Yes to the strawberry lychee matcha with oat milk... and honestly everything! Good vibez. Fun atmosphere. Cool peeps. I came because of a recommendation and very happy to have been introduced to such a special spot for matcha, tea, and mochi muffins and matcha galore. (You can ask for them to adjust sweetness on the drinks btw) I really enjoyed the strawberry lychee matcha with oat milk I ordered... all the flavors just blended well together. And mộc muffin is the OG. The dark chocolate mochi donut was my fav (for now), since technically there are other yummy flavors to try! In all, I will be coming back. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry lychee matcha with oat milk - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

The rotating seasonal menu and new drinks always keeps things interesting. Gluten free items are clearly marked. If you're a guava fan right now you're in luck because they have everything from guava drinks (caffeine and no caffeine) and guava mochi waffle, etc. A mochi muffin is always worth getting imo. I don't usually love my matcha fruity, but the strawberry lychee matcha latte with oat milk and half the fruit was perfect. Their events are always fun, so keep an eye out. Cute decorated space as usual with good quality matcha and drinks. They always have some little items for sale also (coin purses, black sesame paste, chili crisp, guava jam, etc). read more

See all

loveeeed the mochi donuts that we got. nice tangy and citrus flavors for both and the chewiness was amazing. the matcha was alright to me, nothing to rave for, but it wasn't bad. there just wasn't much lychee flavor, which i would've liked. read more

See all

First time here! I've been on a matcha binge. My usual store is closed on Mondays :( so I came to give this a try after having it saved for a while. The outside looks big and really cute! The inside is a bit crowded. Probably not a good spot to hang out or do homework inside but outdoors they have a lot of seating just not much shade. The wait to get your order is long. This place is popular though. I didn't try the food yet but it looks delicious! I got the iced matcha latte and it's good! I think next time I'll ask for less sweet if possible. I like my matcha to taste earthy and this is pretty sweet. Also the merch is so cute!!! read more

See all

Got the regular iced matcha and a red velvet mochi muffin. They were delicious. The store is cutely designed read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Matcha Latte, red velvet mochi muffin - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Third Culture's matchas are very, very good. Made the traditional* way with a bowl and bamboo whisk. They also do seasonally changing add-ins that I'd recommend. The most recent time I went in there was a strawberry lychee matcha drink that brought the life back into my eyes. This is not a cheap drink spot, so I try to ration my visits, but it's always worth the handful of cash I dish over. Tbh I'm not a huge fan of the mochi donuts and muffins that they also serve and specialize in. I've always found them to be sort of dry and the glazes to be unpleasant. But I love the concept of the fusion-style "third culture" foods. *from the perspective of a frequent matcha enjoyer but not a matcha expert read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Bad service and over priced items. I went there with 2 of my friends. I ordered 3 drinks and one mini muffin mochi ($6) to treat my friends. The cashier apparently recorded only 2 drinks and did not make my drinks. They did not give receipt, so nothing to show how much I paid. Then they scroll up and down for 10 minutes and finally going to give me free drink, but then they found my order and took their words back and asked me to pay after all that. For the ube mochi, you can simply buy pancake mix at Trader Joe's for $3.99 and adjust the recipe to mochi, there you got A LOT of mochi for $4. Instead of paying little tiny mochi for $6. Its ridiculous. read more

The parking was tough to find near this bakery. However I wouldn't mind it since the matcha items were delicious. I ordered their mochi goodies and was pleased with the flavor. Would love to try out more of their items. read more

Third Culture Bakery | Berkeley 1. Iced roasted matcha latte w/ three mochi donuts! (matcha, chocolate tiramisu, dulce de leche) 2. Assortment of mochi muffins ( black sesame, ube, plain, cinnamon, curry) Third Culture is a popular bakery in a trendy area. Not only do they serve a wide variety of mochi muffin and donuts, they have an extensive list of beverages as well. My favorite mochi muffin would have to be the black sesame. If you're ever in Berkeley, check this place out. You won't regret it. @thirdculturebakery read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Iced roasted matcha latte w/ mochi donuts! (Matcha, chocolate tiramisu, dulce de leche) - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

