Ideally I'd rate this 4.5 stars, but in this case, I lean closer to 5 than 4 stars. The food is creative and tasty. The highlight is the HK sandwich, specifically the Musubi. The ingredients may seem simple, but the execution is top notch. The bun is the star. They bake it fresh. Soft and tasty. And the egg is fluffy and filling by itself. The spam and furikake rounds it out perfectly. The piggy buns are a delight. Tried all 3 and I prefer the custard and taro. The molten custard is good too, but it can be messy. The half-star drop is due to service. It's not bad, but it's just not the warmest. They are busy, so I do recommend researching first before you order. That will eliminate any awkwardness. But the food absolutely makes up for this. And the ambiance is great. It's clean and comfortable to wait. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, but that's the case everywhere in Downtown Bellevue. I didn't see a garage that you can park and get validation. read more

Cafe Aloe is a little cafe located within the Stokely Apartments in Bellevue. I've been wanted to try this cafe out for quite some time and finally made the drive out. There isn't any dedicated parking for the cafe, but we were able to find street parking around the block. Once you enter inside the building and cafe, it is surprisingly spacious. There isn't that much seating available though. On a nice day, there is outdoor seating available. I ordered a Vietnamese Iced Coffee and a Mint Mojito Iced Coffee. These were drinks very basic. Nothing extravagant about them, especially the Vietnamese Iced Coffee. The Mint Mojito Iced Coffee was a tad bit better and you could taste the mint in it. If I were to return, I definitely would try other drinks or even their food items here. The customer service here was okay. Not very interactive. There wasn't any issues, but it was a bit awkward for whatever reason. read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

We were looking for some Hong Kong style breakfast and found this in downtown Bellevue. Nice place. Good food. Can't complain.

This café is so cute. They have the little piggy buns with custard filling, which were very tasty. It's in a part of downtown Bellevue we're parking isn't too bad. A good clean spot to work out of too! The staff were friendly and the atmosphere is calm read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

I have to say that their stuff looks cute/good because that's what keep baiting me to come back hahaha. I saw that they have new items here so decided to check them out. Parking is still a pain as it's street parking on a narrow street. The people here are nice and helpful as they actually suggest what they like. Food wise: Mini bolo bao -- cute, outside taste good, inside is ok. There's something in there just not sure what it is. Salt breads -- these were new, and I got the black sesame and the bolo bao. The bread is not as soft as I hope it would be, the black sesame is not that strong and the bolo bao has a hollow inside, like it should have something there. Onion bread -- like the flavor, but bread is also just ok. read more

See all

I used street parking, there's some free 2hr parking just gotta look. Service was quick and friendly. There are some tables and chairs, nice and quiet. Got to read a bit too. Spam musubi sandwich: nice sweetness to the bread, egg was nice and fluffy, and you get some good pieces of spam in it. A little salty because I think the sauce was oyster sauce plus the saltiness of the spam. Banana latte: I thought the cream top was delicious and creamy. I'd get this one again! read more

See all

Cute place! Found parking a block away nearby Soma, good for 2 hours. I have gotten two bolo bao sandwiches and none of them disappoint! Their most popular one is the spam, egg bolo bao. Their drinks change seasonally. I've tried their oreo latte and today their matcha banana latte with banana chips. I kinda wish the banana chips were replaced with coconut flakes. The banana chips just sink to the bottom of my cup and feel like potato chips. I thought their mini cheese bolo baos were super cute, but I needed to microwave them at home, which is ok. Service is quick. Will be back! read more

My review is solely on their breakfast sandwiches. A pineapple bun, nearly split into two and sandwiches with a slab of perfectly grilled spam and fluffy salted and buttered egg. Mmm the combination cannot be more perfect. This is what Hk cafes are all about, and elevated with that savory piece of spam. If you haven't tried, I highly recommend you do. I got also about 10 to go, and gave them to my kids school teachers, and they all had their minds blown. They all took the time to reach out to me and asked where I got such a wonderful concoction! 100/10. Eat it hot for maximum score! read more

My husband has been going here after client meetings in the area and he told me about how good their coffee and sandwiches are so we came back together so I can finally try their drinks and food! He got the black sesame latte and I got the banana cream latte. We also got the kimchi sandwich. Both drinks were good! I like that they were not too sweet. The kimchi sandwich was delicious, too! It was just the right size and I love how the kimchi didn't make the sandwich too salty. My husband said that the internet here is really fast so it's good if you're looking for a spot to work or study. Everyone was really quiet so it's good if you really need to focus. read more

