If there’s one thing to love about the Bay Area, it’s that you can always find any sweet or savory eats that suit your tastes. While I’m a relatively picky eater in general, I’ll pretty much eat any dessert and snack — I’ve located some of my most consistent choices.
Bingfen from Dynasty BBQ
I urge you to try Bingfen if you haven’t yet. It’s a traditional Chinese dessert that resembles an “ice jelly” texture, and the one from Dynasty BBQ (a Chinese meat skewer restaurant) is by far my favorite. The base is a soft, jiggly consistency between jelly and water drizzled with brown sugar syrup.
What makes this dessert extra fun are the toppings that go with the base — you can pretty much add anything of your choice; some of the popular options include raisins, peanuts and fresh fruit. Some traditional stores even add in assortments of edible flower petals.
Mango Pomelo Sago from Hui Lau Shan
Hui Lau Shan is the epitome of mango dessert, since all its foods — from bubble waffles to drinks — are mango-themed. The mango pomelo sago dessert is my absolute go-to. I’ve probably consumed about 50 of these in high school alone (just take a peek at my camera roll). The desserts are a delectable combination of sago, pomelo pieces, mango chunks, coconut milk and mango slush, topped with a scoop of mango ice cream. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet and you can taste the freshness of the fruit.
The store is located in a plaza with Malatang, Hotpot and Korean barbeque — so a drink would make the perfect pair. You get the choice to get this dessert in either drink form (tall cup with straw) or dessert form (bowl/container without straw), allowing you to enjoy it as a dessert or carry it around as a drink. The only problem is the price — every time I leave Hui Lau Shan, $10 from my wallet magically slips away.
Hot red bean soup from Meet Fresh
Hot take, but the hot red bean soup is the most worthy item on Meet Fresh’s menu. The chewy taro balls are the star of the show, and slurping the nutty, earthy red bean soup is especially soothing after an exhausting school day. It’s unfortunate the Meet Fresh at Main Street Cupertino closed recently.
Mini pumpkin cakes from Wei’s Fish
I love sit-down restaurants that offer the most delectable appetizers, which is exactly what Wei’s Fish offers with its pumpkin cakes. They’re orange, small pieces, a few inches in diameter, but they offer more than to the eye. The filling is red bean, and biting into one gives a chewy, elastic taste that somewhat resembles mochi. After consuming a few of these yummy cakes, I’m already full and satisfied with the meal.
Bingsoo and Injeolmi toast from Sul & Beans
Sul & Beans is what I’d call a hidden gem at Mainstreet Cupertino. It’s decently well known, but nonetheless I think it’s underrated for the quality of its desserts. It offers two main items: Korean-style bingsoo and Injeolmi toast (toasted bread with gooey injeolmi — roasted soybean rice cakes — inside), along with a few side drinks.
The bingsoo is finer than shaved ice, creating a powdery, snow-like texture. It’s sweetened with condensed milk and topped with the respective flavor. So far, I’ve tried these flavors: strawberry, mango, taro, chocolate, watermelon, earl grey and green grape.
Its Injeolmi toast is unique with an exceptionally chewy texture. I’ve only tried the black sesame flavor, which has been a hit, so I’m hoping to try more soon.
Cream puffs from Beard Papa’s
Beard Papa’s is located in the same plaza as Hui Lau Shan, so it’s super convenient to hit both stores in one trip (which, again, takes a toll on my wallet). Its matcha filling is super light and fluffy, and it’s not too grassy. Still, it’s a slightly messy business, so be careful if you plan to consume it in the car.
Portuguese custard tarts and mini chocolate chip croissant swirls from Trader Joe’s
I always buy ready-to-bake custard egg tarts and chocolate chip croissant swirls home and heat them up in the oven, resulting in the most crispy crust with a softened creamy custard filling. They make the most perfect breakfast.
Popcorn chicken, fried tofu and sweet plum fries from Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks
Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks is truly my ultimate destination to hit at Westfield Valleyfair — you bet that every clothing haul will be accompanied by a cardboard box of fried treats. I fervently recommend the popcorn chicken, fried tofu and sweet plum fries. Do dip the fried tofu in the spicy dipping sauce, it makes all the difference.
Fries from Undercover Fries
Previously named Potato Corner, Undercover Fries is yet another treasure located in Westfield Valley Fair. The restaurant offers a variety of flavors such as BBQ, cheddar, sour cream & onion, garlic and more. To add to the fun, its fries also come in different shapes of your choosing, such as loopy/curly fries, sweet potato fries and other side treats like tater tots.
My favorite excursion is walking down the stores in the mall, fries in one hand and drink in the other. The fries, along with another snack or two from Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, are enough to leave me stuffed and content after a long day of shopping.
Taiyaki and Ah-Boong from Somi Somi
Mainstreet Cupertino is truly a foodie’s paradise, because they also have Somi Somi there (there’s also one in Westfield Valley Fair, of course)! This store specializes in soft serve ice cream and taiyaki fish, which is a fish-shaped crispy waffle with filling. They offer many fillings like red bean, taro, custard, oreo and nutella.
If you’d like a combination of the two, their Ah-Boong might satisfy your needs — it’s the same fish-shaped waffle cone with the sweet filling, but topped with an additional scoop of soft serve. I would like to shout-out their ube soft serve, which I adore.
