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    Yu's Cafe

    3.8 (105 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Egg waffle with red bean and vanilla ice cream
    Carlo G.

    Decent desserts, but overpriced. I ordered the mango coconut sago and it was tasty, but not worth almost paying $8 for. I liked the sweet coconut milk and sago pearls, but felt that better mango could've been used. I'm not sure if they used Asian mangoes, but it was slightly tart which I wasn't the biggest fan of. My friend tried ordering the Matcha Ice Cream Red Bean Egg Puff, but they ran out of matcha ice cream and had to use vanilla ice cream instead. While the egg waffle and red bean were good, the ice cream had freezer burn and was icy and hard which wasn't the most enjoyable. She also paid close to $11 for it which was not worth it. Would not recommend this spot unfortunately.

    Jen L.

    The kids found this place on Instagram so we came. There was a short line and a ton of old folks sitting at tables outside. We got different egg waffles and a sago mango dessert. The egg waffles were good according to the kids. The sago mango dessert was really watery and didn't have much mango. It was ok.

    Jeanette S.

    Really nice shop with a variety of delicious hong kong desserts! The shop is quite small but there are a few tables available. I enjoyed the mango sago dessert.

    Aileen L.

    Stopped by Yu's Cafe after the Chinatown Night Market as it was one of the only boba/desert shops still open at 9pm. Unfortunately they were out of boba for the night at this time. It's a cute little cafe with a few tables and chairs inside and on the sidewalk - definitely a little tight on space but enough for a quick stop and chat over desserts. Service is efficient, and I got the mango pomelo sago, which came with quite a generous amount of pomelo (definitely more than what I'm used to getting at other places). It's not too sweet, and the mango wasn't the most flavorful, but it was what I was looking for. My friend got the Mango Sky (?) drink, which was also tasty and pretty to look at as well. Overall, a solid boba shop with a good variety of desserts and snacks.

    Dolores L.

    Definitely a local hang out. The young lady that took & made our order referred to all the local elderly men hanging out having coffee as "the uncles". It was busy and yummy. We ordered an iced espresso with condensed milk & super strawberry tea w mango pops.

    Outside
    Sang Yoon K.

    Very authentic old school boba spot. Osmanthus oolong was solid and the barista knew her stuff because she gave the perfect sugar level suggestion for us. Space is tight so might not be able to find seating!

    Menu
    Jennifer C.

    Yu's cafe is a small boba shop located in Chinatown. There's not much seating inside, so this place is lots of a to-go spot. We came on a weeknight, so service was fairly quick. I got the sesame rice balls in ginger soup. It was a light dessert that had a good black sesame flavor to it. The ginger soup was a little watered down, but I didn't mind it too much. I tried my friend's HK milk tea and it had a strong tea flavor. Overall, if you're looking for a quick boba place while in Chinatown, this place isn't too bad.

    Durian coconut sago with added grass jelly
    Eileen C.

    Nice place for a dessert past 9pm since everywhere else is closed so early! Their sago is solid and they use fresh fruit like fresh durian! There're a few tables for dining in, but the only thing is there is no bathroom for customers.

    Yelp About It!
    Steve D.

    57 Walter U Lum Pl San Francisco, CA 94108 Yu's Cafe is a small drink and dessert shop located across from Portsmouth Square ( and Garage). If you're in the parking garage, and take the elevators up to the park, you're in Portsmouth Square. On a warm August afternoon, I decided to visit this familiar part of San Francisco Chinatown. After walking around the park, I noticed Yu's Cafe. It's a small place, with 4-5 small tables. Large menu boards show their offerings. Service is not very attentive. I'm sure it depends on who is working. But I walk in and nobody is at the counter. I called out "ARE YOU OPEN?" There was no answer. Then I see a QR Menu code taped on the glass. I figured I am to order via phone, and then my drink will magically appear. Then suddenly a young lady pops up and says "Hi, may I take your order?" Okay, I ordered: - Passion Fruit Tea, with Grass Jelly $7.25 50% Sweet, Reg Ice The drink was okay. It was cold and slightly sweet, and satisfied my thirst on a warm day. The grass jelly was clumped on the bottom of the cup. Grass Jelly reminds me of my late Aunt Daisy, who often told me to never pass up the simple pleasure of life.....dessert. Would I return? Yes, if I'm in the area.

