The Essential Guide to Asiatown
5 Sweet Treats You Won't Find Anywhere Else
Asiatown is a hotbed of desserts, from traditional to trendy.
Image: Daniel Kramer
Red Circle Ice Cream
- What: A new and new-school parlor fusing bold flavor choices behind an unassuming façade
- Popular Choice: The Chino Churro, plain vanilla topped with house-made cinnamon churros and Pocky sticks
- Under-the-Radar Choice: Hot Cheeto ice cream wrapped in a Puffelicious bubble waffle
- Price per treat: $5-6
Kung Fu Tea
- What: This, the flagship location of an international café chain, goes well beyond bubble tea (and they don't suffer fussy customers, so don't mess around).
- Popular Choice: Red bean Wow Milk
- Under-the-Radar Choice: Yogurt grapefuit juice with herbal jelly
- Price per treat: $3-6
Image: Courtesy of Bambu
Bambu
- What: A popular chain serving a mind-boggling variety of the ice-topped, Vietnamese dessert drinks known as che
- Popular Choice: Number 10, coconut water with grass jelly and pandan jelly, plus red tapioca
- Under-the-Radar Choice: The Smashed Avocado smoothie with tapioca and beautifully mysterious maroon jelly "bricks"
- Price per treat: $4-5
Parisian Bakery & Cafe
- What: A family-owned stalwart serving hot, fresh, Viet-French, sweet and savory patisserie
- Popular Choice: The macarons
- Under-the-Radar Choice: Banh tieu, the deep-fried "hollow donut" that's the beignet's subtler, more satisfying cousin
- Price per treat: Around $2
Image: Gwendolyn Zepeda
Nu Cafe
- What: The crown jewel of shaved ice, nestled in the Dun Huang shopping center and surrounded by other sweet standouts
- Popular Choice: Almond ice with mini mochis and lychee drizzle
- Under-the-Radar Choice: Let this be your stepping stone to the world of traditional Chinese desserts—try coconut sago pudding at Juice Box, next door.
- Price per treat: $3-7
