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SWEET BEAN ATMOSPHERE
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Pretty cool place here in south Loop Chicago. Without being too descriptive as I was only there shortly, it's basically Paris Baguette in its setup and offerings
We were wondering in the Chicago Chinatown and bumped into it. There were a lot of varieties to choose from. We tried red bean matcha bun, Dorian pastry, Thai tea egg tart, and purple rice taro bun. All were great and mild sweet flavors.
FOOD I had their matcha pineapple bun. It was fluffy and not too sweet, and although the bun was green, the matcha flavor did not really pull through. They still had a relatively wide selection of pastries available, even though I visited around 3pm. DRINKS They had a wide selection of coffee and tea drinks available for purchase. SERVICE The staff are kind and friendly! AMBIANCE Many guests were sitting and working/studying. PARKING Paid street parking is available at a limited capacity.
Yum! I stopped by Sweet Bean when I was staying nearby for some buns in the morning and turns out we went too early as the fresh buns were not ready yet. Instead they have their day old buns which they sell for $2.95 each. Apparently their buns usually come out around 10am. I ended up grabbing a pork floss taro bun and the orange cream bun to go. I heated up both buns at home (I only added the orange cream bun in for a couple of minutes) and they were as good as fresh out of the oven buns. Loved the pork floss taro bun which has fresh taro paste with chewy, stretchy mochi inside. The flavor combination of the salty pork floss, sweet taro and mochi was great. The orange cream bun was nice as well - the dough is a little sweet with the cream but overall a nice sweet bun. Will definitely need to come back to check out their other items! Super happy to see this Taiwanese inspired bakery open up near South Loop.
Super fluffy and tasty bread! Got the matcha custard and it was perfect! Loved the surprised bites of pineapple on the inside too! Recommend for a quick bite
Came to Sweet Bean to get some work done. My boyfriend and I enjoyed the Pork BBQ pastry as well as the Ham Scallion pastry. The ham scallion was my personal favorite, and I would definitely get that one again!! The bread was so soft, to the point it was super easy to pull apart. Prices aren't too bad, both of them were ~$8 total (~$4 each) You serve yourself by picking out the pastries you want, and then you bring them to the counter for them to be heated up. They offer discounted pastries that were made the day prior to prevent food waste, which I appreciate. It seems that the workers also regularly restock the pastries, which is great. Not too may seating options, maybe ~10 tables total. Very few tables have outlets.
This was a great coffee stop on my walk to the Field Museum. They had lots of pastries and were pretty crowded on a Saturday morning, but moved fast. The inside is decorated cute and had some indoor seating. They had a seasonal menu which included a cardamom latte which I really enjoyed!
I've stopped by Sweet Bean the last two times I've been in town, as I'm a sucker for this style of bakery and pastry. They offer a wide variety of items, including savory offerings (egg and bacon, hot dog cheese, tuna & mayo, ham & scallion), and sweeter treats featuring red bean, taro, egg buns, matcha, etc. You use a pair of tongs to grab and bag your items as you go along. They offer a wide variety of beverages served hot or cold, including matcha and hojicha with customizations (latte, ube/black sesame flavors, and miso caramel). I got a hot Matcha Black Sesame latte this latest visit with a recommended pump of sweetener. The black sesame settled a lot during drinking (and was a bit gritty at the end), so I will probably skip that particular one in the future, to try another fun option. Pastries run about $3.75-$4.50 depending on the item. They offer day-old sales on remaining pastries as well, but I do appreciate getting them while more warm and fresh. Sweet Bean is conveniently located off the red line Roosevelt stop. They have some modest seating inside, where I've seen people chatting or studying, but everything is served/collected in to-go packaging. It would be nice if they offered hard plates/cups for those dining in, but I imagine that presents additional staffing considerations. The employees I've interacted with though have been friendly and helpful. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of Taiwanese or Asian pastry treats!
A popular Taiwanese and coffee shop for a reason! First and foremost, this place has the best bread I've ever tasted in my life. The bread is as soft as a pillow and has a lot of bounciness as you chew. The matcha custard and purple rice bread aren't too sweet and still has a lot of flavor! Interior has a super chill vibe with chill employees. Definitely will come again for my next LA-Chicago trip!
