Service was very kind as we took a moment placing our orders. 5 out of 5 We got the Ube: it was creamy and full of flavor with a warm pancake style fish (it has a name I don't know how to spell sorry) 5 out of 5 Vanilla and Blurberry: this was my personal favorite and so glad we went out of our way to try this. 5 out of 5 I hope I can fine something like this closer to home. Overall 5 out of 5 read more

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I have lived here my whole life and never knew this shopping strip existed. It's a little hidden off to the side, so you have to go looking for it. The taiyaki is made to order and was, very hot when we got it, so be careful if you have little ones. The red bean was sweet and tasty, and the chocolate chip was what you would expect. We got a nice side of soft serve with a crushed Oreo topping that was a nice touch to offset the taiyaki. The workers were nice, and the gentlemen at the register helped us figure out how we wanted to order based off what we had been discussing. The shop is cute and they were playing a Billie Eilish mix in the background, so not what we were expecting, but still a nice vibe. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Vanilla soft serve with Oreo topping - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Super nice and helpful employees. Ice cream was absolutely Delicious! Plenty of seating. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Stopped by on a weekday after 2pm and had a matcha ice cream with taiyaki that included Oreo crumbles and mochi. The 4 tiny mochi on a bamboo pick is flavored and small along with a very crunchy, fresh taiyaki that had a mochi inside texture. Lots of seating and a bright area that was welcoming. It comes out to about $10 for taiyaki with filled ice cream or $5 for just plain taiyaki. A fun little cafe and the matcha is lightly flavored with a tiny hint of bitterness, soft serve, and similar to Japanese style. It is not as strongly flavored as other Japanese-origin matcha ice cream chains. Taiyaki was perfectly crispy and good. Note that the center of the ice cream in the cup portion is empty but the taiyaki itself is filled with ice cream. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Matcha Ice Cream and Oreo Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

We ordered the dango. It is very subpar compared to dango in Japan. It was frozen, not freshly made. It is also about half the size as you would get at in Japan. The dango and kinako powder can also be purchased next door at Minnano. Usually Japanese mochi is covered all over in kinako, not sprinkled ontop; so most of the kinako was wasted. Not worth the $3 for this small amount. I prefer making it at home with mochiko flour. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Dango - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The ube soft serve and taiyaki were delicious, great flavor overall. That said, it felt overpriced for the experience. When we walked in, service was slow and a bit awkward, and the dining area wasn't very clean or put together. Additionally, the place could definitely be lit up more so it was difficult to study and hang out in. Cute vibes with a nice photospot if you're just stopping by for a quick snack, but between the price and lackluster atmosphere, it didn't quite feel worth it. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The beef bulgogi was absolutely delicious tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The mango green tea with boba was just as impressive, refreshing, and paired wonderfully with the meal. I highly recommend trying both if you're visiting. Girl at the front was friendly and the atmosphere is chill. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I love that they make their taiyaki so fresh and aesthetically pleasing. I ordered the chocolate taiyaki and requested red adzuki bean (anko) inside the fish pastry. The service is fast and they understood my order. The misubi was also very flavorful. The spam made with so much flavor and the rice is perfectly cooked soft and fluffy. The ambiance is fun and a bit chilly. It's a great place to visit real quick and my favorite San Antonio taiyaki place. I love going next door to check out the Japanese store after. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Red bean Taiyaki and chocoholic taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

So yummy! Former coffee shop and specialty tea shop barista here! Stopped in after graduation for a tasty treat and it was so delicious! This was my second time visiting Hanamaru. The place was pretty empty when we went, but we loved the vibe of the place nonetheless. I ordered a Red Bean Taiyaki with Vanilla and Matcha Mix Ice Cream topped with Matcha Powder and a Mochi Stick, while my husband ordered the Spam Musubi; we also split an Iced Hojicha Latte. The Tayaki was a little more on the crispy side this time around which was okay but it admittedly took away a little bit from the treat. The Red Bean filling, Ice Cream, and Mochi Stick and were super yummy, however, and made the crunch a little less disappointing. The Musubi was super warm, fresh, and absolutely delicious. The Hojicha Latte had an excellent roasted flavor, but had an added sweetness that kept the drink from being bitter. It was crafted excellently and we enjoyed every sip. We're absolutely looking forward to returning to try more from their menu, ESPECIALLY the lunch menu. The curry smelled so good! read more

