I was sad to see their old location on lease :( But my wife saw their new location and we were ecstatic that this place did not disappear Mooncake is great but the lava cake are even awesome. Special seasonal mooncakes are a must try read more

Love their lava cakes! I've never had their regular mooncake. I do think it's smaller than how they use to make it. Remember to split the lava cake with someone because it's a loooot of calories. read more

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This is the definition of NAUGHTY Asian dessert. Small, delightful, flaky, yet lava-flowing eggy custard is what Aliya Lavaland is known for. For those who are not fans of egg or liquidy golden goodness, you can get the ones without the lava flow (aka, they just call it the "regular mooncake" - note, these are small in size compared to the "lava" ones). Flavors for both the "regular" and "lava" range from regular (contains mung bean paste), Ube, Taro w/ coconut milk, matcha, and black sesame. You can order each flavor on their own or get the 5 piece assorted box set, which is what I did to try each of the flavors out. The regular mooncakes without the lava are more dense because they do not have a space in the middle for the flowing eggy lava custard. I like that they each have that mung bean paste base that's not too sweet, but just slightly different in their flavors depending on which flavor you get. My favorite were the black sesame and the original. For the "lava" mooncakes, it's the same super light and flakiness on the outside with a thin layer of mung bean paste right underneath the flaky layers, then filled generously in the middle with the eggy custard. You must eat it hot or reheat in a toaster oven (if not eating it the same day) for max joy and experience. The lava eggy custard was sweet, but not overly "burn your throat" sweet and slight savory as well. It had a good custard flavor without it being too eggy. Come here for a once-in-a-while splurge when you're in the area. Definitely a treat to be shared!!! read more

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Came here to buy some unique mooncakes. The inside is very small with no tables. Service was friendly and very fast. The highlight is the orange mooncake. Would love to come back next year. read more

