Golden Island Cafe
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Cute and tasty Asian dessert spot! I've had the lychee, mango, and strawberry sago desserts and they were all incredible. I really enjoy how light and refreshing the desserts are here. Staff are all friendly and the restaurant had a ton of seating!
After hot pot, decided to have some dessert but did take out because we were too stuffed! Golden Island is a great spot with tons of Chinese desserts. I ordered the Sesame Paste with Dumplings and a Mixed fruit with Grass Jelly to go. The Sesame was piping hot, still warm when I got home. It was a perfect, nostalgic way to end the night. Pretty packed for 7PM at night. Take out was 15 mins. I would come back for a sit down service.
An Instagram foodie pointed out that Golden Island Cafe had a Black Sesame dessert. This dish is nostalgic for me because was it was one of my mother's favorites that she would make. This item did not disappoint. It was about $7 but well worth it for me to go down memory lane. The folks working there were friendly and the service was good.
This place feels very nostalgic to me since it was the go to spot in high school and I used to come all the time. Desserts hit the spot and is affordable compared to all the other dessert places now. They also open late until 11pm/12am. My go to is the mango sago or yummy mango. All the mango ones! Friendly service and never a wait for a table. No complaints! Try this place out!
A casual sit down dessert spot with a huge menu and tons of options. We tried one hot dessert, cold sago, and there are other snack options like popcorn chicken, toast, etc. We enjoyed the black sesame hot dessert which was not too sweet and great texture. The lychee sago was on the sweet and creamy side but also good. I'd definitely come here with the intention of sharing!
As a SF native, I grew up with Golden Island and went there frequently, since I live only a few blocks away. Nowadays, it's hard for me to justify going there. It's expensive and they really skimp on the portions. It's also very difficult to find a table there as it's often crowded (mainly because there isn't anything too similar nearby). And they do take a while to make the food. On the plus side, it's tasty and they've got a ton of menu options. My complaints are mainly that it's incredibly overpriced for not much food. Guess it's due to inflation or something, but it's still disappointing. Overall, I'd say it's worth a trip to the Richmond to check out Kowloon Tong instead, which is superior.
Minimal service. The food is meh quality but for sure tasty, and affordable :) We got an assortment of snacks and sweets to fuel our evening pickleball session. The interior is casual.
Very friendly staff, cozy environment, easy to kick back and relax here. The menu has a wide variety of selections, all of which were delicious! Cold or hot Desserts available for different weather, moods and pallets! Definitely coming back
A classic HK cafe staple in the Sunset for both savory bites and dessert. You'll see all kinds of people here, from teenagers to elderly folks to families. My mom and I ordered the Mango Deluxe and the Popcorn Chicken. I've seen a lot of reviews saying the desserts are bland or not sweet enough but if you're familiar with Hong Kong style desserts, they're typically meant to be lighter and less sweet than your average dessert. A great hangout spot nonetheless and opens pretty late if you're ever craving something past 9pm.
The review is specific to the black sesame paste with glutinous balls. A little sweet for my taste but otherwise delicious. Service excellent. A lot of teenagers come here so it's a bit too loud for my tastes but I won't count that against the dessert place. Recommend with my utmost respectful regards.
This is a cute dessert spot and has your typical HK dessert menu. Service was rushed and not the friendliest. Also they wanted to really pack the place so everyone had to wait to be seated and there was only one server on the floor... The black sesame soup (they call it paste...) has good flavor but not as smooth and creamy as I like. The PB condensed milk toast is solid (can't go wrong). The mango & black rice is ok, thicker than I was expecting and needed more mango! Overall, it has nostalgic HK classics but not sure it's worth coming again for...
Soooo refreshing. Lots of seating for a chill time with friends. The fruit was tasty and the hot tea they give you once you're seated is an amazing touch to this establishment. The vibes were great and the service was good too.
Learned about this place from TikTok. Decided to stop by and give it a try. My family and I got the Grapefruit with Mango and Sago. I didn't know there were 2 different options of sizes, bowl and cup. Since we were taking it to go we went with the cup size. All in all it wasn't bad, it was alright, really felt like it was missing the wow factor. I mean maybe it could have been the fact that it was our first time here that we really didn't know what to order. Maybe someone can help make a suggestion on what to order. I really want to give this place a try again. They seem to have so many options which is great. Place was kept decent, maybe just the day I went, but some chairs and tables were a bit dirty and could have used a bit of a wipe down. It was still decently clean. I'd give them a try again if I am ever in the area other than that I'd stick to something closer by my home.
