Cognoscenti Coffee

Our Story

Yeekai Lim, founder of Cognoscenti Coffee (and affectionately known as Cog Coffee), started Cognoscenti as a coffee pop-up. Prior to coffee (and a world away in New York), he became the principal of miL Studio, after working for architectural notables that included Frank Gehry, Frank Stella, Leeser Architecture, 1100 Architects and Chong Partners. When the economy slowed down and projects dwindled, Yeekai’s began searching for something outside of the architecture world he already knew.

Bit by the coffee bug after having an amazing cup at Intelligentsia in Silverlake, he started to research machinery and technique. Becoming one of the first US “popup” coffee shops, Cognoscenti first began at Urban Eats (a restaurant that he designed), and soon after, Cognoscenti Coffee began serving out of Blu Dot Yogurt in Eagle Rock. At Blu Dot Yogurt, he met like-minded creatives, and discovered that the slow pace of coffee culture allowed for interesting dialogue with guests.

Na Young Ma, a baker who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, heard of the coffee pop-up and stopped by the shop. Impressed with the taste of the coffee and espresso, Na Young invited Yeekai to pop-up at the bakery she was preparing to open, which would become the Los Angeles viennoiserie institution, Proof Bakery in Atwater Village.

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