Yum yum yum!!! I visited once and now it's been 3 times since discovered last month. Northgate has…read moreso much to offer. The Churreria specifically has delicious churros, hot cocoa, and dipping sauces. I like to get the churro bites and 2-3 sauces to enjoy. There's a seasonal sauce right now guava which is delicious! I'm a chocoholic and always have to get a chocolate and caramel sauce. The line gets very long, as it should, since it is so popular. Once your order is in, you'll have time to wander the bakery and gifts sections to kill time. Personally, I like to watch the staff make the churros. It's fun to see how the magic happens with the machines and twirling. Northgate is great for everyone! It's huge, plenty of seating and even family friendly. Often folks go to the tv/dj area with multigenerational families to enjoy whatever big sporting event is on. Come for the Churros, stay for the liveliness of the Mercado.

One word: YUM! Love coming to Northgate, and it's even better with a sweet treat in hand. El Moro…read moreis my go to spot if I'm looking for churros when I'm in South OC. Their stand is across from the bakery within the Northgate but they also have their own entrance if you don't want to walk through the hustle and bustle of the market. Decorated almost entirely with small tiles, it is a really cute place that's slinging out great churros. All you gotta do is order at a window where a cashier will take down your order and then wait in the side for your freshly made churros. I'm always down for a classic churro hot chocolate combo (French is my preference for the richness) but if you're trying to beat the heat, you can't go wrong with condensed milk either. I will say it does air on the sweet side but I view it as a small indulgence every now and again. Every crispy bite makes it worth it!

Wow the best cheesecake I've ever had probably! Light and not too sweet. Literally perfect. I dream…read moreabout this cheesecake.. seriously.

Yu Cake at SCP used to be one of our favorite places, but unfortunately it just doesn't feel the…read moresame anymore. The cake display wasn't very appealing, and the customer service was lacking, which made the overall experience disappointing. We spent about $60 and left a $20 tip because we always appreciate the effort that goes into serving customers. Sadly, this visit didn't live up to the quality we remembered. It's disappointing to say, but this will probably be our last visit. I truly hope they're able to turn things around.

The summer seasonal doughnuts are back, some favs are definitely the passionfruit pavlova!…read more The balance and freshness of this passionfruit doughnut is incredible! Tastes similar to freshly made sweet bread filled with custard/cream. Service is always friendly and quick, along with great vibes all around. Def recommend trying all the new summer seasonal offerings!

When I'm in Newport Beach or Costa Mesa, I always make a quick stop at Sidecar Doughnuts…read more Butter and Salt is our top favorite. In season is the Buttermilk Strawberry Doughnut, used fresh strawberries and cake like dough.

The chicken "pop" pie is really good! I also tried the Apple and Rhubarb pie, both were delicious.read more

My bf and I were just walking around that area talking about dessert. We stumbled across this…read moreplace, literally had never seen or heard of it before. We came in about 10 min to close and they were still so busy! The man who helped us, Michael, was super kind and helpful. It was a cute decor, it shares a storefront with an ice cream place that you can make your pie à la mode with their ice cream! There was only one slice of Caramel Apple cake when we got there, and I'm so happy I got it because I was not expecting it to be one of the BEST apple pies I've purchased! Usually homemade all the way... This pie had a great sweetness to it! (If you like things "not too sweet" this isn't for you..) Nice big chunks of apple and topped with a cinnamon sugar / oat crumble with a healthy caramel drizzle. Definitely will return, hopefully earlier in the day so that we can grab some of the other sold out options.

My son has been raving about Stella Jean's ice cream for awhile now and I finally got a chance to…read morego try it myself and it did not disappoint! I'm Filipino and was tickled to hear about the flavors...Ube Pandesal Toffee, Banana Turon Crunch & Mango Sticky Rice. We tried the Ube Pandesal Toffee and I'm quite amazed how they were able to capture that unique flavor. I grew up with making an "ice cream" sandwich by putting ice cream in a pandesal and tasting this just unleashed a core memory of being young and making an ice cream sandwich that way. We will definitely be back to try the other flavors! When we arrived there was a few people in line and when the line grew a bit, I think it was a manager that stopped what he was doing to jump in and help with customers which I thought was very considerate of him to do. Lastly, the location was charming and tucked away in the corner of the plaza. It had a few tables outside and in the adjacent Pop Pie shop to sit for a few minutes to enjoy the ice cream! It's nice to support a small businesses that cater to the community! Good luck to the Stella Jean family...wishing you success! I'll be back for my Turon & sticky rice!

