First off. I'm not a coffee/bakery type of person... But I've been converted. Matcha drinks are super tasty and all the baked goods are delicious. Secondly, Koji helped me today and was especially patient, informative and enthusiastic about their menu items. So overall, great drinks, pastries and service. Will be back!!! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - We bit into them already lol - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

This should not be marketed as gluten free and vegan. They have no baked goods that are either.

Hella overpriced but the donuts and matcha latte are amazing. Will definitely come back (to the pain of my bank account). In a warehouse in south Berkeley - parking is AWFUL, expect to walk a few blocks which is honestly manageable but just don't expect to park nearby this place. The bakery smells AMAZING -freshly baked donuts and pastries, mmmmmmmmm. I got a mango mochi donut and an iced matcha latte. Both were perfect! Donut was sooo chewy and delicious and matcha latte was good - not too vegetal yet not too overly sweet. Getting both + 15% tip ran me $9 which is a bit steep. read more

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I really wanted to like this place, but the mochi donuts lacked the chewy mochi texture. I felt like I was eating a stale mochi or a very dense and dry cake. The mochi muffin definitely tasted better. The mochi donuts were also pretty pricey for what it was. Mochill in SF is way better and way cheaper than Third Culture. I read in a previous most that someone paid over $25 for 7 mochi donuts here! That's crazy. You can get twice that amount for the same price at Mochill. Also, I find it pretty pretentious that they don't show the prices of their pastry items at the store while they post the price of their drinks. No wonder why you end up paying $25 for like 7 mochi donuts. read more

Went in for some takeout, I got the caramel latte iced and the way they make their caramel is delicious! It says it's "burnt caramel" im not sure If I've had that before but this type is so delicious and has a nutty flavor to it! The donuts and muffin were delicious too, the mochi texture definitely threw me off though since it's so different than that fluffy consistency of a normal donut/muffin but the flavors were delicious. I loved the Ube flavor the best, the cheese muffin was good too and emphasis on the cheesiness. They also have cute little bags and packaged snacks in the store too :) can't wait to come back to try a matcha latte! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Package the donuts come in - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Open during covid! I've had third culture baked muffins and donuts at select boba shops but never been to the bakery until recently. In addition to their popular muffin and donuts, the bakery also had matcha drinks, mochi waffles (savory and sweet) and banana bread pudding which are exclusive to the bakery. The line was hella long... even during covid times. Like does covid even exist anymore? Yes. But do people still need their fix of these delicious gluten free, freshly baked, chewy mochi muffin/donut? YES. Adding these babies to the quarantine 15 and I ain't mad. Upon entering the store, there are about 3-4 cashiers. Each cashier has a window in front of them and takes one customer/group at a time. There are also ropes separators to distinguish each line. There were some donuts flavors they had on display but they were sold out. I wish they removed it off the display window so I wouldn't fomo and think about it. Like seriously, they had 9 diff flavors on display but only had 6 available in the middle of the day, so naturally, I bought all 6 diff flavors. Each donut was $3 and $3 and some change for some select ones and the muffin was closer to $4 I picked up half a dozen donuts, a slice of banana bread pudding and a caramel matcha latte. The drink didn't live up to the hype for me, the matcha was way too bitter. The mochi donuts were all good and the raspberry lychee donut was my favorite, however the BANANA BREAD PUDDING WAS THE TRUE WINNER!! Like omg. How can they not distribute this to their vendors??? The banana bread will always be a must when I return. It was perfection *chefs kisses* TLDR: Make your trip worth while with at least half a dozen donuts or muffins and the banana bread pudding! read more

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It was my brother's bday during this pandemic, and I wanted to treat his taste buds to delicious treats without ingredients that wouldn't compromise his digestive system. Alex welcomed myself, my boyfriend, and brothers with such warmth when we said it was our first time. I love and appreciate the display of ingredients, exxxtra love and care put into each delicious item, and positive vibes we felt inside the store. So far we've tried the following: -Matcha Muffin 5/5 my boyfriend and I are thoroughly surprised at how much of the matcha we tasted, and loved it! We're used to company skimping out on ingredients for budgeting purposes but not this bakery! -Mango Passion Donut 5/5 Definitely did not disappoint when he said this was their top seller. The sourness from passion fruit came through really nicely and complimented the sweetness of the donut, with some chocolate bits?! I have never had these 3 flavors together before, so mad kudos for creating this harmony! -Churro 4/5 for my brother! I think I might have outgrew this flavor because Churro was seriously my favorite thing to eat every weekend at the flea market! The deduction of a point was merely based on preferences, I guess we enjoyed it more as a stick than a muffin. But this does not mean we didn't enjoy it at all! We have more at home we need to try but really wanted to highlight those 3 for now. Will update review though! read more