See all

The piggy bun was sooo cute, I felt like taking it home. And the onion bun was baked fresh when I ordered... Tasted superb! Loved both flavors. Only if my coffee was hotter, I'd give one more star. read more

I ordered the HK sausage sandwich and omgg the sandwich the egg was so fluffy and it is a pretty big sandwich. It was so good! I think if you are ever in that area it is a good breakfast/lunch meal. It's very filling. The coffee was also good as well. I got the Vietnamese coffee and you can't go wrong with that! The service was okay they look like they were getting ready for the day. The ambiance was very cute decor and very cozy. read more

I popped in here starving and got their pork burn steamed an egg custard and a shrimp dumpling. It was way too expensive and I realized I was not at a traditional dim sum location. So I went and found one, but it was good. read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Cafe Aloe is the ultimate cafe & place to find bolo baos in Bellevue! I love the variety (flavors and shapes) in their bolo baos. Their HK sandwiches using bolo bao buns are so good when I need a savory snack! Their baos are so cute & delicious as well - I especially love the custard and taro ones! I love the different cremas on the drinks here, which makes them stand out from the local cafes. I love trying their different crema lattes. The vibes here are always bright, open & such friendly staff working! read more

See all

Such a cute little cafe! I visited on a Monday afternoon and found most tables occupied, so it's clearly a popular spot. I tried the Biscoff Gingerbread Latte, which came cold, and I really enjoyed the flavor--it definitely brought some holiday vibes! I also had the Musubi HK sandwich, which was a good size for $12. They offer free Wi-Fi in the cafe. Note: Parking is on the street. read more

See all

Cafe Aloe is such a sweet stop! We came for some matcha to beat the heat. Their banana matcha tea is very good-it comes with dried bananas, and it is such a pleasant flavor throughout drinking the matcha. Their kimchi sandwich is an amazing blend of sweet and spicy-the pineapple bun and the kimchi create the sweet and spicy balance I did not know I was craving until I tried it. I love their ambiance-they have such a cute cafe to relax and take pictures in, and they are convenient to get to. I can't wait to come back! read more

Cafe Aloe - Banana matcha and kimchi sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I love love Cafe Aloe since the coffee is very unique and delicious which is important for a coffee shop. Secondly, their sandwich is flavorful and delicious as well. A good amount of seating with charging ports at every seat. The WiFi is very fast compared to most other coffee shops which is great for a little bit of work. The service is friendly as well. Parking can be a little bit tough though. read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

Located in downtown bellevue close to the former toys r us. Street parking. Tried a couple of their adorable pastries- Nutella bear and matcha mochi turtle. The filling was delicious but wish there was a little more filling to bread ratio. Will definitely be back to try other pastries such as the green tea egg tart and the sesame latte. Great bright place to hangout with lots of tables. read more

See all

While here for my first time for a Yelp Elite experience, I bought a pineapple bun to go with my mocha. I got here shortly after they opened and their sign still said closed but I tried the door and it opened! I offered to turn the sign over to "Open" and they gratefully accepted. I was the first customer of the day so the couple behind the counter were busily prepping everything while I was there so I didn't get to chat much with them. I did learn they opened in 2020 and survived the pandemic which is saying something. I enjoyed the pineapple bun as it was just right - slightly sweet and crunchy. The cafe interior is very nice with some good photo ops and a large dining room area. The place is well lit with large windows facing the streets. Overall, this is a nice place for a beverage and a quick snack. read more

See all

Decent cafe with an interesting twist on traditional Asian buns. Would've never thought of putting spam inside a pineapple bun. I came to Cafe Aloe specifically for their crispy bbq pork buns but they didn't have any :(. Maybe it was an old menu item but it wasn't even on the menu. Ended up getting the green onion bun, ha gow, pineapple bun, and my partner got the pineapple spam breakfast sandwich. Green onion bun was pretty dry. The pineapple bun with the spam was delicious. The ha gow was good but 3 for $8 feels crazy (compared to dim sum back in the bay). Overall, a bit overpriced imo for what you get but I like the idea. We need more Asian bakeries in WA forsure. read more

Bright neighborhood cafe with Asian/Hong Kong inspired food and drinks. I came a little after noon on a Saturday and they were all out of HK sandwiches, which was surprising, so I ordered the cheesy egg bun instead. The bun was a typical Asian style savory and sweet bun, but the scrambled eggs were really fluffy and done well. The taro piggy bun was good but I think the cute visual is the bigger selling point here. I really loved the black sesame latte and will be coming back for more. The crema was thick and done right unlike other cafes that are just hopping on the trend. Recommend it! read more

