The closest place where I can find some delicious custard pan that is close to what I used to eat back home. A place called Shirokiya's, one of their bakery's have these killer Japanese desert and Arai is one of them here in Phoenix that offer through their bakery. It's a moist dough bread with custard in the middle that just melts in your mouth when it's nice and warm. I also love their mini hot dogs, it's just too good and great to have as snacks. They also make beautiful cakes for birthdays and any kind of celebration and they are friendly. read more

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It was amazing. We got 2 pieces of matcha cake, one of coffee, 4 strawberry, 5 cream buns and 2 curry buns. My friend got a coffee birthday cake for his daughter here today too. We were all very pleased! All of the sweets were Super tasty and my daughter and I are already planning to get curry buns again soon!! We're so happy to have found a Japanese bakery in town. read more

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Everything is delicious!! I always could not decide which one to have for the day. If you love bread, this is the place for it. If you love cake, this is the place for it. If you love love sweet/dessert, this is the place for it. At the Masuri Festival, they were so nice....they made the beef teriyaki sandwich for me even though they already started to pack up their stuff to end the festival. Thanks a lot and it was yummy. read more

I really like this place. Their desserts are light and have such a great taste. The only downside is the limited options. read more

Arai Pastry - Japanese cakes - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Waltzing into Fujiya I noticed a Japanese bakery right next door. Oh Joy! After pillaging Fujiya of some much needed pantry staples I walked into Arai and picked up the Curry Bun, Yogurt Mousse, and the UFO. The Mousse and the UFO we're just A-ok but...... THE CURRY BUN WAS THE BOMB - And full of carrots. Seriously folks if you like Japanese curry and a nice pillowy airy bun this culinary piece can be yours for $1.75. I agree with a lot of John C.'s points - food is pretty quality but pales in comparison to other bakeries along the West Coast. But we're in the middle of the desert so I'll round up. (I also will be back to try Asian Birthday Fruit Cake and Strawberry Slice) read more

Arai Pastry - Wombo of a combo - UCC Coffee and Fruit Mousse from next door neighbors Arai and Fujiya - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Such a delicious Japanese bakery. The Cream Pan and Chocolate Pan are both so soft and have just the right amount of sweetness. The An Pan is a red bean paste bread that is also so good. The quality of these pastries is obvious with each bite! read more

The BEST Japanese deserts. My go to is the hot dog but the curry is so good. An pan is red bean and is the sweet finish to the savory that you were born to enjoy. Owners are all family and are the nicest people you will ever meet. Even Ichiro came here during spring training for his Japanese sweet fix. A legendary bakery hidden away in Tempe. read more

Great little bakery in Tempe! Cakes and bread are delicious. I ordered the chocolate cake and strawberry cake. Incredibly tasty! read more

Arai Pastry - Chocolate cake, strawberry cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Definitely always worth stopping by for a cream or curry pan! Green Tea and Earl Gray cakes are very good as well, all of their other selections look delicious. Very friendly service and a few bottles drinks to choose from as well. Very inexpensive for a quick and filling snack read more

This is an absolutely adorable Japanese bakery! I've been here a couple of times and the atmosphere is so classy and welcoming all at the same time. The workers here are so nice and very friendly. They have an array of buns, cakes, and pastries available that are sweet, but not too sweet, a perfect representative of Asian pastries. Additionally, all of the products are .... gorgeous, elegant, cute, all in one. The curry buns are to die for and they have a microwave to warm up the buns if they aren't already fresh. The custard buns are good and so are the Anpan. I've tried the coffee/chocolate cake and the strawberry cream cake. I definitely prefer the strawberry cream but both are good. The cake, in all aspects, is not dense and overly sweet like American cake, so I think it's amazing. read more

Arai Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Love the cakes and toasts served here!!!! I tried the matcha cake and the earl grey cake for my birthday and they were both delicious! Not too sweet, and everything was fresh and of high quality! I would like to try everything they sell here!! I also buy their toast very often. They are of both great price and good quality. read more

Arai Pastry - Green tea and earl grey cakes - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

So we have a pokestop to thank for this! I'd never have noticed it if it wasn't for a late night seeing of a pokestop. We came back today to try it and found this adorable little pastry shop with elegant little pastries, all very reminiscent of a Japanese style pastry shop, which was a wonderfully lovely find! The chef was out front ringing us up and he was so delicate and precise about packaging our finds. I got a flan and my friend got an earl grey cake. So gorgeous and tasty! read more

