A woman filmed herself on a New York City street and said an iced coffee was horrible. In the clip, she said, “Wow, this is really horrible. It’s like a sugar bomb in my mouth, and there’s no coffee flavor.” The review was tied to Kawaii Cafe, a Vietnamese specialty coffee shop in New York City’s West Village. Kim Lee, owner of Kawaii Cafe, later posted a response on TikTok under the account @kawaiicafe.nyc.
The video has gained 5.1 million views. Kim said the cup and drink in the review did not match what her shop serves. She said she checked camera footage, the point-of-sale system, and the staff who worked that shift. Kim said she found no sign the reviewer had been inside the store. She said, “I’m 99% sure she not got the drink from us.”
Kim claimed that the team does not look for drama, but that drama found them somehow. She called the response a one-time and final explanation and said they would move on after it. She described the reviewer as the main character of the story and said the woman claimed she bought a drink from Kawaii Cafe and that it was horrible.
Owner compares cups and says the review does not match the shop
Kim said feedback is welcome, good or bad, and that there is always room for improvement. She said the shop loves to listen to customers, but that the complaint has to be real. She said she noticed right away that the cup, the design, and the way the coffee looked did not match their cups. Disputed reviews can carry real consequences for the reviewer, as when an Ohio woman left a one-star Google review for a manufacturing company and the business sued her for over $25,000.
She said she still went through camera footage and the POS system looking for any transaction tied to the reviewer, and for any sign of her inside the store. Kim said she searched images and looked for the staff member from the shift shown in the review. She said she found nothing that placed the woman physically inside the store.
Kim said the reviewer filmed the inside of the store while standing outside. She said the woman bought a drink somewhere else, then presented it as if it came from Kawaii Cafe. Showing the disputed drink, Kim said anyone who has been inside the shop would know the cups have a different shape and a Frenchie mascot on the front.
She said the shop does not carry black straws and does not use a black sleeve. Kim said a black sleeve can be seen peeking out on the back of the drink in the review, and that the cup looks like at least 20 or 24 ounces. She said Kawaii Cafe only carries 16-ounce cups for iced coffee and 12-ounce cups for hot coffee.
The video then showed two iced coffees on a speckled counter, each topped with a yellow slice of fruit. Kim said those were the shop’s cups, including the lid, the sign, and the shape. The cups in that shot showed a French bulldog drawing and the text “Kawaii cafe Vietnamese coffee.”
Kawaii Cafe is reportedly New York City’s first Vietnamese specialty coffee shop with a signature coffee jelly twist. It is located at 117 Christopher St in the West Village. Kim closed by saying she did not know what the reviewer wanted to do, and that she hoped this was the first time and also the last time.
She said the Kawaii team, including her and the staff, works very hard to serve the best drinks and that they value their customers. Kim said, “I just don’t want any false information or false accusations out there.” Disputes over bad reviews can take odd turns, as when an Alabama restaurant manager looks at a new one-star review and allegedly finds the customer still dining at the restaurant.
Viewers also weighed in on Kim’s video. One commenter wrote, “Such a weird thing to do.” Another focused on the taste claim and wrote, “When she said it had no coffee flavor, I knew she was lying because anyone who’s had Vietnamese coffee knows you’re definitely going to taste the coffee!”
A third commenter tied the cup to another shop and wrote, “She legit has a video reviewing blackstone- absolutely the same cup.” Someone else questioned the response itself and wrote, “Is it really THIS serious?!! A customer doesn’t like your coffee. It’s not a big deal. Like keeping pushin.”
One viewer suggested legal action and wrote, “Sue her for defamation. This is ridiculous.” Another backed the owner and wrote, “Good for u calling her out. I don’t blame u.” A further commenter wrote, “No disrespect to Blackstone, but that looks like the cup they use and she also previously reviewed them. If you zoom into her sleeve, it looks like the Blackstone coffee sleeve. They are also your neighbor.”
After viewers began pointing to a nearby shop, Blackstone commented on the situation. The shop said it is not affiliated with the reviewer and would not try to hurt another cafe. The shop said it was confused to see its cup in the video, that it respects Kawaii Cafe, and that it hopes the situation can turn into something positive for both businesses.
Published: Oct 8, 2026 10:20 am