Quick Bites: Mr. Coffee and Fat Fish Sushi, Koreatown

537 S Western Ave · Los Angeles, CA 90020 · Neighborhood: Koreatown

Strip mall goodness. I had been wanting to try the sweet potato latte at Mr. Coffee ever since a party goer mentioned it in passing at a recent Superbowl party.

Sweet potato and coffee? The combination really piqued my interest. So a few weeks later I headed to…

In a nutshell, it’s a loungey, hotel lobby type coffee house located on Western in the heart of K-town (right across the street from the popular craft brew pub Beer-Belly). The café was pretty empty for an early Thursday afternoon, but with it’s sexy interior and sleek decor, I got the feeling that it was more of a late afternoon or late night, after the bars joint.

My awesomely talented relative friend, Lisette Schuster was my coffee date as we sipped and sampled.

There was no “scene” and I love that the place was a bit reclusive and quiet compared to so many other coffee houses that double as virtual student offices.

So, how did the sweet potato latte taste? Well, imagine pureeing a purple yam and then heating it up with milk. It tasted a bit how you would imagine it would – sweet potato-y. Because it was a really warm drink it actually made me want to curl up and take a nap. It felt like a good dessert beverage. I’m not sure how much espresso was actually in there but it sure was pretty to look  at.

I found this easy recipe to make it online so I’ll experiment and make it at home with some adjustments.

I was however really digging on the frappes that our neighbors at the table next to us ordered. Maybe on my next visit I’ll order one of those or get a sweet crepe or Bingsoo (shaved ice with fruit) dessert which is their supposed claim to fame here! 

It was lunchtime and we were looking for savory food (which they don’t serve), so we finished our drinks and headed down the street to Fat Fish for some dive sushi – a Lissette recommendation! Located at…

3300 W 6th St · Los Angeles, CA 90020 · Neighborhood: Koreatown

It was your classic conveyor belt sushi place. Nothing fancy, but the big draw is that they have Happy Hour all day — $2 dollar plates ALL DAY!

But good luck trying to take a picture as your lunch is zooming by!

I had about 5 plates (2 pieces of sushi per plate) and a cup of miso soup which totaled just over 10 bucks. This is a great place for anyone like a student who is on a budget!

BYB Tips: Mr. Coffee is great for late nights (open until 3 am), comfortable lady chit-chat, after-the-bar-chillaxin, quiet day-time work zone w/ wifi and laptop plugs. 

Fat Fish is a cool budget friendly sushi dive! — Just don’t bring a date here or she’ll think you are a cheapo.