Cafe Aloe - Black sesame latte, taro piggy bun, cheesy bread - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Cafe Aloe shares the entrance to an apartment building, but the little tucked away cafe serves some of the prettiest pineapple buns (as well as other cute animal-shaped buns, pastries, and drinks). Pineapple buns are one of my favorites-- they have zero pineapple in them and usually have a sweet layer of cookie-like sugar crust on top with a sweet and chewy Asian bread on the bottom. Cafe Aloe's version is extra cute and petite, and the crust was scrumptious (as well as very crumbly and messy) but their bread part was more on the dry and tasteless side... like a normal dinner roll. I also tried their sandwiches which use the pineapple buns as bread slices, and they were tasty. The creamy scrambled eggs were delicious and made everything meld together really well :) They are expensive though, $5 for a pineapple bun (usually $1 at a Chinese bakery) and $13 for a sandwich the size of my small fist, but they were fun to try at least! The cafe is clean and has several booths and chairs for seating, could be good for studying, but it was pretty empty both times I visited. Service was friendly enough. Even though they had signs for black sesame pineapple buns (!!), they weren't selling them. If you're down to splurge on a tasty sandwich or try some fun looking snacks, come visit! read more

See all

This place is perfect when you're craving a small, savory bite. I got the kimchi sandwich with spam, egg, and sauce. It was SO GOOD. The flavors meshed so well together. The egg was fluffy. The pineapple bun added a sweetness that blended so well with the other flavors. The Vietnamese ice coffee was a tad bit more watery than milky in my opinion. It could also use a stronger coffee kick. It wasn't too sweet though, which I prefer. Overall, I would definitely come back to try the buns next time! read more

Cafe Aloe - Kimchi sandwich and Vietnamese Iced Coffee - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

We came for the piggy buns, but left being impressed with the rest of the menu! We tried the spicy charsiu and the spam musubi sandwiches, which were both good. They had so many drinks to choose from, but we ended up getting the black sesame latte and loved it. We also ordered a side of har gow dumplings, which was good but not as good as some of the popular dim sum restaurants. The piggy bun was actually my least favorite thing that we tried, not that it was bad. I didn't realize how tiny those buns are! We also ordered some steamed bbq pork buns to go, which also were very tiny compared to other places that I normally order this from. On a Tuesday morning, it was pretty slow with only a couple other patrons in the restaurant. The service wasn't bad, but wasn't friendly either. As for parking, you can circle the block to find street parking or pay to park in a nearby garage. read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This review is specifically for the musubi HK sandwich. It is very satisfying and hit the spot for me- salty, savory from the spam and eggs omelette and furikake paired with fluffy pineapple bun (po lo bun) that has some sweet crunchy top. So amazing! It is a very wholesome breakfast or lunch sandwich. The service is quick and the ambiance is light airy clean (minimalist). read more

Cafe Aloe - Musubi HK sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Such a cute HK style cafe!! Wanted to try this place because of the adorable piggy buns, but everything on the menu looked super good when we arrived. We ordered a ton of fun food and literally nothing disappointed. The HK pineapple breakfast sandwich was delicious -- the sausage egg and cheese went so well with the sweet and flaky bun topping. It was also suuuper filling, so perfect for a substantial breakfast. We also tried the taro filled piggy bun (SO GOOD) and all 3 egg tart types. The matcha was amazing and so unique! Highly recommend checking out this spot for fun and adorable breakfast items to try. Inside was super clean and minimal, with a good amount of seating. Service is also soo friendly - everyone was so kind - and food came out really fast. read more

Cafe Aloe - pineapple bun hk sausage sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

One of our go to cafes for brunch/snacks! We've been here several times by now, and their food and drinks are consistently good! My favorites are the molten egg lava piggy bun - super cute and runny egg custard inside that's creamy not too sweet! I always get this one. For a meal, the pineapple bun sandwiches are really good! The shrimp one has grilled shrimp with fluffy scrambled eggs and sweet mayo sauce in a pineapple bun - highly recommend! We also really loved the green onion twist bun with scrambled eggs - they make their eggs so fluffy! Wasn't as impressed with their egg tart though - pretty standard. For the drink, their lychee mojito was good and refreshing, but our favorite is their black sesame latte - a lot of places make this too heavy or sweet, which makes it hard to drink the whole thing, but cafe aloe makes this one perfectly without losing the black sesame flavor! I think this one has the perfect balance of black sesame and coffee. Service is usually pretty fast! They also do a lot of pop ups which can be fun (but expect long lines during pop ups). The interior is also super cute although lately there have been a lot of flies near the entrance. Overall, a super unique cafe to stop by for Asian pastries/snacks and coffee! read more

