I am so excited for Ono to open up again! I have a couple of reviews regarding the pastries and a Queen Emma Sheet Cake pickup!My personal favorite is the taro pastry which is delicious! It has a flaky outside and the filing is very taroey but not too sweet. My family LOVES the Queen Emma Sheet Cake which I got for my sister's birthday which has layers of guava and other aspects that are not too overpowering. The sheetcake was $65 and it was super straightforward ordering. We picked it up from the ghost kitchen in Oakland at 8am and though it was a bit delayed, the staff there were super nice and accomodating! The Queen Emma slices by themselves are $8 so do pick up a sheetcake for a bang for buck.The bakery itself is small but homey and the associates are always super sweet!
Lama Mesui
The Malasadas are alright it’s no Leonard’s from Hawaii, but the mark up in price is understandable considering it’s hard to get in ca. it’s about 1/3 the size of a normal malasada going around the same price. Dough was soft but a little dry, would be more moist if stored in a controlled space vs outside to the environments. But the Haupia pie was good
John D.
Bake it OffOpen since late 2020, Ono Bakehouse is the brainchild of Maui born and raised baker Desiree Valencia, who has brought her own version of Aloha to the Bay via her baked goods.The Good:Pro Tip: Order and pay online via their website once they open to reserve your items before they sell out. Menu goes live every morning at 9 a.m., fwiw. *Follow them on IG @ono.bakehouse to see what seasonal and special items they're currently baking up. *Berkshire Pork Sausage Buns were fantastic; buttery, crisp exterior, and a delicious pork sausage roll in the middle made for a tasty combo. *Chocolate Tahini Cookie was fantastic! The chocolate was delicious and didn't overpower the delicate tahini/sesame seed flavor of the cookie. The exterior texture was terrific, as well. *Service was a bit clumsy, but friendly enough. The Meh:*Liliko'i (aka Passionfruit) Poundcake was just OK. We didn't feel like the flavor of the Liliko'i was punchy enough, but the texture of the cake was acceptable. *Taro Pie had a nice crispy exterior, but the Taro itself could've been a little punchier, as well. And, yes, I realize Taro isn't that strong of a flavor to begin with, but I'm just sayin'.*Stock for each day can vary so hard to predict what will be there. The Ugly:*We came for the Malasadas but didn't realize that they're only made Fri & Sat :(TLDR: Great Hawaiian bakery that serves up some yummy treats. We'll be back to get those Malasads!
새박
Why did I decide to give this perfect Hawaiian gem in my neighborhood, only a year later moving around this block? No one will ever tell. Great pastries, absolutely loved the poundcake, and super friendly staff.
Ed U.
Oh my, Ono, why had I not noticed this compact Hawaiian bakery before? Well, its nondescript location on MLK Way is easy to miss, especially since their signage is barely visible. But more likely, I wasn't even that keen on Hawaiian baked goods until I was in Honolulu recently and inadvertently discovered Leonard's and their heavenly malasadas (review: bit.ly/3KYkRlC).The chef and owner is Desiree Valencia who was raised in Maui and earned her pedigree as a pastry chef in top Bay Area restaurants like Morimoto and Saison. In other words, she knows her stuff. Jamie W. and I finally came here at around 3PM. Sadly they were out of malasadas, and we were told they usually sell out of them by 11. Oh well, how could they be as good as Leonard's anyway? Several other delectables awaited.We bought a couple of the $5.75 Butter Mochi and decided to split the $4.50 Lilikoi Poundcake. Yep, now I had proof she knew her stuff. The butter mochi looked like large English muffins drenched in melted butter and coconut shavings (photo: bit.ly/3P5eZc3). Sinfully melty. The fluffy poundcake had a liberal layer of lilikoi icing on top sprinkled with poppyseeds (photo: bit.ly/3PaQcUg). Quite yummy.Weeks went by, and Jamie and I were chasing the 12 bus when we noticed we were walking by this bakery. It was around 3PM again, and based on the last visit, I just assumed they wouldn't have any malasadas. Lo and behold, they had a full variety neatly laid out in two rows on a baking tray. It was a sign from a higher power that life was good and worth living.They were $4 each, so we went to town - two filled with Lilikoi, two filled with Coconut Custard, and one Plain - all were dusted with sugar (photo: bit.ly/3qwNC0i). We just couldn't help ourselves, as memories of Leonard's flooded through our heads. Gratefully, Desiree and her staff have the chops to make them soft, pillowy, and packed with flavor that wasn't overly sweet. We felt the aloha breezes as we devoured them. Leonard would be proud.BAKED GOODS - 5 stars...malasadas that'll make you do the hulaAMBIANCE - 4 stars...pretty plain and clean and really no seatingSERVICE - 4 stars...pretty much grab and go with no incidentTOTAL - 5 stars...malasadas are donuts with the aloha spiritRELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2CbVh8u
Maya Sestan
Super friendly staff! Very delicious well price food! Will visit again :)
Siffat Kohli
Excellent malasadas and super friendly staff! Can't wait to try more items!
