Motto Tea Cafe

A.J. Foucault

I've tried other boba shops, but when it comes to the Pasadena area, Motto is up there as one of my favorites. The options are varied, the service is so streamlined that the orders get fulfilled super quickly, and the shop has touchscreen ordering kiosks, which makes the whole ordering process very fast and efficient. Special shoutout to both Cat & Beca, who helped my friend and I with our orders and were, at all times, both helpful and professional. They even fulfilled my silly extra order of cheese foam (yes, I literally bought a tiny, side container of cheese foam because of how much I had enjoyed it after I had finished my regular boba milk tea drink with cheese foam in it). Make sure to get your drink with cheese foam, one of the MUST HAVE toppings of this place.

Timmy Kyaw

Food/Drinks: + Soufflé pancakes were light and fluffy, definitely worth the hype. We got the mango sunshine soufflé pancake which came with a sea salt cream and mango topping with granola and assorted fruits. The light saltiness of the cream pairs well with the sweetness of the mango syrup. Combined with a portion of the fluffy pancake, creates a wonderful layered tasting bite. + Matcha Lemon Explosion was lightly acidic from the lemonade but softened by the Uji Matcha. Refreshing for a hot LA summer day. + Citrus Fresh Oolong w/ Cheese Mousse is a light authentically brewed oolong tea with a hint of citrus. The cheese mousse gives it an extra layer of heavy creamy flavor that complements the oolong tea. Setting/Ambiance: Nice warm, welcoming and bright ambiance. With good Asian cafe music and a diffused natural light setting, you can watch your soufflé pancakes and drinks being made as you wait in the indoor setting. Or if you prefer the lazy outdoors of Old Pasadena, sit at the many seatings outside in the shaded terrace. Service: It is estimated to be a 40+ min wait for the soufflé pancakes but we got our food earlier than anticipated so plus point! Easily view your order status on the TV. Overall: 5/5 a must visit cafe in the old Pasadena area.

Celina Sarmiento

Love this place! The owners really respect and know their craft so the quality is always top-notch! They're very dedicated to quality and accommodating their customer's preference~ There was one day that the owner ran after us across the street because he noticed that their part-timer forgot to add sugar to my boyfriend's drink. So he re-made the drink for us!

Daisy Fernandez

Pancakes are fluffy and flavorful! We arrived right at opening time to avoid a wait and paid about $18 per order. We tried the pork soufflé pancakes which did not disappoint for a savory option and the mini pancake sampler platter which allowed us to choose the cheese and plain soufflé pancakes (included a side of maple syrup). I had previously tried their creme brûlée pancakes which were a tad too sweet for me, so this time we opted for less sugary options.

Juan Barillas

Tasty souffle pancakes and delicious drinks We got it during their happy hour, so we got a few dollars off Also, keep in mind that the souffle takes a while to get it served. Since it is fleshy made, it takes a bit. The wait didn't disappoint, though, They do have a really good variety of drinks with boba, so I definitely recommend it specially during a hot summer

ImaginEar

The ordering from a screen is a little annoying. Having to pay a tip before getting and experiencing your meal etc is annoying. When it asks you what is your table number, there is a tray for them in between the order machines. Your order number they call out is different than your table number. Nice quality cups, the taro milk tastes just like milk and isn't mixing as I rotate the cup, had to open and stir it, still not too flavorful and just okay The Oolong Tea was very good. The cake was good. The 🥞 pancakes🥞 were AMAZING.

Sasha M

So soft and delicious! It takes a bit of time to prepare, but it’s definitely worth the wait. I had the cream pancakes and they were absolutely amazing. Highly recommended!

Ana Torres

Cute little spot in Pasadena. My family had been wanting to try the Japanese Souffle Pancakes for a while. They were delicious. Drinks were good, a bit sweet for my taste (I kept it original), but you can change the sweetness level. The only downside is that we went late at night, and all their pastries were gone, except for 3 that we did care much for. We hope to go again soon, but early so that we can try the pastries.