See all

The sandwiches have a nice mix of sweet and savory in every bite. The buns were soft. The coffee is strong and bitter. Apple Maps directs you on the opposite site but the cafe is on the other side across from the marriot. read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This cafe is the perfect blend of aesthetic charm and delicious flavors! We tried the Coconut Matcha Cream Coffee and the Black Sesame Cream Coffee, and I loved how the light cream complemented the coffee perfectly. We also had two of their Hong Kong-style breakfast sandwiches (Spam and Shrimp), served on soft pineapple buns. The egg was very fluffy. I personally loved the unique sweet-and-savory combination, but if that's not your preference, I'd recommend trying their savory buns instead. You can't leave without trying their piggy buns, they're irresistibly cute, incredibly soft, and absolutely delicious! My favorite was the taro-filled bun, but the custard and molten custard flavors were just as tasty. I was really impressed to learn that everything is made in-house, and the service was fast and friendly. The cafe is located in a quiet neighborhood with plenty of seating, making it a great spot to relax or get some work done. read more

See all

Popped in for an Elite event but also purchased a custard piggy bun. The ladies working were very nice and the atmosphere is clean and nature forward making you feel like you're dining among plants. It's a nice aesthetic. I waited a few minutes but it was totally worth it. The custard piggy bun was delicious. That custard was perfectly sweet- not too much and not too little. It was the right about of filling for the bun. Parking was the challenging part since there's very limited street parking without stipulations. It's a great spot to pop in and grab a yummy treat! read more

See all

SUCH a cute spot! I had saved this place because of all the cute pastries and delicious sounding drinks that they have, and got the chance to come out here on a Thursday after work. We shared a mochi custard bun, egg tart, and molten custard piggy bun. They came out pretty quickly and were thankfully warm, and all so cute! They are quite small and pricey for what they are, but everything did taste amazing. The egg tart crust was sweet which was different than usual but I did really enjoy it, and the mochi custard bun had a nice chew. I also loved the molten custard center of the piggy bun though my friends did think it was a little eggy. I also had a sip of the vietnamese iced coffee which was so strong but so good. Overall, cute spot with some delicious baked and steamed goods! read more

Cafe Aloe - Mochi custard bun, egg tart, molten custard bun - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The biggest motivator for why my bestie and I came here was for the cutest piggy buns! This cafe is cute, casual and there is plenty of seating. Their menu contains a selection of savory and sweet foods as well as a wide selection of coffees, teas, and mojitos. In my opinion, there's something for everyone on the menu. If I could, I probably would've ordered one of each thing off of the menu because everything sounded delicious! Spam Musubi HK Sandwich | 9/10, would get again; this was delicious. Absolutely loved the concept of using a pineapple bun for the bread Piggy Bun w/ Custard | 7/10, nothing special about it other than it being cute Salted Caramel Mocha | 6/10 Black Sesame Matcha | 6/10 Reservation: not needed, casual sit down dining or to-go Parking: street parking The workers on this day were all really nice. It took sometime for our food to come out but not too long - you can tell the food was made to order based on how fresh it tasted! I was pretty disappointed with the drinks even though their appearance was gorgeous. The mocha lacked a strong coffee flavor and the matcha lacked a strong matcha flavor. Nonetheless, I would still return back to this place to try more dishes and to give their drinks another chance because of how good the Spam Musubi HK Sandwich was. read more

Cafe Aloe - black sesame matcha, iced caramel mocha, piggy custard bun, spam musubi HK sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Rarely does the food taste as good as it looks, but this café is legit. The black sesame matcha latte is the best black sesame latte I've had to date. Most places water down the black sesame so that it has no flavor and/or doesn't mix into the rest of the drink but not this place. The taro piggy bun was also fantastic. I was super lucky to get their last one. Super tasty and filling and nothing like the frozen piggy buns sold at 99 Ranch. Not only are the food and drinks amazing, but the aesthetic of the café is so kawaii and modern. This is the perfect spot to come study, get some work done, or catch up with friends. read more

