Aliya Lavaland

Character limit reach... see Yelp for full review. Food Order: Lava Mooncakes: Black Sesame, Matcha, Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube," Signature, Taro $16.00/box Mini Mooncakes: Signature, Black Sesame, Taro, Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube," Matcha $6.25/box Aliya Lavaland is a woman-owned, Asian-style/Thai sweets shop that sells mooncakes year-round. Typically, mooncakes are eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Moon Festival) celebration around September. The round shape symbolizes family union/gathering, unity, & completeness that mirrors the (round) full moon. What started out as a passion project during the pandemic, Pastry Chef/Owner Alice Mekaswarn turned it into a brick & mortar in June 2021, showcasing their unique "lava" mooncakes that's a fusion of Thai & French pastry... mashup of a Thai kanom pia (type of flaky pastry with a smashed bean filling) while using French baking techniques. Lava Flavors (with salted egg lava center): Black Sesame: roasted black sesame seeds, premium mung beans Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube": Okinawan purple yam (grown in Hawaii), coconut milk Matcha: real matcha, premium mung beans Signature: premium mung beans Taro: taro & coconut milk Mini Mooncakes (no salted egg lava center): Same as Lava Mooncakes Signature "with Salted Egg": premium mung beans, fully cooked duck egg yolk I bought a 5 pc. lava assorted box for my foodie nephew for Christmas, knowing he'll enjoy these unique treats. Yes, it was well-loved by him & his family; my cousin particularly enjoyed the Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube" (check out my video of the lava oozing out of the mooncake) & her sister was a fan of the Black Sesame. And the 5 pc. mini mooncake assorted box was for my daughter's godmother, who is also a foodie. They're not that into sweets so I thought the minis would suit them best. They loved every single flavor that I should have gotten them the lava version. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The lava mooncakes had a flaky, mild sweet crust; all flavors were prominent in the lava & mini mooncakes, particularly the Black Sesame, Taro, & Matcha; the Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube" was flavorful but more subtle, didn't smack you in the face like the former. Orange was a new flavor that was introduced a couple of years ago, but only available during Lunar New Year & Moon Festival. I hope Pastry Chef Mekaswarn will consider a persimmon lava mooncake to her menu (fingers crossed). Though not my thing, but durian is also a popular Asian fruit. The typical mooncake fillings are usually make with some type of paste: mung beans, lotus seed, sweet red bean, black sesame, or mixed nuts (aka five kernels; 五仁), which is not a paste but a mixture of chopped nuts & seeds, & the premium mooncakes (according to my Mom) contain salted duck egg yolk. I've only eaten lava custard buns (aka liu sha bao; 流沙包) for dim sum at Chinese restaurants, so it's understandable that a "hot" bun could create a rich, flowing lava filling. But how does Aliya Lavaland do it? Their mooncakes are not pipin' hot to create that heat for lava, yet when you break into a mooncake, the lava oozes out like a hot lava custard bun. To ensure flowing lava that's fresh & perfectly molten, lava mooncakes are filled just before baking so there's a slight wait. I think I waited 10-mins.? There's only 5 flavors; the prices are fair, if not cheap, in comparison to regular mooncakes at Asian bakeries. If you order their assorted lava or mini mooncake boxes, there's a slight discount. The mooncakes do not have preservatives so the shelf life is short if you actually have any leftovers (we didn't). Service was warm & friendly... upon delivery, I was provided with instructions on how to store & refresh them if we have leftovers. Takeout only; no public restrooms. My fam & I "lava" Aliya Lavaland!! How could you not? Made-to-order freshness that's decadent & somewhat messy (the lava ones), I can enjoy these fantabulous mooncakes year round... definitely worth the drive & worth the wait! Highly recommended!!

Bought 2 different type of moon cake from Aliya Lavaland, Lava Assorted box (16.00) and Regular Assorted box (6.25). Tried the black sesame and signature lava moon cake, the crust itself is excellent, very flaky. The lava itself taste awesome, however, I don't really taste the saltiness from the duck york, and there is a floral taste that covered the york, and also the crust's flavor. But don't get me wrong, it still taste delicious, not too sweet, a very decent dessert to have.