Helen L.
My goal today was to drive here from SF before going somewhere. Had been planning this for a week. Got there around 10 am Saturday. All they had was coconut mochi or butter cookies. Haupia pie (not at 10 am and can't last all day in hot trunk. Got the coconut vegan cookie. It was good, but for $5.50. They are cooking the rice for the musubi. I was told there would be more goodies on the way. So, I waited in the sun. Way too sunny. Walked around to the shade. If i had known, I would have walked to the next block to another cafe. The baker came and unloaded the car full of goodies. Waited some more. Any time now. Feeling tired of waiting and left. I would never know how good the lilikoi pound cake tastes. They have parking lot up on top of their roof.
Kevin Xu
The pound cake and butter mochi are soooo good. Amazing baked treats and friendly service, definitely go here if you're in the area.
Dee H.
Staff was friendly and helpful. My phone order was ready for pickup when it was supposed to be. Queen Emma: 6.5/10 Layered cake made of guava, passionfruit and coconut chiffon cake and mousse. I had high hopes for the cake given the hype in reviews and bought it for my dad's birthday. The flavors of guava, coconut and lilikoi were on point but unfortunately it was dry and imo not worth the $60+. On the bright side it's an excuse to add ice cream to enjoy with the cake. Malasadas: 9/10 malasadas are hard to find outside of Hawaii. These are the best malasadas I've tasted on the mainland and I've tried a handful of places that offer them. The only thing is they're only available on the weekend, limited supply and $4 a pop. For reference, Leonard's charges $2.25 for filled malasadas. I am willing to pay the premium for these malasadas though!
I thought "wow these pastires are kinda expensive and kinda small they better be really good"Dear reader,They were really, really good
Minh-Uyen N.
Found this bakery on a rainy day and decided to pop in. It's a small grab-and-go bakery with a small but carefully curated selection. Everything looked really good which definitely made me want to come back again to try everything. We ended up getting the onion roll and the Pound cake which both tasted really good, not too sweet and brought just the right amount of flavor. The cashier was really nice, he explained what each of the items were and kindly answered all our questions.
Amy W.
Meh, we got there an hour before they closed on a Saturday and the pickings were slim (only 1 cookie and some lemon mini pound cakes in the display case). We each got a slice of the triple layer cake from the fridge in the back (the only offering left really). I let it come to room temperature and ate it later that night. Meh. The layers were almond, guava and coconut I think, but for me this cake was nothing special and quite pricy for a mid-sized portion. If I am paying $8 for a slice of cake, it better be Susie Cakes size and last me for 3 portions.
Elena W.
3.5 stars rounded to 4. I'll admit, I did kind of set out to write Ono Bakehouse a poor review because they did not open on time and I was in a hurry, plus they didn't have the chocolate haupia pie on the menu like I was hoping. I was literally about to leave but I saw a worker open up the shop shortly after. I had already waited around 20 minutes so I decided to make it worth it by buying 4 random things and went on with my day. I had very low expectations for how the pastries would taste because I was already pretty annoyed that I was almost late to my next engagement because they didn't open at 9AM like they said they would.I literally had to eat my words. The onion roll and chocolate tahini cookie truly blew my mind! These were so delicious! The butter mochi was also pretty good and the lillikoi pound cake was just okay. I really wanted to hate on them tbh but I can't because the pastries were pretty tasty lmaoI went to Hawaii for the first time last year so I'm really happy that there's a business like this to have a taste of Hawaii in the Bay Area. I'm not in the Berkeley area often, but I hope to be back when they have the chocolate haupia pie in stock!!!
Anthony H.
You need to come early to this popular Hawaiian bakehouse otherwise they would likely run out of favorites by noon. We came here to pick up some dessert after lunch and found scant offerings. Nevertheless, we were able to sample the Queen Emma cake, the red bean malasada and the onion roll.The Queen Emma cake has three layers comprising of coconut mousse, guava mousse, and lilikoi mousse. It was light and not too sweet, which meant it was perfect with a cup of perfectly brewed capuccino at home. The umami onion roll reminded me of the Chinese onion roll but with more intense garlic and scallion flavor, so if you are an aficionado of onion roll you will love this. We also enjoyed the red bean malasada. The doughnut has a pleasant texture and was not oily. The filling was sweet but not overpowering. We will have to come back at an earlier time to try their other delights!
