UCC Cafe

Sorry this place closed. They had a great cup of coffee.

Love coming here for breakfast! It’s a great deal. The meals are very affordable and include a coffee, tea, or Orange juice with it. I’ve had their crepes and omelettes and like them both. Coffee is superb quality. Service is great. Décor is trendy yet comfortable.

loved this place. but.
ITS CLOSED.
went back for old times sake for a nice warm drink on a nasty rainy day, only to realized it was dark inside with all the decorations gone… with only a sign that said they had closed.
so sad.

This fancy Japanese café with corian table tops, dark wood and faux leather padded booths and chairs temporarily transports me back to Tokyo. It is appropriately located in a plaza which has shops that sell high-​end watches, jewelry and offer foot massage services. A Rolls Royce pulls out of the parking lot as we walk up to their door.
Per
…, siphon brewing consists of the following process: you dump coffee (freshly ground) in the top chamber, water in the bottom, and set it on the stove. The stove heats the water, causing pressure to force the liquid up into the top chamber, where it mixes with the grounds.
Kill the heat, and the lower chamber starts to cool, creating a vacuum down there. That sucks the water back down again, passing through a filter on the way. You end up with a smooth, delicate brew with little to no bitterness; certainly one of the best ways to draw out the flavors of an individual bean.
Bella orders a café au lait (charcoal roasted coffee with hot milk) and I order a Colombian coffee. I visit the cake display case and decide on a lemon blueberry cake with a layer of mascarpone cheese inside. Bella orders a tuna melt pizza toast. You press a button at your table to page your server.
This siphoning method of brewing (see photo of the «chemistry beaker» they bring to your table) results in a superb cup of java. At first glance, my cake looks similar to a coffee crumb cake but the layer of mascarpone cheese adds a creamy texture. Powdered sugar is dusted on the outer edges of the plate. A lemon blueberry explosion occurs in the mouth instantaneously. Combined with the coffee I am in a gastric paradise.
The tuna melt pizza toast is served on Japanese bread and is very good with a soft and doughy crust. My Colombian coffee is medium in body, has above average acidity, is beyond smooth and possesses a beautiful aroma.
They serve their brew in ultra-​thin fine China (Japanese brand Noritake) which improves the taste as it rolls across your lips. It is similar to what occurs when you sip wine out of a thick wine glass versus an ultra-​thin one.
I add a 100% Kona coffee to finish the remainder of the cake. It is a medium roast, slightly sweet and even smoother than the Colombian coffee.
On my visit a week later I opted for the Kilimanjaro java and a piece of crème brulee cheesecake. The coffee is listed as a medium roast and medium intensity but it slurped up nearly my entire mini creamer pourer while making a minor dent in the brew’s color. It has a smoky aroma, a robust taste and with a little sugar in the raw it becomes very drinkable.
The cheesecake is a light lemon color with flecks of vanilla bean throughout. Caramel is drizzled in a zigzag pattern across the plate and a dusting of powdered sugar covers the edges as well. The texture is noticeably creamier than a traditional cheesecake which I’m guessing is to emulate a crème brulee dessert. The taste is delicious and the flavor is very crème brulee like.

So dainty and genteel, it’s as if UCC is embarrassed and is apologizing for coffee’s inherent robust qualities.
This is not your typical American café. UCC is a Japanese-​branded coffee and this is one of their retail dining outlets. The discerning connoisseur will find their product bland, watery, lacking in character and at times excessively sweet. Their interpretation of coffee makes me absolutely angry.
Their overpriced pasta dishes are meant to leave you with the impression that they are prepared with the utmost care and uses only the freshest ingredients. Though that may be true, I can confidently declare that I’d rather have baby food for lunch; because that’s exactly how they taste and I’d be paying less per ounce. Girls really love this place. Guys should stay away.
Having said that, I’d recommend UCC as an ideal place to have a date; she’d be happy with your choice and you’d be disinclined to pig out.

