Lily Z.
Yelp
Oh gosh, I wanted to gatekeep this place after stumbling upon it after a workout class that got cancelled, but it'd truly be a crime...
Food: 5/5 their California salad is to die for!
- Tender, well spiced chicken, perfect balance of corn and chicken to balance out greens without dressing that is too overpowering. Had to come back two days later...Hope to try peach and burrata salad next time
- caprese Benedict: yummy but smaller portion size. Served on avo toast. I normally hate Benedict because it's too heavy but was convinced to try a bite and to my surprise, I did not find the sauce and yolk combo to be overpowering at all!
- drinks: we ordered hot matcha latte (okay quality, on slower days there's cute latte art) and cardamom latte
-pastries: I've tried the baklava cheese cake (has edible flowers on top and warning -- it's RICH so I'd recommend sharing ), apple turnover? (INSANE!!!! My favorite for sure. Must get it slightly heated! Natural flavor of the apple shows through without too much sugar and combines with the light cream and flaky yet chewy pastry underneath for a perfect bite every time), Portuguese egg tart (I'd recommend getting with jam on top. It's not too sweet which is great, definitely tastes more "Portuguese" than Chinese. crust is okay but unfortunately my standard is Bakehouse in Hong Kong now in terms of flakiness...), yuzu macaron, and pistachio macaron
Ambiance: 5/5. Clearly a family owned business. Soooo sweet! On weekdays service can be a bit slower as everything is made to order but you can truly feel the love that goes into every dish, the thought behind every corner of seating in the interior. When inside the cafe I genuinely feel like I'm abroad/detached from world around me. Good for a solo date, date with partner, or small group of friends
$$: medium in terms of affordability. Typical sf cafe in the marina prices.