Hiroki

It’s a pity our stomachs had space for only 2 cakes– we had a hard time but decided on the Soufflé cheese cake and the green tea tiramisu ! Their matcha latte was also cherry on top!

Hiroki is a small, neighborhood Japanese-​style bakery in Tangletown. I was expecting a cuter bakery, to be honest. And there wasn’t very much seating.
However, the matcha latte was perfect and delicious, and is really the main reason I’m giving this place 4 stars. The cassis mousse cake also had a light texture and tangy flavor, which was pretty good. If I came back, I would also want to try the green tea tiramisu. The other bakery options other than the cassis or green tea cakes did not seem that visually appealing.
I would stop by if you’re in the area (for Kisaku, perhaps?) but wouldn’t make a separate trip.

I don’t really understand the hype for this place. We went last night and bought three slices of cake that we split between four people — green tea tiramisu, honey mango cheesecake, and the gâteau au chocolat. The tiramisu was bland and tasted like mushy plain white cake. The honey mango had an odd flavor and was everyone’s least liked. The chocolate cake was far and away the best, but its consistency was. inconsistent (hard in the back and soggy in the middle like it didn’t cook evenly), the frosting came off the top in a big clump, and the cake was otherwise meh. It was the end of the evening, so maybe those pieces having sat all day changed something, but I feel that might be wishful thinking and not really a good reason in the first place. We also got two tea lattes, which were overly sweet, but otherwise fine.
We also bought a Tea Forte steeping cup with an infuser for $ 30, which seemed like robbery. On getting home we saw the company’s website had them for about $ 17, so that’s a sizable markup. Our loss I guess, but it doesn’t make me feel like the overall value of this place for the money spent was any better. We spent over $ 60 before the tip and ended up throwing away half of the already small pieces of cake. Disappointing to say the least.

Decided to try Hiroki when I found out that they offer Hojicha Lattes! It’s pretty unique as a lot of cafes do not offer this particular beverage. I love hojicha tea and ice cream so I thought I would love the latte here. Didn’t love it, it was good, but not outstanding. They also had a variety of mouth-​watering cheesecakes in their display. We opted for the soufflé cheesecake. The cheesecake didn’t stand out to us, perhaps we would’ve enjoyed another cheesecake flavor more. If we lived in Seattle, we would give this place a try again.

I first heard about HIroki while dining at Umi Sake House. The gâteau cake was offered as a dessert special, but my friend and I decided not to indulge after having our meal. We were too full from all the food we had. Instead we decided to head into the bakery the next day after discovering it was located nearby.
For Monday, Hiroki is only open for to-​go orders. I stopped in with two other friends and ended up ordering a few items and sharing them in the parking lot. We picked up a few things to try like the Orange Blossom Chocolate Chip Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Green Tea Tiramisu, New York Cheesecake and Honey Mango Cheesecake.
The cookies are large, crunchy and flavorful. The chocolate chip cookie has chunks of chocolates with a hint of orange blossom. Sweet and floral! The peanut butter cookie was nice, but a tad on the dry side. It would probably be really great paired with a coffee or milk.
The cakes were beautiful and tasty. I had the green tea tiramisu, which was very light and fluffy with a nice matcha flavor. The New York Cheesecake was dense and creamy, but the most visually stunning and group favorite was the Honey Mango. Light cheesecake with a subtle sweetness from the honey, but you can definitely get a taste of mango in the gelee.
Too bad the bakery wasn’t open to sit in the café. They also serve teas and coffee beverages, but we just came through for cakes and sweet. Everything we got though was great and it’s even made my personal list for things I’ll miss about Seattle: Hiroki’s honey mango cheesecake.

Hiroki is probably the best Japanese bakery in the city. Everything I’ve had there has been superb. That may seem overblown praise but it’s the truth. The only exceptions to that statement are things that I don’t particularly love to begin with, but were otherwise great.
Three things I love about Hiroki:
— Hands-​down, Hiroki makes the best matcha latte in the city. There is just no contest. It is perfectly sweetened and the texture is silky and light
— Even better than the above maybe is: HOJICHA LATTE! Hojicha is probably my favorite green tea and the latte version at Hiroki is to die for. A wonderful balance of the roasty toasty flavor of hojicha and a touch of sweet makes it oh so lovely. I can’t recommend it enough
— Cassis Mousse Torte: everyone raves about the green tea tiramisu (as well they should and I recommend it too) but you should definitely try this confection as well. It is so tart and bright it’s almost a religious experience and the airy texture is so fine.
So if you haven’t made it down to this little bakery yet, what’s the hold up? Nothing but good things await.