Aliya Lavaland - ORANGE - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Review #941 2026-005 Food Order: Lava Mooncakes: Black Sesame, Matcha, Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube," Signature, Taro $16.00/box Mini Mooncakes: Signature, Black Sesame, Taro, Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube," Matcha $6.25/box Aliya Lavaland is a woman-owned, Asian-style/Thai sweets shop that sells mooncakes year-round. Typically, mooncakes are eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Moon Festival) celebration around September. The round shape symbolizes family union/gathering, unity, & completeness that mirrors the (round) full moon. What started out as a passion project during the pandemic, Pastry Chef/Owner Alice Mekaswarn turned it into a brick & mortar in June 2021, showcasing their unique "lava" mooncakes that's a fusion of Thai & French pastry... mashup of a Thai kanom pia (type of flaky pastry with a smashed bean filling) while using French baking techniques. Lava Flavors (with salted egg lava center): Black Sesame: roasted black sesame seeds, premium mung beans Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube": Okinawan purple yam (grown in Hawaii), coconut milk Matcha: real matcha, premium mung beans Signature: premium mung beans Taro: taro & coconut milk Mini Mooncakes (no salted egg lava center): Black Sesame: roasted black sesame seeds, premium mung beans Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube": Okinawan purple yam (grown in Hawaii), coconut milk Matcha: real matcha, premium mung beans Signature: premium mung beans Taro: taro & coconut milk Signature "with Salted Egg": premium mung beans, fully cooked duck egg yolk I bought a 5 pc. lava assorted box for my foodie nephew for Christmas, knowing he'll enjoy these unique treats. Yes, it was well-loved by him & his family; my cousin particularly enjoyed the Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube" (check out my video of the lava oozing out of the mooncake) & her sister was a fan of the Black Sesame. And the 5 pc. mini mooncake assorted box was for my daughter's godmother, who is also a foodie. They're not that into sweets so I thought the minis would suit them best. They loved every single flavor that I should have gotten them the lava version. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The lava mooncakes had a flaky, mild sweet crust; all flavors were prominent in the lava & mini mooncakes, particularly the Black Sesame, Taro, & Matcha; the Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube" was flavorful but more subtle, didn't smack you in the face like the former. Orange was a new flavor that was introduced a couple of years ago, but only available during Lunar New Year & Moon Festival. I hope Pastry Chef Mekaswarn will consider a persimmon lava mooncake to her menu (fingers crossed). Though not my thing, but durian is also a popular Asian fruit. The typical mooncake fillings are usually make with some type of paste: mung beans, lotus seed, sweet red bean, black sesame, or mixed nuts (aka five kernels; 五仁), which is not a paste but a mixture of chopped nuts & seeds, & the premium mooncakes (according to my Mom) contain salted duck egg yolk. I've only eaten lava custard buns (aka liu sha bao; 流沙包) for dim sum at Chinese restaurants, so it's understandable that a "hot" bun could create a rich, flowing lava filling. But how does Aliya Lavaland do it? Their mooncakes are not pipin' hot to create that heat for lava, yet when you break into a mooncake, the lava oozes out like a hot lava custard bun. To ensure flowing lava that's fresh & perfectly molten, lava mooncakes are filled just before baking so there's a slight wait. I think I waited 10-mins.? Upon entering the shop, you see this huge, bright mural of a boy chef mixing batter & a girl enjoying her mooncake. The lobby is spacious with a few scattered chairs along the entrance & against the wall; there's no dining area or tables for you to chillax & enjoy your mooncakes. I suppose you could sit & eat inside, but I think the lack of tables is meant for takeout only. And that also means there's no public restrooms. There's only 5 flavors; the prices are fair, if not cheap, in comparison to regular mooncakes at Asian bakeries. If you order their assorted lava or mini mooncake boxes, there's a slight discount. The mooncakes do not have preservatives so the shelf life is short if you actually have any leftovers (we didn't). Service was warm & friendly... upon delivery, I was provided with instructions on how to store & refresh them if we have leftovers. My fam & I "lava" Aliya Lavaland!! How could you not? Made-to-order freshness that's decadent & somewhat messy (the lava ones), I can enjoy these fantabulous mooncakes year round... definitely worth the drive & worth the wait! Highly Recommended: All flavors of the lava & mini mooncakes, especially Hawaiian Purple Yam "Ube" (my personal fav!). read more

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Aliya Lavaland specializes in layered pastry shell mooncakes. They are known for the "Lava Mooncakes". Their style of Mooncakes is Thai-Fusion with two kinds to choose from: Lava or Regular Mooncake. Lava Mooncake is a type of custard mooncake with a liquid center (salted egg yolk custard), which bursts out with the first bite. It is their specialty best seller here. We got the REGULAR Mooncakes with NO Liquid Custard (Lava). The base is sweetened mung beans available in flavors such as: Ube, Taro, Green Tea, Black Sesame, Plain Mung Beans. They were not too sweet and paired well with tea or coffee. The owner is very welcoming and patient in answering questions. They accept: Credit Cards, Apple Pay, and Cash. Parking available in the back of the building; street parking on Atlantic Blvd. read more

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absolutely love the lava mooncakes here! This is such a great spot whether you're picking up a beautiful gift for someone or just treating yourself. Ever flavor I've tried has been delicious. Rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced without being overly sweet. You can really tell a lot of care goes into making them. Definitely one of my favorite places for lava mooncakes! read more

I am not a fan of traditional moon cakes, that's why we came in to get some non traditional moon cakes from this cute little shop. We got two boxes of mixed moon cakes. I have to say that the lava moon cakes were fantastic! I think I will get those again real soon! read more

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I love this place! They're rich so I can't have them all the time but they're also worth it when I decide to treat myself. It's a small take and go place with a small coffee stand inside. Order at the counter and you're out the door in less than a minute. The lava buns are the best and what I always get. Salted yolk is a must. All the flavors are delicious but black sesame and original are my favorite. They also sometimes have seasonal flavors and I see a lot of people get mooncake. There is parking in the back or a few spots on the street. I definitely recommend this place for a special treat. read more

We got the variety box of the lava buns. Its a small shop with no seating. Its more of a takeout place. The variety box came with 5 pieces of the lava buns. We got the original, taro, ube, matcha, and black sesame. The one that was the most flavorful was the ube one which had a floral taste to it. In the end, they all started to taste the same. The filling are all salted egg yolk filling with the crispy shell is the one with the flavors. It was a interesting dessert...not too sweet. But i prefer a more soft bun thats hot and steamy out of the oven than the crispy flaky shell. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Delicious moon cakes with a generous amount of custard! Deserves to become tiktok famous!

