Wall Writers Coffee: 

A hidden oasis located between office buildings, with greenery, hanging-bed style sofas and plenty of seats, Wall Writers has a calming aesthetic. However, the limited hours of operation, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., make them only a viable option for weekends.

 While people outside sit in groups to chat, the inside consists of quieter people studying and an ambience highlighted by soft music without lyrics and the hum of machinery that creates the perfect amount of white noise to concentrate.

The food and drinks fell flat compared to the environment as they lack variety and distinctiveness. Their Pandan latte was sweet and had a subtle pandan flavor, but I had to search for the honey and lavender flavor in the honey lavender latte. The Ube matcha had a subtle sweet and savory aspect, but was also lackluster in the flavor department. The spinach and brie croissant I tried was flaky but greasy.

Overall, Wall Writers provided a relaxing atmosphere but was not exceptional. 

TLDR:

Ambiance: A+; Food/ Drinks: B; Overall: B+

The Lost Bean (Woodbridge Village Center): 

Located as a part of the larger Woodbridge Village Center, The Lost Bean loses points for the noisy and distracting outside area, but doesn’t fall short in terms of fulfilling your cafe aesthetic dreams. With a typical coffee shop interior made up with soft yellow lighting and overall brown toned tables and decor, they create an environment conducive to studying. 

At best, I would describe the drinks and food as average. Their iced caramel macchiato was nothing special, and even their speciality drink, the La Paz, could have fooled me into thinking it was just a normal latte if not for the crunchy bits of caramelized sugar in my first sip. Though their blueberry muffin looked the best of the pastries on display, the taste left much to be desired. In bites without the moisture and flavor of the blueberry, the muffin was doughy and tasted only of flour. The bacon and cheese quiche wasn’t much different in terms of likeability; the pastry at the bottom was soggy and the filling was more wet than moist. 

Among the cafes on this list, I would place this one last. If other options aren’t viable for whatever reason, The Lost Bean isn’t horrible, but certainly not the best.

TLDR:

Ambiance: C; Food/Drinks: B; Overall: B-

Coffee Tomo (Culver Plaza): 

A hidden gem is how I would describe Coffee Tomo. Though the outside is unassuming, what Coffee Tomo may lack in style, they make up for in substance.

The menu variety at this cafe really stood out from the others. Along with classic cafe drinks such as lattes and mochas, they also had bubble tea and non-caffeinated drinks. In addition, for food options, they had savory and sweet versions of toast and pretzels. Even though the other cafes also offer some non caffeinated options, they certainly don’t have as many as Coffee Tomo, and seem to stop at a prepackaged cup of orange juice.

Their butterfly lychee drink, with lychee bits, lemonade and butterfly pea tea, was refreshing for a hot afternoon, and the tart lemonade and sweet chewy lychee bits complemented each other perfectly and woke me up better than an iced coffee. Their sweet potato cheese pretzel was another hit, as the gooey cheese and soft sweet potato combined with the chewy pretzel bread made for a great combination, and was not as overbearing as other savory treats I had at the other cafes.

Studying at this location comes with the added plus of a great menu that sets it apart from other more superficial locations. 

TLDR:

Ambiance: A; Food/Drinks: A+, Overall, A