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A wide array of Japanese-style cheesecakes.
A wide array of Japanese-style cheesecakes.
Uncle Tetsu

21 Delightful Asian Dessert Spots in San Diego

From Japanese cheesecake to Korean shaved ice and beyond

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A wide array of Japanese-style cheesecakes.
| Uncle Tetsu

In the last few years, Asian dessert cafes have proliferated around San Diego, offering plenty of options for any kind of sweet tooth. From FIlipino halo-halo to Taiwanese tofu pudding, Korean snow bowls, Hong Kong bubble waffles, and Japanese taiyaki as well as Asian takes on everything from cheesecakes to European-style gateaus. these dessert spots are showcasing flavors and ingredients like matcha, ube, black sesame, and more.

Vibrant colors are almost a must for Asian desserts — visual aesthetics matter. But what matters more is that they taste amazing.

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Lady M Cake Boutique - San Diego

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The luxurious confectionary shop, famous for its Mille Crepes cakes, has perched itself in Westfield UTC, gracing us with its multitude of alternating layers of crepe and cream. Founded in New York City, the patisserie showcases delicate French cakes with a Japanese bent. Popular flavors include the original, green tea, and tiramisu but they also rotate seasonal flavors.

The green tea mille crepe cake at Lady M.
Green tea mille crepe cake.
Lady M

Matcha Cafe Maiko

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This matcha-focused cafe chain got its start in Hawaii and has branched out across the U.S. They import their matcha ingredients from Uji, Japan, a misty region known for its high caliber of green tea leaves. A favorite is the Maiko Special Parfait, made with matcha chiffon, chestnuts, and shiratama mochi. The two locations in the Convoy District and Escondido also carry Kokonut coconut puddings and Salt & Butter roll selections, like red bean-stuffed bread.

Matcha parfait.
Matcha parfait.
Matcha Cafe Maiko

Cheese Garden

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As the first Cheese Garden outpost in the U.S., the Japanese-style cheesecake is quickly garnering loyal followers in San Diego. Highlights include the original double-fromage cheesecake with a cheese sponge cake base topped with a layer of baked cream cheese and frozen mascarpone cheese. A recent addition is ah-boong (Korean fish-shaped pastries) and a wide selection of specialty drinks, like the iced blended strawberry cheesecake. 

Japanese-style cheesecakes
Japanese-style cheesecakes.
Cheese Garden.

Gelabong

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This adorable little Korean dessert cafe in Hillcrest serves dalgona, a smoky caramel toffee sponge candy that comes in small squares, which is added to coffee drinks to sweeten the taste. Made with sugar and bicarbonate of soda and made super famous by “Squid Game”, it’s a popular street snack in Korea. Gelabong also makes its own mochi donuts, taiyaki, and gelato.

Gelabong dessert with dalgona latte and milk.
Gelabong dessert with dalgona latte and milk.
Helen I. Hwang

Beard Papa’s

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If you’re looking for specialty cream puffs from Japan, this bakery group has found an abode on Girard Avenue in La Jolla after opening in San Diego for the second time. Started as a tiny shop in Osaka, Japan by Yuji Hirota (known around town for his recognizable fluffy white beard), there are now 400 stores in 15 countries. Their dessert is made of a double layer of choux pastry crowned with a sprinkling of crispy pie crust, with fillings made of ice cream or the original version, a mix of whipped cream and vanilla custard. 

Variety of Japanese-style cream puffs
Variety of Japanese-style cream puffs.
Helen I. Hwang

Bing Haus

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This quaint dessert shop in the Convoy District is one of the few places that can whip up Thai hand-rolled ice cream, packing the frozen swirls in a cup and accessorizing with various toppings. with toppings of your choice. The popular bingsoo (Korean shaved ice) comes with fresh fruits like watermelon and they also do mochi doughnuts.

With locations in Spring Valley and in the Convoy District, this homegrown dessert café specializes in halo-halo, a Filipino dessert that consists of milk, crushed ice, toppings, and ice cream on top. Another best seller is the stunning Purple Drink, an ube-taro blend with brown sugar boba with ube whipped cream and ube drizzle. 

Filipino dessert called the halo-halo.
Filipino dessert called the halo-halo.
Snoice

The Yeti Dessert Cafe

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The cozy cafe located off the pedestrian walkway in the Village at Mira Mesa recently changed ownership, replacing Snowy Village. Snowbowls (Korean shaved milk ice) can be ordered with fresh strawberries or tropical mango. The restaurant recently expanded to morning hours, offering bubble waffles and taiyaki with sweet or savory versions.

