I used to live in Phoenix about four years ago, and since then I've moved to both California and Texas. But I've never forgotten Arai Bakery's chocolate cornet. It brings back the exact taste of the bread I loved as a child in Japan. Even now, I sometimes travel from out of state, combining a vacation with a visit to Arai Bakery just to enjoy their wonderful bread and cakes. I truly hope Arai Bakery will continue for many, many more years. Thank you for keeping these special flavors alive! read more

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Some of the best cakes in the valley. Light, moist and fluffy. Just the right amount of sweetness. Matcha and Vanilla cakes are amazing.

09/05/2025 As my mom and I were leaving the Fujiya Japanese Market, I noticed the sign next door said Arai Pastry. I was so excited because I heard about this place a long time ago and had yet to visit. It's fairly small inside with a small glass case on the side with cookies and one main one filled with both sweet and savory options. There were also a few loaves of bread on the counter. Everything looked great, but it was a such a warm day so my mom and I opted for something light. The Coffee Cake was indeed as light and airy as it looked. The cake layers tasted like a sponge cake with slightly dry edges (a little over-baked). I think the espresso layers were mousse and not too sweet. It was topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean that was tasty as well. Overall it was a nice afternoon treat. I would like to go back sometime and try their Japanese cheesecake, and their raisin bread loaf too. read more

Arai Pastry - Sweet and savory options (09/05/2025) - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Flan cups are delicious! I am hooked on the flan that I have not tried anything else yet. Maybe soon. Worth the drive for me. read more

I stumbled upon this cute little bakery while omw to Angie's Lobster. Decided to stop in to check out what they had. They offer a variety of cakes by the slice, specialty breads, and other pastries. I was tempted to get a slice of cake, but I was able to fight off the craving, lol. You can also order a whole cake, but I would assume you'd have to place that order in advance. Prices seem fair, the service is fast and friendly, and the shop is clean. They don't have any tables inside, so it's a grab-and-go kind of place. It's located in a corner strip mall with decent parking. I would come back again, and when I do, I'm getting a slice of cheesecake!! =) read more

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Recommend: yes! Service: they're kind and quick. Talented people making cakes and bread. Ambience: it's clean and simple inside Price: overall ok pricing. They used to have great prices before inflation. This is definitely one of my favorite bakery. I been coming here for several years when I want cake. I love, love, love their strawberry cake. And it's their most popular too. Because of inflation, I would only get a whole cake only certain occasions. Their prices have gone up so it's hard to commit to paying $40 for a 6 inch cake that feeds 6 people. That's about $6.67 per slice. Might be cheaper to buy it by slices. read more

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Very quick and easy service. I got the "shoku pan" bread and curry-filled bread. The shoku pan was very tasty on its own. We finished it without ever putting anything on it. It was so good we finished it fairly quickly haha. It's a small bakery in a very small strip mall in Tempe. I will come back again for more shoku pan :) read more

Used to love coming to this bakery when I attended ASU. Hadn't really been here in a few years since a little before the pandemic started and thought why not stop by to see if they still had some of my favorite items I used to love back in the day. Unfortunately, they no longer sell their deliciously refreshing cold noodle salad. However, they still had the other items I loved. So, this time I decided to get a loaf of raisin bread and three of the flan. Their raisin bread is still as good as I remember it, fresh and not too sweet or dry. I would say that their raisin bread is still in my top three best raisin breads I've had in Arizona. Their flan is also still delicious, light, fluffy and not too rich or sweet (if you know you know). The portion size of their flan is also generous for the price compared to other places. If you decide to try this place out, I do recommend coming early if you want certain items, like loaves of bread, as they do only put out small batches and may run out. read more

Arai Pastry - Flan - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Another long time favorite of mine! Everything they offer is delicious! My favorite is their curry pan and green tea cake. read more