Finally had the opportunity to try Motto Tea Cafe. We had the mango matcha drink and mango Souffle Pancakes. The place has nice covered outdoor seating as well as indoor seating. You have to use the kiosks to place your order which was pretty easy and had plenty of options. They made our drink pretty fast. The Souffle Pancakes took about 30 minutes since they are freshly made which is typical for this dish. I appreciate that they had a sign advising of the wait time. The cups used at many of these types of places for these drinks are cleverly designed to be tall and concaved to make it look like you are getting a really huge drink...which you are not. I added an entire tiny cup of water when we were about 75% done and it filled it up more than half way. Don't get me wrong, the drink was absolutely delicious and looked amazing! The Mango Souffle Pancakes were delicious as well. The white sauce was not sweet but creamy. The mango sauce and fruit added the right amount of sweetness and the drink more than satisfied our sweetness cravings. Overall great experience.

My friend and I just finished Catcon and found this delicious place to go for brunch. I got the mango soufflé pancake and my friend got the crème brûlée pancake. Very light and fluffy. I recommend trying the white peach lemon jasmine bliss.

Saw this place on social media and always wanted to try Japanese Fluffy Panckes, this was my first time. The inside was small but I like how they had the ordering kiosks, I feel like you go to see all the options. I ordered the Creme Brulee Souffle Pancakes, it was one of the most popular ones. My buddies ordered the Nutellamisu Mousse Souffle Pancake. It took about 30 minutes so we walked around Old Town Pasadena. Got the text message that it was ready. The food tasted good but by never having it before, I had nothing to compare to.

It is a really cool place to hang out with friends. The Japanese Soufflé pancakes were so fluffy and rich in taste. We ordered Nutella mousse with boba and Mango Sunshine and enjoyed both, though the Mango was a little better than the other. The drinks were good too. Only thing that made me give 4 stars and think when I want to go again was the wait-time. It was a little bit over an hour for us. Overall a good place to try but wish the wait time for pancakes is a little less.

Chayasri Akkiraju

It is a really cool place to hang out with friends. The Japanese Soufflé pancakes were so fluffy and rich in taste. We ordered Nutella mousse with boba and Mango Sunshine and enjoyed both, though the Mango was a little better than the other. The drinks were good too. Only thing that made me give 4 stars and think when I want to go again was the wait-time. It was a little bit over an hour for us. Overall a good place to try but wish the wait time for pancakes is a little less.

Raven “Raven” M

My friend and I just finished Catcon and found this delicious place to go for brunch. I got the mango soufflé pancake and my friend got the crème brûlée pancake. Very light and fluffy. I recommend trying the white peach lemon jasmine bliss.

JoeyAp

Finally had the opportunity to try Motto Tea Cafe. We had the mango matcha drink and mango Souffle Pancakes. The place has nice covered outdoor seating as well as indoor seating. You have to use the kiosks to place your order which was pretty easy and had plenty of options. They made our drink pretty fast. The Souffle Pancakes took about 30 minutes since they are freshly made which is typical for this dish. I appreciate that they had a sign advising of the wait time. The cups used at many of these types of places for these drinks are cleverly designed to be tall and concaved to make it look like you are getting a really huge drink...which you are not. I added an entire tiny cup of water when we were about 75% done and it filled it up more than half way. Don't get me wrong, the drink was absolutely delicious and looked amazing! The Mango Souffle Pancakes were delicious as well. The white sauce was not sweet but creamy. The mango sauce and fruit added the right amount of sweetness and the drink more than satisfied our sweetness cravings. Overall great experience.

Josh Baltazar

Saw this place on social media and always wanted to try Japanese Fluffy Panckes, this was my first time. The inside was small but I like how they had the ordering kiosks, I feel like you go to see all the options. I ordered the Creme Brulee Souffle Pancakes, it was one of the most popular ones. My buddies ordered the Nutellamisu Mousse Souffle Pancake. It took about 30 minutes so we walked around Old Town Pasadena. Got the text message that it was ready. The food tasted good but by never having it before, I had nothing to compare to.

Bewildered prices for basic pancake batter and minimalist ordering experience via screens, would assume to pass along some serious savings to customers doing all the ordering work! Nope! Our group ended up well north of seventy bucks for a couple cakes and drinks, quite the bang to the wallet. There is a sublime craft to each bite, cannot fault fresh fruits, tangy citrus, smooth chocolate and nutella. Motto provided cute take out boxes and friendly smiles across the counter. Outdoor corner seating space proved very popular as well as other cheesecakes we hoped to get again later but noticed many items sold out. Wish they offered discounts on family purchases, these costs surely shut down kids getting the full yum moment with five or more appetites taking a small loan to satisfy.

