Photos by Emma Marie Chiang

iCAFE 幸福餅家

ICAFE, known as “a gift from the heart” bakery in Chinese, sells all kinds of cocktail buns – pineapple buns, roast pork buns, coconut buns, hot dog buns, or plain buttery milk bread. iCafe is a 43-year-old business, with current owners Nobo Chiu and Hannah Zhang operating it for the last five years serving seniors and families who eat their pastries over conversation, newspapers, and television. Nobo’s specialty is a crispy-top cha siu pork bun. iCafe also serves Hong-Kong-style milk tea, made from black tea and condensed milk, inspired by afternoon tea with milk and sugar practiced by the British. 

Another unique offering at iCafe is homemade mochi  in flavors like black sesame with peanuts, purple yam, and durian. For the mango mochi, Hannah deftly shapes the rice flour squeezing mango juice to flavor the wrapping before filling the mochi with fresh mango. Hannah says that “My hope is that the pastries we make is an expression of the heart and brings joy to customers. When Chinatown residents taste our pastries, I hope the experience will make them feel at home through familiar tastes, reminding them of their home in China or wherever they are from.” 

Signature items: Crispy top baked cha sui or pork bun, handmade mochi, and mooncakes with contemporary flavors.

Established: 1966

Proprietor: Nobo Chiu and Hannah Zhang 

Address: 133 Waverly / 133 天后廟街

Hours: 8 am-6 pm

Phone: (415) 391-8088

Cash only