Delicious, sophisticated pastry. The custard filled moon cakes are divine! They have a perfect combination of textures and just the right amount of sweetness. The regular mooncakes are less sweet but still delightful.

Love the lava mooncakes!! It's almost Mid-autumn aka the Moon Festival 中秋节, I would totally get these for people as gifts than the traditional mooncakes. If it's your first time, I highly recommend getting the Assorted Lava Box ($12, one of each 4 different flavors, signature, taro, ube and matcha) - my favorite from was Taro, followed by Matcha. If you are not a salted egg yolk fan, you can get a box of Assorted Mini mooncakes "no lava" ($5) - these were not too sweet, but nothing too special. They also sell these large durian mooncakes with or without egg yolks.

Excellent desserts. My daughter loved the lava moon cake. I enjoyed the non lava cake. Very reasonable prices too.We will definitely come back.

Ordered these lava mooncakes for a birthday party. All my guests loved it and each one is so beautiful & handcrafted!

This place was highly recommended by my friend but everytime I'm around this area, it is always closed. Luckily, I finally get around to this area in the afternoon and, wow, I should have visit this place earlier! They have 2 types of Asian pastry: solid filling or liquid running filling. They also call it mooncake, but it's not the traditional type of moon cake. Anyhow, from their in-store posters, I thought these mooncakes will be too sugary for my liking. Well, it's actually the total opposite. The inner eggy filling isn't sweet at all. The crust is very colorful and with good texture. Each one is about $4 but a box of 6 is $19. I'll definitely encourage everyone to try it out!

The shop is so cute! I've loved Aliya's lava cakes for a long time and I'm so happy they have a store now :)

Delicious pastries!!! The service is very quick and the place is small and casual. But that's all that's needed because it's perfect for pucking up the pastries. I love the pastries with the egg yolk lava inside. They are all good and the taro one is my favorite because of its fragrance.

This is exactly the kind of shop people mean when they say, "Support your local small businesses." I believe it was the owner who helped us, and she was as sweet as her desserts. The concept is simple--they specialize in flaky pastries filled with various flavored mung bean pastes, with the option to add a rich, eggy lava filling for an extra $2.05. The store itself is small and charming. What We Ordered: Half Dozen Box - $21.70 (Eggy Lava Filled) These pastries lean on the sweeter side, with a dense, rich, and ultra-gooey texture. After refrigeration, the filling takes on a more jam-like consistency, which I personally enjoyed. * 2 Ube (Pink Pastry) - Deep purple inside with a distinct ube flavor. * 2 Black Sesame (Black Pastry) - Subtle black sesame taste but still delicious. * Taro (Purple Pastry) - Light purple filling with a noticeable taro flavor. * Signature (Yellow Pastry) - The most egg-forward in flavor, rich and satisfying. I didn't get the matcha this time but maybe next time. They are pretty pricy, but these are very specific type of dessert, when I'm craving it, I'll definitely be back!

Colorful desserts great for sharing with friends and family, and they also look beautiful in photos. Would recommend the big white boxes for presentation (rather than the smaller clear plastic clamshell). Lava mooncakes are the specialty here with an interesting golden filling - would recommend them. Thanks to Yelp for helping us discover Aliya Lavaland as we were visiting Monterey Park. Convenient location with plenty of parking in free parking lot or street parking. Relatively busy with a few other customers coming in while we were there, it's a good sign.

I LOVED the pastries here! The lava just oozing out and it was just delicious! The creations are beautiful, flaky, rich and moist! A friend of mine picked them up for me and asked if I was planning to share during my dinner party in a couple days - NOPE! was my answer. LOL It did take me a while to get to them, but they were still super fresh when I did! Will definitely go again. They make great gifts too!

Such an aesthetic little spot! Definitely worth trying. We didn't try any of their lava mooncakes (salted egg yolk) but would love to next time. Not sure if it was intentional but the mooncake crust had faint floral taste almost like rose. Crust was soft and flaky, not too dense. Hawaiian Ube Regular Mooncake - ube flavor wasn't as strong as I anticipated it to be. Taro Regular Mooncake - was my favorite! You can taste really taste real taro. Matcha Regular Mooncake - my second favorite. Matcha blended well with mung bean. Black Sesame Regular Mooncake - was my least favorite. Black sesame didn't mix well with mung bean, filling was very dry and incoherent. I personally didn't like it one bit. I would not grab this flavor again.