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

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Ever since I moved to the Tempe area, I've been making occasional appearances whenever I stopped by Fujiya next store. Surprisingly though, I've stopped by twice this week! Now my wallet [I spent at least $20 each time]and waistline begs me to stop, I'm addicted to their sukiyaki beef sandwiches on fluffy white bread and their miscellaneous selection of adorable and yummy pastries. While I sit here typing this review, my mind is wandering to the green tea mousse, green tea pudding, and the cute cream puff in the fridge. Yummy! Now if they would just hire me...! read more

We were driving around the Tempe area when we stumbled upon Arai Pastry. The pictures that were posted on Yelp looked so good, we thought we'd go in to get a couple of things for dessert after dinner. Firstly, the little animal looking pastries are super cute ... too cute to order and eat! I decided to get a piece of the vanilla cake filled with layers of strawberries, and my boyfriend got the fruit flan. Both were so delicious we couldn't stop taking one bite after the other. If you're only limited to one treat, I'd recommend the flan over the cake ... personal preference, but as I mentioned before, both were so good! The service was really good too. They had a bunch of other options so we'll definitely be back in the future to try other things out! read more

Whenever I'm craving dessert, this is the first place I want to go. I've been here quite a few times since my first review, and every item I've had has been delectable. Today I had a curry bread, iced coffee, and picked out an assortment of sweets for a get together in the evening. While the guys that are typically baking in the back can be brusque, the young woman that works here is always so cheerful, pleasant, and eager to help. Upgrade 1 star! read more

Hello Arai. We meet again ;) I docked you 1 star in my last review because my beloved green tea mousse was not available. Only the cakes were for sale. Disappointment set in my heart and I took it out on you but alas, I must concede. It was not you, *sigh and a teardrop* it was me. It truly was my own conceit that caused me to think you were only making delectable little pastries for me....... During my last visit (though not recorded I've been here at least 6 times and counting) I was kindly reminded if I call a couple days ahead then the green tea mousse can be put on the menu that week. WHA-WHAAAT!!!! SCREECH!! BACKUP!!! How did I forget that scrumptuous little bit of information? Oh! Arai Pastry Shop, you are making pastries just for lil' ol' meeeeeeeee!!! At least that's how we all should feel when we visit our local bake shop. So, I will continue to gladly drop some major coin on these tasty dollops of heaven when I make the trip across town. I hope you have continued success Arai!!!! read more

This is a gem of a Japanese bakery. You will pay Japanese prices, though. We love going here to pick up some kreme and an pan. Those go for $1.75 a piece. The kreme is a little more eggy than what I ate in Japan, but it is still very good. The an pan is wonderful, too. They do have the strawberry cake, of course. This is the one thing that they seem to have the reputation for. It doesn't come cheap. $3.75 a slice is very reasonable but be prepared to spend $28 for a 10" cake. They have various sizes, I do not know who many, but they do have an 8" cake as well as larger. Japanese strawberry cake is prized in Japan and is a lighter, less sweet cake than what we are accustomed to. I haven't tried theirs yet, but look forward to another visit. They have flan (Japanese flan is better than Mexican flan, IMHO), green tea cake, and other goodies. They also serve Japanese style lunch sandwiches and you better get there early before they sell out. They all speak Nihongo, so if you are First, Second, or Third generation and speak the language, you will feel right at home here. read more

Excellent cake and sweet buns. My brother bought me the strawberry cake and UFO bun for my birthday. They were delicious and the perfect sweet treat. I can't wait to visit and try more cakes and sweet treats! The light and fluffy sponge with whip cream and strawberries was amazing! The sweet roll was soft and the crispy sugar topping was so good! Thank you for these delicious homemade treats! read more