Cool place! Huge variety of sweet and savory items. You pick up plastic bags and tongs, and walk around and choose what you want and then go check out. I was there on a crowded Saturday morning but the line moved quickly. I really enjoyed the items I tried, especially a ham and cheese square, an egg tart wrapped in bacon, and a matcha pretzel bun. I also enjoyed a rose almond chai tea latte. They have a cute area in the back for seating. Some of the decor was nice but then there were a few random (and possibly broken) printers along the wall, which seemed strange. I didn't see a restroom but maybe I missed it. It was the day before the marathon and very crowded and the staff did really well to keep up with the demand. New fresh items were consistently being brought out. If you want some yummy carbs, this is the place to go!
I've walked past here often enough so I finally went in and I'm glad I did. We picked up three buns and no beverages this time. I was fairly dubious about the Spicy Chicken Bun but it's a rock star. The dough is soft and lovely and the sauce is not sickeningly sweet. There is some genuine heat but it's not overwhelming. The crunch from the visible peppers adds a welcome textural contrast. The Taro Bun was not quite what I expected but it was delicious nonetheless. I was expecting something more savory but it turned out to be a really appealing mix of sweet, salty, and savory. The Red Bean Bun is waiting for later. The tea selection looks nice and they serve Counter Culture coffee so it looks like I'll be back for drinks with my pastry soon - which will be happening as there are a number of the buns that I'm looking forward to trying. Day-old baked goods are available at a small discount. I expect that the quality would still be good as the dough is likely a tangzhong. The location is convenient for walking, train, or bus. This is a cashless business.
I like a simple Taiwanese green onion (scallion) bread that is very difficult to find these days and voila, I'm so happy to have found them at Sweet Bean! Granted, it is green onions and ham (tiny pieces), it is the closest I can find! It is tasty, but a bit pricey... two green onion bread were almost $9 (hence the 4 stars). The bakery has a good variety of breads, pastries, cakes and coffee/beverages. It has a small area with tables and seats that are in a separate room from the main area with food and cashier's counter, so it is not as noisy especially when it's busy. I will definitely be back....because of the green onion bread... will try their cakes too!
2 years ago
Sweet bean is so cutesy! Walked past on my way to the train station and decided to pop in. You walk in and smell the amazing aromas of various pastries. If you're interested in grabbing an item, they have tongs for grab and plastic bags ready to go to place your goodies in. Don't worry, fresh tongs are brought out frequently. The staff is friendly and knows their menu well. They are constantly bringing out the freshest items for customers. I purchased a Ube red bean paste pastry and it was pretty good. I can say I wanted more Ube flavor than red bean paste. This pastry is for those that adore red bean, if not, it's passed and get something else. read more
11 months ago
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2 years ago
Yummy and cute small Taiwanese bakery! They have both savory and sweet pastries, and a variety of Asian-inspired drink options. You pick your own bread with tongs and place them in provided plastic baggies. I got the ham and cheese bread with pork floss, and the ham and corn bread. Absolutely loved how soft and fluffy both were! Highly recommend! read more
This page really needs an update (lol). They no longer serve food. You can still get all of the baked goods and drinks. One of the servers was iffy about giving my fiance the restroom key. I get it, not for public use. There's a good amount of seating in the back. They were playing Kpop. Several areas with bar stool seating in the front and back. I had the hojicha black sesame iced and unsweetened. I enjoyed it. I like it when my drinks aren't super sweet. I tried a few of the baked goods. They were bringing out fresh items as we sat and ate too. The egg custard bun was light, but the egg custard texture reminded me of a scrambled steamed egg. The black sesame bun had a bit of what seemed like a mochi paste filling, sticky and not sweet. That was fun and I've never had anything like that before. If you've ever tried an 85 degree bakery, it sort of reminded me of that except everything tasted more fresh. We did come at 9am. Everything was warm and fresh tasting. They also had a shelf for "no waste" discounted items probably from yesterday. read more
Yum! Love a bao place. I think everything we got here was good. Cute atmosphere. Lots of natural textures and fun art. You place your order on the one side and can go through to the other to sit and eat. Got a London Fog Tea Latte too, but it wasn't the strong pick-me-up I needed. If you don't prefer strong teas, this might be a nice one to try. read more