SomiSomi

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The popular dessert chain specializes in a Korean dessert called ah-boong, fish-shaped waffle cones packed with soft-serve ice cream and fillings like Nutella and red bean. Soft-serve ice cream flavors rotate but popular ones, like chocolate and milk, are mainstays. There are now cafes in the Convoy District, Mira Mesa, and UTC.

Uncle Tetsu

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The famous Japanese bakery is doing bustling trade in its souffle-like cheesecakes since first opening on Convoy Street. The global chain that started in Japan nearly 40 years ago is known for its popular cheesecake flavors like original, purple ube, and pandan coconut. Burnt Basque cheesecakes have arrived, while Hokkaido-style cheese tarts and crispy cheesecake biscotti are on the horizon. 

Japanese-style cheesecakes
Wide array of flavors available in the Japanese-style cheesecakes.
Uncle Tetsu

Cafe Hue

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This friendly crepe and coffee establishment captures the atmosphere and feel of a French Vietnamese café. For a sweet crepe, try the Nutella and mixed fruits option or the Liege waffle made with sugar-studded batter paired with red bean paste and whipped cream. Add a scoop of black sesame or taro gelato for an indulgent flair. 

Liege waffle with red bean paste and whipped cream.
Liege waffle with red bean paste and whipped cream.
Helen I. Hwang

Hui Lau Shan

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The Hong Kong dessert chain has made a name for itself with its popular mango sago, and fresh mangoes feature prominently in most of its desserts. The Mango Romance is a good choice, with a sampling of mango balls and mango mochi.

Meet Fresh

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Sweet dessert soup is a traditional way to end a meal in a few Asian locales, like Taiwan. This authentic Taiwanese dessert place showcases “QQ” ingredients like sweet taro balls and boba. Beans cooked in brown sugar are also popular in many traditional desserts. In the San Diego locations, there are also plenty of Asian desserts that are becoming more familiar here, like egg waffles and shaved ice with mangoes or strawberries.

Mochinut Donuts San Diego

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The mochi doughnut craze has found firm footing in San Diego with several locations of this shop that combines mochi with an American-style doughnut, the result is a hybrid pastry that’s both pleasantly chewy and airy. Flavors rotate every Monday and Friday with favorites including the blue Cookie Monster, churro, and funnel cake that comes with a choice of chocolate, strawberry, or caramel drizzle. 

Mochinuts in three flavors
Mochinuts in three flavors.
Helen I. Hwang

85°Bakery Cafe

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The popular Taiwanese bakery has four locations in the area, serving house-baked breads and light, airy desserts like honey cream cake. Don’t be shy about pouncing on a fresh batch of sweets that the chefs announce and bring out on trays throughout the day. Try the red bean and custard buns.

Paris Baguette Cafe

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The South Korean bakery-café chain has quickly expanded across the U.S., touting itself as the “neighborhood bakery.” It’s the place to head for consistent cakes with a subtle sweetness ubiquitous with Asian-style desserts. The strawberry soft-cream cake and blueberry chiffon cakes are must-tries.

Up2you Cafe

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Tucked off of Convoy Street is a modern dessert place with specialties like thick golden brown honey toast, crepe cake, or puffle waffles. You can add an assortment of toppings that are “up to you,” such as fresh fruit, Nutella, or dulce de leche. Pair a dessert with a sparkling lemon soda infused with passionfruit.

LAB Desserts & Coffee

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Gorgeous, colorful desserts dominate the display case in this Korean-inspired, French-style bakery on Convoy. Many of the desserts are also gluten-free and nut-free, giving more sweet options to those with sensitivities. The house-made macarons are so beautifully decorated that it’s almost a shame to take a bite but when you do, every bite is as good as it looks. They also have cotton candy burritos.

Sweet mango dessert.
Sweet mango dessert at LAB Desserts & Coffee.
Helen I. Hwang

Boba Bar and Desserts

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This dessert shop grew out of the Zion Market food court and opened storefronts on Convoy Street and National City. They’re best known for their puffles, a fluffy egg-based batter cooked in a bubble waffle mold and then folded into a cone. Add in green tea ice cream and vanilla custard with fruit and honey drizzle. 

Iceskimo

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This locally-owned dessert chain specializes in Taiwanese shaved snow ice — slivers of refreshing frozen ribbons in over 30 flavors such as lychee, toasted coconut, and Dutch chocolate. The dessert ice blocks are handcrafted by the founder in an ice snow factory in Kearny Mesa using real fruits. Customers pick a size, add toppings (like boba, almond jelly, or fresh fruit), and pay by weight. Soft-serve ice cream and taiyakis are other popular options. 