7 hours ago
Big fan of this place! Especially on a cold night, some warm Cantonese style dessert really hits the spot. Unfortunately some of the menu items are no longer available (and they haven't updated the menu to match yet) due to it not being economical to produce anymore. But what they do have is great, and not overly sweetened! Plus they use traditional Chinese ingredients some of which have healing properties for your body. I would take this any day over some of the Western overly sweetened junk that is out there these days. read more
Quality/Quantity - My friends wanted to keep the party going and because they are NOT drinkers, they chose a dessert place. A place that I would typically only come to if my daughter made me, lol. A fairly busy place, especially for a Thursday evening. We got a few desserts, see pictures. I ordered the Yummy Mango, but if I knew that I could have just ordered ice cream, that would have been my choice. My friends ordered the other fancy stuff, see pictures. Again, not a place that I would typically frequent. The District (bar) would have been more of my choice to hang out. Anyway... Overall Golden Island Cafe was not bad, I am just not a typical customer. Ambiance - Limited street parking, but we got a space very close by. Open 7 days a week, from 1pm to 11pm or midnight. Yelp's hours differ slightly, see their website. Service - Got seated as we entered. Ordered and got served quickly. No pressure to leave, but we felt guilty taking up a table when a line started forming. Price - $42 + tip; my generous friend paid. SF prices, expensive for desserts in my opinion. But maybe because I would NOT typically be a customer. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success and for over 22+ years. I am sure I have been here before with my daughter. read more
Cute and tasty Asian dessert spot! I've had the lychee, mango, and strawberry sago desserts and they were all incredible. I really enjoy how light and refreshing the desserts are here. Staff are all friendly and the restaurant had a ton of seating! read more
After hot pot, decided to have some dessert but did take out because we were too stuffed! Golden Island is a great spot with tons of Chinese desserts. I ordered the Sesame Paste with Dumplings and a Mixed fruit with Grass Jelly to go. The Sesame was piping hot, still warm when I got home. It was a perfect, nostalgic way to end the night. Pretty packed for 7PM at night. Take out was 15 mins. I would come back for a sit down service. read more
An Instagram foodie pointed out that Golden Island Cafe had a Black Sesame dessert. This dish is nostalgic for me because was it was one of my mother's favorites that she would make. This item did not disappoint. It was about $7 but well worth it for me to go down memory lane. The folks working there were friendly and the service was good. read more
18 days ago
This place feels very nostalgic to me since it was the go to spot in high school and I used to come all the time. Desserts hit the spot and is affordable compared to all the other dessert places now. They also open late until 11pm/12am. My go to is the mango sago or yummy mango. All the mango ones! Friendly service and never a wait for a table. No complaints! Try this place out! read more
A casual sit down dessert spot with a huge menu and tons of options. We tried one hot dessert, cold sago, and there are other snack options like popcorn chicken, toast, etc. We enjoyed the black sesame hot dessert which was not too sweet and great texture. The lychee sago was on the sweet and creamy side but also good. I'd definitely come here with the intention of sharing! read more
5 months ago
As a SF native, I grew up with Golden Island and went there frequently, since I live only a few blocks away. Nowadays, it's hard for me to justify going there. It's expensive and they really skimp on the portions. It's also very difficult to find a table there as it's often crowded (mainly because there isn't anything too similar nearby). And they do take a while to make the food. On the plus side, it's tasty and they've got a ton of menu options. My complaints are mainly that it's incredibly overpriced for not much food. Guess it's due to inflation or something, but it's still disappointing. Overall, I'd say it's worth a trip to the Richmond to check out Kowloon Tong instead, which is superior. read more
2 months ago
Very friendly staff, cozy environment, easy to kick back and relax here. The menu has a wide variety of selections, all of which were delicious! Cold or hot Desserts available for different weather, moods and pallets! Definitely coming back read more
A classic HK cafe staple in the Sunset for both savory bites and dessert. You'll see all kinds of people here, from teenagers to elderly folks to families. My mom and I ordered the Mango Deluxe and the Popcorn Chicken. I've seen a lot of reviews saying the desserts are bland or not sweet enough but if you're familiar with Hong Kong style desserts, they're typically meant to be lighter and less sweet than your average dessert. A great hangout spot nonetheless and opens pretty late if you're ever craving something past 9pm. read more
8 months ago
The review is specific to the black sesame paste with glutinous balls. A little sweet for my taste but otherwise delicious. Service excellent. A lot of teenagers come here so it's a bit too loud for my tastes but I won't count that against the dessert place. Recommend with my utmost respectful regards. read more
7 months ago
This is a cute dessert spot and has your typical HK dessert menu. Service was rushed and not the friendliest. Also they wanted to really pack the place so everyone had to wait to be seated and there was only one server on the floor... The black sesame soup (they call it paste...) has good flavor but not as smooth and creamy as I like. The PB condensed milk toast is solid (can't go wrong). The mango & black rice is ok, thicker than I was expecting and needed more mango! Overall, it has nostalgic HK classics but not sure it's worth coming again for... read more