Checked out this place for their lava egg yolk pastries. Small place with plenty of parking in the back. There was no wait at all when we went during the evening. Customer service was nice and helpful! We got a box of 6 to share. It looks really vibrant and aesthetic from the outside! I'm a huge fan of lava egg yolk so I also really enjoyed the inside of the mooncakes. However, I found the outside to be a bit dry. Maybe it was just a one-off thing. I'd go back to get more as gifts for sure.

Ambiance: it's a small dessert store located in Monterey Park, takeout orders only Service: very friendly and patient with questions Food: they made the cakes fresh daily, and they can last about one week Assorted Box of Regular Mooncakes - **** recommend for the variety Signature Regular Mooncake - *** With Half Salted Eaa Yolk Hawaiian Purple Yam Ube Lava Mooncake - **** the lava was so tasty, recommend Price: each cake costs about $2 to $4, and the combo pack has the best value

I've always seen recommendations for this place pop up on Yelp whenever I'm looking for a dessert place in the area. They do close a bit earlier though (6 PM), so I haven't had the chance to try their lava mooncakes until recently. I ordered for pick up ahead of time on the Toast Tab app and they have a points and rewards system through that. I ordered the special Lunar New Year 6 pack ( you can choose 5 of the flavors) that comes with a special no filling tangerine cake that looks almost identical to a real tangerine (leaves and stem and all!). The instructions on how to store, refrigerate, and heat the cakes are in the shop (I believe 8-10 seconds twice) and the service was polite and already had my order packed up even before the designated pick up time. The interior is cutely decorated with some artwork from I believe a young child patron or the owner's own family, very cute. There are some outdoor tables in the plaza surrounding too and some seating if you want to dig into your food then and there. I got 1 of every of the flavors that they offered, which were taro, Hawaiian pink yam, matcha, black sesame, and their original. I got this in lava style which means that there's yummy gooey salted egg yolk inside. This went great with the slightly dry flakiness of the bun on the outside. Delicious and even my coworkers who have never had this pastry before, and were somewhat wary, really enjoyed it. The solid orange one is also very good and you can taste that they include a bit of orange zest in it too. Not too sweet or tart either. Perfect yummy desserts for the Asian palate!

Got a few flavors to try. Orignal lava is what you'd expect. If you don't like the salted egg lava, then you won't like this, but if you do then you would love it. Flaky pastry and has somewhat floral thing to it. Black sesame lava is heftier from the black sesame paste. Filling is the same salted egg lava, for some reason we were expecting black lava. Same, has pretty strong floral thing to it. You either love it or hate it. But we could tell this was made with a lot of care. Black sesame regular is basically just without the lava. Yummy. Been wanting to try this place for a while, but the price is a big deterrent. Also they close pretty early (granted, not dinner dessert type of thing). Good for gifts or indulgence here and there, but there's a reason they don't offer party tray! Staff is nice tho. This place is located in the plaza across from amc. With half/half, sunright, and thai paradise.

Aliya Lavaland is located in the same plaza as Sunright with a parking lot in the back and also street parking available. My husband and I came for a visit two Saturdays ago, around 2:20 pm. We were greeted by an employee behind the counter. We ended up purchasing: 5 piece box, $18.25 + Orange Moon Cake, $4.50- This special box set comes with a flavor of each lava moon cake and one moon cake that looks like an orange/ tangerine. Aliya Lavaland is well known for their lava cakes, which is a flaky baked shell that holds a salted egg inside that oozes out when you take your first bite. I normally do not like salted egg but this filling has more of a nice light custard flavor. Each of the flavors that my husband and I tried were good. My mom also enjoyed one of the moon cakes. My husband and I split the orange moon cake, which we were told is only offered during lunar new year and during the harvest mon festival. I liked the light orange flavor and appreciated that it wasn't too sweet (neither were the lava moon cakes). ---------------------------------- (Total= $22.75, no tax) Service was friendly and wait time was probably about 1 minute long. There are 2 small benches to sit on inside and some outdoor seating. There are not restrooms available for customers. Aliya Lavaland is a nice treat to have and also would make for a great gift for family and friends. I know I will be back in the near future.

