coffee - LIT TIME TRAVEL

Posted on November 2, 2023September 6, 2024 by The Time Traveler — 2 Comments

Best Coffee in Berkeley, CA

It’s been a long time coming since I decided to write this post. After being inundated with material and ideas (as well as non-blog related matters) over the past six months or so, I had to postpone sharing my go-to coffee spots in Berkeley. Well, here they are now: the best coffee shops in Berkeley!

*Disclaimer: This list is highly subjective and based mostly on drip coffee and/or Americano. Plus, the order of the list does NOT signify.

☕Edmonds’ Café at International House

Nestled within the historic student housing “International House,” Edmonds’ Café is open to its residents and the public. They serve really good iced Americano and have a beautiful view of Bancroft Way. On a clear day, you can even see the Golden Gate Bridge!

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from the café!

Fun Fact: Apparently, this café used to be called by a number of different names since 1930. But now they call it Edmonds’ Cafe to honor the founder of the I-House movement, Harry Edmonds and his wife Florence.

Historical photos displayed inside the café.

Extra Perks: free wifi, great view & lighting, buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕Blue Bottle Coffee

Next, we have Blue Bottle Coffee. If you live in the Bay, you would have at least heard of it.

I just searched and it looks like there are five Blue Bottle Coffee locations in the East Bay alone! No surprise considering the fact that it was founded by W. James Freeman in the Temescal District in Oakland. Now the popular chain is everywhere, including New York, Boston, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Too bad it’s now owned mostly by Nestlé! 😕

The Blue Bottle in Berkeley is located on University Avenue, close to where Bus 52 (the one that takes you to campus) stops.

Located on University Ave and Kala Bagai Way.

Extra Perks: Aesthetic interior & merchandise, convenient app

☕Philz Coffee

Another Bay Area native, Philz Coffee was founded by Phil Jaber and his son Jacob in 2003 and it’s still as popular as ever. I mean, their Iced Mint Mojito is a culinary masterpiece! I will have to do a separate post just on their iced drinks!

Of Philz Coffee’s “Featured Creations,” Iced Mint Mojito is, in my opinion, one of the best iced drinks I’ve ever had.

Extra Perks: Free wifi, baked goods from Starter Bakery, aesthetic interior & merchandise, convenient app, out-of-this-world Iced Mint Mojito

☕Peet’s Coffee

Peet’s Coffee is everywhere across the country but did you know that it was founded in Berkeley by Alfred H. Peet in 1966? I sure didn’t!

Peet’s Coffee at the corner of Vine and Walnut.
Here is a photo of what this exact spot looked like over 120 years ago as shared by the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project: https://berkeleyplaques.org/plaque/peets-coffee-and-tea/?cat=30

According to Peets.com, the first ever Peet’s Coffee store was in North Berkeley, “at the corner of Vine and Walnut streets.” This location even has a special “study” area which is a quiet archival space filled with historical objects and documents of Alfred Peet and his company:

There are three other Peet’s in Berkeley and you can also get Peet’s on campus at the Golden Bear Café, Goldie’s, Brown’s and more.

Extra Perks: free wifi, historical, museum-like space that’s aesthetic & informative, convenient app

☕Coffee Hut

This little station of a coffee shop, founded by Imran and Ali in 2022, serves top-notch coffee from 1951 Coffee Company. Not only is it located on Shattuck right outside the Downtown Berkeley BART station (super convenient for commuters!), but also Imran and Ali are very friendly. 😊

Extra Perks: Mochi donuts from Third Culture Bakery (which deserves a post of its own), buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕1951 Coffee Company

Located in the Telegraph Area – on Channing Way.

Moving right along, we have 1951 Coffee Company. It is “a non-profit specialty coffee organization that promotes the well-being of the refugee community in the United States by providing job training and employment to refugees, asylees, and special immigrant visa holders while educating the surrounding community about refugee life and issues” (1951coffee.com). By purchasing a delicious cup of coffee from 1951 Coffee Company, you get to support their mission of supporting refugees.

Cup of iced Americano from 1951 Coffee Company.

Visit their website HERE to read all about the socially conscious coffee store.

Extra Perks: free wifi, can support a good cause, aesthetic interior & merchandise, buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕The Cheese Board Bakery

The Cheese Board Collective in
North Berkeley, CA.

Yes, you read that right! The Cheese Board Collective Pizzeria in North Berkeley, which serves baked goods in the daytime and pizzas in the evenings, also offers really good coffee when it’s a bakery. And the price is SO reasonable that I smile whenever I see it on the menu board. $1.75 for a small cup of coffee and $2.75 for Americano (+ 25 cents for to-go cups).

Small cup of coffee from The Cheese Board.