Soooo refreshing. Lots of seating for a chill time with friends. The fruit was tasty and the hot tea they give you once you're seated is an amazing touch to this establishment. The vibes were great and the service was good too. read more
6 days ago
Learned about this place from TikTok. Decided to stop by and give it a try. My family and I got the Grapefruit with Mango and Sago. I didn't know there were 2 different options of sizes, bowl and cup. Since we were taking it to go we went with the cup size. All in all it wasn't bad, it was alright, really felt like it was missing the wow factor. I mean maybe it could have been the fact that it was our first time here that we really didn't know what to order. Maybe someone can help make a suggestion on what to order. I really want to give this place a try again. They seem to have so many options which is great. Place was kept decent, maybe just the day I went, but some chairs and tables were a bit dirty and could have used a bit of a wipe down. It was still decently clean. I'd give them a try again if I am ever in the area other than that I'd stick to something closer by my home. read more
I definitely won't be coming here again if I'm looking for a late night sweet treat. The only good thing about this place is that it closes decently late which is at 11 PM which is why we decided to give it a shot. The Green Tea Delight and the sweet Tofu were both relatively bland and not up to what I wanted. Wouldn't recommend at all! read more
Stopped by here after dinner nearby on a Friday and luckily just beat the rush. It had been a while since my last visit, but the vibes were exactly how I remembered them--cozy and familiar. Since it was freezing out, I ordered the ginger milk. It was good, but I was hoping for a stronger ginger kick as it tasted a bit mild. My friends ordered the sampler and really enjoyed it, especially the black rice coconut milk. This is always a solid spot if you want to chat and catch up without going to a bar for drinks. Very wholesome vibes overall--and honestly, that's part of the charm. read more
Great dessert spot with many different options. Everytime I pass this spot it is always filled with people, but we were able to get a seat right away. The popcorn chicken was a good portion and crunchy texture, and the mango deluxe was yummy too with fresh cuts of mango. Durian coconut sago had a piece of fresh durian inside. read more
1 year ago
Sadly disappointed with the quality of the dessert . I feel it's only existing because there are so few restaurants serving like sweets . The cold assorted item was pathetically bad. Mushy fruit, sad amount of ice cream . The coconut sago was ok but the boba in it was hard ! My hot dessert was a little better . Must look for another dessert place . read more
2 months ago
Stopped by to order some desserts. Ordered 4 items but only one was eatable. Tofu was sour ( it's already went bad) snow frog cream was only coconut milk , nothing else. Dun lai with ginger was hard like firm tofu The only item eatable was sesame paste dumplings Spent $35.91 for just one item that can eat. What a waste. Will not be back read more
Golden island has been such a staple since I was little, but haven't been in a hot minute. Was craving some hk dessert, so came in on a weekend evening. There were quite a few groups waiting outside. I ended up waiting ~15 minutes? I ordered the tofu dessert hot which took a bit to get, but there were only a couple people working a full house, so understandable. Weirdly some parts of the tofu dessert were ice cold while others were steamy hot lol. There was a mysterious black dot floating around in the syrup which could've been dust, could've been a bug. The cups of water we got had this weird shiny film on top (oil?) and one of them had some sus bubbles too lol The dessert itself was fine. Acceptable. Unfortunately, the quality seems to have dropped off the planet since I last visited. On to new hk cafes I guess! read more
I am a regular here. I love their mango sago with coconut milk. The yummy mango was not as good, tasted diluted. Other than that their desserts are pretty good. I always get the curry fish balls or French fries. This would be my go to place for a quick snack or a late night meal when everything's closed. I've been going here for over a decade, it's still the same. Service is ok but that feels like the vibe. read more
1 year ago
A Sunset classic. I grew up coming here and still recognize people from high school whenever I visit now. The desserts are great. I especially love any of their mango desserts. They honestly are not too sweet. My friend enjoys sweeter desserts and wasn't a huge fan of these. Service is what you'd expect, not great. After dinner time, there can be a wait outside since there's no space to wait indoors. Just be prepared for that. read more
1 year ago
Came here after lunch for dessert and it was exceptional. Service was okay. It's kinda dead there so nothing to really note about the atmosphere. The desserts were great in my opinion. They weren't really sweet which tells me they don't add much sugar if they do. I like that a lot actually. It tastes real and I like the pairings of the desserts we ordered. read more
The iconic HK style late night bite! They have a variety of desserts and salty items like sandwiches. They get pretty crowded at night and are popular for groups. My friend and I ordered the Mango Deluxe and it was alright; exactly what you would expect from the picture. read more
