DAMO

Anna V Garibay

I entered this cafe fully knowing it has the best matcha in town according to some social media source. The strip mall it’s in has nothing to offer. It struck me as quite odd the cafe was here. The good thing is that the parking lot is fairly large and parking is free. When I entered the cafe, immediately I knew I was entering a place that at the very least understands a lot of the things that revolve around matcha. All the paraphernalia you’d expect if you know about the cultural aspects of matcha preparation and drinking are present and for a moment I thought they would even offer a tea ceremony experience. Of course, this isn’t the case but I was impressed by their minimalist decor. Very tasteful. The cafe is gorgeous and its surroundings make it shine even more. I had an iced matcha einspanner. The presentation is as nice as the cafe. The einspanner is topped with cloud foam and they sprinkle matcha powder on top. Gorgeous. A work of art may at times be impractical and this einspanner is just that. The cloud foam is really thick so it’s hard to drink it without getting it on your upper lip. Mix it and it gets better but still I believe the cloud foam is a bit too dense/thick. It’s also very sweet but the sweetness does not ruin the intense matcha flavor underneath. Yes, the matcha here is of very high quality. They sell little cans of it and they’re not cheap. They also sell traditional matcha whisks. We also ordered a mugwort rice cake waffle. Mugwort may sound like something you’d find in a witch’s potion but don’t be alarmed if you get this waffle you will get a work of art and quite honestly one of the most unique items you’ll ever get in any cafe. It’s a real treat for the eyes even though it isn’t my favorite waffle ever. The waffles are a deep green and very thin. They are slightly gooey with a dry exterior. They taste like rice cakes pretty much but have a different consistency. I highly recommend the matcha drinks here. Even in the matcha einspanner the matcha stands out quite well. This cafe is the real deal.

Kate Lyon

I have mixed feelings. Overall solid latte and tea options, even though they are a little expensive. (Specialty drinks can run you $8-9). Also they have many specialty tea options as opposed to other k-town cafés that specialize in just coffee. The catch? As is common with most popular ktown spots, this location has limited interior space and parking - so you might end up fighting for your life just to put your order in. We went at 1pm on a Friday and it was packed. Overall it’s a local hot spot and has a very buzzy vibe. So if you’re down for a chattery location and mentally prepared to search for parking I’d recommend it overall. They clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to tea with all the specialty matcha gear you could ask for. I got the iced matcha latte which was good. Having said that, It wasn’t much different from other iced matches I’ve had in LA, but maybe I didn’t order the right thing. I heard they have an einspanner matcha which has a cold foam top as opposed to just matcha and milk, so I’d try that next time. My personal favorite was the einspanner latte is smooth, lightly sweet and delicious. We also got the signature Dag-wa which is a tray of bite sized Korean snacks. They were good, lightly sweet and a fun treat to share. There is WiFi but you might have to time things right to get a table. If you want a calmer experience I would recommend getting there early. Overall the interior is very zen and they do a very nice job decorating. If we timed it better, we would try this spot again - especially if we wanted a specialty tea option.

Alex Moffatt

I have been coming back and back to this tea shop since late 2022. It is my first stop when I’m in LA. Even though we’ve tried many other cafes, Damo is still our favorite. I highly recommend this cafe. It is very busy during almost all business hours, so if you want to sit you should be there at opening. I don’t drink coffee so I can’t speak about their coffees, but all of their tea drinks are fantastic.

Sun Im

Absolutely love this place’s matcha drinks! I’ve tried matcha einspener and matcha strawberry and love both! I avoid going here on the weekend because of very long queue. Weekdays are much better! Not many seats available and very crowded.

Laine

The Einspanner Latte and Matcha Einspanner Lattes are SO smooooth. Highly recommend! We went at around 8:30am on a weekday and were able to find easy parking in the plaza. Service was friendly and quick.