My friend and I decided to stop by here after getting boba nearby and after lunch. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. I came during a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't too busy. There are two types of mooncakes.. the lava and non-lava kinds. I really like flowing lava fillings so I decided to get the lava kind. I opted for the hawaiian ube flavor and only got one because it was a bit pricey. I didn't get to eat it the same day, but stuck it in the fridge and ate it next day after heating it up for 20 secs. It was delicious! The outer layers were flaky, and there was a generous amount of filling. It wasn't too sweet so that was a plus. I would have gotten the variety box if it wasn't so pricey, but next time I'll stop by to try the different flavors.

My memory as far as coordinating things is really bad these days. I forgot my wallet the first time I went to pick up and many items u wanted to add were sold out. The second time I went, again forgot to get my wallet out of my other purse. They do not input credit card numbers, since my memory is good enough to memorize my debit card by heart. Even when it repeatedly gets lost and a new one sent. Many items of the non-lava mooncakes I wanted to add were sold out. Successfully getting my order for the mid-Autumn festival on my third try, of each lava flavored mooncake, sesame, Hawaiian ube, original, and matcha, they were already sold out of the non-lava versions. If you pick up cakes during the mid-Autumn festival, be sure to get the limited time, specialty orange mooncakes. Not just aesthetically pleasing, the dense sweet center is graced with orange peels that intensifies the citrus center. Lava mooncakes are tasty and sweet, different from an entire salted egg yolk, it has a hint of a he salted egg flavor. It oozes out so be careful. Make sure to advance order through their webpage on Facebook that takes you to toast tab to order to prevent feeling disappointed by items being sold out during the holidays. Friendly and kind service, definitely recommend this departure from traditional style mooncakes.

I recently discovered Aliya Lavaland in Monterey Park, and let me tell you, their mooncakes are a game-changer, even for someone like me who isn't typically a fan. These unique lava custard-filled mooncakes are a must-try. With various flavors available, including black sesame and matcha, there's something for everyone. Just a heads up, they tend to get busy during the holidays, so it's a good idea to call ahead and check for availability. Pro tip: Pop them in the air fryer for a bit to get them nice and toasty!

I went to pick up mooncakes for Lunar New Year with my friend! I wasn't sure if I had to call in advance, or if I could just walk in and order, but I was in the area and decided to stop by. We ordered the 6 assortment box of the lava melting mooncakes and a special mandarin orange one. I loved the lava mooncakes, I'm not usually a fan of mung bean, but I enjoyed all of the flavors. These tasted the best fresh, but I put them in the fridge overnight, heated them up in the microwave for a bit and they were still yummy! My favorite flavors were the green one (matcha) and the black one (black sesame). I think these are worth the price, even now that Lunar New Year is over, if I'm in the area I would still buy a 6 pack :)

These are the freaking cutest mooncakes and so good too. So many tasty flavors, my personal favorite are taro and ube, and they're always soft but not too soft with that gooey egg middle. I don't always think about mooncakes unless it's CNY, but Lavaland mooncakes all year should be a new thing.

The moon cakes are tasty and cute! The inside of the shop is very small, with just enough space to wait as they box up your order. The woman who helped us was friendly and seemed happy to be there. I would definitely go again!

Got this 6 pcs lava mooncake to visit a friend! We bought 2 on the side to try. The black sesame and the ube! I cant resist anything black sesame and its so good!!! I felt like the ube was sweeter so not my first choice! The lavaaa oooozes out so yum! We tried to share but really its good for yourself. Will def be back!

Adorable! Amazing! Delicious!! First came across this place at a Huntington Museum event and i've been chasing it ever since. Unfortunately since i live a bit away i wasn't able to go until today. I am so happy theyre here! The woman who helped us was so incredibly nice and i got 2 matcha which i am addicted to. The inside is sweetly decorated but its basically just a pick up place and not a hang out because it is so small. Trust me, run to this place!!