Stopped in late Sunday afternoon in a pinch for a friend’s dinner and Hiroki saved the day with a killer NY cheesecake! The slices were stunning and topped with a thin white chocolate, the cheesecake unimaginably fluffy. Rich but not heavy, well-​enjoyed by my dinner host and company.
This is a cozy shop tucked in Tangletown, creations made with care. For cakes, call ahead 3 days in advance to place your order. Look forward to trying out their signature green tea tiramisu next time!

Cute little place, a little run down from the outside, and on weekdays they only have a limited selection of pastry. But the bakery’s decent. If I have the chance to try the green tea cheesecake my friends recommended I may give another star. Weekday visit is a hit or miss.

Came in after a Sunday run with my friend who was salivating about the desserts. She got a matcha latte, I got a hojicha latte, and we split a green tea tiramisu.
I loved the lightly roasted notes of the hojicha, which in comparison made the matcha latte taste pretty mellow, but still good. I would say they were very solid options, but not particularly life changing — I mean this in a positive way. Sometimes you just want to eat something that feels familiar and comfortable. The green tea in the tiramisu was somewhat overwhelmed by the alcohol taste, but the texture was amazing and the cake was soft without being too soggy.
The lure of the baked goods cabinet was too strong, so we each went and got another item to go. But the lure of freshly baked goods was stronger yet, so we ate them in the café. We got a bacon & cheese roll and a blueberry scone. The roll was surprisingly dense, a solid but not groundbreaking choice. The blueberry scone had a crunchy, milky crust that’s probably the best scone crust I’ve ever eaten — it was like a shortbread cookie. The insides were buttery soft and although delicious, paled in comparison to the crust. However, I could have done without the glaze and powdered sugar, as it was plenty sweet enough.
Definitely coming back to try the other cakes and pastries.

Update to my last year’s review.
Coffee and cake with a friend.
FOOD: 4.5. We both had Gâteau Basque. Nice moist texture and not-​too-​sweet. Bought a green tea tiramisu and a cassis cake for later. Both were 4.5. Cassis was tart; Green Tea cake was smooth.
Cakes are Japanese-​style in taste and appearance. Not-​too-​sweet: perfect amount. Individual slices are set in transparent packaging.
COFFEE: 3.5. Americano wasn’t quite as good as my last visit, but still good.
AMBIANCE: 4.0. At noon on a Friday, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Also beaucoup private parking.

Overall a great place.
It’s very tiny but with a nice and cozy atmosphere. We wanted to get some latte art drinks, however the lady working there said she weren’t a barista, so maybe depends on who’s working?
The gem of the shop would have to be their pastries; their green tea tiramisu just melts in your mouth and made just right (not too sweet).
Would highly recommend and will be coming back.

I have always loved Japanese desserts because they are usually not as sweet as American desserts. Yes it is a little pricey for a slice of cake but that how much Japanese bakery usually cost.
You order at the counter and then you can eat at the tables in the back. I think the drinks here are so so. I ordered the green tea latte (which I didn’t think it was that special and lacked some taste). I really enjoyed the honey cheese mango Baravian! Just the right amount of creaminess and sweetness and mango flavor. The green tea tiramisu was good too.
If you are looking for a creamy, smooth, just the rift amount of sweetness in a cake… Look no further.

There are not enough green tea cafes around. Everyone is all about the coffee, maybe some tea houses around here. But green tea lattes and desserts? Oh my. This place reminds me of some of the bakeries I used to frequent as a little girl in Japan. So light, and just the right amount of sweetness. I’ve never had an iced green tea latte and risked having it too sweet, but now it was just right. As much of a fan as I am to order a latte to have the fancy steamed cream art, the taste of the same beverage iced was perfect for a warm day.
There is some outdoor seating available if you want to enjoy cooler comfortable temperatures or have your pup join you.
Even though this place is pretty small, the quality of drinks and desserts were pretty spot on.

I came here on a Saturday afternoon after lunch. Hiroki himself was working the register. I thought he was a little intimidating but he didn’t bite me so I made it through without issue. I got the cassis mousse torte and the blue midnight tea. The only cassis mousse was very berry-​y. The texture is interesting. I like the acidity. The place got packed after I sat down. I think coming on a Saturday definitely helped the experience.

I’m usually not a huge fan of sweets, but their green tea tiramisu and cheesecake were really unique. They were light and delicious. They didn’t feel super heavy which was good.
The slices are pretty pricey but the bakery is cute, and there’s seating and a parking lot which is a huge plus in Tangletown.
I’d come back to try some of their other desserts if I’m ever in the area again, but I don’t crave these types of desserts that often.

I want my review to be 3.5 starts.
Love the location and small parking lot. Pretty easy tp find, and it is located in a nice neighborhood.
The bakery is quaint and small. The coffee was perfect. The green tea tirmisu was tasty, but the $ 6 price tag was a bit hard to shallow. Yet, the cake was moist and the filling was super smooth and creamy.
I’ll be back… but will try something new.

