Delicious! 1. egg…read morepuff, $8.25. I usually see these called bubble waffles. This was good. They warn you that it takes 10-15 minutes to serve this. 2. creamy snowflake bowl, $10.95. Bowl of finely shaved/crushed ice (like snow, hence the name!) in a creamy sauce (kind of like melted ice cream), one fruit, and one topping included. We chose strawberries and tapioca pearls. We shared this between four of us. This was very good! I wanted to get red bean, but my daughter wanted tapioca, so we got that. The strawberries were sweet and tasty. For some reason, they took about half an hour to get this to me. I think they forgot to make it.

Too thick! Fruits are too big to fit through straw for drinking. Boba is too firm…read more Service was a kiosk. Staff just shouts out number. Lots of customers. Hot inside. There is seating but most people are ordering to go.

Best coco mangoes in town. I like the staffs they are amazing and good customer service. I love it!read more

Amazing pudding! The best I've ever tried! Will definitely recommend and be back many many times!read more

I'm not sure how it managed to happen, given how long they've been around and how many times I've…read moreeaten around 3rd Ave, but I had no idea Dessert Republic even existed, let alone been here. Presumably, never walking down their block of the Main St. alley had a lot to do with it, but who knows how much longer it would've taken if not for my friends suggesting we come here for dinner. Which is kind of ironic, considering the name of this place! While nothing about the outside of Dessert Republic really stands out, the decor inside is great. It may not be all that flashy nor have much of an IG aesthetic, but I like how it has a Hong Kong/Chinatown alley sort of look to it. As for the menu, true to their name, there's no shortage of desserts to choose from, whether it be hot desserts, like glutinous rice balls, sweet tofu, or egg pudding, cold desserts, like mixed fruits, sago, or ice cream sundaes, egg puffs, and crepes. In addition, they also have a bunch of regular food options, from snacks and dim sum items, to rice plates, noodle soups, and even lomo saltado. -- (#A03) POPCORN CHICKEN Not terrible, but not popcorn chicken either. Rather, this felt more like the salt & pepper porkchop dishes I've had in the past - the batter was thick, the chicken was unmarinated, it was seasoned with just salt and pepper, and it was topped with cut peppers instead of crispy basil. -- (#S01) BRAISED BRISKET & WONTON NOODLE SOUP Overall, this was a mixed bag. On the plus side, the bowl was decently loaded, the wontons were plump, and it had chunks of beef tendon, which were tender. On the other, while the noodles were fine, the veggies were way overcooked and the beef was chewy. -- (#M08) SUPER STRAWBERRY - Strawberry Freeze, Aloe Jelly, and Strawberries Topped with Strawberry Ice Cream Undoubtedly, this had a lot of strawberry flavor to it. Even though the strawberry freeze didn't do a ton for me, especially as it melted, I liked how well the aloe jelly, strawberries, and ice cream complemented each other. As far as service goes, I've seen some folks mention running into issues, but I've actually found it to be entirely unremarkable, for better or worse. Each time I've been here, the workers haven't really gone beyond the basics (take orders, bring out dishes, take care of checks, etc.), but I never really expect anything more than that either. Still, they do seem to be relatively friendly and get orders out decently fast, which certainly counts for something. Since I've clearly only had a small handful of what their menu has to offer, there's the distinct possibility (probability?) that I haven't had the best of what Dessert Republic has to offer. However, based on what I've ordered and my friends' egg puffs and sweet tofu that I've tried (both were fine), the desserts here definitely seem to be the safer bet overall. Which is handy since they stay open so late, especially on Friday and Saturday nights (until 1am).

The fried intestines appetizers here are the only fried intestines I've ever liked. They're crispy…read moreon the outside but soft on the inside, and extremely snackable. I love the night market decor too, especially the outdoor buildings facade. It's such a fun treat to look at the signs and the fake shops while you wait for your food.

Had to find a cake shop in San Mateo and wanted to try somewhere new I'd never gotten cake from…read morebefore, and this place popped up! Omg, the moment I walked in, it smelled SO good. It honestly made me want to get all the pastries too I got the strawberry mousse cake, and the packaging is seriously so cute! Right in Downtown San Mateo too! Such a cute little find!

It was our usual dessert craving time after dinner on Saturday, so we came by around 8PM to pick up…read morea slice of the chocolate cake and some pastries. We checked to ensure that they closed at 9PM, so we had some time to finish the cake in their cute little dinning area. Not long after, a staff loudly told everyone that the dining room was now closed at 8:30PM. Not a warning that they are closing soon, but we all had to leave right away. While I totally agree and understand that the staff should close down the dining area a little early before closing to clean, if you want to close down the area that early, then shouldn't you change your hours instead? Or, it would be nice to note this on the door or on platforms that show the business hours. All of us were grabbing our half eaten pasties and cakes and had no choice but to stand around the door. It honestly ruined our experience with this bakery.

I've been to SomiSomi countless times, and it never disappoints--especially during hot weather…read more It's one of my go-to dessert spots whenever I'm craving something cold and refreshing. This time, I tried the Milk soft serve with strawberry topping. It was creamy, smooth, and refreshing. The biggest hit, though, was with my 3-year-old, who absolutely loved it! Watching him enjoy every bite made the visit even better.

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to try SomiSomi - went for dessert after an excellent dinner…read moreat Avenida (see other review for deets!) I had the traditional Ah Boong which is the fish shaped cone (a bit softer than a typical sugar cone) filled with black sesame and a matcha soft serve. Delicious! Next time I'll try the milk tea soft serve (as my sister in law had recommended and I forgot) - the black sesame was excellent. The only reason I'm giving it a 4 and not a 5 is I don't prefer the softer cone. I'm going to Korea soon and will try it there and see how it compares!