Victor Castillo

The Japanese souffle pancakes were very filling and very good, we ordered 2 cups of coffee and Creme Brule & original Japanese souffle pancakes both styles were excellent pillowy eggy vanilla 😋 It's not cheap $54 including 18% tip plus $10 dollars to park. Ordering is automated, when you walk in there's 2 kiosks to get you started on your order.

I’ve been wanting to try soufflé pancakes for a while, so I was excited to find out that Motto Cafe serves them. Unfortunately, they weren’t what I was expecting and left me a bit disappointed. I ordered the Nutellamisu flavor, the mousse was delicious, but the pancake itself had a strong eggy taste and didn’t pair well with the sweet mousse. I also tried the pistachio crepe chiffon cake, which was decent, and the grapefruit lychee sunset tea, which was just okay. I liked that you can order from a kiosk, but it’s odd that someone brings the food while you still have to grab your own utensils. The girl who brought my pancakes also had a bit of an attitude, which made the experience less pleasant. Overall, between the food and the service, I don’t think I’ll be coming back.

We ordered original and crème brûlée pancakes, cheese coffee and some boba drink. The while experience was average. The crème brûlée pancakes were yummier than the other things. I’d say try it but nothing exceptional.

We got a matcha cheesecake, but it was really disappointing. I couldn't taste any matcha and the texture of the cake was too hard, it didn't even taste like cheesecake.

Mihaela Lesikova

I’ve been wanting to try soufflé pancakes for a while, so I was excited to find out that Motto Cafe serves them. Unfortunately, they weren’t what I was expecting and left me a bit disappointed. I ordered the Nutellamisu flavor, the mousse was delicious, but the pancake itself had a strong eggy taste and didn’t pair well with the sweet mousse. I also tried the pistachio crepe chiffon cake, which was decent, and the grapefruit lychee sunset tea, which was just okay. I liked that you can order from a kiosk, but it’s odd that someone brings the food while you still have to grab your own utensils. The girl who brought my pancakes also had a bit of an attitude, which made the experience less pleasant. Overall, between the food and the service, I don’t think I’ll be coming back.

Lori Wan

We got a matcha cheesecake, but it was really disappointing. I couldn't taste any matcha and the texture of the cake was too hard, it didn't even taste like cheesecake.

Sandy Paz y Mino Villegas

We ordered original and crème brûlée pancakes, cheese coffee and some boba drink. The while experience was average. The crème brûlée pancakes were yummier than the other things. I’d say try it but nothing exceptional.

Very skip-able. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I thought it was odd that a pancake place isn’t open for breakfast. The flavour of the pancakes was overly eggy. The service was lacklustre (eg you tip for service but when they bring you the dish you have to get silverware yourself?). The Nutella mouse was good and boba is great!

Laura I

Very skip-able. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I thought it was odd that a pancake place isn’t open for breakfast. The flavour of the pancakes was overly eggy. The service was lacklustre (eg you tip for service but when they bring you the dish you have to get silverware yourself?). The Nutella mouse was good and boba is great!

Crème brûlée soufflé was so good. But the brown sugar boba pancakes were mid. Ordered 4 drinks, grapefruit citrus, matcha, taro milk tea, and taro storm boba and they were tasteless. No flavor. The citrus tasted like someone sprayed floral perfume in my mouth. When I asked the staff why the citrus drink tasted and looked different from the description she said, with a HUGE attitude, “it’s not suppose to look the same.” And proceeded to be very rude the rest of our interaction. Would not go back. Not even for those tasty creme brûlée soufflé pancakes.

Lorina Garduno

Crème brûlée soufflé was so good. But the brown sugar boba pancakes were mid. Ordered 4 drinks, grapefruit citrus, matcha, taro milk tea, and taro storm boba and they were tasteless. No flavor. The citrus tasted like someone sprayed floral perfume in my mouth. When I asked the staff why the citrus drink tasted and looked different from the description she said, with a HUGE attitude, “it’s not suppose to look the same.” And proceeded to be very rude the rest of our interaction. Would not go back. Not even for those tasty creme brûlée soufflé pancakes.

Don’t order any coffee from this store. To add a teaspoon cream, it will cost you $1.50. I will never go back to this store or any Motto at all.

Jeff Zhu

Don’t order any coffee from this store. To add a teaspoon cream, it will cost you $1.50. I will never go back to this store or any Motto at all.