This is as close to an Andersen (Japanese) Bakery (Google it...) as we are gonna get here in the PHX area...I almost always make a trip right next door to this bakery when I make my bi-weekly visit to Fujiya, the Japanese grocery store next door.... The only reason I give it a 4 star as opposed to a 5 star is because as many times as I have been there...the dude (younger cat) who usually waits on me is still as robotic as ever. Always the same expression, never a smile, just take my order, get my stuff, give me my change, thanks and bounce! I don't expect to be treated as warmly as Norm on CHEERS but damn I've been there a million times...sigh....oh well, on to the guts of the review.... Arai has great authentic Japanese deserts and breads...Azuki (sweet red bean) An-Pan buns as well as Creme-Pan (custard), Melon Pan and Hot dog-Pan (I think that's what its called, LOL!). They sell freshly baked Japanese bread, which is that tall extra moist and yeasty sweet bread as well as assorted crispy cookies! In the case there are different mousses, strawberry layer sponge cake (my fav, see pics), creme puffs and fruit tarts! They also sell dainty premade sandwiches (think afternoon tea selection) as well as made to order tuna and chicken sandwiches on their wonderful breads! They also sell custom cakes (that are delicious by the way) and you can see examples of their work on the right hand wall as well as look through a picture book they have...in fact a couple of my own Hello Kitty themed birthday cakes are in there! ;) (THE CAKES ARE EXPENSIVE) Prices for everything are a wee bit on the pricier side but considering everything's handmade, it balances it out.... TIP: They sell a cup of refreshing iced green tea thats only .99 cents and its made with real matcha! (not ice cream but iced green tea) read more

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Went with my wife and son to grab some pastries. We ended up getting the earl grey and green tea cakes as well as curry pan. The earl grey/green tea tasted wonderful and was not overly sweet at all. The best part about both was that they really emphasized the flavor of earl grey tea as well as green tea and was not just an overly sweet cake. The curry pan was light fluffy and has a very tasty curry inside. They tasted so good that we brought home more so we could have some later on :). Overall, Arai Pastry is awesome and will definitely return. I think the only thing that may be a con is the pricing (it's pretty pricey for the amount you get). read more

Great desserts. Less sweet than my bachelor american pallet is used to... But that made the desert feel less guilty while still tasting fresh and delicious! I will be stopping by again . read more

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

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This was a great little place. The cream pan was delicious. The green tea cake was ok. Not my fave but it was really well made- just not my taste. Should have chosen a different flavor. You should absolutely get a pan, though. read more

What a wonderful strawberry cake! I am glad that I tried Arai Pastry. Everyone relished the cake and wanted more. The cream was so delicious. Neat, elegant, buttery and delicious! Will definitely give more orders. read more

Arai Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

This is my ultimate favorite place to buy special occasion cakes or any everyday treat of small cakes! Taste exactly what I know of French-inspired Japanese cakes. These are light, fresh made cakes, and not like typical ones with sugar-loaded icing. Go outside of your comfort zone and try green tea cake or Earl gray cake. Their cheese cake is almost like souffle read more

Arai Pastry - Strawberry cake & Earl gray cake. No guilt for me - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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OMGEEEE I have already visited this place TWICE in the last 2 weeks! EACH time, I drove at least 1.5 hrs round trip to come here! If you like light cakes that aren't sugar-heavy (so that you can ACTUALLY taste the flavor of the cake) then this is the place for you! I warn you though, it's so light that you might actually end up consuming more calories since you'll feel like you're eating air! Strawberry short cake: -Light cream balances out the tartness of strawberry -Airy cake! -Ratio of cream, fruit and cake is perfect. -IMO, this is his best one. It's a "piece of heaven" as my co-worker says! It's literally like biting onto a piece of cloud! My ultimate favorite (Japanese people seem to be so good at making strawberry pastries!) Green Tea "leche" cake: -I DON'T usually like green tea... but I LOVED this cake! Perfect amount of green tea to not over-power but enough to really stand out and flavor the cake. -Again, very light cake, light cream -Cake, cream, green tea ratio is spot on! -Not sure why the "leche" Earl Grey cake: -This was above avg but not amazing like the first two. -Light cake, light cream -I thought the earl grey was a little too much... If there was less of the tea, it probably would balance out very well with the creaminess of the frosting. Making it more of a milk-tea cake I guess... The Earl just stood out a tad too much for me Japanese Cheesecake: -This was very good! I don't love cheesecake and I don't love Japanese cheesecake but this one was balanced so well w/ cake and the cheesecake part! There's a really good transition between both those layers that fuse together quite well. -Light cake, light on sweetness Curry Pan: -I came quite close to closing time, the curry pan was only meh for me. The bread wasn't as soft as I expected (it was actually cold and chewy). I guess if you're a big Japanese curry fan this is good... or I'd have to get it when it's fresh Custard Pan: -A LOT of people don't understand what real custard is... but let me tell you, the Japanese do custard just the way it should be! I asked the baker if the "custard" is like a whipped cream, he answered thinking I was disappointed, "No it's like yolky... it is heavier, very eggy." I jumped with joy! Amazing custard is EVERYWHERE in Tokyo... but in the States, a lot of places pass whipped cream as custard... or very sugary custard that you can't taste the delightfulness of the egg. -I am so in love with this custard that I don't remember how the bread tasted... It's not as amazing as Japan's but I think it's because he probably doesn't use organic, cage-free, grass-fed chicken eggs or something. The skill is there, it's just the quality of ingredients here in the US. Conclusion: This is the closest to the Japanese cakes from Japan that I've had since I've been back. Just didn't expect it to be in AZ! read more