Found this place on Yelp when I was headed to the airport. Perfect spot to pick up some treats before leaving Chi Town! I love a good Taiwanese bakery, which I had one back home! There were so many to choose from, I wish they had bigger boxes. The biggest box they had could hold up to 4 treats. I would definitely come back here next time I'm in Chicago! read more
2 years ago
I don't think I can ever get tired of this place! I come here for lunch and a morning Matcha sometimes. I think what keeps me coming back is the pastries and the variety of Matcha drinks they have. I definitely recommend an iced blueberry Matcha and if you would like a coffee, I suggest the iced coffee with Ube syrup. There is a lot of space to sit if you need to do some work. The service here is good, not over-the-top or underwhelming. read more
4 months ago
8 months ago
Costumer service was awesome great attitude towards costumer's ready to start a morning, every bread was made fresh and it smells so good inside the restaurant! also a great work space for quiet and calm vibes. 10/10 would really recommend read more
2 years ago
I couldn't resist stopping in after catching a glimpse of their stunning pastries displayed in the window. They offer an impressive variety of both savory and sweet treats, all at affordable prices. The self-serve setup lets you pick and package your selections at your own pace, adding a fun, personal touch to the experience. They also serve coffee and drinks, and even in the middle of the day, the selection was plentiful and beautifully prepared. Every pastry I tried was as delicious as it looked--definitely worth a visit! read more
A Taiwanese bakery store located right next to the Roosevelt train station. It's a modern Asian bakery/coffee store with fresh bakery and fresh brew coffee. They also sell some souvenirs/ seasonings from Taiwan and some other Asian countries. Service: It is a self-serve bakery. They provide paper bags and boxes and you pick your own bakery on the shelves. After that you can go to the cashier to pay your bakery and return the tong. Big fans of self-service store, you can take your time to pick the items without worrying about bothering others. Food: Egg Custard Tart - 5/5 - Perfect sweetness level for me (slightly sweet) - Filled with soft and creamy egg custard all the way to the bottom of the crust (ard 1.5" depth) - The crust is just thick enough to the egg custard together - Very delicious read more
Affordable ($3-$5 per pastry) and yum Taiwanese bakery in South Loop. Cute. A lil busy when I went but it was chill. Bread soft, freshly made, Soo many yummy yummy options. Omg the salted egg bun was so good it saved my marriage and cleared my skin. The front is a bit busy, but they have a decently sized room in the back which seems studyable. read more
We were not familiar with this place but we needed a quick casual lunch and this fit the bill. Everything here was new to us so we explored the different display cases before making our selections. I had a hot dog wrapped in a sweet bun (I am guessing all of the pastries were sweet thus the name) it was very good. My wife had one with an onion topping which was also tasty. We followed up with an almond paste filling dessert pastry and that was quite a treat. Overall the prices were reasonable. We will definitely eat at one of these places if we come across one in the future. read more
I am so glad to finally try the pastries at Sweet Bean! I've been eyeing it for a while now, both online and from driving by, and love that a Taiwanese bakery is in the South Loop. The bakery/cafe is located at a busy intersection, right off the CTA Roosevelt Redline. I imagine it's convenient to get to by public transportation. It's a little harder to access if you're driving due to limited street parking and all the car traffic on Roosevelt and Wabash. My husband and I had a plan of action when we stopped by for pastries on a Friday morning. He dropped me off and then parked out by the Jewel parking lot across the street while I ran inside to grab a box of pastries. I texted him photos on what was behind the glass windows, since the daily items might be different than what's listed on their online menu. I think it depends on the day. You pick up a paper box (several sizes available based on how many pastries you plan on selecting) and grab clean tongs to choose your buns. I felt like a kid in a candy store! We tried a few savory and sweet buns including: Hot Dog & Cheese Ham & Corn Ham & Green Onion Strawberry Milk Toast Their hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, which seems pretty limited for a cafe in my opinion for the early birds or after work crowds. We had to book it out the door to swing by (and make it home) before our 9am Friday morning meetings. We were able to do this within 45 minutes, miraculously. It was worth it! The hours are a little tricky for folks who work 9-5 office jobs, especially if you don't live nearby, and access by car is also tricky. Their daily selection varies (from my one quick morning visit there) for pastries to go, BUT I am a fan and their pastries were delicious! Pair your carbs with caffeine with drinks from their espresso bar. They had matcha options, standard espresso drinks, and non-caffeinated drinks as well. Whether you're a sweet or savory person, coffee or tea, there will be something for everyone at Sweet Bean! Find me on IG : @ gratuitousgourmande read more
