Sweet Bean

Liz Perez 2 months ago

We were in a rush and wanted a sweet treat, so we stopped here for strawberry matcha on our way to the museum campus and it was SO good. It was pretty busy, so we didn’t get to sit down, but the space looked very comfy and welcoming. Would love to come back next time we’re in Chicago and try their coffee and pastries!

ChantyPHX 2 months ago

I walked to Sweet Bean from my hotel because I wanted to experience an authentic Taiwanese bakery while visiting Chicago. The selection of pastries immediately caught my attention. There were so many unique treats on display, and even if you don’t know what everything is, it’s fun to browse because everything looks fresh, colorful, and beautifully made. This definitely isn’t your average coffee shop. One thing I appreciated was the accessible entrance with a ramp, making it easy for everyone to get inside. Unfortunately, the overall experience didn’t match what I was hoping for. We arrived around 8:10 a.m. on a Sunday, and the shop still felt like it was getting ready for the day. A few areas looked unfinished, and because of that I only ended up taking photos of the parts of the café that looked fully set up. As someone visiting from out of town, I was also hoping for a little more guidance. Since this is a specialty Taiwanese bakery with many items I wasn’t familiar with, I expected a recommendation or someone to explain a few favorites. Instead, I was simply told they had “a ton of stuff” while being pointed toward the menu. After our order was taken, the staff mostly continu

Els Holahan 3 months ago

I love finding places that devote creative energies to their tea drinks. So I was especially excited to come across the salted caramel hojicha at Sweet Bean, and it truly did not disappoint. It wasn’t too sweet? and I could taste the hojicha which had a create nutty flavor. They have lots of other great tea options and pastries that are individually packaged. There is also a good amount of seating which closes 30 minutes before the store does. My only qualm with this cafe was the price, the drink came out to around $7.70 after tax and tip which may be on par with other places in Chicago but I think it’s still a lot. Nevertheless, I would definitely come back, I had a great experience.

Jessica 3 months ago

Stopped by at a Sunday around 11:30. Bought an egg tart, mini hot dogs buns on a skewer, and pork floss and mayo bun, red bean mochi bun, black sesame matcha, and Pandan mango matcha. Egg tart: this has a crumbly crust. But not a flakey crust. The egg custard was more on the creamy side. Overall, this stemmed away from a traditional Hing Kong egg tart. 3/5 Mini Hot Dog Buns on a skewer. These were delicious. Three bite sized hot dogs in a bun with some melted cheese. The skewer was a fun way to eat this. You would probably get more bang for your buck by getting the regular hot dog bun instead, but the skewer was still good. 5/5 Pork flops bun with mayo. This was solid. The pork floss paired well with the mayo and bread. 5/5 Red bean mochi bun. This was also a solid red bean bun. The mochi inside was unique. Not overly sweet. The bun was good but the bread can be softer. 4/5 Black sesame matcha. I do recommend getting some sugar added. The black sesame isn’t just flavor, but you can feel the crushed black beans. 4/5 The Pandan mango matcha was also good. The mango didn’t taste like a typical mango, I’m not sure if it’s because of the Pandan, but it tasted a little like coconu

Rolo 7 months ago

One thing I like about this asian bakery is that the baked goods are sized properly. Each individual product I bought, at least for me, was filling. And the variety of sweet and savory products is on par with the quintessential asian bakery Chiu Quon. The savory hotdog/cheese bakes, ham/cheese bun and bacon egg muffin were solid!! Well portioned and filling. I prefer savory over sweet. But their sweet ube red bean mochi bun and a fluffier version of the egg tart are huge winners. Wash it all down with a cup of hot coffee. This is a great way to start the day!! It would be nice if they had boxes for those that buy more than 2-3 pieces. I would have bought more but trying to juggle multiple bags and filling them with their tongs made it a bit awkward.