Hands down a great "mom and pop" local Bay Area bakery. It is VERY pricey and unfortunately not for those who do not have a lot of money to spend on pastries/ mochidonuts, so only go here if you gots money to blow or if you are wanting to treat you and some friends into some good cultured pastries. The donuts are all mochi based. We bought the matcha green tea, ube, chocolate donuts and they were delicious. So so good, so worth it, I brought it to my entire class (spent over $150 bucks, on not many donuts...but enough and every flavor) and everyone loved them. They were a hit! The matcha tea and Yogi(a?) tea with tumeric was also very delicious. I recommend this spot if you are wanting to treat yourself to some culture, some good pastries and support a local business. It's not cheap though, I warn you guys! You will be spending a pretty penny. If anyone has any questions or concerns about this place, please feel free to contact me I'll be happy to answer any questions that may come my way. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Matcha is strong here - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

So grateful to have this gem of a small business walking distance from my neighborhood, especially as a celiac. I had my first mochi muffin in February -- many years after first seeing one in an SF coffee shop. (Why did I wait so long? Usually because coffee shops tainted GF options by mingle them with gluten-containing offerings.) I instantly became a fan. The black sesame and matcha ones are my favorite! I've never cared for donuts -- probably has rj so with growing up a few blocks from a Dunkin-- but they are popular, going by how many varieties and the quantity on display. Also, I'm super appreciative that they have continuously modified their customer (and employee) experience during COVID to keep everyone safe. read more

If Third Culture Bakery rings a bell to you, it might be because their baked goods are distributed in many Boba Guys locations, however, I recommend that you pay a visit to their store front to enjoy the full gamut of their baking abilities. We arrived on a Saturday morning and there was barely a line coming out of the store. We quickly helped by a employee and were able to choose from all they had to offer that day. Out of all the assorted mochi muffins and mochi donuts, we chose the ube coconut, yuzu, pistachio, Vietnamese coffee, and pandan mochi donuts. Their donut base seemed to be quite similar (albiet a yummy and chewy donut base), but they were set apart from each other by their delicious and wonderfully colored glaze. I am definitely intrigued to go back and try all the flavors they have to offer as well as their wide variety of drinks (most notable the lychee cold brew!). read more

I am disappointed with the taste and quality. I don't ordinarily review coffee shops/bakery's but I have to share. I ordered their black sesame donut and I take one bite into it and notice it's under cooked and raw in the middle ? Is it supposed to be that way?! Idk, it was also super cold. I didn't like how it tasted! So I decided to bake it myself. Also I ordered their burnt caramel drink and it was beyond mediocre. No real milk alternatives other than soy. I would be better off making a cup at home or going to Starbucks. They used pre made cold brew and just put a lot of flavored syrup on the cup. Would I come back? No. Recommend ? No. Biggest Con is that it's overpriced donuts for the quality. Pro that it's pretty inside and photogenic read more

Glad I tried these donuts. I saw a post from one of my friends on FB. The donuts are pictures worthy, as everyone who purchased some immediately took pictures after. When we got inside, there were plenty of flavors, so I ordered a dozen plus the bread pudding. The donuts are tasty, the texture was unique. Like spongecake X3, but still moist. However the sweetness of the doughnut over take the flavor of the frosting. Not a big deal. Also I have a house full of donut experts, who will naturally devour a box of donuts once it hits the tabletop. Unfortunately everyone took one bite and was done. So now I have 7 of these donuts left 3 days later. They are expensive at 3 dollars and some change. I mostly will not be back. read more