This thing was so good. So flavorful. The outer layer was flaky but not messy. The inside was gooey but not runny. It was really good, and I am excited to try the other flavors. read more

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The Sweetie Strawberry Matcha Latte was delicious. The business is small and decorated cutely. The lady at the counter was very sweet. She made my drink just as I asked for it, and it was fire. read more

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Delicious pastries!!! The service is very quick and the place is small and casual. But that's all that's needed because it's perfect for pucking up the pastries. I love the pastries with the egg yolk lava inside. They are all good and the taro one is my favorite because of its fragrance. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Ube lava - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

great moon cakes and drinks lady is super nice I like the funny lucky cat with a big arm read more

First timer trying mooncakes this good! A colleague at work brought some today, assorted with their signature lava mooncake, ube, matcha. Made with Just the right amount of ingredients, 10/10! It's so addicting I have to stop myself. Will definitely get myself some to share to the family. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Aliya Loveland is unique and very tasty! Great to bring as dessert for a small gathering or hostess gift! Looking forward to visiting the bakery again! Would have an opportunity to try other flavors, so many good choices. Love the 2 size(s) option! read more

I ordered 6 pieces assorted box. Presentation was great. I tried all flavors and I loved them all. The store used to be located on Atlantic Blvd. They moved to Garvey Ave. Cute decorations inside the store. Must try! read more

Aliya Lavaland - 6 pieces Assorted box. - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Such an aesthetic little spot! Definitely worth trying. We didn't try any of their lava mooncakes (salted egg yolk) but would love to next time. Not sure if it was intentional but the mooncake crust had faint floral taste almost like rose. Crust was soft and flaky, not too dense. Hawaiian Ube Regular Mooncake - ube flavor wasn't as strong as I anticipated it to be. Taro Regular Mooncake - was my favorite! You can taste really taste real taro. Matcha Regular Mooncake - my second favorite. Matcha blended well with mung bean. Black Sesame Regular Mooncake - was my least favorite. Black sesame didn't mix well with mung bean, filling was very dry and incoherent. I personally didn't like it one bit. I would not grab this flavor again. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Ambiance: it's a small dessert store located in Monterey Park, takeout orders only Service: very friendly and patient with questions Food: they made the cakes fresh daily, and they can last about one week Assorted Box of Regular Mooncakes - **** recommend for the variety Signature Regular Mooncake - *** With Half Salted Eaa Yolk Hawaiian Purple Yam Ube Lava Mooncake - **** the lava was so tasty, recommend Price: each cake costs about $2 to $4, and the combo pack has the best value read more

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This is exactly the kind of shop people mean when they say, "Support your local small businesses." I believe it was the owner who helped us, and she was as sweet as her desserts. The concept is simple--they specialize in flaky pastries filled with various flavored mung bean pastes, with the option to add a rich, eggy lava filling for an extra $2.05. The store itself is small and charming. What We Ordered: Half Dozen Box - $21.70 (Eggy Lava Filled) These pastries lean on the sweeter side, with a dense, rich, and ultra-gooey texture. After refrigeration, the filling takes on a more jam-like consistency, which I personally enjoyed. * 2 Ube (Pink Pastry) - Deep purple inside with a distinct ube flavor. * 2 Black Sesame (Black Pastry) - Subtle black sesame taste but still delicious. * Taro (Purple Pastry) - Light purple filling with a noticeable taro flavor. * Signature (Yellow Pastry) - The most egg-forward in flavor, rich and satisfying. I didn't get the matcha this time but maybe next time. They are pretty pricy, but these are very specific type of dessert, when I'm craving it, I'll definitely be back! read more