My go to place for lava cakes. Flaky, flavorful and their egg yolk lava cakes are wonderful! Taro, green tea, any thing you can't go wrong! This place is located in a small plaza but there are plenty of parking. If you visit during office hours and before lunch you'll find street parking in front of the plaza so no issue there. The place is very small inside, not much seats but you can always go to next door cafe or boba place if you want to enjoy both lava cakes and boba teas. The staff members are always smiling and welcoming so that's also a plus!

Their lava moon cakes are AMAZING! Straight off the bat, I regret not buying more and would totally come back to get some! Service was pretty friendly! The cashier greeted us and explained what the popular picks were among the lava moon cakes. She told us the original, taro, and ube were the most popular. The store was also super cute with all of the doodles on the wall. Immediately when you cut the pastry, the "lava" seems to keep flowing! The pastry is pretty flaky, buttery. The contrast of the pastry with the lava is great. There was so much depth to the lava...not too sweet and not too salty. There was also another flavor to it...perhaps the mung bean melding with the other flavors of the salted yolk, but it doesn't taste like the mung bean I imagined...Honestly couldn't taste too much mung bean in the pastry otherwise, but I'm not mad. I'm literally dreaming about these lava moon cakes and I can't wait until the next time I come back!

WOW this was amazing!!! Would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet treat :) it was unlike anything we had ever tried before!

I am so sad that this place is all the way in Monterrey Park. I love salted egg and actually walked into this store not knowing that they specialize in salted egg "lava" desserts! We got the variety pack of lava mooncakes, which included taro, ube, original, black sesame, and either matcha or green tea. We also got their special orange mooncake. Personally, I much prefer the lava mooncakes for their flaky exterior and gooey interior. My favorite was the black sesame, which I personally also thought looked the coolest in terms of the color contrast. These last up to 5-7 days in the fridge, but make sure to let them sit out for 30-60 minutes before eating so the interior becomes liquidy again before you bite into it! Parking was easy on the street, and there is a lot out back as well. The store interior is small and for take-out only.

Quite simply, Aliya Lavaland makes some amazingly delicious salted egg desserts! The name of their main specialties is "lava moon cakes". The outside is a flaky crust with a layer of a mooncake-like paste inside followed by a melty lava salted egg filling. This combination provides a splendid mix of textures that just mesh together perfectly. It is overall soft but still solid and holds together quite well to avoid any unintended leakage of lava. The various colors make these look quite wonderful as well which makes these perfect as a gift. I tried some of the mung bean and matcha lava moon cakes. The mung bean one is their signature one and is not too flavorful on the outside layers. This works out just well for those who love the taste of the salted egg filling as there aren't other flavors in the way of it. The matcha one on the other hand has a strong green tea flavor. This causes the salted egg flavor to seem a little more toned down as a result but still makes for a delicious dessert overall.

I was eyeing this spot for some time since they opened in Monterey Park and excited to finally give them a try! We loved the lava mooncakes! This is women-owned business that is mainly for take-out and the murals are the cutest thing. We ordered the black sesame and Ube lava. The black sesame flavor was great and I liked the slightly savory, nuttiness that it had. The ube had less of a prominent flavor (as most ube things do). Both were flakey and soft like a traditional mooncake but the addition of the salted egg yolk lava is the middle was amazing! Kind of broke up the dryness you typically have when eating a mooncake and brought a savory note to the dessert!

Was craving a taro bao and decided to give this place a try. Their concept is cute because they have different variations of their mooncakes. We got the box and tried every flavor along with a taro lava one. Staff was welcoming and informative. Only thing is, it is a bit pricey for what it is. They are a lot smaller than we expected, definitely larger in photos than IRL.

We have been following this shop for awhile now. The lava buns are their specialty. The service was great. Love the staff and the buns.

