Koto Jelly Coffee

When my sister told me about this place I had to try it. I’m glad I did! I find the jelly coffee parfaits to be refreshing, especially the green matcha tea, unfortunately what you get is not what is pictured but that’s ok and it’s a little pricey but worth it! The coffee quality is top notch and the small serving is enough to pep me up without feeling jittery. One of the owners makes the coffee jelly herself. I met one of the other owners and I found him to be warm, welcoming and appreciative of our business. There are other flavors of jelly like milk and tea and there’s food items also. My sister comes here every other week and so will I.

Stumbled upon Koto by accident during my trip to Seattle and what a lucky find! As a huge jelly lover, I was so excited to see their menu. I tried the Jelly Coffee + Affogato and the Jelly Matcha + Matcha Latte. Love it both - Jelly Coffee Affogato: The rich coffee flavor cuts through the sweetness of the ice cream perfectly. The jelly adds a great chewy texture. - Jelly Matcha Latte: High-quality matcha, creamy, and well-balanced (not overly sweet). The cafe is small but cute, and the staff are very welcoming. If you're a fan of jelly drinks or unique desserts, don't miss this place.

There’s something magical about the coffee jelly here - it’s drinkable and dissolves in your mouth but not while it’s in the drink. Furthermore, it’s plant-based. At first, when I got my drink, I was a little worried that the jelly would not work with the straw, but there were no issues at all. I got the jelly coffee and milk, which was their signature drink. The first half of the drink was really amazing - strong coffee flavor, great jelly texture, and high-quality half-and-half. You really need to mix the drink before drinking for the best results. However, towards the end of the drink there were some acidic notes, which I think is from the coffee itself. I did read about their coffee supplier, and while I’m glad they use a local roaster, I’m not a huge fan of the beans (having tried it before myself). Everything in this shop is well-crafted and intentional, and the staff is really nice. The tables here are pretty tiny and this isn’t really a spot to hang out long or to study/work. However, I definitely think their coffee jelly is worth trying and will be back to try the tea flavors next time.

First time trying Koto. I got the genmaicha jelly parfait. The milk jelly is pretty soft, but not especially tasty or sweet. My friends got the black tea jelly and matcha jelly and I think those were a bit more smooth and flavorful. I was expecting a bit more genmaicha but it was mostly just the ice cream on top with milk jelly, with but it was cool to try. The black tea jelly with lemon is a refreshing choice too. 🍵

I had been to one of the pop ups they did last year at Phin on Tuesdays and had the Jelly Coffe with milk. What finally convinced me to make the trek up from the work in the CID was they started offering Hojicha and Genmaicha. As a 3rd Generation JA I grew up drinking both of these and am happy when I see them as an option. Particularly genmaicha, hojicha has been getting more exposure by some boba places and has been used in baked goods recently but less people use genmaicha. I was torn which to try the jelly milk with hojicha or genmaicha, went with genmaicha. The milk has a little different texture than the coffee which makes sense and not in a bad way. The genmaicha flavor was very present. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Which didn't surprise me as they were the same at the pop ups. One of my friends had the jelly coffee with milk since it was her first time my other friend had the jelly milk with coffee which takes a tiny bit longer than the other two cause they have to pull an espresso shot. The space is bright and welcoming a long bench along one wall with small tables connected. The main ordering area uses Snowpeak gear as their set up which is what was part of the pop up set up. clean lines and light wood. Very close to the street car stop at Terrace and Broadway. Looking forward to having the hojicha next time!