Delicious and light Japanese style desserts. We ordered the green tea tiramisu and the honey mango cheesecake. Both were not overly heavy and sweet. I also had an ice green tea latte. Again, perfect for me and not overly sweet. As he made my tea I noticed he used the green tea powder that I buy at Uwajymia. I use this powder for baking. It is quality stuff and pricey.
This place is my kind of dessert. It doesn’t make me feel regretfully heavy with a sugar high. It is a pleasant satisfying treat.

I love everything green tea flavored, so coming here I had to get the green tea latte and green tea tiramisu. Definitely got my green tea fix here as my belly was satisfied with by green tea in both food & drink forms.
Green tea latte was creamy and robust in green tea flavor. Now imagine a green tea latte in cake form and you get their awesome green tea tiramisu. This was actually my first time having a green tea tiramisu (I haven’t found it at any other café yet!), so it was a special treat to eat it at Hiroki. The green tea tiramisu appears to be a popular item because the time I came here they only had one slice left… which was ALL just for me to enjoy. :)
If you’re in the area, I recommend swinging by here to try out their green tea items. I haven’t tried their other baked goods yet. During my next visit to Seattle I’ll definitely swing by again and try the other baked goods in addition to getting my green tea latte and tiramisu fix on. Yummy!

If you’re ready to cave into your sweet side this place can satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth and palette.
For commuters coming from University District, your best bet is to hop onto a 44 towards Wallingford and then a 16 to get to Hiroki. It’s part of a small little center of a few other shops/​restaurants. The little sign outside their door may help direct you here.
The first thing that greets you when you enter is their display case full of fresh pastries and desserts. My inner sweets loving child nearly screamed when I saw that block of green in the corner of the display case. Yes, that little block of green I am talking about is the infamous green tea tiramisu and there was only one left. I scanned the other desserts quickly to make a decision so that I could hold the last piece of tiramisu in my possession. I decided to go with the soufflé cheesecake and the gâteau basque. However, if I had enough stomach room, I would gladly embrace the gâteau chocolate as well (which looked divine and rich!).
The owner of the place is kind and answered our questions about some of these French desserts. He placed them in a box for us but was kind enough to hand us plates when we decided to eat inside where it is warm. Every slice is wrapped in it’s own clear plastic and has a gold foil piece at the bottom. They are decorated quite nicely.
Green tea tiramisu — This little piece is so heavenly. It is not too sweet, it’s airy, light and divine. It has the perfect amount of matcha flavoring to it. I love how creamy the tiramisu is and how light the cake is. The cream and the cake are just a perfect match and it is definitely recommended to green tea lovers.
Soufflé cheesecake — I was really excited for this one and it did not disappoint. If you love New York style cheesecake then this is your lighter, airy version of it. It’s creamy, rich but is not overly heavy or sweet. Every bite is so light and it melts in your mouth. I really appreciate this lighter version of cheesecake since cheesecake can be quite dense and heavy.
Gâteau basque — I wasn’t sure what this was when I first saw it but it looked almost almond-​y. I kindly asked the owner and he said it was a traditional French cake made with custard. We decided to go with this one and it definitely was a good choice. The cake part is light and airy while the exterior is crunchy. I love how there are two kinds of textures to it. The inside is not overly sweet while the outside has more sweetness to it. The custard flavor is definitely prominent but not overpowering and the crust does indeed taste of almonds. This one is also a definite must try.
The area in the back is a bit small but is warm and welcoming. I could imagine people coming here to chat over coffee and dessert. Every piece was spot on, light, not overly sweet and beautifully cut. Three pieces was enough to make my partner and I sweetened out for the night. The price was a little less than $ 20 for all three which is slightly pricey but definitely worth the quality and taste. Props to the master behind all these desserts, I hope many more are able to enjoy your creations!

The down n dirty:
Green tea latte’: PASS on this one. Looks great on the surface but so watered down. Maybe he didn’t put enough green tea matcha, who knows; plenty of green color!
Strawberry Custard Bun: So so lovely looking but again, once you got to know the bun (taking that first bite)… doughy and kinda of a soggy, half cooked taste to it. Think of a an old honey bun with a smidgen of fruit. 1 bite and I was DONE.
Green Tea Tiramisu: Full of flavor and this is probably how the green tea latte’ probably should have tasted like. A saving grace.
Honey Mango Bavarian Cheesecake: Soft, tangy, and light. The better half’s favorite out of all that we ordered, would do this one again.
It’s great that they have their own reserved parking spots. Unfortunately, $ 6 for a small slice of dessert is beyond reasonable. I’d say if you do ever go, stick with the cheesecake & tiramisu and stay away from the buns!