Reviews - Ono Bakehouse
Reviews summary
Was 새박 at Ono Bakehouse a mag?
Why did I decide to give this perfect Hawaiian gem in my neighborhood, only a year later moving around this block? No one will ever tell. Great pastries, absolutely loved the poundcake, and super friendly staff. View all feedback.
What Lama Mesui dislikes about Ono Bakehouse:
The malasadas are just okay; they don’t quite compare to Leonard’s from Hawaii. However, the higher price makes sense given their limited availability in California. They’re about a third the size of a typical malasada, yet the price is similar. The dough was soft but a bit dry; I think they would be more moist if stored in a controlled environment instead of being exposed to the elements. On the bright side, the hau... View all feedback.
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Last update : 18.02.2024
Why did I decide to give this perfect Hawaiian gem in my neighborhood, only a year later moving around this block? No one will ever tell. Great pastries, absolutely loved the poundcake, and super friendly staff.
Oh my, Ono, why had I not noticed this compact Hawaiian bakery before? Well, its nondescript location on MLK Way is easy to miss, especially since their signage is barely visible. But more likely, I wasn't even that keen on Hawaiian baked goods until I was in Honolulu recently and inadvertently discovered Leonard's and their heavenly malasadas (review: bit.ly/3KYkRlC).The chef and owner is Desiree Valencia who was raised in Maui and earned her pedigree as a pastry chef in top Bay Area restaurants like Morimoto and Saison. In other words, she knows her stuff. Jamie W. and I finally came here at around 3PM. Sadly they were out of malasadas, and we were told they usually sell out of them by 11. Oh well, how could they be as good as Leonard's anyway? Several other delectables awaited.We bought a couple of the $5.75 Butter Mochi and decided to split the $4.50 Lilikoi Poundcake. Yep, now I had proof she knew her stuff. The butter mochi looked like large English muffins drenched in melted butter and coconut shavings (photo: bit.ly/3P5eZc3). Sinfully melty. The fluffy poundcake had a liberal layer of lilikoi icing on top sprinkled with poppyseeds (photo: bit.ly/3PaQcUg). Quite yummy.Weeks went by, and Jamie and I were chasing the 12 bus when we noticed we were walking by this bakery. It was around 3PM again, and based on the last visit, I just assumed they wouldn't have any malasadas. Lo and behold, they had a full variety neatly laid out in two rows on a baking tray. It was a sign from a higher power that life was good and worth living.They were $4 each, so we went to town two filled with Lilikoi, two filled with Coconut Custard, and one Plain all were dusted with sugar (photo: bit.ly/3qwNC0i). We just couldn't help ourselves, as memories of Leonard's flooded through our heads. Gratefully, Desiree and her staff have the chops to make them soft, pillowy, and packed with flavor that wasn't overly sweet. We felt the aloha breezes as we devoured them. Leonard would be proud.BAKED GOODS 5 stars...malasadas that'll make you do the hulaAMBIANCE 4 stars...pretty plain and clean and really no seatingSERVICE 4 stars...pretty much grab and go with no incidentTOTAL 5 stars...malasadas are donuts with the aloha spiritRELATED Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2CbVh8u
My goal today was to drive here from SF before going somewhere. Had been planning this for a week. Got there around 10 am Saturday. All they had was coconut mochi or butter cookies. Haupia pie (not at 10 am and can't last all day in hot trunk. Got the coconut vegan cookie. It was good, but for $5.50. They are cooking the rice for the musubi. I was told there would be more goodies on the way. So, I waited in the sun. Way too sunny. Walked around to the shade. If i had known, I would have walked to the next block to another cafe. The baker came and unloaded the car full of goodies. Waited some more. Any time now. Feeling tired of waiting and left. I would never know how good the lilikoi pound cake tastes. They have parking lot up on top of their roof.
Super friendly staff! Very delicious well price food! Will visit again :
Staff was friendly and helpful. My phone order was ready for pickup when it was supposed to be. Queen Emma: 6.5/10 Layered cake made of guava, passionfruit and coconut chiffon cake and mousse. I had high hopes for the cake given the hype in reviews and bought it for my dad's birthday. The flavors of guava, coconut and lilikoi were on point but unfortunately it was dry and imo not worth the $60+. On the bright side it's an excuse to add ice cream to enjoy with the cake. Malasadas: 9/10 malasadas are hard to find outside of Hawaii. These are the best malasadas I've tasted on the mainland and I've tried a handful of places that offer them. The only thing is they're only available on the weekend, limited supply and $4 a pop. For reference, Leonard's charges $2.25 for filled malasadas. I am willing to pay the premium for these malasadas though!