Hopia to some, mooncakes to many more. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AJL7BHKiT33CjbSnTyiXmg&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Passing by Aliya Lavaland, the signage proved too enticing to pass up. Unfortunately, Aliya Lavaland is closed Thursdays, so a repeat trip the next day became priority. Hopia (aka mooncakes), I'm quite familiar with. Lavacakes, I was not. Therefore, between Aliya Lavaland's options of mooncakes & lavacakes, a couple of lavacakes became the desired option. Signature mung bean & ube lavacakes- https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=5Tcv8dfWdonYXeQgo2VI6Q&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Where is all that lava coming from? Eating lavacakes is a messy ordeal! The creamy salted egg yolk flowed from each lavacake. Both were flaky & non too sweet. Great treats to eat! The packaging had instructions on reheating, which weren't needed, because they were polished off within no time. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mI9eFrXV9tXKG4Qm39zEAQ&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Service was good. The wait was minimal, if not quicker. No seating inside, there are a few tables outside. Parking is via a multi-level structure behind the building. I lava Aliya Lavaland! My first foray into lavacakes & I'm enamored by them. I'm planning to make another trip to Monterey Park, having a meal at one of the many Asian eateries, finishing my day in MP with another stop to Aliya Lavacakes. I'm going to try not to get salted egg yolk all over my hands this time, but don't hold me to that. Highly recommend!

I have heard many good things, and it seems many many yummy lava mooncakes photos about this bakery; I'm so glad I finally get to try it! I got 2 of the six-piece gift boxes, which was a great way to try different flavors! The lava mooncakes were very delicious; they were light but full of flavors. I especially liked the melting lava!I wonder if they would ever make a smaller version bite size lava moon cake, that would be like a dream come true to try one of each flavor with less sweet tooth guilt :)

The lava Mooncake is pretty good. We got the 5 pack which has every flavor. The lava comes out and it's a very eggy taste to it. I personally liked it. The flaky crust is a bit dry but it does taste like the flavor it's supposed to be! Lots of parking!

I was never a big fan of mooncake. But when I heard mooncake filled with bursting egg york, I'm definitely sold! This bakery is unique and I haven't found anything quite like it! They have plenty of flavor including my favorite the green tea flavor. The bakery is located in a business plaza in Monterey Park. They also have their own private parking garage so you don't have to worry about parking situation. The price was very reasonable compared to other bakery that sell mooncakes. I would highly recommend this place to any of my friends and definitely would be back soon!

This is such a fun and yummy dessert to bring for small gatherings to share with friends! The flavors are spot on--not too sweet, the lava yolks are super fresh, and the layered shells are made so thin and well! Love the packaging, and very fast service as well. I also loved Aliya and Ryan's drawings that are framed for the store (who are on these stickers)! This is such a sweet and humble local shop, LOVE IT.

This has been on my list for so long and I finally got to try it! Aliya lavaland has Moon cakes with and without the egg yolk lava center. The moon cakes without the lava center are cheaper, but their signature moon cakes are by far the lava center. I just had dinner, but can always make room for dessert! I tried the Ube lava moon cake and black sesame lava moon cake. Personally, the Ube lava moon cake was my favorite. The black sesame in the moon cake was prominent and not too sweet. The owner seemed very friendly and made great recommendations. Unlike the dim sum lava buns, the center of these buns stay runny even when the moon cake has cooled down. Given the Covid situation, there are no seats inside and there is a small patio outdoors. But now that the weather is cooling down, it would have been nice to have a bench indoors to eat the moon cakes. Overall, a cute and unique dessert for any situation!

Friends brought these but there pretty good overall! Each lava mooncake was flakey, not too sweet, slightly salted, and crust to filling ratio was perfect. Definitely eat them warm and fresh but they also can be stored and reheated quickly! Flavor is dominated by the lava egg and mooncake filling. Even though there are different flavors like matcha, black sesame, ube, and taro, the flavors were all super light and you on taste it at the beginning of a bite before the lava egg takes over.

The layout is like beard papa. You order what you want then the worker gets the mooncake. I was surprised the mooncake was small. But the price was worth it. The salted yolk is strong in flavor. But some of the flavor were stronger. Like the ube. I do want to go back and get their regular mooncakes without the salted egg center.