Sage French Cake & Coffee

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The French-Japanese patisserie in the Convoy District focuses on delicate, light cakes for a sit-down treat or whole cakes to take home. Be sure to order ahead of time. Items regularly sell out so get there early if you want to try a popular favorite like the Elby, composed of white chocolate and dark chocolate cream. The raspberry ganache and tiramisu are also delightfully decadent. 

Lady M Cake Boutique - San Diego

The luxurious confectionary shop, famous for its Mille Crepes cakes, has perched itself in Westfield UTC, gracing us with its multitude of alternating layers of crepe and cream. Founded in New York City, the patisserie showcases delicate French cakes with a Japanese bent. Popular flavors include the original, green tea, and tiramisu but they also rotate seasonal flavors.

The green tea mille crepe cake at Lady M.
Green tea mille crepe cake.
Lady M

Matcha Cafe Maiko

This matcha-focused cafe chain got its start in Hawaii and has branched out across the U.S. They import their matcha ingredients from Uji, Japan, a misty region known for its high caliber of green tea leaves. A favorite is the Maiko Special Parfait, made with matcha chiffon, chestnuts, and shiratama mochi. The two locations in the Convoy District and Escondido also carry Kokonut coconut puddings and Salt & Butter roll selections, like red bean-stuffed bread.

Matcha parfait.
Matcha parfait.
Matcha Cafe Maiko

Cheese Garden

As the first Cheese Garden outpost in the U.S., the Japanese-style cheesecake is quickly garnering loyal followers in San Diego. Highlights include the original double-fromage cheesecake with a cheese sponge cake base topped with a layer of baked cream cheese and frozen mascarpone cheese. A recent addition is ah-boong (Korean fish-shaped pastries) and a wide selection of specialty drinks, like the iced blended strawberry cheesecake. 

Japanese-style cheesecakes
Japanese-style cheesecakes.
Cheese Garden.

Gelabong

This adorable little Korean dessert cafe in Hillcrest serves dalgona, a smoky caramel toffee sponge candy that comes in small squares, which is added to coffee drinks to sweeten the taste. Made with sugar and bicarbonate of soda and made super famous by “Squid Game”, it’s a popular street snack in Korea. Gelabong also makes its own mochi donuts, taiyaki, and gelato.

Gelabong dessert with dalgona latte and milk.
Gelabong dessert with dalgona latte and milk.
Helen I. Hwang

Beard Papa’s

If you’re looking for specialty cream puffs from Japan, this bakery group has found an abode on Girard Avenue in La Jolla after opening in San Diego for the second time. Started as a tiny shop in Osaka, Japan by Yuji Hirota (known around town for his recognizable fluffy white beard), there are now 400 stores in 15 countries. Their dessert is made of a double layer of choux pastry crowned with a sprinkling of crispy pie crust, with fillings made of ice cream or the original version, a mix of whipped cream and vanilla custard. 

Variety of Japanese-style cream puffs
Variety of Japanese-style cream puffs.
Helen I. Hwang

Bing Haus

This quaint dessert shop in the Convoy District is one of the few places that can whip up Thai hand-rolled ice cream, packing the frozen swirls in a cup and accessorizing with various toppings. with toppings of your choice. The popular bingsoo (Korean shaved ice) comes with fresh fruits like watermelon and they also do mochi doughnuts.

Snoice

With locations in Spring Valley and in the Convoy District, this homegrown dessert café specializes in halo-halo, a Filipino dessert that consists of milk, crushed ice, toppings, and ice cream on top. Another best seller is the stunning Purple Drink, an ube-taro blend with brown sugar boba with ube whipped cream and ube drizzle. 

Filipino dessert called the halo-halo.
Filipino dessert called the halo-halo.
Snoice

The Yeti Dessert Cafe

The cozy cafe located off the pedestrian walkway in the Village at Mira Mesa recently changed ownership, replacing Snowy Village. Snowbowls (Korean shaved milk ice) can be ordered with fresh strawberries or tropical mango. The restaurant recently expanded to morning hours, offering bubble waffles and taiyaki with sweet or savory versions.

SomiSomi

The popular dessert chain specializes in a Korean dessert called ah-boong, fish-shaped waffle cones packed with soft-serve ice cream and fillings like Nutella and red bean. Soft-serve ice cream flavors rotate but popular ones, like chocolate and milk, are mainstays. There are now cafes in the Convoy District, Mira Mesa, and UTC.