I am so excited for Ono to open up again! I have a couple of reviews regarding the pastries and a Queen Emma Sheet Cake pickup!My personal favorite is the taro pastry which is delicious! It has a flaky outside and the filing is very taroey but not too sweet. My family LOVES the Queen Emma Sheet Cake which I got for my sister's birthday which has layers of guava and other aspects that are not too overpowering. The sheetcake was $65 and it was super straightforward ordering. We picked it up from the ghost kitchen in Oakland at 8am and though it was a bit delayed, the staff there were super nice and accomodating! The Queen Emma slices by themselves are $8 so do pick up a sheetcake for a bang for buck.The bakery itself is small but homey and the associates are always super sweet!
The Malasadas are alright it’s no Leonard’s from Hawaii, but the mark up in price is understandable considering it’s hard to get in ca. it’s about 1/3 the size of a normal malasada going around the same price. Dough was soft but a little dry, would be more moist if stored in a controlled space vs outside to the environments. But the Haupia pie was good
Bake it OffOpen since late 2020, Ono Bakehouse is the brainchild of Maui born and raised baker Desiree Valencia, who has brought her own version of Aloha to the Bay via her baked goods.The Good:Pro Tip: Order and pay online via their website once they open to reserve your items before they sell out. Menu goes live every morning at 9 a.m., fwiw. *Follow them on IG @ono.bakehouse to see what seasonal and special items they're currently baking up. *Berkshire Pork Sausage Buns were fantastic; buttery, crisp exterior, and a delicious pork sausage roll in the middle made for a tasty combo. *Chocolate Tahini Cookie was fantastic! The chocolate was delicious and didn't overpower the delicate tahini/sesame seed flavor of the cookie. The exterior texture was terrific, as well. *Service was a bit clumsy, but friendly enough. The Meh:*Liliko'i (aka Passionfruit) Poundcake was just OK. We didn't feel like the flavor of the Liliko'i was punchy enough, but the texture of the cake was acceptable. *Taro Pie had a nice crispy exterior, but the Taro itself could've been a little punchier, as well. And, yes, I realize Taro isn't that strong of a flavor to begin with, but I'm just sayin'.*Stock for each day can vary so hard to predict what will be there. The Ugly:*We came for the Malasadas but didn't realize that they're only made Fri & Sat :(TLDR: Great Hawaiian bakery that serves up some yummy treats. We'll be back to get those Malasads!
Why did I decide to give this perfect Hawaiian gem in my neighborhood, only a year later moving around this block? No one will ever tell. Great pastries, absolutely loved the poundcake, and super friendly staff.
Oh my, Ono, why had I not noticed this compact Hawaiian bakery before? Well, its nondescript location on MLK Way is easy to miss, especially since their signage is barely visible. But more likely, I wasn't even that keen on Hawaiian baked goods until I was in Honolulu recently and inadvertently discovered Leonard's and their heavenly malasadas (review: bit.ly/3KYkRlC).The chef and owner is Desiree Valencia who was raised in Maui and earned her pedigree as a pastry chef in top Bay Area restaurants like Morimoto and Saison. In other words, she knows her stuff. Jamie W. and I finally came here at around 3PM. Sadly they were out of malasadas, and we were told they usually sell out of them by 11. Oh well, how could they be as good as Leonard's anyway? Several other delectables awaited.We bought a couple of the $5.75 Butter Mochi and decided to split the $4.50 Lilikoi Poundcake. Yep, now I had proof she knew her stuff. The butter mochi looked like large English muffins drenched in melted butter and coconut shavings (photo: bit.ly/3P5eZc3). Sinfully melty. The fluffy poundcake had a liberal layer of lilikoi icing on top sprinkled with poppyseeds (photo: bit.ly/3PaQcUg). Quite yummy.Weeks went by, and Jamie and I were chasing the 12 bus when we noticed we were walking by this bakery. It was around 3PM again, and based on the last visit, I just assumed they wouldn't have any malasadas. Lo and behold, they had a full variety neatly laid out in two rows on a baking tray. It was a sign from a higher power that life was good and worth living.They were $4 each, so we went to town - two filled with Lilikoi, two filled with Coconut Custard, and one Plain - all were dusted with sugar (photo: bit.ly/3qwNC0i). We just couldn't help ourselves, as memories of Leonard's flooded through our heads. Gratefully, Desiree and her staff have the chops to make them soft, pillowy, and packed with flavor that wasn't overly sweet. We felt the aloha breezes as we devoured them. Leonard would be proud.BAKED GOODS - 5 stars...malasadas that'll make you do the hulaAMBIANCE - 4 stars...pretty plain and clean and really no seatingSERVICE - 4 stars...pretty much grab and go with no incidentTOTAL - 5 stars...malasadas are donuts with the aloha spiritRELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2CbVh8u
Super friendly staff! Very delicious well price food! Will visit again :)
Excellent malasadas and super friendly staff! Can't wait to try more items!
