. Their bright white walls and wooden furniture theme makes for a very simple look. Best of all, even though there were a lot of people and tables around, it didn’t feel cramped!

We ordered and then we got really bored. It took nearly an hour for us to get all our foods.  But then yay! The first of our order came! The drinks always come first. I imagine that there is only one person in the kitchen making the actual meal. It’s okay, I love this place too much to be too impatient (I usually am very).

Matt ordered himself a S’Mores Mocha Latte and I got the Taro Tea Latte. I’m having a taro thing right now. It’s pretty much all I’ll order if it’s on the menu at all. And the drinks were yum! They each come with a little cream puff that I really wish there was more of. I should get a full plate of those little cream puffs. I didn’t really touch my latte all that much since I was waiting for the rest of our order to arrive. Can’t blame me if I want a picture with everything, right?  Matt couldn’t wait though so I let him go ahead with his drink and snack. He was about to get real hangry.

Yay, food’s here! I ordered a Tiramisu Waffle. It was delicious. It looks small, but I assure you it is not. It’s a nice, fluffy waffle topped with pieces of tiramisu cake. That fluffy bunch you see on top? Whipped cream. Lots of it. And I regret nothing.  In the back you can see what Matt ordered: a Bulgogi Quesadilla. We ordered this last time we were at their Arcadia location. Since we ordered it again, you can safely say it’s a favorite of ours (especially Matt’s).

The Tiramisu waffle alone was enough to fill me to the brim. It’s a little pricey, around $10, but definitely enough to fill me up and a little of Matt too! With the Bulgogi Quesadilla, what I love the most is that they do not skimp on the meat. There was actually so much of it that Matt wished there was a bit more cheese to even out the meat-to-cheese ratio.

I’m pretty sure what really sells me on this place is its decor and their servers. I love that it’s a sit-down place. Their waiters/waitresses will come by and take your order and bring everything to you. I’m used to coffee shops usually being an order at the counter and then pick-up sort of thing. I enjoy that they’ve shaped their menu and everything to make it more of a restaurant-like coffee shop. After the servers take your order, they will not be checking on you. I don’t mind that sort of thing at all, but it is something that others might expect.

I can’t wait to go back again when I’m back in SoCal! If you’re in the area and choose to swing by here, tell me what you like about it!