Seven Syllables Coffee
★★★★★ 4.7 (121) • $$
"Five stars thanks to Fivestars! Or sort of? lolSo I just had lunch elsewhere in Cerritos, and I was starting to feel that mid-afternoon crash that I normally get at work. But right after lunch?! Need coffee, stat!I would have gone to Paris Baguette on the opposite corner of the intersection, but they didn't have a reward for a drink, and that's when I turned to Fivestars, which Seven Syllables Coffee is a participating business.On my Fivestars app, there was an offer for a BOGO, but for whatever reason, it kept spitting out a stupid error message when I tried to save the offer on my phone. I was already there when I frantically tried to claim the offer, so I simply went inside to ask if they could somehow honor it on their end.As soon as I stepped inside, there were a handful of customers sitting on the tables by the left wall, and the lone barista, Chris, was chatting with one of them. When he saw me, he went behind the counter to take my order.I asked him if I could still get that BOGO offer in spite of the technical difficulties I was having with the Fivestars app. Like if I were to check in, could he make it work?He decided to call his supervisor and ask about it while also asking me to show him my Fivestars app on my phone. While that was going on, I looked at the menu on the glass pane by the register. I had my eyes set on the pourovers even though I didn't really know what they meant, but I was curious to find out!After he got off the phone, Chris said he'd be happy to honor the BOGO, and that's when I asked him about the pourovers. He described it well enough that I was willing to give them a try. However, when I asked him the difference between washed and natural processes, he had to go around the counter to find out what I meant. I didn't really understand his response, but I suppose it would have been hard to come up with a good one, even for an experienced barista.They have three choices for pourovers: Mexico Chiapas, Ethiopia Guji Shakiso, and Bolivia Illimani. I would have loved to try all three, but that would have been excessive for one visit. Two is more than enough; I chose the two countries located in the Americas.After paying, Chris mentioned that pourovers usually take a long time and that it'd take about 10 minutes to prepare. I honestly didn't even know that, so I appreciate that he let me know in advance before I could ask.After paying, I asked if they had WiFi for paying customers, and he said the info was on the bottom of the receipt.I sat at a two-person table in the far corner of the shop and connected to their WiFi while Chris was busy assisting a couple who came in right after me.Chris remained friendly and gregarious to all the customers, including yours truly. I thought he would have called my name and asked me to come over to the pickup counter, which is closer to the front door, but no, he went directly to me when my first pourover coffee, the Mexico, was ready. I appreciate he did it this way so that I could enjoy one while I wait for the other.They have some sweeteners and lids by the pickup counter, but since I was on the opposite end of the shop, I chose to go without either for the Mexico pourover. It was pretty bold in taste and definitely gave me the energy needed to continue my afternoon adventure that day.I tried some of the Bolivia pourover before finishing the Mexico one, and there were definitely nuances in taste between the two. It's hard to describe the two since I'm nowhere close to being a coffee connoisseur, but I felt the Bolivia one was a little sweeter and less bitter, though that's probably because I added a small bag of sweetener to that one lol. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either, and I'm sure you can't go wrong with Ethiopia either.In addition to the pourovers, they also have some matcha, loose leaf teas, and seasonals/specialties.Chris remained friendly to all the customers in the shop, especially the super talkative male customer from that aforementioned couple. He also asked how I liked my pourover when I went up to toss the empty Mexico cups away and get sweetener for the Bolivia cups. Notice the 's' after both instances of the word "cup" in the previous sentence? Chris made sure to add an extra cup for each pourover so they wouldn't get too hot, although I think coffee sleeves, which were right next to the sweeteners, would have been a better choice.Chris was the only employee I saw on my visit, and he held down the fort really well, taking a few orders after me and making all the drinks on top of nice and friendly conversations with the clientele.Seven Syllables Coffee, which also has seven syllables, is located on the northwest corner of Artesia and Carmenita. I'm not in that part of town often, but next time I'm craving coffee and have a Fivestars offer, I'm more than willing to return in spite of the numerous other coffee shops closer to me.Fivestars! I mean, five stars! lol"
"Hands down some of the best matcha I have had in OC, and I haven't had many that I truly enjoy as much as this one. I really liked the fact that the matcha was ceremonial grade. I got a raspberry matcha latte which had condensed milk in it as well. I haven't really seen a raspberry flavored matcha around so this was something unique and different. The tartness of the berry went really well with the sweetness of the condensed milk, and you could taste the quality of the matcha. The color was also a really vibrant green which is always a good way to tell if the matcha is high quality. My sister got a classic strawberry matcha latte with oat milk and she loved it. The inside is really cute, they have some merch and a few specialty food items that are cool to browse at. Plenty of seating also. They had a food menu as well but since we were getting lunch after we didn't try anything. Extra points for having vegan dessert options though! We will be back to try out some food next time."
"This is a hidden gem. So so good. Their coffee is top notch and we also had a strawberry and banana crepe. The best crepe I've had. So delicious. The fruit was fresh and it was topped with delicious whipped cream and ice cream The owners are so sweet and very personable. We will definitely be back to try more of their menu items"
