It's purple, it's earthy, it's versatile, and it's oh so delicious. This delicacy, of course, is the ube, which is a purple yam native to the Philippines and is commonly used in a wide array of desserts. With its subtle sweetness and rich vanilla notes, this cultural staple has become a popular food trend in San Francisco, with many utilizing it in innovative and irresistable ways.
Whether you're trying it for the first time or want a familiar taste of the islands, here is a list of the best places to try ube desserts in all different, creative forms!
See also: Partake In Kokak Chocolate's Three-Fold Celebration With Their Sweet Pride Collections
1050 Valencia St / (415) 757-0889 / Website
Alnico is the hottest brunch place on Valencia, due to their cozy interior and modern approaches to classic Filipino comfort foods. The absolute must-order here at this trendy landmark are their Ube Hotcakes, which are the most Instagrammable purple pancakes drenched in a creamy ube coconut sauce. It's decadent, not overwhelmingly sweet, and is packed with ube flavor.
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2700 Jones St / (415) 486-0788 / Website
Abaca inside the Kimpton Alton Hotel near Fisherman's Wharf truly elevates Filipino food and delivers a luxurious dining experience that's posh, intimate, and most importantly, genuine. Ube is naturally showcased here too in gourmet fashion, put front and center in their silky Ube Mousse dessert, Ube Macapuno Ensaymada, and in their refreshing Ube-Colada cocktail.
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304 Alida Way, South San Francisco / (650) 787-9010 / Website
Binka Bites delivers the cutest mini treats of different flavored bibinka rice cakes, which are soft, fluffy, and chewy. Using this as a blank canves, Binka Bites has been able to successfully expand their endless menu, ranging in flavors like Nutella, Matcha Custard, Mocha Cookie Crumble, and of course, ube! Definitely order a bundle that includes their ube Binka Bites topped with either sweet flan, fruite Langka (jackfruit), or Macapuno (baby coconut).
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3108 Fillmore St / (415) 529-1496 / Website
Lilikoi is a Fillmore favorite for their delightful Hawaiian-themed shop and boba drinks that instantly transports you into a tropical island resort. Ube is one of their Signature Drinks, with the island yam also available in a Horchata smoothie or Latte, guaranteeing fresh ube taste in any form.
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601 Mission Bay Blvd N / (510) 397-1499 / Website
Marley's Streats is a food truck that extends from their flagship, Marley's Treats, located in Hayward. Often found with an adoring crowd in the Mission Bay's Spark Social food truck plaza, catch their charmingly decorated truck to indulge in an ube extravaganza of their cheesecakes, Ube Flandesal, cupcakes, and more!
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Ferry Building, 1, #41 / (855) 747-4455 / Website
Senor Sisig is a Filipino staple in the SF Bay Area, andwith their newest expansion into the Ferry Building, treat yourself to their exclusive Ube Macapuno Churros here, made from high-quality ACME batter and generously topped with cinnamon sugar, ube sauce, and toasted coconut flakes. These are the perfect unique desserts to enjoy while strolling around the equally sweet Embarcadero!
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688 San Jose Avenue / (415) 648-2300 / Website
Mitchell's Ice Cream is a family-run community anchor down near Bernal Heights that's been scooping up comforting flavors since 1953! As the first to introduce mango ice cream in the Bay Area, Filipino flavors are no stranger to this homestyle joint, offering up both Ube and Ube-Macapuno imported directly from the Philippines. This is a fantastic and authentic local business to support, especially with a plied-high cone on a hot summer day!
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3420 18th St Unit 001 / (628) 867-7122 / Website
Brew Cha is an impressive hidden gem in the Mission that incredibly delivers on the ube. Stop into their sleek and hip store when on a walk in this vibrant neighborhood to refresh on their Ube Taro Latte, which is the perfect balance of sweetness, creaminess, and consistency, especially with your choice of boba added!
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2126 Irving St / (415) 682-4338 / Website
Mochi Donuts have been in the foodie spotlight for a while because of its ingenious combining of cultures as a traditional American pastry using traditional Japanese mochi textures. These delightful donuts can be flavored in numerous ways, but Ube is what the Sunset's Mochi Donut Shop is well known for. These make for the cutest afternoon treat when in this area or from exploring Golden Gate Park.
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With a name like Ube Area, you know that they're serious about their tasty craft. We definitely recommend ordering their fun Ubento variety box, which is a hefty sampler of all their scrumptious goodies like their Ube Pocket Pie, Ube Mochi Bar, Crumb Cake, Crinkle Cookies, and absolutely so much more. These can also make for an impressively comforting present (though we won't tell if you keep it all to yourself).
Trying ube is a fundamental way to familiarize yourself with Filipino culture, desserts, and culinary ingenuity, and with both the SF Bay Area's large Filipino communities and cooking scene, you are guaranteed to see an ube creation not found anywhere else!
See also: The Best Filipino Restaurants In The Bay Area
Photography by: McHail Hernandez/Pexels