First time trying this out, my friends told me these cookies are delicious... well they were right,…read morethe cookies were so good! This shop is small, the service was great and I liked how they also write down on their menu if they are low on cookies and how many are left. They also have a small oven where you can WARM UP YOUR COOKIE(S)! Such a great idea, highly recommend checking this place out for their cookies.

We stop by Antoine's almost every time we're in San Mateo to pick up a cookie. My boyfriend and I…read morehave slowly been working our way through the menu and trying a different cookie each time. The cookies are consistently good--crispy around the edges, soft in the center, and slightly chewy. They're sweet, of course, but not overly sugary or overwhelming. I also appreciate that there's a microwave inside so you can warm up your cookie. So far, we haven't tried a cookie we didn't like. It's become one of our favorite spots to grab a treat, and we'll keep coming back until we've made our way through the entire menu.

Food: - Items: 2 Coconut Mango Puddings…read more- Liked the Coconut, the mango tasted kind of artificial - 7/10 Service: - Ordered from a kiosk - Server wasn't very helpful in describing their best drinks, just pointed us to their menu - 6/10 Ambiance: - Small place, don't remember any seating inside - To go type of place - Nice lighting and decor - 7/10 Overall Rating: 7/10

Upon entering, there is a kiosk where you can order. I got the four season green tea with 50%…read moresugar, no ice, with Boba. The tea was very lightly sweetened and because the boba was glazed with sweetener, I enjoyed the drink because it wasn't overly sweet overall. There are a few tables where you can sit and hangout but unfortunately the toilet was out of order so it discouraged customers from staying.

Made a call in order and arrived with order ready for pick up. Tried the Pambazo and wow it was…read moredelicious! Filled with potatoes mixed with chorizo and creamy with the sour cream and cheese. The lettuce gives it some freshness as this is a heavy torta. Then tried the tosti esquite and it was also delicious! It also has cut up cucumber in there which was unexpected but added some freshness to it as well. I just wish there was more added sour cream to the corn dish but other than 10/10! Will definitely return for the Pambazo! There's plenty of seating indoors and none outdoors. This place is close to downtown San Mateo where the food life is 10/10.

I stopped by on a weekday afternoon. The place was not busy. I went for 2 scoops of ice cream -…read moregansito and oreo. Both were good. I think their fruit bowls were the best. I should have went for one. Ice cream flavors were limited.

The very first time I ever tried Beard Papa's, over a decade ago when the one by the Metreon in SF…read morefirst opened, I wasn't exactly blown away by the experience. Granted, my friends probably hyped it up a bit too much while we were waiting in line (I think it was already their second or third time going), but, regardless, I thought it was just okay. Fast forward all of these years later and I have to say - whether it's because my tastes have changed or because I found a flavor that I really liked, this place is so much better than I remember! With so many boba joints and dessert shops nearby, it's pretty easy to overlook Beard Papa's. Being located on the edge of downtown/3rd Ave certainly doesn't help, but, for something quick and convenient (and different), they're a decent option. While the menu may not look all that extensive, it has a fair amount to offer when you consider how you can mix and match your choice from their near dozen cream puffs/eclairs and handful of cream fillings. Add to that the occasional seasonal/featured flavors they'll have and their assortment of lava cakes and cheesecakes and there's plenty to choose from! -- ST. VALENTINE'S RASPBERRY ECLAIR - Raspberry Cream Custard-filled Eclair with White Chocolate Coating and Raspberry Frosting This was a seasonal offering (admittedly, an older one), but if they ever added this to their regular menu, I'd easily get this again. Surprisingly, this actually wasn't super sweet and I loved how well the raspberry and white chocolate flavors complemented each other. -- GREENT TEA ECLAIR WITH VANILLA CUSTARD FILLING Not nearly as good as the St Valentine's Eclair, but way better than the original Vanilla Cream Puff I had before. The frosting had a strong hit of green tea to it, and the custard was fine, but, this time, the cream puff felt a little stale/dry-ish. While I definitely enjoyed Beard Papa's cream puffs/eclairs more than I did before, I can't say I've loved everything about this location. Mainly, the service here has been a little uneven - the first time we stopped in, the guy behind the counter looked really annoyed with having to help us and seemed like he was dying for us to leave (FWIW, we walked in almost an hour before they closed). Our last visit, though, the workers were friendly and super fast, as they handed us our eclair before we could even finish paying. Even though my opinion of Beard Papa's has definitely improved, since I never really crave cream puffs/eclairs and limit my sweets to the occasional scoop(s) of ice cream or milk tea, I can't say Beard Papa's is on the verge of getting into my regular dessert rotation. However, given how much I enjoyed their St. Valentine's Raspberry Eclair, I'm definitely more open to coming back than ever before if/when should the desire come along, especially since they don't have those same long lines anymore! THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded up for now.

Delicious cream puff, perfect for a mid afternoon snack. I usually get the vanilla custard filling…read morebut decided to give ube a try this time. It was good, but the ube flavor wasn't too strong. It still tasted like purple vanilla custard filling. I got mine to go but they do have a couple of tables for you to enjoy the dessert in store.

This time we got some fruit teas and they were so good not overly sweet, and you can actually taste…read morethe tea (which I love). My friend got a fruit tea, and I tried the Toffee Matcha... omg, so thick, creamy, and just really satisfying. Service was also super sweet, the cashier guy was really friendly and helpful, which made the whole experience even better. Simple, solid, and always hits. Will definitely keep coming back

I went in on a workday after work and it wasn't busy, my wife and I shared a mango sticky rice…read moredrink, and we didn't really like it. It felt literally like rice milk and mango juice, very underwhelming. It could have been my fault for not reading the description but I assumed it would have more components to it. In a world with Molly tea and chi cha San Chen I feel like this drink does not meet expectations...