Coffee shops are often dim and lack a sense of liveliness with the tradition of wooden furniture and blank exteriors. However, the second you step inside La La Land Kind Cafe, it’s like the sun begins shining down on you. Located at 888 Westheimer Road, the bright yellow decor and homey furniture welcomes visitors inside the cafe.
Previously known as the “We Are One Project (WAO),” the La La Land Foundation began in 2019 as a way to help young adults in the foster care system take the next step in their lives. La La Land Foundation is an extension of La La Land Kind Cafe and offers 17- to 24-year-olds paid internships for 12 weeks as they transfer into adulthood. During these internships, young adults receive weekly lessons on professional and personal development, assistance with college and career planning, and access to resources to aid with housing insecurity and mental health services.
To continue promoting kindness, the cafe also engages in fundraising events for foster youth. These fundraisers take place during Foster Care Awareness Month in May and offer brunch, drink tastings and silent auctions, for which the proceeds go to the foster care system.
When I walked into the shop, I was instantly greeted by a barista despite them dealing with a long line of never-ending traffic. Although the cafe never finds itself empty, the cafe remains clean and in order. Once at the register, the barista greeted me once again with geniality, making me feel instantly welcomed. She recommended some of their most popular drinks, such as the Upside Down Latte, Matcha Latte and Mango Passionfruit Cooler. Upon hearing the list, I placed my order of a few drinks and the La La Dream Toast.
I must say, when it comes to drinks, I am a bit of a coffee snob. I prefer my drinks to be less on the bitter side. However, when I walked into the cafe, I decided to try drinks with no customizations and accepted them for what they were.
To start, I tried the iced Upside Down Matcha Latte. The presentation was beautiful: honey dripping down the sides and pooling at the bottom. The matcha is ceremonial–grade matcha, made with Japanese green tea leaves grounded into a fine powder. The drink was handed to me in a plastic cup with a heart-shaped straw. All the plastic for the cups and lids was No. 5 plastic, meaning it was recyclable and environmentally friendly. As soon as the drink touched my tongue, I was overwhelmed with flavor. The latte was both sweet from the honey and slightly earthy from the matcha. Overall, the drink was delicious and hard to savor because I couldn’t seem to put it down.
Once I finished the Upside Down Matcha Latte, I moved on to the Mango Passion Fruit refresher. The beverage was served in a similar cup and was not watered down from the excessive ice. The refresher was also tart and tangy, almost like a fresh lemonade, despite not including lemon. Furthermore, the fruit in the refresher seemed to be natural as opposed to freeze-dried, with passion fruit seeds floating at the top of the drink, maintaining a slightly sweet aftertaste and a cooling effect. Although the drink is meant to be both mango and passion fruit, you could feel the passion fruits’ overwhelming presence.
After two drinks, I decided the food was next in order. I opened up the bright, neon-yellow box and was greeted with a colorful display of greens, reds and whites. The La La Dream Toast was a large slice of fresh bread, decorated with pesto, avocado, burrata and red chili flakes. Upon ordering this dish, you can request it to be cut in half, which I highly recommend as it makes the toast much easier to eat. The bread was nice and crispy along the edges but maintained a soft interior, while the avocado was seasoned with lemon to brighten the flavors. The burrata on top added a sense of richness and sweetness to the food, yet the chili flakes contrasted this bringing some heat. The hidden pesto beneath brought the dish together with its piquancy.
My next drink was less than what I had hoped for. It was the hot chai latte, which came in a typical paper cup but maintained the cute heart-shaped straw and recyclable lid. However, when I tried the drink, I was severely underwhelmed. When it comes to chai lattes, I can be a bit of an elitist. This, however, was a sore excuse for a chai latte. It lacked any cardamom flavor and tasted more like milk and cinnamon.
Lastly, I tried the Matcha Latte. For this drink, you can have several different flavors, such as strawberry, lavender or blueberry. I selected the lavender flavor for my latte. The latte was beautiful, with amethyst purples and bright greens filling the cup. I stuck the straw into the cup to give it a stir allowing the flavors to mix and mingle with one another. Although less sweet than the Upside Down Matcha latte, it maintained a hint of sugar but had a grassier flavor profile. Despite the lavender flavor not being strong enough to truly taste, there was not an issue because I could add more pumps when ordering.
Overall, La La Land Kind Cafe gets an 8.5/10 due to its delightful experience beyond a regular coffee shop. Sporting a vibrant and comfortable atmosphere, it is the perfect spot for relaxing with friends or getting some schoolwork done. From the friendly and open service to the delicate presentation and support for people transitioning out of foster care, love permeates the air. Although some drinks like the chai latte fell short, the cafe as a whole sports some fantastic drinks and a welcoming community.