See all

The atmosphere is exactly what Gen Zs are looking for. It's got a well sought after photo op area where I witness multiple parties take photos and make tiktok videos. That's not my ring but thay is what is popular now, I guess. I've been to this location twice and the service is unmatched. Everyone who served me is so incredibly polite and friendly. They make the best recommendations and I have yet to try something I did not like. The piggy custard buns are my favorite!! As well as the salted caramel iced coffee. I don't live in Bellevue so unfortunately I only get to visit this place once every 6 months or so but I highly recommend everyone try it!! read more

Cafe Aloe - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This is a cute coffee shop in downtown Bellevue close to City Hall. I met a friend here in the afternoon and was happy to find that they stayed open until 5. I was able to find off street parking. I did not ask about parking underground in the building. I ordered the cold black sesame latte (at the recommendation of their worker) and piggy buns (custard and taro flavor). I was disappointed with the taste of the latte. I could hardly taste the coffee and the black sesame was really subtle so I felt like I was just drinking cold milk with hints of sesame cream foam and coffee. The taro piggy bun was somewhat tasty, the custard was flavorless. I wish I could say that I would like to return but the coffee and buns missed the mark. I would like to try the HK pineapple bun sandwich but I won't go out of my way to go back anytime soon. read more

See all

Cute cafe with a good concept but a little lacking on the quality of food. I think the drinks are where it's at. I ordered the black sesame matcha latte. The black sesame foam was nice and nutty. I also had the pineapple bun, but the top fell off and crumbled so easily from being picked up. There was only one person working both times that I went. She had to take the order, make the drinks, and put together the sandwiches/heat up the food. read more

We got the Molten Custard Piggy Bun and Pork Floss Bun, along with the Peach Mojito and Coffee Milk Tea. The buns were fluffy and tasted good, however the filling did flow out very easily -- making it a tad messy. Drink-wise, we were very satisfied with the Peach Mojito -- tasting like mint, peach, with a sparkling experience --, however the Coffee Milk Tea was decent although nothing out of the ordinary. I would recommend either ordering the buns or Mojitos here, not so much the milk tea drinks. Service was good, just ordering with server, and then they call your name when your order is ready. Ambiance overall is a nice area to sit, with outdoor seating available. Cleanliness does leave a bit to be desired though. Giving it an overall 3/5 stars due to the cleanliness aspect and underwhelming coffee experience. There are better places out there, but if you're in the area it's a decent place to check out. read more

Cafe Aloe - Non-Alcoholic Peach Mojito, Coffee Milk Tea, Piggy Bun, Pork Floss Bun - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The musubi breakfast sandwich (with spam and furikake on a pineapple bun) was the most delicious thing I've eaten in a long time. The Vietnamese coffee (one of many interesting choices available) was flavored and sweetened just perfectly - plenty but not too much. The atmosphere was peaceful and comfortable, and the service was pleasant and charming. A bright spot in a good morning. read more

Finally had a chance to try this great little HK bun/bao place. To my happy surprise, Sonrisa doughnuts was also doing a pop-up. But back to Cafe Aloe. I ordered the spicy charsiu breakfast sandwich, a piggy bao with the molten egg custard, and an egg tart..also a black sesame latte. The breakfast sandwich was definitely the best item. Served on a pineapple bun, with wonderful fluffy scrambled eggs with chopped charsiu inside, pork floss, and saracha mayo. Very yummy. The egg tart, was just ok; not bad, but, I've had better around town. The piggy bao with the egg was also a bit disappointing, as it was not steamed warm enough, and the inside was still cold. I would certainly come back for the breakfast sandwiches. The latte was good too, but I was expecting it to be warm, but they only serve the speciality drinks cold. read more

See all

A bit sad because all the reviews raved about the musubi sandwich and even the cashier said her rec/favorite was the musubi and so I ordered that but they gave me a regular spam sandwich (no furikake and no musubi sauce) which I feel like could've made a difference in the taste. Also it's not what I ordered so that was a bummer too. Came at a pretty slow time (only one other customer) so not sure what happened. This made the bun pretty plain/dry with no sauce and flavoring. Not sure I'd come back and try again. And if I did I'd eat there in case they messed up again. Taking it to go meant it was in a box and until I opened, I didn't know. read more

Cafe Aloe - Should have been a musubi sandwich but missing furikake and musubi sauce - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I've been wanting to visit this place to try out their pineapple bun. It lived up to my expectations, although it is a bit on the higher price. I also got the bbq bun and HK milk tea which were both good! Wait time wasn't long on a late Sunday morning. There are several tables inside, and it's a good place to sit and chill or do some studying/work. read more

Cafe Aloe - Pineapple bun BBQ Pork Bun Hong Kong Milk Tea - Cafes Near Me - Bellevue, Washington