I am a huge fan of Third Culture Bakery because of their original mochi muffin! It has the best texture and is not too sweet. I get them every time I am at Asha Tea House in SF. I started following them on IG and ended up at one of their brunch events! It was amazing! The bakers/owners are awesome and have such passion for their baking. I enjoyed every dish at the brunch and there was unlimited mimosas! Most recently, I took a trip out to their bakery to try some of their new items -- mochi donut and ube custard cake. I've also tried the matcha and churro custard cakes in the past which were good but not as good as the original. I thought the ube cake did not have enough ube flavor but was a pretty color. The passion fruit mango mochi donut was delicious and had good flavor. I also tried the black sesame mochi donut which I thought was a bit bland and would pass on it next time. Lastly, I tried the matcha latte. It was ok and agree with the other reviewer that the ice melted too fast and there was too much milk in it. Asha Tea house makes a really good matcha latte (see difference in milk to matcha ratio). Despite some of the hiccups, I will always be back for their mochi muffins (and the waffle which I tried at the brunch). read more

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Stopped by Third Culture for a quick snack as I was exploring the Berkeley area. Loved the consistency of the mochi donuts/muffins and the variety of drinks they have makes for a great match with their baked goods. The flavors they put out are always on brand and explore a lot of popular Asian flavors that often don't get highlighted enough in desserts. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - mochi donuts + muffins, passionfruit fruit matcha sparkler - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Having lived in Japan, this is definitely NOT mochi donuts. It is WAY overpriced, WAY too dense, and WAY too sweet.

WHO LOVES MOCHI? ME! I first fell in love with mochi donuts when I had them at Mister Donut seven years ago in Taiwan. So I was excited to try Third Culture's mochi donuts and muffins. The interior is fairly small, no seating, moreso grab and go. What irked me is that this place doesn't accept cash. I tried seven different donuts... yeah, I might've been a lil too gung-ho since most reviews were so positive. I got blood orange, yuzu lemon, matcha, ube, black sesame, vietnamese coffee, and passion fruit, along with the ube muffin. Total came out to $25.50. Unfortunately, the donuts were not good. Most of the glazes were too sweet for me; black sesame was probably the best one. The main issue is that the mochi donut texture was very dense so it tasted extremely heavy and greasy/oily. Not like a light, bouncy mochi you would want (and get with Mister Donut). So the donut just didn't taste good after a bite or two. The ube muffin was slightly more moist, but the flavor didn't do anything for me. Overall, the aesthetic and founders' story are cool, but I'd pass next time based on the taste. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - mochi donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Finally got around to check this place out since I've heard so many positive reviews! Drive an hour to try these! By the time we got there it was an hour after they opened and there was already a line but it went by pretty quick! I saw lots of people get matcha drinks and even the seasonal pumpkin ones but I just wanted to grab the donuts this time! They have lots of flavors to choose from and I love how unique they are! Grabbed the mango passion fruit, strawberry creme, thai tea, matcha, ube coconut, roasted Matcha, raspberry lychee, yuzu lemon, blueberry cheesecake! We didn't grab all the options they had but tried to grab the top ones! I think my top two would be the roasted matcha, mango passion fruit and yuzu lemon! The smell you get when you open this box of goodies smells wonderful!! I've tried other mochi donut but I think the difference between the ones here is that they taste healthier and more filling than the fried ones! It's still very chewy but I think it's definitely more filling! I tried warming up some and eating it and it definitely makes it even softer! The Mochi donuts here reminds me of the texture of the Mochi muffins! But I didn't get a chance to try their Mochi muffins this time! Maybe next time then! But give this place a try for their unique flavors! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is the best dessert place in the bay area! I love the texture of the muffin and the donut. I bought Ube Custard Cake, Mochi Muffin and Matcha Donut. I was hesitant at first to get the Mochi Muffin because it seems too ordinary. BUT after I took my first bite, OMG it's so GOOD! I love the taste of coconut~ It's reminds me with Indonesian dessert. Will come back for sure to try all the flavor! :D - I visited on Saturday at around 3:15pm. There's a bit long line; I waited for about 15 min. Notes: Even though you see a longg line! Go lining up and you will not regret it :) read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Ube - Mochi Muffin - Matcha Donut - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is so good. Perfect indulgence! Ordering this via delivery is definitely not a hinderance in quality! Please buy these & support local business! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - 1/2 dozen daily mochi donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

We got the mochi muffins, mochi donuts, coffee, and matcha lychee fizz. I wasn't a fan of the mochi muffins personally. I found the texture very very dense and chewy, not too sweet. I think if you are a fan of mochi muffins, this place is probably the best to get them here as they have the most variety and I think they were the original bakery to make mochi muffins. I would recommend the mochi muffins over the donuts, the muffins are much more moist. The ingredients are very highly quality, they said they import the matcha and black sesame. They mix the matcha to order for every drink. I think this was the first time I've had real matcha and the flavor is very different. Real matcha has a slightly bitter flavor so I was not a fan. read more