The vibes were adorable and the staff were SO sweet, but I don't think the drinks were any good. Would come back to try something else, but definitely not on top of my list.. read more

I truly have an appreciation for the craftsmanship and love put into the baked goods here. They stir their sesame paste for 72 hours, and these baked goods are exactly how I like...not too sweet! read more

Simply put: I LOVE THIS PLACE AND THEIR MOCHI MUFFINS! I will drive from Milpitas to here just for their mochi muffins.... which I have... admittingly a handful of times... This location is clean and service was fast. I will definitely be back again and again. read more

DELICIOUS Matcha! I got the classic matcha latte made with premium matcha. STRONG and delicious. Reminds me of Japan. The matcha and original muffin are great too. Thanks ILLIA for the great service and delicious drink made with love (I can tell)!! read more

OMG I am so glad to have stumbled across this bakery!!! It is such a cute little shop and has a couple of chairs outside for seating. Their mochi muffins (the original) are to die for!!! The donuts aren't bad either but I would definitely recommend trying the mochi muffins. In addition to the tons of options they have and the option to sit outside, the service was great! The staff was extremely friendly and even provided suggestions as it was our first time there. Can't wait to go back! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Ube Mochi Donut, Passionfruit Mango Mochi Donut, Original Mochi Muffin, Cinnamon Mochi Muffin, Lemon Yuzu Mochi Donut - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been coming here for years! Love their drinks and treats. Service is always great and the place is tidy and clean. Right now they're doing the Korean a sweet corn special. The matcha with the Korean sweet corn is delicious! sadly the mochi Korean sweet corn was a miss. They never disappoint but this time, the mochi was not good. Other than that, try everything else. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Korean sweet corn matcha - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

This spot has such unique and delicious snacks and drinks. I had the roasted matcha latte with strawberry and oat milk, and some mochi donuts. I prefer mochi donuts to the regular ones cause they have this soft, chewy texture that is amazing. My favorite of the muchi donuts was the Thai tea, but all of them had excellent icing flavors. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Roasted matcha latte with strawberry - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Had heard of 3rd culture via internet and really wanted to try a dozen of their matcha mochi, I put in an order via website and with 10.95 delivery. Big matcha fan here! :)p The mochi itself is dense and pillowy and smells of House Uli Matcha when opened, which is a very unique strain I have come to taste, I pick up a genre of this tea from the markets in South Bay. Mochiko rice flour and French style butter is used to prepare these bad boys and good girls up, organic too. I could see myself making a trip the east bay for a day at the cafe. Overall satisfied with the product and price point, great dessert or just whenever! Enso forever. Uli Kyoto. Forever cute and simple and fun. "I believe in creative control. No matter what anyone makes, they should have control over it." - David Lynch read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Uli Matcha Kyoto. Soft sakura flower accent, thank you. :*) - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Third Culture Bakery is a great neighborhood spot and a place that I can always rely on for unique, quality baked goods and well-crafted drinks. The bakery is decorated with disco-themed garlands and a lot of pink, which I love :) There are also several options of bagged/canister-stored matcha available for purchase in addition to their selection of bottled drinks and Third Culture merchandise. I ordered the strawberry lychee matcha latte and it was great. I am always eating their mochi donuts because my workplace orders them quite often and I find them delicious each time! They have a range of flavors from passion fruit to black sesame for their donuts and a few fun flavors like churro for their muffins. If I were ordering from there for the first time, I'd get their ube and black sesame donuts and their regular muffin just to get a good idea of what they offer. Service is always friendly and personal. I love that the staff hand whisk the matcha with a chasen too :) Thank you to the folks at Third Culture Bakery! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you've never had a mochi muffin, then you must treat your tastebuds to a golden, chewy experience! It's hard to stop at "just one bite"! If you are familiar with the wonderful mochi muffins Third Culture Bakery offers, then I must tell you about their very wonderful customer service. My order was a gift that was lost by the shipper and could no longer be tracked. I notified TCB about this and Wenter, one of the co-owners, responded to my situation quickly. Wenter promptly resolved this issue and my gift was received with gusto (she ate the whole box in two days)! Third Culture Bakery's customer service is stellar and I really appreciate the personal support and prompt attention I received. I have gifted these muffins since 2022 and will continue to do so knowing that TCB stands behind their service. They are quick to respond and provide solutions to their customers promptly! read more