This is like a high end curry house.
Lots of great teas. However, the food feels heavy. I’m always sleepy after lunch/​dinner.

Its now called Ayoma café but the name hardly matters because they still serve UCC café coffees and teas. I LOVE this place. I went here for afternoon tea + snacks and it was an overall great experience. My sister and I heard good things about their Harumaki which is like a crispy donut with cream cheese filling and vanilla ice cream a la mode. It was out of this world delicious — then again, I love any combination of hot and cold. Although it may sound heavy and creamy, it was by all means — not. It was well proportioned.
My favorite part: the tea.
I don’t know if it was a mistake or a special (probably a special) but I got my tea for free and they even refilled the hot water. I have been to tea houses in LA and many don’t refill the water for you. The tea was also very good — I tried the regular ceylon tea with lemon and it was an overall good tea (albeit standard tea).
The place has great service, checking in once in a while (but not so often that it’s annoying) and refills drinks without having to be asked. The food is prompt and even if they were behind a little — its a great place to catch up with an old friend.
The atmosphere is cute — nothing all that special though.
I’ve heard great things about their breakfast so I am definitely going back to check it out. Like all places in and around Walnut, parking isn’t an issue.
I went here a couple years ago when it was still UCC and wasn’t all that impressed. It may have been the food I ordered. In any case, I’m thoroughly impressed now!

Pros:
*Very nice interior décor
*Booth seating available, always a plus
*Nice atmosphere for hanging out
*Drinks are good
*Food is pretty tasty
Cons:
*A bit on the pricey side for what you get
*Parking sucks
*It took a while for our food to come out (30 minutes) even though the restaurant wasn’t very busy
Overall, this place is okay, but not one of my top choices.

A combination of Coffee, Tea, Japanese, and American dishes all in one place. They have lots of deserts also if you have a sweet tooth. I really don’t know how to explain about the food in this place because it is really quite different. It’s sort of like a coffee shop with an extensive menu for entrée items and not just small snacks like other coffee shops. There is a button you can press to call for service which is neat. The price is a bit on the pricey end for what you get but I’m nowhere implying it’s an upscale place so don’t worry, you’ll be fine. The best way to tackle this place is just come in, order yourself a coffee or whatever drink you like and just look through the menu and I’m sure you’ll find something you like.
Pros
— Breakfast, Coffee, Tea, Pasta, Pizza, Entrees and more in one place!
— Wonderfully presented food that has a top-​notch feel and taste to it.
— Lounge around for just a drink and snack or come to feed a hunger.
— Waiter service button.
Cons
— Parking is limited but there is also street parking.
— Pricey for what you get but not overly expensive.

I’ve since come back to this place to try their desserts (the crème brûlée, chocolate cake), the pizza toast, and some more pasta dishes and find myself sticking to my original rating for this dining establishment. The chocolate cake and pizza toast weren’t anything to root too much for (the Unagi Mushroom pasta was a bit disappointing) but I really found the crème brûlée cake (and some other cake I can’t remember for the moment) and the rice casserole to be quite good.
A warning about the Iced Café Au Lait and the Iced Sumiyaki… they are CRAZY strong. Or it could be just me.

They’ve changed their name to ayoyama café, supposedly because of some lawsuit of the UCC name because they just use UCC coffee but are not an actual UCC company branch or something, I’m not sure that is just what I heard.
I started eating at this place more and more but now I’m starting to find their food not as special, simple, and not worth its high price. I mean I would come here every now and then but some of the things are just not worth the price. Some coffee’s, desserts, and entrees are worth their price and are sooo good! but many of the pastas shouldn’t. My boyfriend ordered this curry pasta thing but it was basically red sauce with a looottt of water. hahah, weird right? when they served it we were like uhhhh, hmmm.okayyy. haha. But i would definitely recommend coming here for their desserts and coffees and a few entrees, just not their pastas. And its really hyped up too and filled with snobby rich Asian folks though, no offense, even though I am related to some of them myself haha.