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Super super tasty mochi pastries! I would say it's definitely different from regular donuts, so not for everyone. I like the muffins more than the donuts but I would suggest trying them all! Their donut glaze flavors are very unique and asian inspired. Super cute small shop, plenty of room outside to eat on the ledge. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

While I can appreciate this bakery...I love mochi. But I prefer just plain butter mochi! I liked the original mochi muffin...tried the passionfruit, black sesame and use doughnuts...but am just a fan of butter mochi. I understand the hype about it...it is a really cool place and has a lot of variety, just don't see it in the cards for me. read more

the most delicious mochi donuts ever. they're so nice and chewy and not overly sweet. the best part is the wonderful frostings that taste so fresh and strong. it's not just sugar, they have lots of flavors with real flavor. read more

Tried Third Culture for the first time today; I got a couple of custard cakes (Thai Tea and Ube) and a Cold Brew Clover. The Ube Custard cake was delicious and worth the difficult in parking. The Cold Brew Plover was really yummy with their handmade whipped cream Their pricing is not listed in the bakery, which I find off putting. Their website is minimal and additionally doesn't post pricing. Their main site appears to be instagram. They only accept cards, no cash. I would have made a larger additional purchase to bring home after confirming I enjoyed the baked goods, but didn't want to do a second card transaction. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Thai Tea Custard cake, and Cold Brew Plover. - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food: donuts are ok. Good seasonal flavors. Would I wait 35 minutes for them - unlikely? I ordered a carmel coffee, couldn't taste much coffee, got a whole slurp of syrup -yikes! I ended up adding a shot of espresso when I got home. Service: expect to WAIT. I placed a mobile order and still ended up in line. There was no clear signage to differentiate for online, phone, and walk-ins. I've been to multiple restaurants and shops which had better signs for patrons. Go if you have time to stand in line and if you like super sweet drinks. Guess this wasn't my cup of tea. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was visiting from out of town and wanted to find a place for matcha, and Yelp brought me to this wonderful place. Not only did I enjoy the matcha there, but I was throughly surprised with their large array of mochi donuts and muffins. It was my first time trying mochi donuts & muffins, and OMG my life has changed. It was absolutely delicious, and I loved the chewy mochi texture! YUM! I came during COVID times, but the store felt very clean and they were all following the safety protocols. The staff were super friendly and helpful with their suggestions. I'd definitely visit if I'm in the area again! read more

My granddaughter always wants this on her birthday morning. There is outside seating and their food and drinks are delicious

I always had their baked goods from a second party, being sold at a different business. Went to their location in Berkeley for the first time yesterday and even though there was a long line, service was smooth. The real gem of the visit was trying their drinks, which I've never had before. I was able to try other variety's of mochi muffins that I hadn't before which was fun, but I already know I like those. Third culture is now in my top three places to get tea style drinks though, they are super high quality and delicious. Absolutely worth it! And that means something since it's a 35 minute drive for m read more

These are delicious!! I've never really had mochi donuts, but I decided to stop in and grab some before heading to work and nom! I'll probably be going back for lunch. The service wasn't the greatest, I kind of stood in line with people in the back walking around and ignoring me - awkward. Anywho, I was there for the food not the service and the food was great! read more

If you haven't had a Third Culture mochi donut yet and you're looking at their page, thinking if you wanna stop by... do it now! It's near-ish to the Berkley Bowl, and parking for sure can be kind of tight. I stopped in after an appointment in the area and grabbed their churro custard muffin and a donut to share with my husband later. I also grabbed a lychee cold brew (what!) after spotting their inconspicuous drink menu which had a handful of matcha lattes and a few coffees. The drink was a delight (who knew lychee+cold brew would be so good?) and I loveeed the churro custard muffin. read more

Love this place! The employees are very friendly and it's close to home so I'm a huge fan of coming here on the weekends. The restaurant is located near a residential area so parking is somewhat good but can be limited. They have a wide variety Of donut selections which is great! My favorite there would have to be the mango / green tea flavors. I would say that it's a little bit pricey for a donut but I guess you're paying for the quality and not really the quantity. The line does build up so you have to pick and choose your times wisely. Other than that, I thought the vibes were great and it's not a bad Saturday option to just hang out and chill around the area. KEEP IN MIND, this place does not open on sundays so if you want to avoid getting disappointed, I would check their schedule before making the trip over hehe. read more