Aliya Lavaland - Box $21.70 lava filled 12/2024 - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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I've always seen recommendations for this place pop up on Yelp whenever I'm looking for a dessert place in the area. They do close a bit earlier though (6 PM), so I haven't had the chance to try their lava mooncakes until recently. I ordered for pick up ahead of time on the Toast Tab app and they have a points and rewards system through that. I ordered the special Lunar New Year 6 pack ( you can choose 5 of the flavors) that comes with a special no filling tangerine cake that looks almost identical to a real tangerine (leaves and stem and all!). The instructions on how to store, refrigerate, and heat the cakes are in the shop (I believe 8-10 seconds twice) and the service was polite and already had my order packed up even before the designated pick up time. The interior is cutely decorated with some artwork from I believe a young child patron or the owner's own family, very cute. There are some outdoor tables in the plaza surrounding too and some seating if you want to dig into your food then and there. I got 1 of every of the flavors that they offered, which were taro, Hawaiian pink yam, matcha, black sesame, and their original. I got this in lava style which means that there's yummy gooey salted egg yolk inside. This went great with the slightly dry flakiness of the bun on the outside. Delicious and even my coworkers who have never had this pastry before, and were somewhat wary, really enjoyed it. The solid orange one is also very good and you can taste that they include a bit of orange zest in it too. Not too sweet or tart either. Perfect yummy desserts for the Asian palate! read more

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Got a few flavors to try. Orignal lava is what you'd expect. If you don't like the salted egg lava, then you won't like this, but if you do then you would love it. Flaky pastry and has somewhat floral thing to it. Black sesame lava is heftier from the black sesame paste. Filling is the same salted egg lava, for some reason we were expecting black lava. Same, has pretty strong floral thing to it. You either love it or hate it. But we could tell this was made with a lot of care. Black sesame regular is basically just without the lava. Yummy. Been wanting to try this place for a while, but the price is a big deterrent. Also they close pretty early (granted, not dinner dessert type of thing). Good for gifts or indulgence here and there, but there's a reason they don't offer party tray! Staff is nice tho. This place is located in the plaza across from amc. With half/half, sunright, and thai paradise. read more

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Aliya Lavaland is located in the same plaza as Sunright with a parking lot in the back and also street parking available. My husband and I came for a visit two Saturdays ago, around 2:20 pm. We were greeted by an employee behind the counter. We ended up purchasing: 5 piece box, $18.25 + Orange Moon Cake, $4.50- This special box set comes with a flavor of each lava moon cake and one moon cake that looks like an orange/ tangerine. Aliya Lavaland is well known for their lava cakes, which is a flaky baked shell that holds a salted egg inside that oozes out when you take your first bite. I normally do not like salted egg but this filling has more of a nice light custard flavor. Each of the flavors that my husband and I tried were good. My mom also enjoyed one of the moon cakes. My husband and I split the orange moon cake, which we were told is only offered during lunar new year and during the harvest mon festival. I liked the light orange flavor and appreciated that it wasn't too sweet (neither were the lava moon cakes). ---------------------------------- (Total= $22.75, no tax) Service was friendly and wait time was probably about 1 minute long. There are 2 small benches to sit on inside and some outdoor seating. There are not restrooms available for customers. Aliya Lavaland is a nice treat to have and also would make for a great gift for family and friends. I know I will be back in the near future. read more

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I come here to get mooncakes for my friends and family. They are reasonably priced and make for unique gifts. Around this time of year they have the orange looking moon cake and it's so cute so I always include that as part of my rotation. They're not too sweet so it's great for the older Asian palate. Definitely recommended! read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I really want to give you 5 stars, but please help your business, and UPDATE YOUR OPEN HOURS OF BUSINESS across all platforms!! You have a great product, but a fast way to lose customers is INACCURATE and INCONSISTENT opening Hours! I have lost count of the amount of times, at random times during normal business hours and days, where I've come and the shop is closed (when Apple Maps, Google, Yelp, etc, otherwise say that you should be open) It is beyond frustrating. read more