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Cute ice cream shop next to a japanese grocery store. The ice cream itself is sweet, creamy, and smooth! Adding the matcha powder as a topping gives it a perfect bitterness. They have few flavors, but they do it well. I think overall the freshness could be improved a bit. the strawberry was a little overripe, and the taiyaki itself lacked the crispy shell. i saw them making it fresh however, and wonder what needs to be tweaked. Music can be a little loud so unideal for studying and they don't have any outlets near the sitting area. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Mix Ice Cream with matcha and vanilla - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place gets at least two stars for how genuinely good their gluten free taiyaki is. I had a savory breakfast one and a red bean one. The reviews regarding how long it takes are not exaggerating. My partner and I went there the other day and we were the only two people there. Two people were working, and I heard one admit out loud that she forgot they had tickets while I was sitting right there. It took at least 15 minutes to get my watered down ube latte and my partners lemonade. The gluten free taiyaki took at least 40 minutes. If it truly takes that long on a slow day it's enough to put people off especially if the employees fail to set the expectation. Been working in food myself for 15 years and got secondhand embarrassment from how this place is run. People are struggling to find work and yet the people working don't even care about their work. read more

My husband and I shared: - Blueberry Taiyaki - Sausage and Cheddar Taiyaki - Pepperoni and Mozzarella Taiyaki - Ube Filled Taiyaki topped with Mochi and Caramel Syrup over Vanilla Ice Cream - Spam Musubi with Egg - Mitarashi Dango I love Taiyaki and it's always a treat to find a place that has savory options. Those were my favorite here, but the sweet was good too. I've never had Dango before and absolutely loved it. I don't think you can go wrong here. Everything was delicious! read more

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This is the cutest spot to by after dinner for a great dessert! They have phenomenal ice cream fish shaped cones with delicious flavors! They also have spam masubi that was very good! It's super cute and clean inside and the staff was very kind and helpful! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube ice cream cup with fish cone topping and matcha powder - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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My girlfriend and her sister both enjoy this place for the niche items they sell as well as the quality. I personally do not enjoy it much as the flavors don't exactly speak to my palette, but that didn't stop me from trying it and giving it a fair shot. Service was great and the cafe was cute inside. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Such a cute place for dessert, snacks, and yummy drinks! Friendly service and ample room for tables. The upside down matcha taiyaki was yummy!! The fish waffle was slightly sweet, lightly crispy and slightly chewy- perfect texture. We took photos with a fun Halloween decorated backdrop! I'll have to shop the Japanese grocery store next door next time read more

Hanamaru Cafe - matcha taiyaki with mochi - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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This place is the spot for some of the really cool fish waffles and Ice cream. Yummy stuff. They offer unique flavor like ube and matcha for ice cream aswell as a variety of toppings. Lots of fun things on the menu! Service is usually kind and the place is decorated very nicely. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Different but delicious! The cashier was helpful in making suggestions. I expected the mochi to be bigger so wouldn't get that again. The place could use more decor, and maybe something to explain the items on the menu. Still yummy regardless! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube swirl - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I generally like this place but they have definitely gone up in price. Almost $11.00 for a cup of matcha icecream. It came with 2 toppings but they were out of mochi. So, I asked can we get 2 strawberries instead. He said it would be an extra .75 for a half of a strawberry, that was confusing since you're out of another topping and you're allowed 2. But it's soooo good so I guess it doesn't matter. They seem to be out of a lot of things even though they still had 2.5 hours until closing. Overall, they have good ice cream so if I'm in the area I'll come back. read more

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We came here after shopping at the supermarket next door. Quite spacious but not too well lit for a cloudy day. Still a good number of patrons hanging out inside though. We got the ube and red bean taiyaki. They were both moist and the filling was nice and warm. Def done proper. They also had a bunch of other seasonal flavors like apple or pumpkin pie taiyaki but we didn't have the stomach for them. You can get teas with various sweetness levels. We got ours unsweetened and they were still pretty good. We ordered ahead by 10 min and our order was ready by the time we got there! read more