This place is just WOW! The donuts are fresh, delicious and awesome flavor combinations!!!! We tried the passion fruit, guava cheese and chocolate ganache... The favor was ALL NATALL OUT OF THIS WORLD! The pumpkin cold brew was a surprise! Made with real pumpkin is BY FAR the best pumpkin coffee out there. Finally, one that is not just a fake flavor syrup or a combination of spices without the pumpkin... I will continue to visit this place for sure!!! read more

Very meh. I had their ube custard cake. It was very bland and didnt have enough ube flavor in it. I also have had their vietnamese coffee and black seasme mochi donut. Their mochi donut can not compare to Modo dount which is crispy chewy but light and airy. Third Culture's mochi donut is way more dense. read more

Unfortunately, I don't think this place lived up to the hype for me :(. I've had Third Culture mochi donuts at a couple of different places around the bay, but I wanted to come to the OG shop. There was a lot of different flavors, and I was most intrigued by the Jasmine Milk Tea (one of my favorite boba drinks), guava cheesecake, and lemon curd. I also picked up one of their original mochi muffins. TIP: microwave the donuts for a couple seconds to get them soft again if they get hard after being out overnight/refrigerated! FOOD: Original mochi muffin: way too sweet for my preference. The sesame seeds added some flavor to what would be a just sugary dough. Mochi donuts: I actually generally liked all of the flavors I got, but again I think they were too sweet for my liking. read more

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I was expecting the mochi donuts from japan. They were very underwhelming. It was pretty dense; so much so that I couldn't finish a whole donut. Which is surprising because it is smaller that your typical donut. I had the jasmine milk tea donut. I also tried a bite of Thai tea and Vietnamese coffee donuts. The icing would be great on a normal donut. Maybe mochi donuts are just not my thing because there was a continuous line for the hour we were outside chatting away. I also got the roasted matcha latte. I chose this because I read latte and immediately thought there was a shot of coffee in there. It is pretty much 95% milk and a shot of roasted green tea with honey on the bottom. Mix well because the first sip was great for me and the rest was just milk and honey. read more

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Not only is their story amazing, but their MOCHI MUFFINS ARE LIFEEEEE. I ordered a bunch of different mochi donuts because I wanted to try everything, as well as their infamous mochi muffins. Took a bite out of every donut. Loved them ALL. Ate the mochi muffin. Then steadily just shoved all the donuts into my face one by one. They're a bit heavy and chewy, but OH SO irresistible!! read more

Donuts are #1 Love them all - Ube, Thai Iced Tea, Jasmine Tea, and so on!!! Cool matcha drinks too! Customized and super personalized !

This bakery is one of a kind and to D I E for. I guess you could say my boyfriend and I are mochi crackheads so when we saw they specialize in mochi muffins/donuts/waffles we had to go I'll make this short and simple. My impulsive ass ordered one of every single muffin and donut they had on display (and a coffee) and every. single. one. was mind blowing. I'd gladly drive the 6 hours from my hometown to get some mochi pastries. I also ordered the lychee cold brew and was pleasantly surprised! I never thought of putting those 2 together but it's good and it works. Overall everything was about $3.25-3.75 each. I got 12 in total + a cold brew and it came out to $44 so not bad at all. read more

The mochi donuts and the drinks generally taste good but the customer service was abysmal. Totally on board with the covid protocol and social distancing but on this particular day my girlfriend was essentially yelled at by one of the female employees for not waiting behind the sign. Very innocent mistake as I was the first to walk into the store and blocked her view of the sign as I am a good foot taller than her. The lady was extremely rude and without an excuse me or Miss, yelled at her to stand at the front of the door. Don't think an innocent slip up warrants such a harsh treatment and my girlfriend was sufficiently put on blast for all the customers to hear. This is not how you treat your paying customers. Suffice to say we are not going to come back to this establishment any time soon, if not ever. read more

I like match mochi donuts and waffles which are chewy. but I wish they had prices on the menus, and had hot drinks. moreover, if they keep clean the cha sen which is for making the macha everytime. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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