Cafe La On, a new Korean cafe in Toronto's Chinatown, is, quite literally, serving up smiles, one latte at a time.

The name "la on" means "happiness" in Korean and represents the owners' wishes for their customers.

Hyunki Kim and Heesu Hong want nothing more than to make their customers smile, and have done their best to achieve this with a selection of Asian-inspired drinks and pastries.

Each dish is crafted with precision and purpose, using high-quality ingredients such as ceremonial-grade matcha and thoughtfully sourced coffee beans.

The owners explain that they wanted to create a menu that satisfied their customers' sweet cravings without relying on sugary additives.This same minimalist philosophy is apparent in the cafe's decor. Aside from a corkboard on the far wall, which displays drawings created by the cafe’s customers, the dining room features few decorations, allowing the food to take center stage.The lemon tigre ($4.50) is a small, oval-shaped pastry, similar to a financier. Made with cream and almond flour, the dish's main selling point is its light, citrus-flavoured filling. The tangy taste conjures memories of freshly squeezed lemonade.The matcha terrine ($7) is a cube-shaped dessert with a smooth, silky, fudge-like texture. High-quality matcha gives the dessert its distinctive flavour, which toes the line between bitter and sweet. Ball tiramisu ($7.50) is a unique variation on a well-known dessert. Instead of a traditional cake shape, it takes on a dome shape, covered in rich, chocolatey cocoa powder.

Though the dessert's flavour is as delicious as ever, what impressed me most was its soft, pillowy texture. Unlike a traditional tiramisu, which is typically a bit heavier, the ball tiramisu feels almost weightless and practically melts in your mouth.

I could have easily eaten a dozen more if there hadn't been other dishes for me to try.
Nutty Coffee ($7.50) is one of four drinks in the cafe's "Cream Series", a collection of lattes that substitute milk for heavy cream. Almond and macadamia extracts are used to give this drink its unique flavour.Grey It Matcha ($7.50) is a matcha latte, sweetened with Earl Grey cream. The floral taste of the Earl Grey provided an interesting contrast to the smooth, grassy matcha.Hojicha Crumble ($7.50) is an oat-based latte, whose smoky, nutty flavour comes from the crumbled tea leaves that give the drink its name. Of the three lattes that we tried, this one was by far my favourite.Cheesecakes ($50 / whole, $7.50 / slice) are made fresh daily and come in a variety of different flavours. We opted for the vanilla cheesecake, which features a caramelized surface and a creamy, custard-like interior.Since opening in July of 2025, Cafe La On has become a popular hangout spot for students and office workers alike. Hyunki and Heesu attribute the cafe's success to its Asian-inspired menu, as well as the general lack of cafes in the area.

The owners hope to continue making customers happy and encourage potential visitors to check out their website, so they can see everything that the cafe has to offer.Cafe La On is located at 453 Dundas Street West.