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Apparently this is the only japanese bakery in PHX. Since I was on the way to the airport, I decided to drop by. The place has a range of pastries and drinks. I had the green tea mousse (if you like light and not very overpowering sweet with subtle taste, get this) and true Japanese coffee (mild with a strong coffee taste with liquid sugar and milk - think blue mountain.... personally I think most american coffee is burnt as hell and too bitter). Oh yeah... these guys are from fukuoka on the west tip of japan. read more

Went on a Sunday drive looking for a Japanese bakery because we miss Cream Pan Bakery (Tustin, CA). We ended up here, a tiny bake shop that's right next to a tiny Japanese grocery store. We bought one each to taste: 1. The strawberry cake is light, moist, and perfectly sweet. 2. The cream puff is delicious - even after refrigeration, the pastry stayed flaky and crispy, the cream filling again has the right amount of sweetness. 3. The cream pan ("pan" = bun) is okay, the bread part is a bit too soft for my taste. 4. Hubby liked the hotdog pan. 5. Tasted one piece of the coconut cookie and it is heavenly. It is crunchy and chewy and I want to eat the whole container-full but I have to watch my sugar intake. Still to taste - the pan with the bean filling and the pan with the chocolate filling. Saving those for tomorrow otherwise I'd have a glucose overload. Bottomline - this place merits a "must-return-to" rating. Yum! read more

Japanese bakery, its like being in an anime. 5 or 6 desert selections , drinks are basic ( coffee, shake, water , soda). Located within a small Japanese shopping center. Indoor Seatings are enough for 8 people (2 per table) no outdoor seating. Important: minimum 6$ for a credit card transactions, there is an ATM in the nearby liquor store. read more

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

People come here for the cakes, but for our family, it's definitely the Japanese style Shoku pan! Nice fluffy and dense if that makes sense. The loaves are not packaged sliced, which people in Japan love! It gives you the choice of slicing it however you like! I myself slice it about 1 1/2" thick, toast it golden brown. The final touch is to slather the toast with a boatload of butter! Also learned today that bread is done between 11 and 1. Asked the baker why so late, and said that people come in usually in the afternoon. Only place in the greater Phoenix area that sells shoku pan that I know of! Giving Arai bakery a solid 4.5 stats!!! read more

Walking into the plaza area itself smelt AMAZING!! When my friend and I walked into the bakery, we were shook. It smelt amazing and we both wanted everything!! We cannot tell you how enveloping it was with the fresh smell of baked goods, and how friendly the people were! I got a creme puff, a flan dessert, and a curry pan, while my friend got the UFO and the cheesecake. We were utterly in awe of deliciousness and smells and will come here again for more read more

The store was super clean and had many signs posted for COVID, which was very reassuring. We got the chocolate coronet, the cheesecake, strawberry cake, and curry bread! It was all decently priced. The strawberry cake was def our favorite, and we really liked the coronet and curry bread. The texture for the cheesecake was a little mushy, so we probably won't buy it again, but we will DEFINITELY be going back!!! read more

Looking for the best bakery in Arizona? Look no further you have found it! Don't go in expecting same day, these delicious cakes require two day in advance notice. I highly recommend this place for a delicious cake for any occasion that you may be celebrating! If you just want to try, then they have a wide variety of single piece cakes to try from. There is also different loafs of bread to choose from--my favorite is cinnamon raisin! read more

This place is great! I've tried almost all the cakes and they're so spongy and flavorful. I love the green tea and the strawberry. The earl grey is perfect for a cozy day at home. The employees are really kind and they have COVID precautions in place. It's mostly no contact because there is a plastic divider to prevent you from touching most things. Very safe, good variety and very yummy! read more