    Olive R.

    Great small tea place in the heart of Chinatown. Pretty big selection of teas, flavors and "add-ons". Quality was great and it definitely seems to be a local. 3 tables inside and the park is right outside the door. It does smell like cigarettes in there though.

    Jason L.

    Refreshing! Yu's Café gives off that classic old-school boba shop vibe from before the big chains took over. The boba is steeped in a noticeably sweet syrup, so it's worth adjusting your drink's sugar level if you prefer something more balanced. It's a cozy, nostalgic spot with late-night hours, making it an easy go-to for a quick sweet fix or casual hangout.

    Crystal L.

    A yummy local spot for a dessert I always see grandpas hanging out around here. The drinks are unique and refreshing, and they have so many options. They also have a mango slushy dessert with mochi balls, which is my favorite, but it is a larger portion so I would recommend sharing that with someone. The reason for four star is that it is still quite expensive and the service isn't great but it isn't bad. It seems like there are just one to two people working and they're always busy making drinks.

    Taro coconut sago
    Mary V.

    Cute small dessert shop in Chinatown. I was looking for a bubble tea spot when I saw this on my exploration of Chinatown. When I realized they have sago desserts, I decided against the tea and went with the taro coconut sago (served warm or cold) -- I recommend warm. I'm so glad I went with this dessert. It reminds me of home when my mom used to make sago based desserts. It's not overly sweet which is what I love about it! Although, I wish they'd give a little more taro. :) Service is very fast. The place is small. I didn't ask, but there doesn't seem to be a restroom available?

    Peach oolong tea

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    10 months ago

    The lychee is bomb for com. The service great and the drinks are perfectly sweetened. Highly recommend this establishment

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    3 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Service was quick and I got an amazing Boba perfect for just walk-ins and overall great experience but if you're not a Boba person don't go

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    1 year ago

    Very very very slow. Ordered two drinks and only two people ahead of me and 20 mins.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Yu's Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Yu's Cafe

    What are the caffeine free boba tea options here?

    There is a Japanese Oolong tea called good night and it has no caffeine.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    By Me Boba Tea

    By Me Boba Tea

    4.0
    (250 reviews)
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    Boba is a'plenty in Chinatown, but a taro milk tea proved harder to find. By Me saved the day!…read more My kid is a pro taro boba taste tester and assured me this was one of the best he's ever had. It definitely had a more rice-y flavor which gave it some authentic vibes. Boba was soft and chewy perfection too.

    I just so happened to be in the area (coming from Sacramento) and was craving boba, so I decided to…read moregive this place a try. I ordered the Passion Fruit Slushy, while my husband ordered the Mango Yakult Fruit Tea. The customer before me happened to order a Passion Fruit Slushy, and after seeing how good it looked, I knew I had to get one too. One thing I did notice was that the photo on the kiosk for the passion fruit slush didn't quite match the drink that was actually served. Thankfully, the real thing looked even better. Our drinks came out surprisingly fast, and the customer service was friendly and consistent throughout our visit. When our drinks came out, all I can say is this was hands down the best passion fruit slushy I've ever had--and I'm not exaggerating. It tasted incredibly fresh and was packed with flavor. Most places I've tried tend to lose their flavor once the ice starts melting, but somehow this place has perfected their slushies because mine stayed flavorful the entire time. My husband also really enjoyed his Mango Yakult Fruit Tea and said it's a great option if you're looking for something fruity. I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the Lychee Slushy the next time I'm in the area. Definitely will be back!

    Photos
    Mango smoothie with kiwi popping Boba
    Mango smoothie with kiwi popping Boba
    C5. Mango Coconut Milk
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    Metro Hong Kong Dessert

    Metro Hong Kong Dessert

    4.0
    (224 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    Food was freshly prepared and served hot. Service was quick. Salted egg yolk custard buns and pork…read morebbq buns were great. The food and drinks here had the right amount of sweetness. The sweetness of the salted egg yolk custard buns and taro boba milk tea was not overpowering. The mango pomelo sago was delicious. I enjoyed our meal here. Recommend checking out this place if you're in town!

