7 Leaves Cafe is a family-run business that brothers Sonny Nguyen, Vinh Nguyen, Quang Nguyen, Son Nguyen, and Ha Nguyen founded in 2012. They’ve grown 7 Leaves Cafe into an eight-branch, caffeine-fueled juggernaut that remains firmly rooted in Orange County. The original Westminster location is not quite as popular as other outlets, which is fine by me. I would wait to drink favorites like mung bean milk tea and herbal tea when visiting Little Saigon. Of course, I’d prefer to just breeze through a shorter line. Who wouldn’t?

When visiting 7 Leaves Cafe, I occasionally stray from mung bean milk tea. Other viable options include their herbal tea, a signature blend of seven herbs and tea. I’m not sure if this drink is truly tea or just a tisane. Either way, I’m hooked. One thing’s for sure. Featured “herbs” aren’t just herbs. Ingredients span the flora spectrum from pandan leaves to chrysanthemums and artichokes. Raw cane sugar provides light sweetness. 7 Leaves claims the beverage is “formulated to cool and refresh the mind and body.” I can’t attest to spiritual enlightenment, but the refreshing drink with floral undertones definitely had a calming influence as I drove home on the 405 freeway. If ever a highway calls for a spiritual refresh, it’s the 405.