I've been to third culture several times over the years, but this is probably my favorite lineup they've had. The chili chrisp muffin is genius, with a slight sweetness underneath the mostly savory flavor. The key lime pie donut was so delicious, such a perfect blend of tart and sweet with the added texture of the crumbs on top. And the strawberry matcha waffle was just fantastic. The service was great as always, and the vibe is so nice inside. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry Matcha Waffle Chili Chrisp Muffin Key Lime Pie Donut Vietnamese Coffee Donut Matcha Latte Black Sesame Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yo, this place is one of my new favorites! It's all top tier. From the service, the decor, the drinks + donuts, to the owner's story! My wife ordered the Strawberry Lychee and I ordered an iced Classic w/ oat milk. I especially liked how they were prepared with such care and intention. The barista broke out the good ole bowl and whisk to prepare our matcha, but not before dressing my wife's cup with what looked like fresh strawberry/lychee puree. I'm a sucker for butter mochi, so we ordered 4 donuts - vietnamese coffee, ube, strawberry, and guava cheesecake. All were great, but that vietnamese coffee donut is the one! We'll be back for the mochi muffins next. Come one, come all! read more

See all

Fantastic hot drinks accompanying their iconic mochi muffins. Can't beat the classic but the chocolate one held its own too. I'm gonna try make those at home with some mochiko read more

This might be one of the most overrated bakeries in the east bay. Yes, the vibes are cute and the staff are nice, but the food and drinks are overpriced and average. The food looks good, but the taste does not live up to the looks. The bakery is small, so it's going to be take-out only. I tried a passionfruit mochi donut, mochi muffin, and some drink from here. The mochi donut is nasty and tasted stale. It didn't have the chewiness and "bounciness" that you get from other mochi donut shops. Maybe it's the kind of donut that you need to reheat for it to be good. But I've had mochi donuts from other stores that I've left out for a few days with very little compromise in texture. The icing just tasted like generic artificial flavoring and sugar and was a bit too sweet. I guess it kind of tasted like a bagel with icing on top? Very weird. The mochi muffin is their flagship product, so much so that a few years ago, they actually trademarked the term "mochi muffin" and sent cease & desist letters to other bakeries that tried to sell mochi muffins. That was a whole thing. Anyway, back to the muffins. They suffer from the same issue as the mochi donut - they're supposed to be mochi muffins but they're just not that chewy. Maybe there's no mochi in them? It just tastes like a regular muffin but softer and smaller. There was nothing memorable about the drink. I think I got something citrusy? I just remember that it was too sweet. Unfortunately didn't take any photos, but none of the items tasted good enough to deserve a photo anyway. read more

Been here a couple times and their items are delicious. I prefer their muffins in general (especially the ube one) but the yuzu donut is excellent. Have yet to try their drinks but will do so next time. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came here before an urban hike around Berkeley. Enjoyed a matcha caramel hot drink with ube and churro mochi muffin. I've had their good before when other people bought and brought to events. All was just as tasty in person. I would gladly try all their baked goods. Service was friendly and informative. Cute spot near other bakeries and cafes. read more