My friend and I decided to stop by here after getting boba nearby and after lunch. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. I came during a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't too busy. There are two types of mooncakes.. the lava and non-lava kinds. I really like flowing lava fillings so I decided to get the lava kind. I opted for the hawaiian ube flavor and only got one because it was a bit pricey. I didn't get to eat it the same day, but stuck it in the fridge and ate it next day after heating it up for 20 secs. It was delicious! The outer layers were flaky, and there was a generous amount of filling. It wasn't too sweet so that was a plus. I would have gotten the variety box if it wasn't so pricey, but next time I'll stop by to try the different flavors. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Hawaiian ube lava mooncake - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Checked out this place for their lava egg yolk pastries. Small place with plenty of parking in the back. There was no wait at all when we went during the evening. Customer service was nice and helpful! We got a box of 6 to share. It looks really vibrant and aesthetic from the outside! I'm a huge fan of lava egg yolk so I also really enjoyed the inside of the mooncakes. However, I found the outside to be a bit dry. Maybe it was just a one-off thing. I'd go back to get more as gifts for sure. read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I love trying new desserts and these are definitely an acquired taste. But still yummy and something unique and different. Shop was super cute and liked the selection of favors. We tried the variety lava cake. Liked that they were grab and go: read more

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I went to pick up mooncakes for Lunar New Year with my friend! I wasn't sure if I had to call in advance, or if I could just walk in and order, but I was in the area and decided to stop by. We ordered the 6 assortment box of the lava melting mooncakes and a special mandarin orange one. I loved the lava mooncakes, I'm not usually a fan of mung bean, but I enjoyed all of the flavors. These tasted the best fresh, but I put them in the fridge overnight, heated them up in the microwave for a bit and they were still yummy! My favorite flavors were the green one (matcha) and the black one (black sesame). I think these are worth the price, even now that Lunar New Year is over, if I'm in the area I would still buy a 6 pack :) read more

Aliya Lavaland - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Colorful desserts great for sharing with friends and family, and they also look beautiful in photos. Would recommend the big white boxes for presentation (rather than the smaller clear plastic clamshell). Lava mooncakes are the specialty here with an interesting golden filling - would recommend them. Thanks to Yelp for helping us discover Aliya Lavaland as we were visiting Monterey Park. Convenient location with plenty of parking in free parking lot or street parking. Relatively busy with a few other customers coming in while we were there, it's a good sign. read more

The moon cakes are tasty and cute! The inside of the shop is very small, with just enough space to wait as they box up your order. The woman who helped us was friendly and seemed happy to be there. I would definitely go again! read more

Aliya Lavaland - Limited time orange mooncake - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Got this 6 pcs lava mooncake to visit a friend! We bought 2 on the side to try. The black sesame and the ube! I cant resist anything black sesame and its so good!!! I felt like the ube was sweeter so not my first choice! The lavaaa oooozes out so yum! We tried to share but really its good for yourself. Will def be back! read more

Aliya Lavaland - 6 pcs lava mooncakes - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Ok. I was really anticipating the lava mooncakes here and it was underwhelming and expensive. Wasn't bad. Just didn't have that wow factor or salted egg flavor. The lady at the counter was nice and patient with me. This is an order to-go kind of place. No where to enjoy the pastries except in your car or go home (or out) with it. read more

Their lava moon cakes are AMAZING! Straight off the bat, I regret not buying more and would totally come back to get some! Service was pretty friendly! The cashier greeted us and explained what the popular picks were among the lava moon cakes. She told us the original, taro, and ube were the most popular. The store was also super cute with all of the doodles on the wall. Immediately when you cut the pastry, the "lava" seems to keep flowing! The pastry is pretty flaky, buttery. The contrast of the pastry with the lava is great. There was so much depth to the lava...not too sweet and not too salty. There was also another flavor to it...perhaps the mung bean melding with the other flavors of the salted yolk, but it doesn't taste like the mung bean I imagined...Honestly couldn't taste too much mung bean in the pastry otherwise, but I'm not mad. I'm literally dreaming about these lava moon cakes and I can't wait until the next time I come back! read more