Sweet Bean is a very appropriate name for this establishment. Asian themed with strong French influence coffee is good, and savory dishes are pretty good too. Service is fast and they are on top of it. It seems that atmosphere is relaxed with lots of college students from nearby university working on their laptops! The only downside here is that things are a bit too sweet. Even the savory items are on the sweet side and there is nothing you can do about it! read more
Delicious Taiwanese style bakery with an assortment of baked goods, and drinks. I saw online they had a food menu but this review will only be for bakery items as we didn't try the food. Service was super kind and helpful on a Saturday afternoon. Decent amount of tables but it was a full house - quite a popular stop right by the metro. While there, we ate an earl grey roll cake with peaches and pudding. Putting egg pudding in a dessert is really authentic!! It was delicious - the sponge was moist and had a strong enough earl grey flavor - fillings not too sweet so it was a light and airy dessert. To go, we got a corn cheese bun, lava yolk pineapple bread, and taro bread. We even saw pork floss taro mochi bread which is quite rare to see. We didn't get it, but if you like sweet and salty together you might want to try it! The breads were all soft and delicious. Highly recommend. My personal favorite was the egg yolk lava pineapple bun. read more
2 years ago
Clean tables and environment. The inside was also very cozy and cute. The pastries were all soooo delicious, my favorite was middle one (i forgot what it was called) read more
Stumbled upon this place while walking around Chicago's South Loop area... had a great bakery item (ham and scallion bun) and a latte. They had a lot of awesome looking bakery items to choose from. Def puts a smile on my face when I find a small local gem like this! read more
1 year ago
This is the second time they got my drink wrong. The first time they told me I couldn't personalize my drink and it was my fault it came out wrong. The second time I asked for a sesame hojicha and they gave me matcha instead. It's also really bad matcha. Come for the breads do not come for the drinks. read more
I stumbled upon this place as I was in the neighborhood and craving a good coffee before my Pickleball practice. I ordered an Iced Latte with almond milk with Ube syrup. The coffee was honestly ok and the ube syrup didn't really blend well with the coffee. I feel they have more Teas on the menu than coffee options. The coffee was reasonably priced however I have never had to pay extra money for a cup of water, that was really odd! I'm not sure if I'll come back to this place again! read more
6 months ago
4 years ago
If you are looking for a quality Asian bakery in Chicago, then Sweet Bean is simply the place to be! All of the bakery items that I tried were delicious and reasonably priced. Egg Tart ($3)- kind of like the Portuguese style which is taller and less flat than the Asian one; egg custard was soft and delicious Salted Egg Yolk Bolo Bun ($3.50)- really great; salted egg filling inside was the perfect consistency and not too salty Taro Mochi and Pork Floss Bun ($3.75)- this one was my favorite; it had both taro paste and mochi paste inside, both of which were so delicious and perfect consistency; pork floss on the outside took it to yet another level Peach Smoothie ($5.50 + $0.75 for Greek yogurt base)- also great; tasted like they used the real fruit and didn't add much (if any) additional sugar which was good The staff are friendly, and the service speed is decent for the drinks (the pastries you just pick out yourself and pay at the register). The place is sort of split into two sections- one with the pastries and the other for them to make the drinks and for the customers to sit. The place is not super big, but there is still a decent amount of seating, though it can get a bit busy during peak morning hours. It is a nice environment with a local bakery / coffee shop kind of vibe. Overall, Sweet Bean has amazing Asian bakery items and quality smoothies / coffee drinks as well. If that sounds like something you would like, then this is a must-visit if you are in the South Loop area. read more
Very bummed after a flight to Chicago and walking from my hotel in the rain to Sweet Bean. First, they did not have a lot of options available in the buns sections (it was only 11am) AND I trekked all the way here so I can get some warm homemade dumplings, which I saw on the photo menu from other Yelpers, and there were NO hot food options. ONLY BUNS! THEY DO NOT SERVE ANY HOT BREAKFAST OR LUNCH/DUMPLING OPTIONS! I did take two little buns, the butter bun and then the Salted Egg Yolk Bolo bun. I could've gone without them and went to another spot for lunch. Such a disappointment. At least the buns were delicious and fresh! read more
