Golden Island Cafe

Reviews

• Sophie W.

  star star star star star_border 11 June 2026

  Great dessert, terrible service, but quite the little gem, perfect for the Sunset.
  
  This asian dessert place really hit the spot for me. My significant other and I went as an after dinner treat because I was craving hot dessert.
  
  Service was crap, as to be expected. No one really gave instructions on ordering or even a menu, we sort of had to feel it out and ordered at the counter.
  
  We ended up sharing the hot dessert sampler platter, which was a great choice. We got to try a little bit of everything, and it was both hot and cold. Overall, it reminds me of those little cafes that have the hot desserts. Everything was good, not overly sweet. I liked the tapioca the best, but no compliants on food.
  
  Overall, it's not the best Asian dessert I've ever had, but it's the only one in the Sunset.

• Trish W.

  star star star star star_border 9 June 2026

  After a recommendation from my niece we decided to try Golden Island for a sweet cool dessert on a hot day. We split a mango sago w coconut milk and it was quite refreshing. It was a tad undersweet but that's preferable to over-sweet. The tapioca in coconut milk was a good consistency although I would have liked more tapioca. On top of that white base was a mango flavored slush that was rather bland as I don't think it was pure mango-probably water and mango and sugar. Lastly a small amount of tiny fresh mango cubes topped it all off. For $6.55 the serving size was on the small side.
  
  The server was friendly and hard working.
  
  The atmosphere is what I'd imagine a 1950s ice cream shop to look like-cute, neat little tables and some bench seating along the walls.
  
  The bathroom was clean but totally out of toilet paper. That was disappointing since I needed to use it. When I exited to ask the worker for TP-she was busy making drinks so I didn't want to bother her.
  
  I'd want to return to try more items on the menu. Even though the item we tried seems slightly overpriced the other menu items might provide better value and flavor.

• Yan K.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  The Dessert
  There are many dessert cafes around the San Francisco area. Golden Island Cafe is one that's been around for some time. They have a variety of selections on their menu, but unfortunately the quality is not up to snuff. During my last visit, I ordered Avocado Milk Shake (牛油果奶昔) and Green Tea Delight (抹茶思念). The Avocado Milk Shake, which unsurprisingly, was not a milkshake. The drink tasted artificial and powdered, could also use a bit more sweetness. The Green Tea Delight was barely passable when compared to the menu picture. Aside from the green tea ice cream, which probably outsourced, the rest of the dessert was meh. Also why are there ice chunks in the dessert?
  
  The Miscellaneous
  The cafe is a typical corner store located on a street intersection. From the outside it looks somewhat small, but when you enter, the inside is quite spacious. They have room to accommodate decent sized parties. The service was not bad, and their staff was sincere. They have a variety of selection for their menu, from snacks and food to dessert and drinks. Most of the item prices are not unreasonable, but with that pricing, I expected better quality. They also have a credit card minimum of $20, which makes little sense when most items are under $10.

• Ellie T.

  star star star star star_border 30 May 2026

  I used to come here all the time when I was younger with my family! Recently, I went for the first time in a while, it was around 11:30 am on a Friday it was quite empty inside. My party and I ordered the steamed egg (dun daan), sweet tofu (do fu fa/douhua) and popcorn chicken. They informed us that the steamed egg would take awhile, about 15-20 minutes.
  
  Our popcorn chicken came out first and it was good! Just the average popcorn chicken, we were given chili powder on the side to pour on the chicken. The dun daan and douhua came out together, about 15 minutes later - I have some bias with the dun daan as it is something I loved in my childhood - so it was delicious! I ordered it hot, so had to let it cool down before eating. The douhua, on the otherhand, was alright - nothing special and a bit pricey for the portion they gave; I feel I could easily buy a whole container of it at a store (like ranch 99) for cheaper.
  
  Inside is spacious and has cute marble tables, seemed pretty clean overall, and the staff was nice during our visit. Would come again! Would need to try all the other dessert and menu items.

• Tiffany C.

  star star star star star_border 20 May 2026

  Many of my friends go to Golden Island but this was a first for me. I ordered one black sesame paste and shared a mango sago with coconut milk with my friend. The black sesame paste came out first and it was delicious!! 5/5! The consistency and sweetness of the dessert was perfect.
  
  The mango sago with coconut milk was just okay. I expected it to be more flavorful, but I'm glad it wasn't exceedingly sweet either. I would give this a 4/5.
  
  Overall, I would come back to Golden Island and if I could give half ratings, it deserves a 4.5/5.