I almost had a heart attack when I saw the new name outside, Aoyama Café. My Kyoto retreat in LA had disappeared.
But the décor is the same, the food is the same, the ownership is the same, the divine coffee is the same, just the name ain’t the same.
Go East, young man (woman) and delight!

Came here at 9pm Monday Night just ot chill with 2 friends. I ordered a Fruit Hasomething. Japanese Style Cheese Roll. with Icecream and fruits~~ very good. very good. the atmosphere is very nice~~ i Love the outside table n seats~~ n not noisy~~ the food (more like a desert) was only $ 7.00 ~~ n my friend ordered J Style Omlet Curry Rice~~ REALLY GOOD! def try it~~ so far i came here 2 times. both time service was good and food was good~~~
the waitress is veryy cute and has a very warm, cute smile ~~ make me feel very comfortable~~
My Home girl said she come here alot for breakfast~~ this is actually one of the few places that actually open before 11~~ in Rowland Diamond area that serves good non chinese breakfast~~
U guys should def try it out ~~~ the only complain was my friend’s coffee~~ she said she felt her coffee wasn’t worth $ 9.00… iono. she had just reg coffee, and she doesn’t add milk or sugar~~ i’m not really a black coffee person, i ordered a latte~~~ with caramell added~~ i thought it was okay.
but again. i’m not too picky with my drinks. so~~

UCC has been around for a few years now and it’s located in a small plaza obscured from normal view. The plaza overall is upscale in comparison to it’s surroundings, Hing Wa Lee Jewelers (if you’re familiar with them), GUCCI store, pretty much anything a person with excessive amounts of money needs.
–Interior
It’s a very lovely interior: chic, modern, nifty, exclusive, etc. Plenty of seating for parties of any size, booths or tables. Seats are comfortable so it’s a sign that they don’t want to just take your money and push you out the door. Free wifi so if you’re in the area and hoping to catch a spot to relax or study in other than Starbucks, then pop on by and grab a coffee.
–Service
Waiters were friendly, helpful, and service was spot on. The food came out in a timely manner, there was a mistake with one of our orders but they fixed it no questions asked.
–Food
Here is where I feel that this place drops the ball, the food is good/​decent. I got the dinner special with comes with salad, coffee/​tea, entrée, and dessert for $ 15, not too shabby right?
I ordered the Hayashi Omurice, an omelette with curried rice pilaf inside topped off with hayashi sauce. The sauce was good but the rice felt undercooked here and there, if it’s a Asian Fusion shop I would expect them to know how to cook rice. The salad was OK, nothing spectacular; the dessert changes from day to day, typically with three options. The dessert was really sweet, added with the coffee I was drinking I was wide awake.
So why did I give it three stars? For an average person I think they would find UCC Café way overpriced for what they’re serving, I found the UCC coffee beans elsewhere and you can brew your own cup if you enjoy the taste, save a lot of money that way. My friends ordered curry which came out pretty liquid-​y, Japanese Style of curry usually is slightly thicker, I think they use too much water in the batches. The food was nothing special, it was good but I don’t think it is worthy of the prices they set forth.
The coffee’s, tea’s and desserts are tasty, worthy of being called an authentic café. It’s a good environment to do some studying (at the off hours, not during peak meal times), but I personally can’t see a reason to come by again.