Drinking their coffee with their outstanding baked goods makes any mornings (except Mondays and Sundays – they’re closed those days) bearable. Rather, it makes one look forward to mornings! 😉

As you can see, the store is filled with all sorts of cheese on one side and shelves of freshly baked goods on the other.

Extra Perks: stellar baked goods and cheese

Conclusion

There you have it: my favorite coffee spots in Berkeley! But I just found out that there are over 40 coffee spots in the city, so I’ll need to do a Part 2 after trying out more places. Stay tuned!

P.S. Most of the places mentioned in this post are unique gems of places that deserve separate posts of their own. More coming soon!

P.P.S. I did a post on another coffee shop in Berkeley called “MY Coffee Roastery” – click HERE to read about the whimsical cottage of a café!

Posted on August 4, 2022January 24, 2024 by The Time Traveler — Leave a comment

MY Coffee Roastery: A Whimsical Cottage with Chill Vibes

Cute Café in Berkeley, CA

If you search “cute cafes to visit in Berkeley” in Google, chances are “MY Coffee Roastery” will pop up. And being the ever-tireless fan of cute cafes, I set my heart on visiting MY Coffee Roastery a few weeks ago. Sure enough when I got there, the café was a whimsical cottage sitting at the intersection of Addison St and Martin Luther King Jr. Way:

The café from across the street. It’s super close to Trader Joe’s on University Ave.

But when I got closer…

MY Coffee Roastery is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays! I made the mistake of visiting on a Tuesday… Make sure you visit on any days EXCEPT Monday/Tuesday, from Wednesday to Sunday. And beware, this cute cottage opens and closes early as you can see from the photo below 👇:

Be aware of their business days & hours!

✨Straight Out of a Fairytale✨

Now being aware of the cafe’s hours, I successfully entered the cottage on a Thursday. It was like entering a whimsical cottage straight from a fairytale! The cafe reminded me of the little cottage in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With its pretty iron fence, pots of plants and succulents, red flowers, cute bench cushions, parasols, blue and white mosaic tables and stony walls, MY Coffee Roastery was as lovely and unique as it could be. I mean, there were literally butterflies flying about in the outdoor seating area!

The entrance. Love the red bench and flowers! 🌹

Once I entered, I was immediately at the counter, where baked goods and coffee beans were displayed. I wanted to try their waffle, but as they had ran out of them, I ordered their almond croissant instead with a cup of iced Americano.

I think the cafe is owned and managed by a Chinese lady and her family – I’m not sure. But I have a hunch that she is the one behind the lovely cottage and its design. Even the interior is chic, with black chandeliers and stoned walls with wide windows that are left open.

The Menu

My drink and food came out quickly, as I wasn’t done marveling at the chic interior when they had finished warming up the croissant. Sitting outside in the patio area, I took a bite of my almond croissant and I must say, I like it better than other almond croissants I’ve had!

The delicious almond croissant & Americano. 🥐☕💕

It had sweet stuff inside – I don’t know what it’s called. Whatever it is, it made the croissant more flavorful and went perfectly with the iced Americano.

I personally wished there were more menu options, like sandwiches to eat for brunch or lunch, but the café is still great as is. I think their focus is on coffee, not so much the food.

Conclusion

In conclusion, MY Coffee Roastery is one of those chill cafes where you can get work done. They offer free wifi that works – they have the wifi password posted on the walls inside the cottage.

The inside seating area had the wifi banner with the password (see above). There was another wifi banner facing the front counter.

And with sufficient outdoor seating, it felt safe to eat and work there amidst the pandemic. Though cars drive by and many people frequent the cafe, it wasn’t distracting at all.

And the parasols create just the right amount of shade! ⛱

With friendly staff, good food and drinks along with aesthetic architecture and natural decor, MY Coffee Roastery is a cafe for students, professionals, and writers alike. It’s for anyone who appreciates uniquely chic spaces with chill vibes!

I can’t wait to go back to try their waffle. (And their latte, too!) 😊

P.S. To learn more about MY Coffee Roastery, visit their official website HERE. Or their IG account HERE.

P.P.S. And here are more aesthetic shots of the café:

P.P.P.S. 8/18/2022 Update: I revisited to try their waffle! But the waffles aren’t made at the cafe; they are premade waffles packed in wrapper that are unwrapped and placed on the display. Though it tasted alright, I wouldn’t deliberately come here to eat it again. Regardless, the whimsical cafe always has GREAT vibes✨ and good coffee.

Posted on February 15, 2022December 21, 2023 by The Time Traveler — Leave a comment

PADERIA BAKEHOUSE: A Whole New Level of Quality Pastry

Not all pastry shops are the same. There are the good ones that sell pastries that aren’t overly sweet but still taste excellent; the bad ones with tasty but sugary goods that make one feel really guilty for having consumed them. And the ugly, where cheap-looking, sugar-coated treats make one feel sick after a few bites.

