This place specializes in HK desserts. The tofu pudding drink is pretty good but their hot tofu pudding dessert isn’t very good—grainy and a bit too strong in tofu
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Marbo Cheng
I came across this Cantonese dessert place and it was a lot better than I expected. I really liked it since it has a great variety of dessert.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Dum Dan Steam Egg Pudding
Kona G.
I frequently come here for their original bingsu. The fruit is diced into tiny cubes with fresh watermelon, cantaloupe/winter melon, and mango. One order can feed one to two people, but I always order one for myself.In another visit, I tried their food, ordering the pork chop over rice. The portion is decent, and came with a boba tea drink. The pork chops was sorta bland, but I enjoyed them regardless. It's not something I'd return for. The bingsu, however, I will definitely return for, as I have several times now. I'm still willing to order other food items next time, but it's their dessert menu that's the real attraction for me.
Susan K.
We stumbled into this simple decor dessert place on our way looking for something to satisfy our sweet tooth. The Hong Kong style French toast I can say was the best I have ever had here in the U.S. Super crunchy yet light and fluffy on the inside with just a hint of peanut butter that was not overpowering. The fried buns were perfectly crispy as well. They did not taste doughy as I had them in other restaurants. Even before taking the first sip of our sago drinks, it was obvious they were generous with the sago. Good flavor drinks with the perfect consistency, not watered down like other places. The warm dessert soup was also very good with good portion of red bean. Very satisfying. This place is a must try.
Nicole L.
HK French toast was pretty but didn't have the right fried texture and the bread itself was not fluffy. Did not come with condensed milk, came with honeyFin soup was just a white pepper heavy soup with mushrooms and clear noodles, and some red vinegar on the sideBaked spaghetti was okay, nothing specialBaked pork chops were rough, and the rice tasted undercookedWorkers did not smile once. Food came out fairly quick
Vincent W.
Solid spot to get your HK cafe fix. The meals come with a drink so if you are trying to get a rice plate and drink it's not a bad deal. Kinda like getting a drink for free. All the items here seem to be cooked to order so it take a bit of time to get food. Decent amount of seating and has never been full when I've been in. Order at the counter and then they will bring it to your table with a number or set it up for to go. Depending on how busy they make drinks fairly quickly but they sometimes are busy and get backed up. All the fried food comes out piping hot so it's freshly fried to order. Rice plates are decent and the simple pot is good. Kind of like tasty pot and serves enough to be good for maybe a meal + if you are a light eater or maybe good to share for 2 with an appetizer.There is one cool element here my kids like and that's the cotton candy machine. Is it the best cotton candy? probably not but you can get it in a flower shape in multiple colors. Not bad for a few bucks and some light entertainment for the kids. Service is kinda typical of quick service places, they take your order and bring you your stuff. If you need anything extra you have to go up to the front and ask. Like extra bowls or water but kinda is the style now a days. Staff is usually accommodating so not too much of an issue. Only have to wait if they get busy at the register which can happen. Typically inside they are playing canto music, so it has a nice cafe vibe although music is at like a medium volume, not too loud but not soft either. Can still sit and have a conversation. But it's a solid HK style cafe. Food is decent and comes out hot.
kevin lai
I went during the downtime so ymmv in terms of service and atmosphere. Food was decent, it's your basic Chinese desserts and snack spot.Parking: Parking is provided, but the ramp for the driveway is steep - you've been warned.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Will S
It's a cafe so don't expect full service restaurant level service. My three stars isn't a ding on the service, just relative to what you get. The kids just do their job.Atmosphere is based on tidiness and setup, it's nice for what it is and nicer than many similar places, rating is relative to other cafes.My food rating is based ONLY on the drinks we get and the braised pork bowl. Between our kids and ourselves we've had at least a hundred drinks here, especially the coconut sago ones which are the best around. We used to go down to San Bruno but after this place opened, we have never gone back, Simple One's versions are hands down better. We've tried similar at other places and the result is the same, we wished we had a Simple One version in our hand.We've not tried any of the food yet so I cannot comment on that other than the braised pork bowl which is a great and simple meal, enough to quell your hunger unless you consume mass quantities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Elizabeth L.