1) You have to get their signature iced coffee
2) You have to try their pizza on toast
3) Their ramen is OK… I’ve had better.
4) Their rice dishes are the best.
Good seating, nice atmosphere, clean, and a good place for lunch or dinner.
OH! And I love that service button at every table. It’s fun to push it multiple times and see their reaction.

yeaaaaaaa… food is way overpriced. I ordered the lunch special ($ 9.99 for a lunch entrée and the barista’s daily coffee choice or iced tea). I got the the spaghetti with bacon & hot dog with cream sauce, which was okay and not worth my money. My other friends ordered the egg with rice under it, and another one got the chicken katsu curry with rice. Tried the egg dish and it was also just okay.
The place is cute though, and the best place to sit would be near the windows, with those cute, yet uncomfortable looking couches. They have one of those buttons you press and the waiter will come immediately. Service was excellent, and they were VERY polite with serving you and very gentle in placing your dishes on your table.
I wouldn’t come here again because I love food, and this definitely doesn’t satisfy my palate! However, service and ambiance is EXCELLENT!

one of only TWO locations in THE COUNTRY. MANY locations in asia though!
I love the food at UCC. its very tasteful and everything is good. YUMMY CURRIED RICE!
the portions are pretty big so you might want to share… the only problem is service is ALWAYS slow. and the meals are a bit pricey. but i love them

I feel like I am transported back in Tokyo. The attention to detail and the perfectionist mentality that the Japanese are known for can really be seen here at UCC Café.
My friend and I tried the chestnut and hazelnut coffees. It was absolutely delicious. The flavors were perfect. However, $ 5 for a cup of coffee is a bit steep.
We also tried the fruit crêpe and it was delicious! 2 scoops of ice cream with fruit and crepes. Absolute wonderful!
They had great fusion items on the menu however we were too full to eat anything else but we really want to come back and try the stuff.
They have free wifi too!

Cute, clean, and unique.
Somebody here did mention how the cucumber water tasted weird, and I had to agree with it. It really dulls the taste of the food once you drink it. I guess this is how they convince you to buy a drink from their menu. (I’m just joking, but honestly I hope that isn’t true…)
Japanese Hamburg Patty Rice Casserole was not too bad although I found it quite salty and really overflowed with mozzarella cheese.
Salmon and Spinach Spaghetti was odd and tasted really fishy. It was not one of my favorites because the texture of the salmon and the spaghetti did not complement well enough.
Chicken Omurice was the best I’ve had so far. The chicken was like those popcorn chicken set aside on the plate with the omurice next to it. So it was very different from the typical chicken omurice we see everywhere else.
I am DYING to try out the breakfast menu though, but it seems that time is not working with me. (Especially since they serve breakfast from 10 am-11:30 am on weekdays.) Maybe I’ll catch them on a weekend since they open at 8:00 am.
This is a great place to hangout at, and I will definitely return.

This is exactly what café in Japan looks and feels like. It brought me some nostalgic feeling.
Once you go into the restaurant, very polite server greets you and take you to the seat, and gently hand the menu to you. They take your order and make sure everything is ok. And you leave happy.
This is ideal place for family, meeting with old friends, and business meal. Their food is a little bit pricey considered for the quality of the food. But it’s ok. You don’t go there just to eat. You go there to enjoy the atmosphere.
If you are planning to go to Japan, maybe this is a good place to practice how people at café in Japan treat you.
As a coffee lover, they are the one of few places that carries siphon vacuum coffee. However, the quality of their siphon coffee was ok. Café Balcony in West Los Angels has much better treatment of siphon coffee. But you have to drive to Westside. So if you live in the neighborhood, and want to taste something more than Starbucks drip coffee. this is the place to go. Sometime, you want to spend more than $ 2 for the cup of coffee to appreciate that you can actually enjoy the taste of coffee, not as a awaken-​er.
I had cream salmon pasta there. The volume is not really enough (which is also very common at the café in Japan). But hey, they concern more about your health (just kidding).
It’s actually right volume. I think the rest of the restaurant in the US have a lots of food. So if you bring your date to this UCC café, you don’t have to worry about burping after the meal.
They also have Japanese traditional breakfast, rice, miso soup and grilled fish. You should try it. Japanese people eat this s****t every day.
Coffee — 3 stars (because I know a much better place in West LA, so I am very picky about coffee)
Food — 4 starts
Their service — 5 stars!