Tried this for first time. The moon cakes are good. You can taste it's not overly processed nor overly sweet. I'm not a fan of the egg custard but regular moon cakes are good. My favorite was the matcha moon cake. That was stellar

Aliya lavaland is definitely on our list of dessert spots to visit on our next LA adventure. We purchased the five piece set of moon cakes so that we could try all their flavors. I cannot say I had a favorite as all five had separate and distinct flavors that match how they were described. The box included: Signature, Taro, Ube, Matcha, & Black Sesame lava moon cakes. All mooncakes had a refreshing salted egg yolk center and each paired well with moon cake base flavor. The staff was extremely friendly and proud to share insights on their product. It took about 10 minutes for the lava based mooncakes to be ready, so prepare to add a little wait time to your order. I cannot really share too much that happen after that time... other than two went missing within about 2 minutes after that... not sure why ‍

Yummy, I really enjoyed the LAVA ones..I am one that doesn't really like egg yolk that is runny. BUT this mooncake with the lava yolk inside is soo good and amazing. Not too sweet and the texture of the cake and flavors are so yummy. The regular ones really didn't wow me, kind of dry but I would suggest the lava ones for sure. I was able to try the mandarin orange and taro!

Beautiful variety of lava moon cakes but I don't like the egg yolk taste. Got these as a gift so it was a beautiful present. The orange one was not lava like- it was a citrus flavor.

I walked by Aliya Lavaland as my friends and I were walking to the ramen spot. The picture on the window made the pastries look so good so we said we'd come back after lunch. The first surprise was that they were mooncakes (I like mooncake, but I thought it was just a bread type pastry). The colors and look of the pastries were so pretty we decided to grab a few different flavors to try. We got 5 cakes, all with lava inside. The second surprise was how dry they were. The lava helped with the dryness, but it also overpowered any flavor the cakes probably had. The matcha green tea had more green tea flavor, but still, the lava took over. The lava itself was good, but as a whole, I wouldn't get them again. They also have cakes without the lava, but considering I felt the ones with lava were dry, idk if I'd like the others. Parking is plentiful behind the place.

I can't believe I forgot to review this place! Found it on a whim through Yelp and it was the best dessert I had in LA during this trip. This was my first time hearing of and trying lava mooncakes. Im a big fan of lava custard buns so I knew I would love these. Btw they reheat so well! Just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to get the lava flowing. The lava is extremely creamy and silky, with just the right amount of umami. The outer pastry is flaky and fresh. I've been dreaming of these and can't wait to get them again.

absolutely loved the lava cakes! Definitely great for get togethers, holidays, gifts, etc. it's what I call an "all around food." It's definitely something I would bring to almost every occasion! Also loved the sign with the estimated shelf life! It's super considerate and I highly appreciate it!

Pro-tip: I wouldn't follow their reheating instructions since it melts the salted egg custard too much. 8 seconds once or 4 seconds 2-3 times is good. They all taste more or less the same so if you just want to try the concept, you can probably just get one or two. Highlights: I love salted egg custard so this dessert is right up my alley. They have other desserts too. I've never had anything quite like it so I really enjoyed it the flavor and texture. The cakes themselves are also gorgeous with their bright colors and makes for a cute gift. Lowlights: The flavor differences between the mooncakes are super subtle and they barely taste like the flavor they advertise. They don't have smaller boxes for orders less than so they will wiggle around a bit.

What to get: Obviously you should get the lava cakes. I haven't tried their regular moon cakes but I don't really have a reason to because their lava cakes are amazing. It's flaky and just a right amount of sweet and salty. They can be frozen if you're gonna need to travel with it and stay pretty good in the fridge as well. What not to get: This isn't to say that the flavor isn't good but for me specifically the black sesame was not my favorite. The flavor is a little too floral for me and it really takes away from the filling. What to know: This is in the Ocean Star restaurant plaza where there's a bunch of parking in the back but it can get a little tight. There are also some parking spots on the street in front of the plaza as well.

In the area where desserts are abundant, Aliya Lavaland's moon cakes should be able to stand tall and proud. It's not too sweet, yet will satisfy that "I-want-something -sweet" crave after dinner. The Lava mooncake was wonderful. The molten salted egg filling was oddly satisfying. I mean, it tastes like salted egg but it's liquidy and sweet. You have to try it! There was not seating on the premise. Parking is plenty at the back of the building.