Arai Pastry - Egg salad sando - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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We were in this shopping center and stopped by this bakery. They had an array of cakes and pastries to choose from, and I was on my way to meet another friend so I wanted something packaged and easy to transport. I bought two chocolate coronets, staff was friendly and helpful. Later, I gave my friend one and tried mine when I got home. The dough was soft and chewy, clearly fresh baked. The chocolate filling was light and smooth, and the pastry had the perfect balance of dough to filling. Delicious treat! Would love to return and try their cakes. read more

Arai Pastry - Chocolate coronet - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

All their bread is delicious. Had a sandwich made with the white bread for dinner and will have the cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast. VAST difference from store bought!! You can taste the love in this. The cheese cake is amazing too, light and fluffy and delicious. You need to try. This place deserves 6 stars and I'm glad it's in my neighborhood. read more

Quaint Japanese bakery with some standard Japanese items such as milk bread, anpan (red bean), curry pan, and melon pan (they call it UFO). We came by on a Saturday around lunchtime and grabbed the custard pan, anpan, curry pan, UFO bread, flan cup, and strawberry cake slice. Our favorites were the flan cup (also has some cake in it!), custard pan (very soft), and strawberry shortcake (soft, moist, not too sweet!) Will return when we are in the area. read more

We love this place! Their Earl Grey Cake is fantastic! Not too sweet and the icing tastes just like Earl Grey tea! You can get a slice or order a cake ahead of time. We have ordered plenty of times from them and it takes a few days for them to make it. I believe this is a family owned place, so definitely support local! I also love their Curry Pan and they are really nice little snacks! Basically it is a breaded bun with curry stuffed inside. We come here often and this is one of our favorite dessert places in Phoenix! read more

Arai Pastry - Earl Grey Tea cake, ordered ahead of time! Six inch cake for $42. - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Hmmm. I checked this place out because of the glowing reviews, and I was a bit disappointed. This small bakery is tucked away in the corner of a small plaza, and it's bordered by a Japanese takeout and a Japanese grocery store. The selections are a bit limited but I didn't mind. I got a slice each of the green tea, strawberry, and earl grey cakes. I also liked that the staff members were very friendly, welcoming each customer in Japanese. Onto the food -- the cakes are very aesthetic-looking and pretty, but they ultimately fall flat in taste. The problem is that the cake itself is quite dry. It's not too sweet, but because it's dry, it fails to have a fluffy, spongy texture, which is something that I normally look forward to in Japanese-style cakes. The cream itself is ok, nothing particularly special. I would come back to try the pastries like the anpan and curry pan, but I don't think the cakes are my favorite. I would rather go to Cherry Blossom Cafe for pastries. read more

Arai Pastry - green tea, strawberry, earl grey cake slices - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Small bakery next to a small Japanese grocery store found in Phoenix. Tried earl gray tea and chocolate cake. Airily sponge and real cream, not too sweet, remind Home. If I live in AZ, my birthday cake or any treats would come from here. Small batch and may run out, you should pick them up earlier the day is better. read more

Arai Pastry - Earl gray tea cake and chocolate cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I'm a fan of Arai. Transplant from the Bay Area and the Big Island, so Asian bakery expectations are set pretty high. We found Arai on Yelp while driving around and craving for some light Asian bread, specifically egg salad sandwiches. We struck egg gold with Arai :) have been back several times for everything from their bread, hotdog buns, egg salad sandwiches, fruit flan cups, and of course, our go to (only place) for birthday and celebration cakes. if you're curious, you owe it to yourself to give Arai a try; you won't be disappointed you're welcome read more

I really enjoy this bakery it almost feels like stepping into Japan! The atmosphere is authentic and cozy, and I haven't found another place like this anywhere else in Arizona, definitely worth a visit. Every pastry I've tried has been a 10/10 , fresh, flavorful, and beautifully made. Can't wait to go back and try more! read more

Such great desserts! Their strawberry and earl grey cheesecakes were delicious, perfectly soft, and just the right amount of sweetness. Eagerly looking forward to coming back and trying more of their items! read more