See all

I came here specifically for the drinks and the mochi muffins! The bakery is located in a very industrialized, hipster part of Southwest Berkeley. It was situated amongst other cute cafes and bakeries next door. The interior was like a big, open spaced kitchen/bakery. You first walk in to a glass case of all their baked goods from mochi donuts, muffins and other pastries like bread pudding. Staff was extremely friendly and happily answered all my questions. They decorated the shop to celebrate Pride and even gave a free sticker with their logo in pride colors. So cute! I had a group order so I will only comment on the things that I tried: Strawberry Lychee Roasted Matcha Latte (5/5): omg i love me a good roasted hojicha latte! This is like a play on Boba Guys Strawberry Matcha latte but roasted version. Very nice balance of sweetness and roasted, nuttiness blend in the drink! This was so enjoyable and really loved it as it's quite unique! I've never seen a drink like this even in SoCal. The one thing I didn't quite notice was the lychee flavor. I think the strawberry overpowers any lychee flavor but I still really enjoyed it - it was more like a Strawberry roasted matcha latte. Mochi Muffins (2/5): Flavors Tried: Original, orange five spice All the mochi muffins I got tasted like they've been sitting out for a long time, which was odd because I came at 1pm. :( What a bummer because I think they definitely would've been better if they were fresh. Both flavors were good in their own ways but I leaned towards liking the original flavor a bit more because it was less sweet compared to everything else. If you have a big sweet tooth and love sweets, I don't think this should be an issue for you. I personally don't have a sweet tooth and don't like extremely sweet desserts. Mochi Donuts (3/5) Flavors Tried: Passionfruit, Guava, Yuzu Mochi donuts were softer than the mochi muffins so it was easier to eat. Every donut consisted of VERY strong flavors, which is good because you want to be able to taste the flavors. BUT it was so sweet - every single one. I'd come back for the drinks! Maybe if they have a flavor that doesn't lean too heavily on the sweeter side like black sesame, I might give their pastries another shot. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Coffee was delicious. Had a lot of interesting flavor combos. Didn't try any mochi donuts this time but would try next time

I've been hearing about Third Culture Bakery a lot, so I knew I had to give it a try when I was in the Berkeley area. You know this place is popular by the long line that was right outside even though the bakery was about to close. They're most known for their matcha, so my friend and I got the caramel roasted matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte. I was worried that they were both going to be too similar since they were matcha based, but they couldn't have tasted more different! The roasted matcha had a nutty-ish flavor to it while the regular matcha had the familiar matcha taste that I was accustomed to. We also decided to grab some mochi donuts (Vietnamese coffee, Ube, passionfruit) and mochi muffins (ube and matcha). Honestly, the donuts were a pass for me. They were definitely chewy, but the outside was not as crispy as I would like. Out of the three, I'd highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee as it had the strongest flavor. If you had to choose between the donuts or muffins, I'd say muffins are the way to go. Both were deliciously chewy and had more flavor. read more

See all

yo pls keep the matcha einspanner on the menu had my doubts bc other places make the cream tragically sweet and NorCal simply doesn't rlly do these things, but this is perf. maybe even better than the mind's matcha w cream top--third culture's ceremonial matcha one ups the mind's. pls keep we will be regulars. Literally ima come back tomorrow read more

See all

I have seen their products at local coffee shops but this was the first time stopping by at their actually facility. We had an opportunity to meet one of the founders - Winter - who provided the history of how they started and the meaning behind the words Third Culture. They have MANY options in regards to mochi donuts and a couple for mochi muffins. I am a sucker for their muffins! The donuts for me are a little too sweet. - Mango Passionfruit donut - good but very sweet - Original mochi muffin - its a classic amazing texture and flavor - Red Velvet - wasnt bad They have an assortment of drink beverages that focus on matcha. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - So many flavors to pick from - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Still one of my fave places and I'm glad they expanded their drink options like a roasted strawberry matcha latte! HELLO! Yes! I just wanted to update my review for that. haha, great drinks and still great mochi treats. Sucks about their recent publicity though. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry roasted matcha latte - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

No complaints! I freaking love mochi desserts, and they delivered. We got the guava cheesecake donut, an ube muffin, and a caramel matcha latte. My boyfriend enjoyed the donut, which went HEAVY on the guava flavoring and legit tasted like it! I'm a sucker for ube, and that was a damn good muffin. Wasn't too sweet! They also sell some miscellaneous items like stickers and apparel. The store was also decorated really cutely for Lunar New Year! Service was 100% too. Everyone who helped us was really really sweet. On theme for a place that specializes in sweets, haha. 100% want to come again and try more flavors! read more