Tbh I had no idea this place even existed until we parked right in front of it so that we could get boba next store. We almost didn't get a chance to try these delicious lava moon cakes too since we got there at 5:05pm on a Sunday and saw that the sign said they were closed. There was another customer inside & we were set to walk away to respect their business hours but the lady behind the register caught us and waved for us to go inside! Yayyyyyy!!!!(: Service: the lady behind the register was so nice and patient with us. We shared with her that it was our first time there and she walked us through the two different menus and offerings. Even though it was past closing time, she didn't make us feel rushed or in her way. Much kudos, so respect. We opted for the lava moon cakes. We got 2 taro and 3 ube. I shared with family, of course and they all really enjoyed them! The outside is flakey and delicate while the inside is liquid gold! As many others have shared, you could warm it up in the microwave but it's also fine as is consistency wise. If you like ube, try the ube one! The taro one was good too but I tasted more mung bean than taro imo. I think i expected taro around the lava part of the cake the same way the ube was around the lava. Anyway, I think if I had to chose I'd prob go with the ube! Individually the lava moon cakes were $3.50 each or 5 for $16. I forgot to take a picture of the menu inside with the prices (I didn't want to keep her there any longer). It's def worth the money! Both mom and grandma approved! :D Def recommend this place if you like the salted egg yolk buns at dim sum places or if you're in the area looking for a snack! ((:

Love love loovve it... I love salted egg, and this dessert is bomb! When you just got it, the egg just melted out like lava you gotta eat it with a technique. Once you refrigerated there is an instruction how to heat it up. I did it wrong and it was not working right. But it's still taste so good. The feeling Was salty, creamy and sweet at the same time it was just incredible. I don't know about the Restaurant ambience because I didn't go there myself, someone brought it for me. Definitely one of my best favorite dessert to go. I will get more and try the instruction the right way next time.

So in a panic, we didn't to drop by for some moon cakes for my dad's birthday since he doesn't particularly like cake and mostly enjoys things like egg tarts and buns. Mostly the Asian type of dim sum desserts! Thankfully Aliya Lavaland was still open in time when most bakeries were closed. We came in and the store was quite cute. A man came out of the kitchen immediately and helped us out with ordering. We ordered the 7 lava moon cakes, a 6 pack and 1 extra for my boyfriend. 3 Taro, 2 Original Mung Bean, and 2 Black Sesame. He packed them up for us and he was so quick! He was a very pleasant man; very sweet and friendly too. Super attentive. When we ate the moon cakes, they were gooey and delicious. A little thick, but that's to be expected with moon cakes! My brother-in-law enjoyed them the most and my dad liked them too. I definitely recommend it.

If you've ever had moon cakes, this reminds me a lot of the taiwanese styled ones except a lot flakier. If you're not a fan of moon cakes then this wouldn't be for you. There was barely a line in the middle of the afternoon and we received our five cakes fairly quickly. Highly recommend trying the matcha and ube ones. Those were most memorable for me. The restaurant itself is very cute with a nice photo opt in the inside.

Stopped by and tried the assortment option. Overall, each one was really delicately made, a great amount of filling, texture was great, and not too flaky, just a tad bit. I really liked how they had their ingredients on the menu, a really nice touch. The ingredients are simple, showing these little pastries are quality made, no additional unrecognizable ingredients. Taro: light flavor but strong at the same time, not too strong Mung bean: My favorite one of the five! It has a burst of flavor when you take a bite of it, really beautiful flavor bursting in your mouth. Ube: Probably the second strongest flavor of the five. Match: light flavor but strong at the same time, not too strong Black Sesame: Probably the strongest flavor. It had a bit of floral taste. The interior decor is so cute! Love the mural! I tried taking it panoramic and regular (a pic for just half of it on its own) but doesn't do the mural justice. I liked both the creative aspect in the baking and design of the name/mural. Super cute way to combine baking, creativity, cuteness together. Would definitely try again for sure!