Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab

The inspiration

Smoking Tiger was founded in 2020 to create a space where people of all ages could share memories and embrace cultural differences without barriers¹ . Sharing Korean heritage is central to that mission, expressed through interior design, music, and the food and drinks themselves¹ .

What to order

Popular dish

Tiger Latte

a brown sugar caramel latte built on oat milk and espresso .

• Sweet Corn Latte: house corn cold foam over espresso, one of the Korean flavors the brand is known for .²
• Banana Milk Latte: Korean banana milk with espresso and vanilla cold foam .¹
• Smokin' Spaniard: a Spanish-style latte with condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon .³
• Matcha granita: shaved ice with matcha from South Korea's Jeju Island, a drink one reviewer found perfectly balanced .³

What people are saying

Writers at OCalpha describe Smoking Tiger as a modern Korean cafe with drinks that stand out, noting that the Coffee Lab format keeps the focus on the beverage program³ . Reviewers and listings alike point to the Korean-inspired specialty drinks and coffee quality as the draw³ . The atmosphere gets described as a cozy, modern space, with limited pastry offerings at Coffee Lab locations³ .

Why you should try it

This San Gabriel Coffee Lab is the brand's drink-focused format, where the espresso program and Korean-flavored lattes do the talking^4,2 .