And then there’s Paderia Bakehouse, where even a single item (i.e. their Portuguese Egg Tart) makes one visit the shop again and again despite the distance. Not to mention their award-winning Cookie plus their Malasada that I haven’t even tried yet.

The Square Shopping Center

Left turn leads to John Wayne Airport while at the right is The Square.

Tucked away in The Square next to the John Wayne Airport, Paderia Bakehouse may easily be overlooked. In fact, one may opt for the better-known Starbucks several shops away. Yet, once you experience their desserts and/or drinks, the shopping center will become that spot where you get all your Paderia goodies.

On the outside, the bakery looks nothing special with its bland but neat store front and clean fonts:

The Bakehouse

But once you enter, you will be pleasantly surprised by the chic designs of the dark interior with gilded accents. Along with the stylish, modern interior design, the green plants placed here and there help give off an eco-friendly atmosphere.

A few steps further in, you’ll face the counter with the baked goods displayed behind the glass:

Here’s a close up of the baked treats sold at the Irvine location:

A Limited Menu (Serving Only the Good Stuff)

What I also found somewhat unique to Paderia was its limited menu. They only have select drinks and treats to choose from, compared to, say, Starbucks or other cafes.

This is their complete menu from the Irvine location:

I conjectured that this was due to the fact that they were confident in their select items. The limitation, to me, felt like a sign that this bakery only served top-quality food and drinks that they knew (like really knew) how to make.

And I was correct!

Portuguese Egg Tarts

On my first visit, I chose to get some Portuguese egg tarts, cookies, and Mazapan coffee. I had never tried Portuguese egg tarts even though it’s easily available in other bakeries that I visit, as I never expected it to taste particularly good, given the visuals. The egg tarts at Paderia prompted me to try, and little did I know that my life would change forever!

The egg tarts are just…

(How do I type this as accurately as possible..?)

They are SO GOOD that they haunt you. Seriously. After tasting their egg tarts, I became HOOKED. Me, a skeptic of egg tarts and an opponent of the concept of putting more eggs in pastries other than during the baking process, became a FAN.

It’s warm & soft in the inside, crunchy & flaky on the outside, with hints of sweetness that explode as you savor each bite. It’s COMPLETE BLISS.

Other Items

As for the other items, they were excellent, too. The hot Mazapan coffee, which is hazelnut “harmonized with a crème froth & Mazapan peanut candy bits” is as good as its description on Paderia’s website. The cookies, which are satisfyingly fatter than other cookies, are great. According to their site, their Chocolate Walnut Cookie is an “Award-winning Cookie.”

Who doesn’t want to try an award-winning cookie?

My favorite thing about the cookie was how thick and chunky they were. You really get to just dive in the chocolatiness and the buttery texture. But as such, it can get overwhelming if you eat more than one in a single seating.

On my most recent visits, I tried the Ensaymada, Drip Coffee (both hot & iced), and the Vietnamese Coffee (+more Portuguese egg tarts), and I can say with confidence that they are all good. As for the rest of the items, I haven’t tried yet so I can’t say but they all sound & look delicious. Especially the Malasada that they only sell at their Fountain Valley location!

Paderia Bakehouse: For the Cosmopolitan Connoisseur

Paderia is not some bakery to try out. As their self-description, they are a bakehouse serving traditional baked goods from around the world, with emphasis on “basics, quality and authenticity.” They make “fresh-from-scratch” products in their kitchen with “intentionally sourced” ingredients, making sure to not sell old inventory with their “Open until sold out” policy.

Dear Cosmopolitan Reader, do yourself a favor and check out Paderia Bakehouse next time you’re around Fountain Valley, CA/ Irvine, CA / Santa Monica, CA.

This modern, globally-inspired bakehouse will inspire you.

P.S. Paderia Bakehouse was founded by the two young Vietnamese owners, Nathan Vuong and Davion Tran. Check out the duo’s interview here! 🤩

🍪Official Website of Paderia: https://www.paderia.com/

☕Official Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/paderiabakehouse/?hl=en

P.P.S. They have this cute little egg tart crochet plush displayed with the egg tarts behind the glass display. I’ve asked the cashier if they sold plushies (as I said, I’ve become quite a fan), but she said that they don’t. 🙁

The cute little Portuguese egg tart crochet plush.

P.P.P.S. 2/16/2022 Update: I visited the Fountain Valley location to try the malasada – and it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. It was good, for sure, but not as good as a beignet I’ve tried in Corona Del Mar, CA (view the post HERE.)

It is unfair to compare a malasada with a beignet but the two pastries all share similarities with the doughnut and I can’t help myself from comparing them…

The malasadas at Paderia Bakehouse in Fountain Valley, CA.

The dough and vanilla cream of Paderia’s Malasada were both very light, and I prefer my dough and cream heavier with more substance. I wouldn’t drive all the way to their Fountain Valley store to eat their Malasada whereas I would drive to both their Fountain Valley and Irvine locations to get their Portuguese Egg Tart.