Haikus... or rather, Araikus *** Homemade cartoon bread On which you can lay your head Or toads in the hole *** Sukiyaki Beef a sandwich that will keep you coming back for more *** Bring a few pastries to your next dinner party impress all your friends *** Order your loved one a special "I'm Sorry" cake if you were a jerk *** The Arai Brothers will hook you up with sweetness and won't let you down *** Try the curry pan I really think you'd like it be adventurous! read more

I was super excited to come here and dragged my boyfriend with me for some sweets on a Sunday morning. They didnt have a very large selection, and I opted for the cheesecake. $4.50 for a VERY small slice and basically no flavor, tasted like a sweet roll. Very disappointed and won't be back. read more

UPDATE: I hate to take away a star, but they've since lost a star in my book due to inconsistancy with offerings. What they consider their best sellers and best desserts they don't even carry all the time. Boo. It's rare to find a patisserie that I can rave about, especially because I do a lot of my own desserts at home. What I look for in a good dessert: If it's a rich dessert, it should be thick and moist or indulgently creamy. Eating a rich dessert should make you feel sexy and naughty, like stealing a peek at a hot guy across the way to find he's looking at you too. If it's a light dessert, it should be just sweet enough to invite you in bite after bite. It shouldn't make you feel guilty, but it should satisfy a sweet tooth at the same time. Arai has both for the taking. Conveniently next to Fujiya, a cute little Japanese market, this bakery has a small selection of desserts, but what they do create, they do well. The Green Tea Mousse is to die for, resuscitate, and die for again! The light pillowy mousse has just enough hint of green tea to let you know what you're eating, and isn't so sweet you feel like you just invested in grills made out of sugar crystals. It's pretty much the only thing I order there, although I've tried the fruit tart as well (delish too!) and I've heard the blueberry mousse is great, but they seem to run out when I get out there. On top of the desserts, they offer fresh breads and cakes to order. The staff is friendly, which is always a plus. I can't wait to get back there to try their other offerings! read more

I was at the Fujiya Market (which is next door) and saw this place and decided to stop in. The place smells amazing! We got the strawberry cake and a flan. The flan was my absolute favorite. It's not like the traditional mexican flan you are thinking of. They take a smaller version of that and stick it on top of what seems to be a few layers of custard and soft pound cake. They then top it off with fresh strawberries, blueberries and kiwi along with a few dollops of whip cream. It's seriously to die for!! The staff was nice and helpful too...very patient while we tried to figure out what to get!! I'll be coming back here for sure!! read more

I've been looking for Asian Japanese French style bakery long time here. It was small Japanese shopping mall complex right next to Japanese grocery. They make cakes, sandwich, sweet bread and nice coffee too. We tried strawberry short cake, green tea cake and coffee there. It was amazing! Very light texture of cake, real creamy but still very light refreshing whip cream with fresh strawberry! Real clean flavor of green tea cake! They are very serious baker! I love here so much if someone looking for Japanese Asian bakery, this is the one. read more

Arai Pastry - Strawberry short cake - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Finding [delicious] Japanese bakery goods fresh is hard in AZ - you either find it, or you don't, there's no mid-way point! A friend of mine brought me here, it was my first time and I was looking forwards to it! Upon entering the cute little bakery, it had a very light atmosphere, they have classical music playing, three table sets you can sit at (although I was hoping you could also sit outside to enjoy eating the sweets and the weather) and in the back through a window where they place the finished orders through, you can see the Patisserie making sandwiches or new bakery items! It's really fun when you're waiting for your food! I really love their curry bread ("an-pan" [or "pan"] in Japanese), I had bought a Fraise and it was REALLY good - the cream was "heavy" but also light and sweet, the strawberries were sour, but they complimented the cream nicely along with the strawberry jam and shortcake at the bottom. When we went back the next day they didn't have it - so I'm assuming they keep a rotated bakery menu so you always have to go back to see what new pops up! (Which, in my opinion, is very smart!) Personally, the price for their deserts are set just right because of how high quality they are. I am going back when I have the free time to go again since I still have to try more of their menu!! read more

Arai Pastry - (left to right) Yogurt Parfait and Fraise - Bakeries Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

This is the best Japanese bakery by far in AZ. Nothing is overly sweet and everything has a great flavor and is made with quality ingredients. I highly recommend the strawberry cake, curry pan, and cream pan, but I have liked everything I have tried. 5 stars (also their loaves of bread are really good). read more