Located in the heart of South Loop, Sweet Bean features a spacious, cutely decorated interior with a separate cafe and pastry section and tables interspersed between. I was a big fan of the diverse, creative selection of Taiwanese-style breads, buns, and pastries-- both sweet and savory-- and everything we got was extremely delicious. It was decently quiet and good for light work; the music selection was chill and not too loud. It was only slightly short of a pure 5 stars for a couple reasons: Most of their buns are best eaten warm, but many are sitting outside for awhile and get cold. We asked them to heat it up for us, but they were still kind of cold when they brought it back out for us, which wasn't ideal. Not a big deal, but heated up, their tastes and textures would have been much augmented. Another reason is that they've unfortunately removed their food items from the menu, including their famous xiaolong baos. Instead, they're serving acai bowls, which are neither that interesting nor unique. I got the following items, all of which I heavily recommend: - Tuna Egg Mayo Bun: Being a huge fan of all 3 of these items, this bun was INCREDIBLE; the flavors just burst in your mouth. - Taro Mochi & Pork Floss Bun: Perfect combo of opposite flavors and textures: the light and fluffy, savory pork floss matched with the soft and sticky, semi-sweet taro mochi made for a unique and popping combo. - Korean Garlic Cheese Bun: The garlic aioli-esque cream inside is so fluffy and delicious and paired perfectly with the plump exterior bread. Cream got kind of a lot / heavy after awhile though. - Mushroom and Corn Baguette: This one was definitely one of the items that would have been much better heated up, but even colder it was excellent: very strong corn flavors paired with creamy mushroom interspersed throughout, ending with a crispy baguette crunch. - Scallion Pork Floss Bolo Bun: A delicious classic-- when I went, they were also doing 20% off all bolo buns. Overall, the prices are quite solid: not as cheap as bakeries in Chinatown, but their selections are more creative-- I haven't seen a lot of these bun/pastry types in more traditional Chinese bakeries. It's also cheaper than other Asian bakeries in the Loop area (aka H-Mart/Paris Baguette). Overall, most items are between $1.50-$5. I'll definitely be back, as everything looked great and there are so many I have yet to try. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5 Food: 4.5/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 Suitability for Work/Study: 4/5 Overall Value: 4.5/5 read more
Cute ambiance, large selection of pastries. They also offer a discount on the previous day's leftover pastries as part of a "no-waste" initiative, which I love as well. We got the ham and cheese bun with pork floss, the ham and corn bun, and the taro mochi pork floss bun. The dough itself was tasty, but I felt like the pork floss overwhelmed the flavor of the other ingredients. Overall a good stop if you are ever craving Asian pastries. read more
3 years ago
Love love love this place when I visited chicago! I got a coffee here that was standard but still tasty. Their pastries and breads were so aesthetic and tasty though! Mini hot dogs were a good savoury, coconut strawberry bun was an interesting combo, and the milk custard bun was smooth and light. It's a very nice place to study and work - I got to work while I was there and people definitely fight for seats during certain times FYI. Really enjoyed it here though and staff is helpful. There's only one bathroom with a code FYI. read more
A decent place for pastries/beverages, though slightly overpriced. There is a little bit of seating in the front where the pastries are and more space in the back room to sit down and work. Service was good. Black sesame hojicha latte (4/5): You can alter the sweetness of the beverage which is nice, and you can also change the ice level (though they charge extra if you ask for light/no ice). The latte was not too sweet and the hojicha flavor was great. The black sesame was not incorporated very well -- I couldn't taste the flavor in the actual latte but there was some black sesame (powder, potentially?) floating around at the bottom of my drink, so I ended up chewing on it as I drank, which made the texture a little odd. Yuzu madelines (3/5): I enjoyed the soft texture of the madelines; they were baked well. The flavor was a little citrusy, but I would have liked the yuzu to stand out more. Strawberry taro bolo bun (3/5): The flavor profile was clever, but the bun was a little too sweet for me. I am a bigger fan of the standard texture of a bolo bun -- in part because other elements were added to the bun, the top of this one was not as crispy. The bun itself was chewier and not as fluffy too. read more
1 year ago
Rly cute place! Has a cozy secluded seating area in the back. The fan is kinda noisy but headphones will fix that. Enjoyed the seasonal lychee chai (came out very fast!) and the yesterday pastries are a great deal! Also the location is super convenient, right next to a train station. read more
2 years ago
Very unique sweets!! So hard to just choose one. Employees are always very nice and will answer any questions!! read more
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