    This spot got recommended to me by one of my students as a Chinatown gem and also received praise…read morefrom multiple friends so I finally found a reason to give it a try. Mikayla was in town so we figured we'd meet and catch up. I had gone on a bit of a pastry bender and was suffering from fresh food coma when she asked if I was available. I wasn't about to pass on an opportunity to try a new spot though so I was scouting Yelp specifically for a spot that served good light dessert as well as real food options. Come to find that Metro Hong Kong Dessert fit the description perfectly. When we walked in, the server greeted us in Chinese. I couldn't quite understand his dialect though, so he asked if were were ordering for here or to go and gestured to an open table when we said for here. That was a bit confusing because the kiosk to order is at the front, so you do order for dine in at the kiosk and then have a seat at a table and then someone will bring out your order. Mikayla was feeling something warm on a chilly night so she got the fish porridge, I was feeling something light that would be easy on my food coma stomach so I got the mango sago taro ball dessert. Both of our dishes came out in sizable portions. I thought there would be real mango chunks on top of the desert but it seemed to be only mango puree in the soup. Nonetheless, the dessert was tasty and easy on my stomach so it was exactly what I wanted. The server could speak some basic English but was primarily fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. When we were wrapping up our meal a confused individual came in the door and seemed to be giving the server a hard time, asking about if he knew Mandarin in English but then saying he didn't understand his Mandarin. Eventually the server said he couldn't speak any languages in an attempt to convince the individual to leave the establishment. I wasn't facing the door so I didn't turn to see what exactly was happening but in hindsight I wish I turned to look. I would definitely revisit for a boba, another dessert, or some dim sum. The menu had a wide variety of options so there will be something for everyone if you're in a group and feeling different things. Prices were also not steep if cost is a concern. My dessert came to the table first and Mikayla had to wait a bit longer for her porridge, but the wait was not notably long.

    Photos
    Photo 5: Interior
    Photo 5: Interior
    Red Bean Soup with Tang Yuan
    Red Bean Soup with Tang Yuan
    Beef rice noodle

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    Beef rice noodle
    Ha Tea

    Ha Tea

    3.9
    (40 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Great tea and snack place at the border of Nob Hill/Chinatown. Nearby to the Fairmont hotel, and to…read morethe Chinatown Public Library. Also happens to be near one of my estheticians' salon, so usually I come by afterwards to grab a fruit drink and sometimes a fried snack. Mostly a takeout spot with a few seats inside. They also sell some interesting konjak snacks on the side. Located on Powell and Jackson.

    San Francisco Chinatown during Chinese New Year is electric . There are celebrations everywhere…read more You will see restaurants packed with people having food family style. You will also find people enjoying desserts from the different stores all over Chinatown. There is one place where you can enjoy a dessert all four seasons but especially during this Chinese New Year which is the Year of the horse. It is on Powell street and Jackson street and it's called Ha Tea ( pronounced Hottie). On a Chinese New Year week stroll in San Francisco's Chinatown there is a place which you can find refreshing treat. They sell everything from a Durian Latte , Strawberry Latte, Onion rings, Fried Shrimp Musubi, and cheesy ramen. I got the Mango Slush and it was juicy and not too sweet but very refreshing. This place isn't horsing around during the Year of the Horse when it comes tasty boba tea. Chinatown during Chinese New Year you can feel the atmosphere and enjoy the food "smell "from Kearny street "Hilton Hotel "all the way up the hill to Powell street on the corner enjoy a Hottie (Ha Tea) treats and juicy Boba they "sell" in the city I was born and raised and still "dwell" Come to Ha Tea they have the golden "touch " when ice is "crush" to make their "Mango Slush" located in Chinatown which was established in San Francisco during the end of the "gold rush"

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    Potstickers; G6. Lemon Tea
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    Redbean with milk & Strawberry smoothie

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    Yu's Cafe - desserts - Updated July 2026

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