Baklavastory.
Bakery · Mission ·
Freshly made baklava with pistachio & walnut fillings
Freshly made baklava with pistachio & walnut fillings
"You can smell Baklavastory before the tiny sidewalk sign comes into view, an aroma of sweet syrup and fresh-baked pastry drifting out to Harrison Street from the compact storefront. Owner Tolgay Karabulut is usually at the front of the store, handing out samples of his pistachio or walnut-riddled squares of baklava. At the same time, guests decide on a tray to take home. The fatal flaw of many baklavas is too-thick pastry sheets, which turn the entire sweet gummy. But at Baklavastory, each sheet looks almost fragile, strengthened only by the number of layers and semi-sticky syrup. Baklavastory only sells by the tray, which may seem like too much at first, but it’s a great excuse to gather friends and share over some tea or plan for a few days of baklava breakfast. The walnut filling is great, but I think Karabulut’s pistachio baklava may be among the best preparations I’ve ever had." - Dianne de Guzman
"A TikTok mini-documentary focused on this shop helped contribute to a set of videos that have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and the piece highlights the filmmaker’s avoidance of influencer vlogging tropes in favor of a more cinematic, documentary approach. Production care is evident — she uses a Canon R6 Mark Two, family lenses, and a DJI mic — and she frames her subjects so they speak directly about their craft and lives; as she puts it, 'It’s good to reconnect with the people who really make this city San Francisco.'" - Paolo Bicchieri
"For a bit of nosh, I was told he’s a big fan of Baklava Story and hopes to bring them to the shop for the Ramadan pop-up; if that doesn’t work out he could call on family to make qatayef (a cheese-and-walnut crepe also known as katayef, atayef, or qata’if)." - Paolo Bicchieri
"After coming to San Francisco from Turkey in 2009, Tolgay Karabulut launched Baklavastory because he found the city's filo-dough pastry game weak; I read that the San Francisco Standard featured him and his new business in a Chinatown-style investigation into why baklava is ubiquitous in many convenience shops." - Paolo Bicchieri