Honestly the mango dessert is just okay here... The mango part was too thin in my opinion and I didn't love the coconut taste. I liked the glutinous rice balls but overall it was a little bland. I had just gotten a similar dessert from the mango spot on Geary so I had high expectations for this one. The black sesame dessert was yummy tho!! It had tong yurn filled with sugar (i think). read more
A local staple serving the best mango sago in town!? Say no more. After seeing this place packed to the brim every Friday night, my sweet tooth finally got the best of me and I ordered their iconic mango sago. They have a full dessert menu waiting to tempt you - from sweet tofu, to sesame paste, to various flavors of Asian fruit melodies. All made to the best degree of... "not too sweet". It seemed like their sizes of desserts varied, but the mango sago was served in a generous cup. Easy to split between two people. I will be back to try their other desserts and make my doctor mad. read more
One of the classic late night dessert places in the city. It is best to go on a weekday because they can take their time making the desserts. Sometimes it's a hit or miss. The food ordered was sesame/walnut and walnut, and the tofu and sago (cold). The two hot desserts were fragrant, but the walnut was a bit chunky with pieces that needed to be mixed together. All the dessert were a bit on the sweeter side. They do provide hot tea or water for free. On this weekday, they take your order and you pay at register. When it becomes busy, it is easier to order at the counter. When you pay, they account for the tip post-tax. Tip: You have to write your name on the clipboard to wait for a table. there are only a few tables that can hold greater than 6 people. read more
Simple Hong Kong style cafe, plenty of tables around (although they do seem to get busy) and one of the very few options that stay open late! Great spot to grab a little something that won't break the bank, and chat with friends. read more
A classic in Central/Outside Sunset, Golden Island Cafe is always filled with people no matter what time or day I come. When I come in, they either order at the table I'm sitting at, or I come up to the counter and order with them. I've tried their Mango Sago a handful of times, but when I came with my friends most recently, I tried their Green Tea Ice Cream and Dun Lai with Ginger. The Dun Lai with Ginger was made fresh, and it took around 15 minutes before they served it to us. While I wish the Dun Lai came out first, I happily ate my ice cream and enjoyed the texture and taste of the Dun Lai. There are many desserts and snacks worth trying from this cafe! read more
Looking for a easy, light and refreshing dessert come here. We tried multiple things on the menu such as the yummy mango, mango deluxe and popcorn chicken (not pictured). Yummy mango and mango deluxe were great. They are light and not too sweet while still tasting great. Popcorn chicken was just ok. Lacking a bit of seasoning. We were a party at 6 and came in at around 10pm on a Saturday night. They enforced a minimum order of 5 dishes. Not an issue but letting you know before you come. read more
1 year ago
Dessert: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Portion to Price: 3/5 Overall: A solid place for Chinese dessert. The extended review... Dessert: Almond Soup with Glutenous Rice Balls - 4/5 - Can't say no to this. Not too sweet and very satisfying. Service: 4/5 - Friendly service. Ambiance: 3/5 - Well lit with some decent amount of seating. Portion to Price: 3/5 - Pretty standard pricing. read more
Came in with a group of 8 and honestly, it was a bit disappointing. We ordered the mango sago since it's their signature, but it came in a tall cup that made it awkward to eat, and it barely tasted like mango--pretty diluted and underwhelming. We got a few other desserts too, but the quality felt inconsistent across the board. There was a minimum order of 5 dishes for our group, which was fine, but they didn't even serve us water--we had to ask for it. Service didn't leave much of an impression. The place isn't quite how I remembered it a few years ago, definitely felt like the standard has dropped. read more
Simple, cute inside! Seated immediately on Monday at 8:30 for a table of two. There was plenty of seating when we arrived, but by 8:45/9 the place was packed. Fast service, and the food came out quickly. E ordered the mango deluxe, which had lots of yummy textures and flavors. I especially liked the mochi balls. read more
2 years ago
Wanted some dessert after dinner so swung by Golden Island Cafe around 9pm on a Wednesday. There were a decent amount of people at the spot, the interior gave off a very cozy vibe. With that said, not sure if it was just that night, but my friend and I were straight up freezing because it was so cold -- and we were sitting on the very inside, nowhere near the door. There are two menus, one with the usual food and desserts, and one with the 'specials'. We ordered a Strawberry World and Fresh Mango with Black Rice. The food came out within 10 minutes of ordering. Taste wise, I thought both items were just average -- nothing to write home about. I would actually say it doesn't meet my expectations based on my experiences at other places that serve these types of desserts. Tldr; I think if someone suggested coming here in the future, I would probably counter with a different spot, but would still be willing to go if we were in a pinch. read more
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More info about Golden Island Cafe
1300 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94122
Outer Sunset
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(415) 759-9118
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http://goldenislandcafe.net
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golden island cafe has no parking lot and is located in a semi-residential location. so there is a lot of meter parking as well as free/street parking if you're patient.
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