Came in for a quick ice cream treat and the options did not disappoint!! They have many flavors…read morethat rotate out and the flavors are very unique which is great. I compare it to a Salt and Straw and the price point was also similar/average. Service was friendly and patient, they allow you to try as many flavors as you want! Ambiance is aesthetic and nice, a little spot to stop by for a quick treat!

Stricklands is back! As a long time fan of their Irvine location, I was happy to know it came back…read more I've heard about the comeback for a while, but just never ventured out to Costa Mesa. Well, after dinner with some friends, we wanted to grab some ice cream - what better idea than trying Stricklands??? The ice cream is still as delicious as ever - I made the mistake of not checking that flavor calendar before we went, but we were still happy campers. And best of all, I got to introduce Strickland's to my kiddo (who ended up eating almost all the ice cream, lol). Not much in terms of seating, but there was a bench where we sat and eat the ice cream prior to leaving. Plenty of parking - location is on the edge of the mall if you have any issues finding it.

Nothing is better than handmade seasonal ice cream. The thoughtfulness behind the owners flavors…read morefor this ice cream parlor makes each bite unique and something to look forward to for each month. Service was quick an easy, and you get to talk to the owner yourself!

I finally got the chance to checked out this matcha soft serve spot that's tucked inside Mitsuwa's…read morefood court. Since I wanted more of a chill experience, I came on a weekday around 4pm. I highly recommend if you're not into crowds. There was only one person ahead of me and ordering was super easy through the kiosk. I went with the matcha and the hokkaido milk swirl on a cone. First bite, I tried the milk side on its own, and I loved how light it was. Not overly sweet. Then I tried the matcha by itself. It tasted earthy and had that matcha flavor. When I combined the swirl together , the matcha definitely took the spotlight. It kind of overpowered the milk swirl but I didn't mind it because I'm a matcha lover. It still balanced out nicely. Just more on the earthy matcha side. Oh, and let's not forget about the waffle cone. It was perfectly crunchy and tasted so good with my soft served. Also, shoutout to the employee who handed me my order. He was super friendly, welcoming, and all smiles which always makes the experience better.

Oh no! What happened to the consistency of the Hokkaido soft serve? This place used to be SO good…read more The Hokkaido soft serve was rich, creamy, BUTTERY and just downright divine. My husband and I would go to mitsuwa just to get it and would frequently bring our out of towners here just for the Hokkaido soft serve. However, when we went today, we could immediately tell from the appearance that it seemed different. And unfortunately, taste wise, its gone completely downhill. It is no longer thick and creamy. It's bland and very icy. Reminds me of the cheap, free ayce soft serve you get for free at some bbq jpints. So disappointing. Hopefully, it's just an off day for the machine or something. But if it's a permanent change, we will no longer come back.

First, great tasting ice cream!! But you expect and want that and this delivers! Creamy,…read moreinteresting flavors as well as more traditional ones. But customer service is a real plus. The lines can be long but the wait is worth it. The workers take their time and make sure each customer is taken care of. There are many options and they are willing to let you try as many samples as you want. They have real metal spoons the samples come on- this means more work for the staff. But that is part of a customer oriented store. It is also pet friendly! So come when you want to be treated right, take your time and enjoy unique flavors for something out of the ordinary or enjoy a flavor you're more familiar with. Either way you won't be disappointed.

Wow. Phenomenal service felt welcomed to try all the flavors if I wanted!…read more Had the seasonal flavor with huckleberry oat on a waffle cone. Dear son got strawberry coconut water sherbert! Only a couple benches outside. Would be five stars if there was tables and chairs to sit.