Simple One has been on my bookmarks for years and I finally have the chance to stop by. They are located in a quieter and small plaza with some parking out front. It was not too busy when I came, but our drinks took awhile. The service was eh, the employee did not really know how to to take orders/work the register, so someone else had to step in and help him. He might be new because I asked him if they have a jasmine milk tea, but he did not know.I tried their jasmine green tea with salted cheese & boba and Mango Coconut Sago with boba. The salted cheese tea was not the best - their cheese tasted a bit different than most of the other spots I had been and it was a bit too creamy with a half and half taste to it, while there was a subtle tea taste and the drink did not taste sweet enough and tasted watered down. The Mango Coconut Sago was good - it had a good sweetness to it and it was refreshing and tasty as well. The coconut taste was a bit overpowering over the mango in the drink, and I am not a big fan of a coconut, but it was still enjoyable.
Hoshun Lam
I had high hopes for another neighborhood dessert shop, but this wasn’t a good experience. Ordered the honeydew melon sago dessert: it was essentially an icy soup with bits of fruit. The sago was clumped together as if it was still thawing from the freezer. Never had such a poor Cantonese style dessert before.Lastly the place was empty at 8p but every table was dirty. No one bothered to wipe down any of the tables.Hard pass.
The one liner: HK cafe type of food, drinks, and desserts with counter service and dine-in tables at a great price.The time: came here early on a Friday evening from 4-6 PM and the cafe was relatively empty. The place: nestled in a small plaza with a private free parking lot. the cafe is and simply decorated with plenty of tables. there's a cotton candy machine in the front that makes colorful cotton candies in different shapesThe food: the simple meals come with an entree and drink for $13.25-16.99. This was a great value. We ordered the baked pork chop rice simple meal and the food was decent. The free milk tea with boba was very sweet but good. The boba was perfectly chewy and there was a strong tea flavor. The service: you order and pay at the counter then they bring your food to the table. you bus your own table at the end. The recommendation: yes I recommend! I will definitely be back to try other dishes and desserts
Annie Z.
I haven't seen many boba places that serve fruity sago in bowls but Simple One Cafe does it very well! As many Asian places do, there's an extensive menu of sweet and salty snacks and meals to pick from - from boba drinks to chicken plate dinners, fried popcorn chicken to shaved ice. The location was pretty empty when I dropped by with a party of 4 on a Saturday midafternoon, but there were people in and out picking up orders. There is plenty of seating and the restaurant is clean, staff efficient, and parking lot not too small. We thought the popcorn chicken could be cut in smaller pieces and therefore be crispier, but the mango sago with fruit on top was yummy and a good portion size for a snack. I learned that you can order the sago in a cup to drink with a boba straw, or plated in a silver bowl with the fruit on top acai-bowl style.Sweet little snack shop overall!
Joseph Camins
Love the different sago desserts and the sesame soup!
Geminyna J.
Cute interior, super limited parking, service is friendly - be prepared to wait when it's bustling inside. Have you tried Fried Mantou? Steamed milk buns are deep fried til golden brown and served with a side of condensed milk. It tastes as sinful as it sounds. Each bite has the perfect crunch. The inside is unbelievably soft and fluffy. The stark contrast in textures is exactly what brings us back to Simple One Cafe, perfect every time. Highly Recommend:Fried Milk Buns (Mantou): crispy ASMR crunch in every bite. Fluffy soft in the center. Heavenly. Popcorn Chicken, extra chili powder. Ask for a touch of condensed milk (I used a bit from my fried mantou). TRUST ME. It's like Korean Fried Chicken with sweet heat. Fresh Fruit Sago with optional coconut milk: honeydew / mango / watermelon are all refreshing. Even 50-75% sweetness is plenty.
Julian Y.
I came here for lunch on a weekend. Parking was easy and there was still seats available in the cafe.My bf and I shared the fried chicken wings. The wings were small but they came out burning hot and delicious. I got the black pepper short ribs with rice which came with a drink. I chose lemon tea, nothing spectacular but I love that it came with the meal. The black pepper short ribs were delicious and flavorful. They gave a good amount of short ribs which I was happy about.They have a cool cotton candy machine which I saw two kids get cotton candy from. It was very cool to watch the machine make it.Overall, I would be back to try their other dishes and dessert.
This place specializes in HK desserts. The tofu pudding drink is pretty good but their hot tofu pudding dessert isn’t very good—grainy and a bit too strong in tofu
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
I came across this Cantonese dessert place and it was a lot better than I expected. I really liked it since it has a great variety of dessert.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Dum Dan Steam Egg Pudding
I frequently come here for their original bingsu. The fruit is diced into tiny cubes with fresh watermelon, cantaloupe/winter melon, and mango. One order can feed one to two people, but I always order one for myself.In another visit, I tried their food, ordering the pork chop over rice. The portion is decent, and came with a boba tea drink. The pork chops was sorta bland, but I enjoyed them regardless. It's not something I'd return for. The bingsu, however, I will definitely return for, as I have several times now. I'm still willing to order other food items next time, but it's their dessert menu that's the real attraction for me.
We stumbled into this simple decor dessert place on our way looking for something to satisfy our sweet tooth. The Hong Kong style French toast I can say was the best I have ever had here in the U.S. Super crunchy yet light and fluffy on the inside with just a hint of peanut butter that was not overpowering. The fried buns were perfectly crispy as well. They did not taste doughy as I had them in other restaurants. Even before taking the first sip of our sago drinks, it was obvious they were generous with the sago. Good flavor drinks with the perfect consistency, not watered down like other places. The warm dessert soup was also very good with good portion of red bean. Very satisfying. This place is a must try.
HK French toast was pretty but didn't have the right fried texture and the bread itself was not fluffy. Did not come with condensed milk, came with honeyFin soup was just a white pepper heavy soup with mushrooms and clear noodles, and some red vinegar on the sideBaked spaghetti was okay, nothing specialBaked pork chops were rough, and the rice tasted undercookedWorkers did not smile once. Food came out fairly quick
Solid spot to get your HK cafe fix. The meals come with a drink so if you are trying to get a rice plate and drink it's not a bad deal. Kinda like getting a drink for free. All the items here seem to be cooked to order so it take a bit of time to get food. Decent amount of seating and has never been full when I've been in. Order at the counter and then they will bring it to your table with a number or set it up for to go. Depending on how busy they make drinks fairly quickly but they sometimes are busy and get backed up. All the fried food comes out piping hot so it's freshly fried to order. Rice plates are decent and the simple pot is good. Kind of like tasty pot and serves enough to be good for maybe a meal + if you are a light eater or maybe good to share for 2 with an appetizer.There is one cool element here my kids like and that's the cotton candy machine. Is it the best cotton candy? probably not but you can get it in a flower shape in multiple colors. Not bad for a few bucks and some light entertainment for the kids. Service is kinda typical of quick service places, they take your order and bring you your stuff. If you need anything extra you have to go up to the front and ask. Like extra bowls or water but kinda is the style now a days. Staff is usually accommodating so not too much of an issue. Only have to wait if they get busy at the register which can happen. Typically inside they are playing canto music, so it has a nice cafe vibe although music is at like a medium volume, not too loud but not soft either. Can still sit and have a conversation. But it's a solid HK style cafe. Food is decent and comes out hot.
I went during the downtime so ymmv in terms of service and atmosphere. Food was decent, it's your basic Chinese desserts and snack spot.Parking: Parking is provided, but the ramp for the driveway is steep - you've been warned.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
It's a cafe so don't expect full service restaurant level service. My three stars isn't a ding on the service, just relative to what you get. The kids just do their job.Atmosphere is based on tidiness and setup, it's nice for what it is and nicer than many similar places, rating is relative to other cafes.My food rating is based ONLY on the drinks we get and the braised pork bowl. Between our kids and ourselves we've had at least a hundred drinks here, especially the coconut sago ones which are the best around. We used to go down to San Bruno but after this place opened, we have never gone back, Simple One's versions are hands down better. We've tried similar at other places and the result is the same, we wished we had a Simple One version in our hand.We've not tried any of the food yet so I cannot comment on that other than the braised pork bowl which is a great and simple meal, enough to quell your hunger unless you consume mass quantities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Simple One has been on my bookmarks for years and I finally have the chance to stop by. They are located in a quieter and small plaza with some parking out front. It was not too busy when I came, but our drinks took awhile. The service was eh, the employee did not really know how to to take orders/work the register, so someone else had to step in and help him. He might be new because I asked him if they have a jasmine milk tea, but he did not know.I tried their jasmine green tea with salted cheese & boba and Mango Coconut Sago with boba. The salted cheese tea was not the best - their cheese tasted a bit different than most of the other spots I had been and it was a bit too creamy with a half and half taste to it, while there was a subtle tea taste and the drink did not taste sweet enough and tasted watered down. The Mango Coconut Sago was good - it had a good sweetness to it and it was refreshing and tasty as well. The coconut taste was a bit overpowering over the mango in the drink, and I am not a big fan of a coconut, but it was still enjoyable.
I had high hopes for another neighborhood dessert shop, but this wasn’t a good experience. Ordered the honeydew melon sago dessert: it was essentially an icy soup with bits of fruit. The sago was clumped together as if it was still thawing from the freezer. Never had such a poor Cantonese style dessert before.Lastly the place was empty at 8p but every table was dirty. No one bothered to wipe down any of the tables.Hard pass.
Restaurantji Recommends
The one liner: HK cafe type of food, drinks, and desserts with counter service and dine-in tables at a great price.The time: came here early on a Friday evening from 4-6 PM and the cafe was relatively empty. The place: nestled in a small plaza with a private free parking lot. the cafe is and simply decorated with plenty of tables. there's a cotton candy machine in the front that makes colorful cotton candies in different shapesThe food: the simple meals come with an entree and drink for $13.25-16.99. This was a great value. We ordered the baked pork chop rice simple meal and the food was decent. The free milk tea with boba was very sweet but good. The boba was perfectly chewy and there was a strong tea flavor. The service: you order and pay at the counter then they bring your food to the table. you bus your own table at the end. The recommendation: yes I recommend! I will definitely be back to try other dishes and desserts
I haven't seen many boba places that serve fruity sago in bowls but Simple One Cafe does it very well! As many Asian places do, there's an extensive menu of sweet and salty snacks and meals to pick from - from boba drinks to chicken plate dinners, fried popcorn chicken to shaved ice. The location was pretty empty when I dropped by with a party of 4 on a Saturday midafternoon, but there were people in and out picking up orders. There is plenty of seating and the restaurant is clean, staff efficient, and parking lot not too small. We thought the popcorn chicken could be cut in smaller pieces and therefore be crispier, but the mango sago with fruit on top was yummy and a good portion size for a snack. I learned that you can order the sago in a cup to drink with a boba straw, or plated in a silver bowl with the fruit on top acai-bowl style.Sweet little snack shop overall!
Love the different sago desserts and the sesame soup!
Cute interior, super limited parking, service is friendly - be prepared to wait when it's bustling inside. Have you tried Fried Mantou? Steamed milk buns are deep fried til golden brown and served with a side of condensed milk. It tastes as sinful as it sounds. Each bite has the perfect crunch. The inside is unbelievably soft and fluffy. The stark contrast in textures is exactly what brings us back to Simple One Cafe, perfect every time. Highly Recommend:Fried Milk Buns (Mantou): crispy ASMR crunch in every bite. Fluffy soft in the center. Heavenly. Popcorn Chicken, extra chili powder. Ask for a touch of condensed milk (I used a bit from my fried mantou). TRUST ME. It's like Korean Fried Chicken with sweet heat. Fresh Fruit Sago with optional coconut milk: honeydew / mango / watermelon are all refreshing. Even 50-75% sweetness is plenty.
I came here for lunch on a weekend. Parking was easy and there was still seats available in the cafe.My bf and I shared the fried chicken wings. The wings were small but they came out burning hot and delicious. I got the black pepper short ribs with rice which came with a drink. I chose lemon tea, nothing spectacular but I love that it came with the meal. The black pepper short ribs were delicious and flavorful. They gave a good amount of short ribs which I was happy about.They have a cool cotton candy machine which I saw two kids get cotton candy from. It was very cool to watch the machine make it.Overall, I would be back to try their other dishes and dessert.