Uncle Tetsu

The famous Japanese bakery is doing bustling trade in its souffle-like cheesecakes since first opening on Convoy Street. The global chain that started in Japan nearly 40 years ago is known for its popular cheesecake flavors like original, purple ube, and pandan coconut. Burnt Basque cheesecakes have arrived, while Hokkaido-style cheese tarts and crispy cheesecake biscotti are on the horizon. 

Japanese-style cheesecakes
Wide array of flavors available in the Japanese-style cheesecakes.
Uncle Tetsu

Cafe Hue

This friendly crepe and coffee establishment captures the atmosphere and feel of a French Vietnamese café. For a sweet crepe, try the Nutella and mixed fruits option or the Liege waffle made with sugar-studded batter paired with red bean paste and whipped cream. Add a scoop of black sesame or taro gelato for an indulgent flair. 

Liege waffle with red bean paste and whipped cream.
Liege waffle with red bean paste and whipped cream.
Helen I. Hwang

Hui Lau Shan

The Hong Kong dessert chain has made a name for itself with its popular mango sago, and fresh mangoes feature prominently in most of its desserts. The Mango Romance is a good choice, with a sampling of mango balls and mango mochi.

Meet Fresh

Sweet dessert soup is a traditional way to end a meal in a few Asian locales, like Taiwan. This authentic Taiwanese dessert place showcases “QQ” ingredients like sweet taro balls and boba. Beans cooked in brown sugar are also popular in many traditional desserts. In the San Diego locations, there are also plenty of Asian desserts that are becoming more familiar here, like egg waffles and shaved ice with mangoes or strawberries.

Mochinut Donuts San Diego

The mochi doughnut craze has found firm footing in San Diego with several locations of this shop that combines mochi with an American-style doughnut, the result is a hybrid pastry that’s both pleasantly chewy and airy. Flavors rotate every Monday and Friday with favorites including the blue Cookie Monster, churro, and funnel cake that comes with a choice of chocolate, strawberry, or caramel drizzle. 

Mochinuts in three flavors
Mochinuts in three flavors.
Helen I. Hwang

85°Bakery Cafe

The popular Taiwanese bakery has four locations in the area, serving house-baked breads and light, airy desserts like honey cream cake. Don’t be shy about pouncing on a fresh batch of sweets that the chefs announce and bring out on trays throughout the day. Try the red bean and custard buns.

Related Maps

Paris Baguette Cafe

The South Korean bakery-café chain has quickly expanded across the U.S., touting itself as the “neighborhood bakery.” It’s the place to head for consistent cakes with a subtle sweetness ubiquitous with Asian-style desserts. The strawberry soft-cream cake and blueberry chiffon cakes are must-tries.

Up2you Cafe

Tucked off of Convoy Street is a modern dessert place with specialties like thick golden brown honey toast, crepe cake, or puffle waffles. You can add an assortment of toppings that are “up to you,” such as fresh fruit, Nutella, or dulce de leche. Pair a dessert with a sparkling lemon soda infused with passionfruit.

LAB Desserts & Coffee

Gorgeous, colorful desserts dominate the display case in this Korean-inspired, French-style bakery on Convoy. Many of the desserts are also gluten-free and nut-free, giving more sweet options to those with sensitivities. The house-made macarons are so beautifully decorated that it’s almost a shame to take a bite but when you do, every bite is as good as it looks. They also have cotton candy burritos.

Sweet mango dessert.
Sweet mango dessert at LAB Desserts & Coffee.
Helen I. Hwang

Boba Bar and Desserts

This dessert shop grew out of the Zion Market food court and opened storefronts on Convoy Street and National City. They’re best known for their puffles, a fluffy egg-based batter cooked in a bubble waffle mold and then folded into a cone. Add in green tea ice cream and vanilla custard with fruit and honey drizzle. 

Iceskimo

This locally-owned dessert chain specializes in Taiwanese shaved snow ice — slivers of refreshing frozen ribbons in over 30 flavors such as lychee, toasted coconut, and Dutch chocolate. The dessert ice blocks are handcrafted by the founder in an ice snow factory in Kearny Mesa using real fruits. Customers pick a size, add toppings (like boba, almond jelly, or fresh fruit), and pay by weight. Soft-serve ice cream and taiyakis are other popular options. 

Sage French Cake & Coffee

The French-Japanese patisserie in the Convoy District focuses on delicate, light cakes for a sit-down treat or whole cakes to take home. Be sure to order ahead of time. Items regularly sell out so get there early if you want to try a popular favorite like the Elby, composed of white chocolate and dark chocolate cream. The raspberry ganache and tiramisu are also delightfully decadent. 

Related Maps