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Stopped by Hanamaru cafe after dinner for dessert! They actually have food items as well as dessert (soft serve). Taiyaki cones come with a cute fish made of a soft dough and can be filled with sweet or savory toppings. You can order the taiyaki upside down in a cup, in a cup alone, or as a cone. I ordered the upside down taiyaki with swirl soft serve (vanilla and matcha). The place itself is a very open concept with high ceilings and beautiful minimalist Japanese decor/aesthetic. I loved my experience here! Service was good and the taiyaki soft serve is delicious!! read more

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This cafe is very cute and clean inside. The service was good, the ladies were very kind. There was a bit of a wait but me and boyfriend were in no hurry. It was well worth the wait because the dough of the taiyaki was delicious, soft, and bouncy. The toppings were free so i got mochi and it was very good! The soft serve swirl of match and vanilla was very tasty. I was told that they alternate between matcha and ube for soft serve and i cannot wait to go and try the ube! read more

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cute shop, cute drinks/ food, and great service! we would go back again, but try something new, as there is a big menu! read more

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Hanamaru Café is a really fun spot with lots of unique options. The taiyaki is definitely the highlight -- I tried both sweet and savory, and the ube with ice cream and mochi was my favorite. The hojicha latte was excellent. It does get a little busy and service can be slow at times, but overall it's a super cute café with tasty food that's worth checking out. read more

It's so cute and good for soft serve and taiyaki. They didn't have the matcha soft serve so I got the ube one and it was really good. I also got a taiyaki with ube filling and I liked it because it wasn't too sweet. The taiyaki took a little longer to get but that's because they make it fresh. I should've gotten it upside down instead of separate but I was originally going to just get the soft serve but the taiyaki looked so good. The workers are super nice, there wasn't a line and they had lots of seating. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube soft serve - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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The service was great, the staff were friendly and took time to explain the set up. The cafe itself is very cute and modern, would definitely add more decoration but it's clean and comfortable. The snacks were delicious and I love the variety, you definitely need to try multiple options on the menu. read more

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This place is my new favorite go-to for soft serve. Their unbelievably affordable Taiyakis are perfectly crispy and sweet like a waffle with a unique flavor and soft inside. If you get ice cream you have to get a cone or upside down as these taiyakis make it that much better. The soft serve (I got UBE) was sweet, creamy and yet not too heavy. The portions are great. Surprisingly, though, their food options are good too. We loved the bulgogi and chicken curry (the potatoes and sauce are DELICIOUS!) as well as the takoyaki (octopus balls). I tried the savory pepperoni mozzarella taiyaki and while it wasn't as cheesy as Elder Eats made it look, it was still yummy. My mom got an ube taiyaki and loved it so much she ordered another to go. My sister got the limited time chocoholic ice cream and it looked too good to be true. Rich, decadent chocolate ice cream, syrup, cookies and a chocolate taiyaki. Ultimately we will be going again! Ambience only 3 stars because it's uncomfortably cold and dark. Other than that nice and clean. Price wise- it adds up quickly. If you're planning on getting a drink (boba tea, matcha latte, lemonade), a lunch or snack item , and then ice cream, expect to spend 20 dollars a person. If you stick with just one thing it'd be under 10 dollars. read more

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After taking a look and shopping at Minnano, my partner and I decided to drop in Hanamaru Cafe. V ordered a hot taiyaki with custard and I went ahead and ordered a spam Musubi. Both were good. The ambiance was calm..and not much to look around at. The seating was low and probably best to sit for no longer than thirty minutes. We were both glad to have tried Hanamaru once. read more

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Had coffee it was ok. Chicken curry was good. Music played that day was a mix of r&b with rap but most was not pleasant. You'd think they'd play Japanese music etc. Daughters had ube drink, she liked it. Saw people with ice cream that looked cute and yummy. Didn't try it though. read more

Very cute place next to the Japanese market to get a quick lunch. Service was great. Food was ok. read more

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The taiyaki from here tastes amazing it's so warm, crunchy, and pairs with the ice cream so well. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Oreo Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I remember seeing this cafe next to Minnano and seeing it pop up from my dessert search here, I decided to check it out. The cashier was helpful to explain the menu items before ordering and I would say that the service was excellent. It's a cute place with great music for the ambiance. read more

