SF Eats: Hanabi
It’s the little things that bring me joy these days: like a deliciously fluffy cake that is just the right amount of sweetness.
I’m talking about Hanabi, a new cake pop-up based in San Francisco that is serving up classic Asian flavors like Uji Matcha and Soymilk Custard. They’ve even got the nostalgic Strawberry Vanilla flavor all Asian kids will remember from their childhoods from birthdays and other special occasions. Don’t worry, they also have delicious items like Earl Grey and Tiramisu!
If you want to try their cakes, they’re offering my followers 20% off your order with the code GRACE20.
All of the cakes were so small and cute!
The main mastermind behind the flavors is Chef Sunny Yan (see her amazing cakes on IG here), a former pastry cook at Craftsman & Wolves. The Hanabi team is small, but growing quickly (or so I was told through Instagram DMs), and I’m really excited to see what other flavors will be released next!
We only got the little box cakes but each one was light, fluffy, and not too sweet. I liked them all so it’s hard to say which was my absolute favorite. The most amazing part is that you can order your cake and pick it up in 24-48 hours — an insane turnaround time in my mind, but maybe I’m a baking n00b??
Loved the simple design of this Uji Matcha Cake
But if you REALLY want a ranked list, here you go:
Strawberry Vanilla - this cake honestly brought back memories of birthdays with my family and the vanilla cake from Tai Pan Bakery topped with a pound of sliced fruits.
Chocolate Tiramisu - So chocolatey and light! I also liked the added texture from the crunchy little chocolate balls.
Soymilk Custard - I was surprised how much I liked this one but the soy milk flavor was so delicate and delightful.
Uji Matcha - The culinary matcha is legit in this cake and there are little dollops of red bean making for a pretty classic combination of flavors. The blueberry and mint leaf garnish were cute but felt out of place since those flavors weren’t incorporated in the rest of the cake at all.
Pork Furikake - I honestly was apprehensive about this one because a savory creamy cake sounds so weird…but it was actually pretty good? I think you’ll be turned off texturally if you’ve never had pork floss before, but the sweet/savory combo worked here.
The only issue I had with the Pork Furikake cake was the layers not holding up as we were eating due to the pork floss sandwiched in between the cake layers — it prevented the cream in the middle from binding the whole cake together.
The Strawberry Vanilla box cake
Hanabi has pick-up locations in SF, San Mateo, Fremont, and Cupertino, which is a huge radius for a small business located in Dogpatch. I gave my rankings above, but seriously, you should just try them all! The little box cakes are also the perfect size for 1-2 people (I had to share with Alan but totally could have eaten them by myself), so you could just have cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Sounds like a good day to me! And, a reminder for anyone who sees this, get 20% off your order from Hanabi with the code GRACE20 👍