See all

I'm a big fan of Third Culture's mochi donuts and matcha drinks! I wish they hadn't tried to enforce the trademarking of "mochi donut". I love watching them bake their goods in the open kitchen, and they also sell cute gear like crewnecks and stickers. This is a great queer- and Asian-owned business to support and enjoy! read more

See all

Awesome drinks and great mochi muffins and other items, though they can be very pricey. I really like the hojicha from Third Culture as it has hoji sediments which lead to a rich flavor with lots of texture to it. The matcha drinks are also great and their mochi pastries have a great texture to them. I was a bit iffy on returning due to the controversy, however with their recent mochi muffin trademark surrendering, I think I will be returning soon. Though there are not much other stores to walk to from Third Culture, one of the Bay Area's most renowned worm cultivators lives close to the bakery. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been craving matcha lately. The matcha donut was so good. The iced strawberry matcha latte was also delicious. Staff is always kind and friendly. read more

See all

Obsessed with the mochi muffins, mochi donuts, and variety of matcha lattes they serve here. One of my favorite bakeries in Berkeley! Third Culture is currently expanding to their 6th location all over the Bay Area! The story behind the bakery and the owners is truly inspiring. My favorites: original mochi muffin - its a classic amazing texture and flavor, with sesame seeds on top matcha mochi muffin - tastes just like a matcha latte in a chewy sweet treat passionfruit mochi donut - sour but tangy passionfruit flavor with a soft, mochi consistency as a donut strawberry lychee matcha latte - smooth and strong matcha with a fruity strawberry lychee base read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry lychee matcha latte and strawberry lychee roasted matcha latte - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Still loving the mochi donuts and matcha latte with oatmilk. Adding picture as an ode to the guava donut - it may not be the brightest colored donut, but it IS the tastiest in my book read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Guava cheesecake mochi donut - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

The owners of this burgeoning bakery chain had a challenging summer, but the subject of the social media chatter wasn't that relevant to me as a consumer. Instead, I was focused on how they were capitalizing on the global mochi craze by specializing on mochi muffins and doughnuts, but I know the fad really started with sweet variations on dim sum and has evolved into mochi doughnuts and even mochi ice cream. At this point, Im just waiting for mochi pretzels and bagels. I visited in early June and the West Berkeley shop was quite an explosion in pink. Once I adjusted my eyes to their display case, I saw several temptations that I thought I could share with Jamie W. when I got home. There weren't any other customers in the middle of the afternoon, and it didn't appear the staff was interested in chatting. I just randomly picked four of them based on my own sweet tooth predilections: Matcha, Ube, Churro, and Chocolate Brownie. They were $4.15 each (photo: https://bit.ly/3Agcg7S). As a thoughtful bonus, the owner added a complimentary butter mochi doughnut. It was a latte-flavored variation and quite unlike the 'pon de ring' style you would get at Mochill or Mochinut. I liked it because it was more like an actual doughnut. Of the muffins, the Churro and Chocolate trumped the more subtle Matcha and Ube, but frankly I wouldn't have bypassed any of them in a box. Clearly they must be doing something right as they've opened at least two other locations. And yes, I left some for Jamie. Don't judge me. FOOD - 4 stars...tasty and just chewy enough with the mochi AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...if you like pink SERVICE - 3.5 stars...let's just say I understand their tentative approach TOTAL - 4 stars...a good once-in-a-while treat if you're a mochi maven RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

We recently stopped by for the new year black sesame event; we got a black sesame latte with soymilk and a black sesame mochi waffle. The waffle was nice--good texture, good nutty sesame balance, and this time the cereal bits worked well to complement the sesame cream. Not sure if the bananas were the best fruit pairing, though. I would, though, get it again. As for the latte, not too sweet (always good). read more

The food here consists of mochi baked goods and matcha/coffee. I ordered a peppermint mochi muffin, pumpkin mochi muffin, and coffee mochi donut. They were so good and chewy! The service was great, too. Staff was friendly and I got my order quickly. The ambiance was also nice. No seating, but it is very nicely decorated inside. :) read more