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Adorable! Amazing! Delicious!! First came across this place at a Huntington Museum event and i've been chasing it ever since. Unfortunately since i live a bit away i wasn't able to go until today. I am so happy theyre here! The woman who helped us was so incredibly nice and i got 2 matcha which i am addicted to. The inside is sweetly decorated but its basically just a pick up place and not a hang out because it is so small. Trust me, run to this place!! read more

Aliya Lavaland - Matcha - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I was eyeing this spot for some time since they opened in Monterey Park and excited to finally give them a try! We loved the lava mooncakes! This is women-owned business that is mainly for take-out and the murals are the cutest thing. We ordered the black sesame and Ube lava. The black sesame flavor was great and I liked the slightly savory, nuttiness that it had. The ube had less of a prominent flavor (as most ube things do). Both were flakey and soft like a traditional mooncake but the addition of the salted egg yolk lava is the middle was amazing! Kind of broke up the dryness you typically have when eating a mooncake and brought a savory note to the dessert! read more

Hopia to some, mooncakes to many more. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AJL7BHKiT33CjbSnTyiXmg&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Passing by Aliya Lavaland, the signage proved too enticing to pass up. Unfortunately, Aliya Lavaland is closed Thursdays, so a repeat trip the next day became priority. Hopia (aka mooncakes), I'm quite familiar with. Lavacakes, I was not. Therefore, between Aliya Lavaland's options of mooncakes & lavacakes, a couple of lavacakes became the desired option. Signature mung bean & ube lavacakes- https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=5Tcv8dfWdonYXeQgo2VI6Q&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Where is all that lava coming from? Eating lavacakes is a messy ordeal! The creamy salted egg yolk flowed from each lavacake. Both were flaky & non too sweet. Great treats to eat! The packaging had instructions on reheating, which weren't needed, because they were polished off within no time. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mI9eFrXV9tXKG4Qm39zEAQ&userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA Service was good. The wait was minimal, if not quicker. No seating inside, there are a few tables outside. Parking is via a multi-level structure behind the building. I lava Aliya Lavaland! My first foray into lavacakes & I'm enamored by them. I'm planning to make another trip to Monterey Park, having a meal at one of the many Asian eateries, finishing my day in MP with another stop to Aliya Lavacakes. I'm going to try not to get salted egg yolk all over my hands this time, but don't hold me to that. Highly recommend! read more

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My go to place for lava cakes. Flaky, flavorful and their egg yolk lava cakes are wonderful! Taro, green tea, any thing you can't go wrong! This place is located in a small plaza but there are plenty of parking. If you visit during office hours and before lunch you'll find street parking in front of the plaza so no issue there. The place is very small inside, not much seats but you can always go to next door cafe or boba place if you want to enjoy both lava cakes and boba teas. The staff members are always smiling and welcoming so that's also a plus! read more

This has been on my list for so long and I finally got to try it! Aliya lavaland has Moon cakes with and without the egg yolk lava center. The moon cakes without the lava center are cheaper, but their signature moon cakes are by far the lava center. I just had dinner, but can always make room for dessert! I tried the Ube lava moon cake and black sesame lava moon cake. Personally, the Ube lava moon cake was my favorite. The black sesame in the moon cake was prominent and not too sweet. The owner seemed very friendly and made great recommendations. Unlike the dim sum lava buns, the center of these buns stay runny even when the moon cake has cooled down. Given the Covid situation, there are no seats inside and there is a small patio outdoors. But now that the weather is cooling down, it would have been nice to have a bench indoors to eat the moon cakes. Overall, a cute and unique dessert for any situation! read more

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