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Absolutely love their taiyaki cone with soft serve ice cream--crispy, creamy, and so good! However, I wasn't a fan of their chicken curry at all. On the other hand, the Bulgogi was amazing--delicious thin-sliced marinated beef with white and green onions over perfectly cooked white rice. For 11.95 they give a generous portion. Go try their Bulgogi and ice cream you wont regret it! read more

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Cute! Kids love the taiyaki with soft serve--definitely get the ube! I always get the takoyaki (so good!). Musubis are always good too. Be sure to stop by Minnano grocery store next door after. read more

Tried their Taiyaki with Mozzarella, custard and peanut butter. Peanut butter is the best! The store itself is cute. read more

This small cafe is a very quaint place to have a small or large dessert depending on ones appetite! I wanted to try the taiyaki and soft serve and it did not disappoint! The taiyaki was made perfectly and was sweet but not overly so. The ube and vanilla complimented well. The staff was quick and putting together our order. It is a great place for dessert in SA. I want to try their curry and also bulogi as well. read more

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Visited this place because it was right next to the Japanese store my family and I like to go to. It was our first time, we ordered 1 ube and 1 red bean taiyaki. Idk if it was short staffed because it didn't look too busy, but our order took 25 minutes to make (order placed at 6:01pm, received at 6:26pm). To me, it felt like a long time for a small pastry it was ~2in L x 0.5in W x 3in H. Maybe they had to make more batter? Also, when we received it, the worker apologized because it (both) wasn't completely done. I should've taken a picture but it wasn't brown, I imagine it was still the same color as the batter. The workers did offer to remake it but we were tired of waiting. Giving 2 stars because the workers were nice and the taiyaki was cheap, ~$3. Also of note, the women's bathroom had one of three working toilets. read more

Delicious! Tim came across this place from a Reddit sub and cross checked the Yelp page! He Told me we had to check it out... he was right! Not fast service, so not an in and out place. But perfect for a date or hang out! And everything was so fresh and delicious, 100% worth the wait... We got a mix of sweet and savory fillings. The matcha ice-cream was perfect and the dough... I could just eat the breading by itself and be happy... The pea blossom lemonade was perfect too! read more

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This has been our second visit and love it here! We continue to try new things off their menu! Their ice cream is so tasty and loved the choices of the two toppings. This time we wanted to try a lemonade! We loved the strawberry jam lemonade. It was so refreshing and light. This place is always busy and love how clean it is inside as well. Service is always great and we will continue to come back! read more

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I visited this cafe today with a friend not knowing anything about it. They have really cute and delicious fish waffles (not as gross as it sounds - waffles made to look like fish called taiyaki) You can get them with sweet or savory fillings or with ice cream and toppings. I had one with Oreo filling, which was delicious. My daughter had one with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and an Oreo, which sure enjoyed a ton! I also had a black milk tea, sweetened with 3 shots (instead of the traditional 5). It was the perfect amount of sweetness for me, who doesn't love super sweet things like southern sweet tea. The cafe was cute! Very warm inside. The service was decent, the cashier patient. It was comfortable. I don't know if they had Wi-Fi or if it would be good for a working setting, but it was great for meeting a friend after yoga for a bite to eat. Prices were really good! For our three items, it was around $16. I appreciate that! read more

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Super cute spot and good drinks! We placed our order and it took around 15-20 minutes since we they were making the taiyaki. Hojicha latte 9.5/10: A pretty strong tea taste which I love, and we asked for it slightly sweet so it was the perfect balance of tea flavor and milk. Ive never had a good hojicha latte in Texas but this one hits the spot! Butterfly pea latte 8/10: One of the better ones I've had, the lemonade wasn't too sour but I wish there was a stronger floral taste from the butterfly pea syrup. It's a very pretty drink and it is refreshing! Ube hot taiyaki 9/10: The filling is super delicious and surprisingly not too sweet! A lot of places like to add a bunch of sugar in ube but this place I can actually taste the ube without a sweetness overload. Wish there was more filling, but the flavor was good! read more

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