My goal today was to drive here from SF before going somewhere. Had been planning this for a week. Got there around 10 am Saturday. All they had was coconut mochi or butter cookies. Haupia pie (not at 10 am and can't last all day in hot trunk. Got the coconut vegan cookie. It was good, but for $5.50. They are cooking the rice for the musubi. I was told there would be more goodies on the way. So, I waited in the sun. Way too sunny. Walked around to the shade. If i had known, I would have walked to the next block to another cafe. The baker came and unloaded the car full of goodies. Waited some more. Any time now. Feeling tired of waiting and left. I would never know how good the lilikoi pound cake tastes. They have parking lot up on top of their roof.
The pound cake and butter mochi are soooo good. Amazing baked treats and friendly service, definitely go here if you're in the area.
Staff was friendly and helpful. My phone order was ready for pickup when it was supposed to be. Queen Emma: 6.5/10 Layered cake made of guava, passionfruit and coconut chiffon cake and mousse. I had high hopes for the cake given the hype in reviews and bought it for my dad's birthday. The flavors of guava, coconut and lilikoi were on point but unfortunately it was dry and imo not worth the $60+. On the bright side it's an excuse to add ice cream to enjoy with the cake. Malasadas: 9/10 malasadas are hard to find outside of Hawaii. These are the best malasadas I've tasted on the mainland and I've tried a handful of places that offer them. The only thing is they're only available on the weekend, limited supply and $4 a pop. For reference, Leonard's charges $2.25 for filled malasadas. I am willing to pay the premium for these malasadas though!
Restaurantji Recommends
I thought "wow these pastires are kinda expensive and kinda small they better be really good"Dear reader,They were really, really good
Found this bakery on a rainy day and decided to pop in. It's a small grab-and-go bakery with a small but carefully curated selection. Everything looked really good which definitely made me want to come back again to try everything. We ended up getting the onion roll and the Pound cake which both tasted really good, not too sweet and brought just the right amount of flavor. The cashier was really nice, he explained what each of the items were and kindly answered all our questions.
Meh, we got there an hour before they closed on a Saturday and the pickings were slim (only 1 cookie and some lemon mini pound cakes in the display case). We each got a slice of the triple layer cake from the fridge in the back (the only offering left really). I let it come to room temperature and ate it later that night. Meh. The layers were almond, guava and coconut I think, but for me this cake was nothing special and quite pricy for a mid-sized portion. If I am paying $8 for a slice of cake, it better be Susie Cakes size and last me for 3 portions.
3.5 stars rounded to 4. I'll admit, I did kind of set out to write Ono Bakehouse a poor review because they did not open on time and I was in a hurry, plus they didn't have the chocolate haupia pie on the menu like I was hoping. I was literally about to leave but I saw a worker open up the shop shortly after. I had already waited around 20 minutes so I decided to make it worth it by buying 4 random things and went on with my day. I had very low expectations for how the pastries would taste because I was already pretty annoyed that I was almost late to my next engagement because they didn't open at 9AM like they said they would.I literally had to eat my words. The onion roll and chocolate tahini cookie truly blew my mind! These were so delicious! The butter mochi was also pretty good and the lillikoi pound cake was just okay. I really wanted to hate on them tbh but I can't because the pastries were pretty tasty lmaoI went to Hawaii for the first time last year so I'm really happy that there's a business like this to have a taste of Hawaii in the Bay Area. I'm not in the Berkeley area often, but I hope to be back when they have the chocolate haupia pie in stock!!!
You need to come early to this popular Hawaiian bakehouse otherwise they would likely run out of favorites by noon. We came here to pick up some dessert after lunch and found scant offerings. Nevertheless, we were able to sample the Queen Emma cake, the red bean malasada and the onion roll.The Queen Emma cake has three layers comprising of coconut mousse, guava mousse, and lilikoi mousse. It was light and not too sweet, which meant it was perfect with a cup of perfectly brewed capuccino at home. The umami onion roll reminded me of the Chinese onion roll but with more intense garlic and scallion flavor, so if you are an aficionado of onion roll you will love this. We also enjoyed the red bean malasada. The doughnut has a pleasant texture and was not oily. The filling was sweet but not overpowering. We will have to come back at an earlier time to try their other delights!