May 2022: Exquisite Earl Gray Cake - light delicious flavor. For $7, they could make this a bigger serving though. Lots of other goodies to try - glad I stopped off at a "new" bakery while in Tempe! read more

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So cute!! Cake slices are so fresh. Come early because they sell out of a good selection later in the day. Really nice staff! read more

Arai Pastry - Display - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I dropped by for a quick takeout and was happy with how organized everything was. Each pastry was stored neatly behind clear, spotless glass. I chose the custard puff light, not too sweet, and chilled perfectly. The staff wore gloves and packed the pastry carefully into a clean box. I also noticed that they sanitize the scale after each use. Very professional setup for a small shop. read more

This was my first visit and I was thoroughly impressed. The staff were polite, fast, and very hygienic. The store had no clutter, and even the restrooms were spotless. I had a pear and almond galette it was rustic, flaky, and full of flavor. It came in a neat paper box with napkins included. Five stars across the board. read more

Tucked away in the corner of a small plaza, this bakery is worth the drive. Quality is a level above from many other neighborhood bakeries and the prices are not bad. I tried the earl grey cake and the green tea leches cake. I wouldn't call the latter a tres leches, but the flavor was oj point -just enough of green tea to taste it without overwhelming the palate. I would recommend this one over the earl grey, which was a too faint in flavor in my opinion. Both cakes, however, were baked and layered well. Can't wait to come back to try some more things! read more

Arai Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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I like Japanese bakeries and was glad to find this place right next to Fujiya Market. When I entered the place, I was somewhat surprised to see the selection of the bakery items. They seem to be somewhat limited. It looked like they were preparing to bring more items. So it might be just a timing issue. I got my curry pan. It's typically deep fried but this was more a baked curry pan. It's probably healthier to bake than deep fry. Tasted good and I liked the curry filling. read more

Arai Pastry - Curry Pan - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Amazing bakery, very kind owner. We loved the earl grey cake and cheesecake. They were not overly sweet.

Arai is located right next to the Japanese market. They didn't have very many selection but ones they did have were tasty. The curry pastry seems to be their best seller so we had to try it. It had strong curry filling with very moist bread exterior. It was nice flavor without being overpowering or very filling. I was told these sell out fast so we were lucky they had them. Their cakes looked delicious so we will return to try them next time. The lady behind the counter was very helpful and friendly. read more

Arai Pastry - Pastry assortments - curry, chocolate, red bean - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Delicious and authentic Asian bakery in Arizona! Very clean bakery. Amazing Asian sweet treats to select from. Ordered a green tea cake for Father's Day, my dad was very pleased! read more

Arai Pastry - Green tea cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

If you like Japanese cake, this is the place to get them! I got the matcha, earl grey and strawberry and they were ALL delicious. Cake is light, it is just sweet enough and you can really taste those flavors. My favorite one so far would have to be the Earl grey cake but again they were all delicious. They come in already cut and wrapped to hold its shape with an easy to remove film layer before you eat them. Enjoy with some hot tea! read more

Arai Pastry - Strawberry, matcha and earl grey - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Passed by this cute little store, and I just could not resist! I tried their Curry Pan and Earl Grey Cake. The Curry Pan was pretty good, albeit I probably wouldn't mind a stronger tasting curry. The main event was the Earl Grey Cake for me! It was light and airy, with hints of earl grey in each bite. Pretty good! However, I still would not mind a stronger tasting Earl Grey. Overall a pretty good experience, and I would probably come back and try their other cakes! Tip: Minimum $5 needed to pay with Card. I ended up getting the Curry Pan because the slice of cake was under $5 bucks. read more

Arai Pastry - Earl Grey Cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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The cakes here are always delicious no matter which one I chose. I have been coming here for birthday cake for my mom. It is always one of my favorite place for cake, besides the Korean bakery I shall not name here. Anyway the green tea and chocolate cake are definitely my choices! read more

Arai Pastry - Chocolate Mousse Cakes - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

The bread is really amazing the cakes are what shine a very light cake. Easy on digestion but very satisfying. I love Japanese culture although establishment doesn't reflect too much aesthetic there is a lot to love about Japanese style baking in AZ. read more

Came in with my daughters to check out the place. Awesome pastries, cakes are delicious Will order birthday cake here.!