Here’s a short clip of the pretty signage inside the Fountain Valley location to wrap up this post!

Posted on November 21, 2021July 4, 2025 by The Time Traveler — 2 Comments

“Not Your Grandma’s Coffee Shop”: The One and Only, Coffee Dose ☕

Ever in search of aesthetic cafes, I came across an interesting coffee shop this month. It’s called, “Coffee Dose.”

Nestled between office buildings in Irvine (also located in LA and Costa Mesa), Coffee Dose is certainly “not your grandma’s coffee shop.”

Snapshot of their home page: https://www.coffeedose.cafe/.

They have coffee cups with words “Fuck Mornings,” “Anti-Bitch Club,” “Anti-Bitch Serum.” and a banner that says “No Karen, You Can’t Talk to the Manager.” With their pretty pink aesthetics and eye-catching slogans, Coffee Dose is a unique place to check out if you like their “cheeky” merchandise, “vegan + keto-friendly treats,” and all things aesthetically pink.

Coffee Dose (Irvine) one cloudy morning.

Some Basic Info:

Coffee Dose was founded by the couple – Jeni and Oscar Castro. They kind of remind one of the wife-husband team that founded Honey & Butter Macarons, as they’ve also started their shop in Costa Mesa. (Check out my post on Honey & Butter Macarons HERE.)

And from the fact that the shop now has three locations (from just one in Costa Mesa), their business seems to be a success. It’s not surprising – their stylish merchandise and cheeky slogans are bound to be popular, especially amongst young women who appreciate good coffee and aesthetically pleasing goods. It really is no wonder that Coffee Dose has made their marks at their Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine locations:

Images of Coffee Dose in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine (from left to right) from coffeedose.cafe.

Coffee Dose in Irvine, CA

The shop I’ve visited is the one in Irvine. It’s located in the middle of a business park.

It’s literally placed right between two office buildings:

And so, on my two visits to Coffee Dose Irvine, there was always a group of customers. They were most likely a mix of office workers, influencers, and customers who so appreciated Coffee Dose’s unique menu and aesthetics that they drove all the way to the office park for them.

Once you get close to the pink container box, you’ll be able to see the menu and the cute merchandise they have out in front of the cashier.

This is where you order, buy merchandise, and receive your drinks. (Plus where the food menu is.)

The other end of the pink container where you get your food items. Plus where the menu for the drinks are. (On the right)

Oh, and they always have music playing out loud:

From my experience (which amounts to only a few visits), I found the lattes to be better than any other drinks. The cold brew was really strong and not to my taste.

But the latte? It was delicious! 😋

This is the menu they have out in the Irvine shop:

To check out the menu for the LA/Costa Mesa locations, check out their webpage here: https://www.coffeedose.cafe/la-cm-menu.

The Highlight: The Food

Now, this shop is a coffee shop, and I do think they have good lattes. But what I consider their best is the food.

I’ve tried a few items on their menu, including their cookie, banana bread, lemon bread from their bakery items, “The OC OG,” “Foxy Loxy,” “Jen & Berry’s,” “The Goat,” and “The Gentle Monster.” Wow. Now that I list them, I actually tried quite a number of their food items!

The Foxy Loxy (and the ever-strong cold brew that I couldn’t finish).

Anyways, they were all delicious, with top-quality ingredients. But my favorite of all has to be “The Goat.” 🐐🧀

“The Goat” is a toast with herbed goat cheese, figs, candied walnuts, saba and microgreens. And it’s EPIC.

I tried this only because I saw on Coffee Dose’s Instagram that “The Goat” will be available only until November. And I thought – why not give it a go before I can no longer try it?

It was such a good decision… Because it was the most delicious toast I’ve ever tasted! And the combination of goat cheese and figs along with the candied walnuts and other ingredients is genius; it’s an out-of-this-world tasting experience that belongs uniquely to Coffee Dose.

It was so good that I had to to-go another one before leaving.

Drawbacks

The only drawbacks of Coffee Dose (I speak only of the Irvine location) would be that it isn’t cheap. It’s definitely on the pricier side, as “The Goat” costs about as much as two cheeseburgers at In-N-Out.

And another drawback is that they don’t share your Instagram stories that you @ them at, as I’ve tried multiple times. I think they only share if you have enough followers to promote their brand. 😔

*Fun fact: There are Coffee Dose stickers you can use in Instagram to create your stories.

Regardless –

Visiting Coffee Dose Irvine was a fun experience. With the aesthetic surroundings and the unique, DELICIOUS food, I highly recommend visiting there at least once!

P.S. If you have any canine companions, you’ll definitely want to check this place out. The shop is dog-friendly with even “puppy cracks” for your pups!

Check out their website and Instagram for more. 😉