This is the best place to go if you want to splurge on cake. They have cake by the slice for $3-5! It's such a great deal and you can try variety without getting full! These cakes aren't overly sweet or heavy on the stomach. They are moist, light, and fluffy. We only planned to try the strawberry shortcake and the coffee cake. Once we took the first couple bites, we were hooked. We had to get some packed up to-go! We ended up getting a total of five slices with no regrets whatsoever. Side notes: *The staff are pleasant people and they made the experience more enjoyable for us. *We missed out on the Japanese cheesecake, earl grey and chocolate cake because we came later in the evening. I think that they make a limited amount and once they sell out, that's it for the day. I am ecstatic to come back and try some more cake and get to know the staff a little more. read more

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I've been looking for a Japanese dessert place and here it is... Arai Pastry. I had the strawberry shortcake and it was delicious. Not too sweet.. Not too heavy, but just right. I wish I bought two . read more

Arai Pastry - Strawberry shortcake | Bakery Showcase - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I use to work down the street from here and would try and stop by to grab some pastries for lunch. This small Japanese bakery is a hidden gem forsure. The UFO bun is really good. I do recommend getting the curry bun for something savory. Matcha and Japanese cheesecake are also really light too. read more

Arai Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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My review may be based on my lack of experience with Japanese desserts. So take my review with a grain of salt. It is more about my dessert preferences. I had the coffee cake which had a stunning look (as did the other cakes slices). I noticed the cake slice was very light. When I ate it, the flavor of the icing was too subtle. I should have let it sit at room temperature before consuming. The sponge (as our British friends call it) did not have much of any flavor. I am used to heavier desserts. These desserts are best if you are looking for something light and fluffy. I would like to see more bold flavors in this cake. That does not mean more sugar. But maybe putting a good coffee flavor in the sponge would help. read more

I was looking for a bakery that would make a strawberry cake on my birthday, and found this local gem! Ordered an 8" cake (via Facebook messaging!) and ironed out all the details. Staff was very polite and the cake was delicious, I'm so sad it's gone. Looking forward to ordering again read more

Arai Pastry - Strawberry Cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away (we'll call the land Tempe), stood a little bakery shop filled with some of the tastiest pastries you could find in all the realm. Nearby, after much whirligiggling about, a very hungry little monster's tummy growled in dissatisfaction. The monster search all around, up and down, but found nothing to fix the tummy rumbles. This saddened the little monster. Then as luck would have it the monster stumbled upon a bakery (we'll call the bakery Arai Pastry). Upon entering the bakery, the little monster's eyes widened in delight from all the delicious looking treats on display. Cakes, mousses, flans, puddings, puff pastries and breads... Swiftly the monster ordered up more than plenty of the confectionery items to try. At first gobble the monster was speechless. The cake was enchantingly sweet. The cake was so airy. The flavors were delicate; Yet, strikingly present. AND the cake to cream ratio was truly harmonious. "Amazing!" exclaimed the little monster. With that the monster's tummy hungers had vanished and the bakery was named the new reigning champion of cake in all the kingdom. And all little monsters' tummies and pastries live happily ever after. la fin. read more

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My wife was craving a slice of Earl Grey cake and Arai came through. I had a delicious slice of strawberry and we grabbed some bread to take home. Looking forward to visiting again soon. read more

Had such a great experience here in Arai Pastry! Their bread is nice and fresh and has amazing presentation. I cannot begin to phantom how delicious the bread is! I do recommend getting their chocolate hornets before they sell out! The customer service was also very good and patient with me when it was my first time. I see myself coming back here in the future! P.S. I love love love how the pastries do not have lots of sugar. read more

Arai Pastry - Melon pan (メロンパン), Strawberry cake (いちごケーキ), Chocolate hornet (チョコレートコルネット) とてもおいし！ - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona