Creations Dessert House a.k.a. Hui Lau Shan
Categories: Bakeries, Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond5217 Geary Boulevard
(between 16th Ave & 17th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 668-8812
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
86 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"Beautiful place. All the yummy sweets piled in the front are so enticing. I just can't resists..... I've found all the baked good are as…" read more »
166 Reviews for Creations Dessert House a.k.a. Hui Lau Shan
Hong Kong style dessert joint that can fix a mean Mango ice cream with fruit (Lychee, Kiwi, Strawberry, Cantaloupe, and Watermelon). They serve tea and water, but the service isn't too spectacular. Open till Midnight. Fantastic for the night owl that I tend to be.
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Mango pudding with mango slush, mango ice cream and some coconut. Who can resist? I sure can't so it's a good thing I don't live nearby. Not too much into the more exotic stuff like bird's nest but hey, where else can you try it? Free wireless too though it's not really a place that seems inviting to hang out at.
I passed by after the Filipino Heritage Night at AT&T
(or FHN@AT&T for short).
I didn't know what time they closed and had a hunch
it would be closed. I passed by and noticed so many
asians inside. At first I thought it was a different store,
like a little bar/lounge but nope...it was creations. My
roomie told me about this place and I just thought it
was a wanna be Quickly or Q-cup....weird how those
start with the letter 'Q'. It's just like it...very clean and
contemporary. They got some futuristic ikea chairs
that I thought would make good sex chairs. And 2
plasma screens playing some korean gangsta rap
or something. I didn't know what to get. So I told
her to order me whatever. She ordered me the
mango/coconut/sago drink ...just like my yelp homey
Kimberly F. It was surprisingly good and freakin' fki
fresh. These mango chunks tasted so fki fki fresh.
It's pretty cheap. I don't believe in mixing the drink
with the big straw. I prefer to just drink it the way it
has been given to me. Sago is really good for some
reason - better than the tapioca balls fo sho nuff. I
am iffy about ordering some food here, or some
dessert delicacy because it looks too expensive for
what they serve. The presentation is really nice though.
Biggie ups to their full spread menu with pictures!
really makes it hard for me to choose still. everything
looks good but the prices just makes me back off.
O yeah. Free Wi-Fi? I know every store now has some
internet connection but this is a cool place to hang out
or chill during these hot days in the city. I need my Wi-Fi
strictly for yelp. shoot, if I were there right now I'd review
about 50 places with my mango/coconut/sago ...or mancocogo
drink for short. Try it....it's number 52.
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I was looking for something to quench my thirst and Eugy mentioned bubble tea. Well whaddaya know, Creations was right next door to where we were.
So the space is pretty large, but kinda boring. They have a flat screen playing hk-pop and c-pop on it. That was pretty cool to watch while I was waiting on my drink. I would love to have a dessert party here. It's large enough to accommodate a lot of people and the menu is quite innovative and impressive.
I went with the coconut milk w/ mango and sago. I forgot how much I love sago. Seriously. I LOVE SAGO!!! The coconut milk was like a frozen slush over frozen slush mango juice with little cubes of real mango. This drink was so awesome!!! Very refreshing... My mouth is watering as I write this review. I wish I could go get one right now!
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Been here once and the drink I got was pretty good. Was with my family and ordered a bunch of them $1.99 Specials they advertise in front. They have a few you could choose from but we picked the Mango. Very tasty and decently priced. Haven't tried anything else yet though. But then again, not sure I would since the cheapest thing on the menu is already satisfying for me.....
Good place to go when I wana release my inner fobbyness. I always get the watermelon w/ aloe drink in the regular size. This drink is so refreshing and the aloe adds a fun texture when drinking. I also got the mango and strawberry w/ glutinous balls. That wasn't too bad but was a bit small but it also came with a side of fruit which were very delish. It's a good place for groups of people or some one on one time. The food doesn't leave you grossed up because it's mostly fruit type of stuff. It's nothing too spectacular but I like this type of stuff and makes me feel closer to my chinese side.
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Very Chinesey, where all the fobs go for dessert at night. why? Idk, its a fad i suppose. GO HOME jeez.
Most desserts are pretty tasty, but whatever that is listed to have coconut milk, it is from the can, and tastes very rich and smooth and rich and smooth.
I dont really come here anymore, they play chinese music videos, and the blender is really loud.
my fave here: Snow frog Papaya with ice cream. Its supposed to make you beautiful...blush...
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! I ate at the one in Hong Kong and it was deeee-licious. My favorite thing on the menu is the Black and White (sesame and coconut combo) or the Sea Coconut Combo. SO GOOD! My dad loves the Sago with Pomelo and Sago. The mango desserts are pretty damn good. At any other Chinese dessert place i would get mango sago with coconut milk, but here, I can't resist their ice cream. It's not like regular ice cream, it's like slush, but it's just good. I can't really explain it. This place is pretty packed usually, and I know why. BECAUSE IT'S TASTTTTTTTTTTTY! Get cash before coming here, because they don't accept credit card.
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I always here a lot of commotion about this place but I think to myself why? Is it because of all the mango crap they have in almost EVERY dessert on the menu? I've tried one of the desserts here before and I don't really remember what I ordered but I'm sure it wasn't disgusting since I won't have a "ew" face whenever my friends mention about this place. The place decor isn't half bad either so why 2 stars?
I'll tell you why. I called in to make an order since one of my girlfriends wanted some kind of fruit dessert. I just wanted something warm to drink since it was freezing that day. I assumed that Creations would have soy milk as most Asian dessert joints would have anyways I called to order....
Person: " Hello?"
Me: "Oh Hi I was wondering if you guys had hot soy milk?"
Person: "NO!"
Me: "Oh okay how bout....."
*CLICK*
WTF!?!?!?!! What kind of shit is that?! Did I say I was done asking questions ?! Did I say I was done ordering?! Good job Creations you just lost a customer forever. Sorry but customer service is a VERY big part of business. Not that my money means anything since I always see it being really packed at night anyways. One bad review wouldn't hurt =)
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HOLY COW! I think I had one of the best drinks IN MY LIFE (from here a few days ago). However, I still won't forget the time the stupid cashier gave me the wrong change ($10 less when I gave her a $20!). I've only had TOGO here, so I'd probably try sitting down here and drinking my stuff just to see how the vibe is.
prepared for a throwback into Hong Kong when you're in this joint. Large groups of young Asian sipping healthy drink while playing cards.
Their chicken wings and snow frog in a coconut are both must-try.
on a dessert hunt? my 2 reviews today (next one is the BEST BEST FROYO EVER! get the hell outta ma way pinkberry /tuttimelon!)
***
there's only a few things in life that makes me happy ...
and that is ...
DESSERT ....
for the longest time i've been extremely obsessed with boba drinks (tapioca drinks) and like every other chinese person in the world, i ALWAYS had to get me a drink after any meal ... but creations ...
WOW!!!
a NEW substitution for my boba ...
a chinese cafe full of goodies and desserts ... filled with fresh fruit, but if you're a mango fanatic, creations will be your new home...
they're currently doing a $1.99 special, and i insisit you get their #52, mango cubes and sago in coconut milk... OMG... i thought i was going to die... it's seriously a toss up btwn #51 and my peach froyo with mochi @ jubilii (next review)... i seriously can eat // drink this all day long!!!!
you can EASILY find me here almost 3x a week!
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We walked over here after dinner for dessert... Stella said this was her favorite dessert place and I had to try her favorite summertime dessert, which is a Mango Sago with Black Glutinous Rice... I had also ordered a Strawberry Sago. Both were really good and quite refreshing. I also ordered the sweet milk toast because I LOVE eating the toast that they usually have at tapioca places... but it wasn't what I expected. I wanted the fat toast and it was just regular toast, that I could've made at home :( but nonetheless it was still good.
The place is roomy to eat in or take to go... don't count on good or friendly customer service though.
If all else fail I can always count on coming to Creations for some late night dessert that won't make you feel guilty after eating it.
Another Chinese dessert/ appetizer restaurant...
Man! These things are popping up everywhere!
I guess a place like this is nice for:
A. Getting your fill on Chinese desserts and things
B. Continue chatting with a friend after you've had dinner
C. Underage drinkers to hang out with their friends since they can't get into bars
As I sat down, I suddenly felt like I was eating in Asia, like in those HK movies! ...the wooden table and stools, funny colored walls (uglk! pastel yellow) adorned with Christmas lighting, walls that look like Godzilla bit a chunk out of, with Chinese chatter surrounding the place. We asked for hot water, tea came to our table. Service is as expected.
I enjoyed their turtle shell jello and Mango + Pomelo dessert.
NOTE: The pomelo was NOT POMELO, but was pink grapefruit instead. I hope they know what they are serving... Pomelo is more expensive, the big yellow skinned fruit, and white meat. Pink Grapefruit is obviously pink meat, smaller size much resembling a large orange. Do not mistaken, false advertisement. Minus 1 star for that, otherwise... I had fun!
Thanks!!!
PS. CASH ONLY
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Mango much? I liked this place. The decor and atmosphere may be a bit too fobby for most people but hey if your Chinese you'll probably enjoy this place and it's wide selection of interesting desserts. Wide screen televisions playing Cantonese karaoke songs can be seen throughout the store as well. Hong Kong chain ftw.
I had a tough time choosing what I wanted since there were so many choices on the menu although almost all of the desserts involved some form of mango in them whether it be the juice, fruit or sago itself. The owner himself dropped by our table since he knew one one of the girls in our party and promptly gave us a complimentary cake, cool thanks! I finally ordered a "Glutinous rice ball with mixed fruits in 2 juices" which may sound strange but it's hella good. The dessert itself was sweet but tasted on the light side. It took a while to actually get the dessert since they were painstakingly shaping the fresh fruit into balls but overall service was prompt. Tea is also served as you sit down but you'll need to ask for refills if your out because they won't drop by and check on you.
Worth a visit just to check it out, good luck finding street parking.
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It's a good place to hang out at night, the service is friendly, and the place is cute and Asian. As for the food, nothing special. None of the desserts tastes spectacular... some of my friends are in LOVE with this place because of the sago, but I really don't see what's so amazing about it.
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very asian and i sooo love it!! Everything is good in the menu and i want more!!
Wasn't really into this place.
I think we were the only caucasians in here. We were definitely noticed :). Heads were turning, I mean entire tables all heads turned -- you know like when someone says "she's a 10" and everyone swivels, I know I'm a yelp model but come on. No bad feelings but it was an odd feeling considers we're all SFers here.
Anyways, the desserts were okay, but the place was hot. The chairs reminded me of a Japanese osen (don't ask how I know). Anyways, I wasn't digging it.
The mango special didn't say it came with ice cream, and I'm lactard so that didn't work out so hot.
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FOOD:
1.) Mango something dessert = Mmmm ! First time eating this and it was yummiee! I crave it now.... =P Mango chunks in mango syrup
2.) Pot stickers = They looked a lot bigger in the menu! But it was shrug normal
SERVICE:
Just regular curt Asian service haha
ATMOSPHERE:
Pretty nice decor, I love the soft orange glow ambiance ^_^
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Yummy fresh mango drink with aloe jelly.
Yup. Aloe jelly, the wonder food. So yummy and refreshing and light and just mildly sweet. Great for your health too - esp for your skin. Hui Lau Shan makes it just right.
A little bit on the expensive side compared to other dessert houses ($4 I believe for their drinks), but totally worth it if you make this an occasional treat and NOT a daily addiction.
Also great for Taiwanese/Hong Kong-esque snacks... great pan-fried radish cake, red bean pudding (really yummy with the coconut milk in it) and black rice dessert. Gotta be healthier than the dairy and sugar laden delicacies we're so used to having in our American diet.
This is in the Richmond, which usually means hellish parking (if there's parking at all!) but with Ross being across the street it's usually not HORRIBLE.
Overall, will definitely be back again, but probably not on a regular basis.
I have been wanting to try their mango mochi for awhile now. My brother and his family came to visit and my sister in law wanted some dessert. I knew that she didn't want American style dessert. I thought the menu was a little hard to digest. We decided to order a bunch of little plates. We ordered the Sago in Mango juice with extra mango. I have never had sago and I thought that it was the same as tapioca. The dessert wasn't even that sweet, which was what I was hoping for. We actually got the last mango mochi, which actually had a huge piece of fresh mango in it, the only thing that I didn't particularly like was the little bits of coconut on the outside of the mango mochi. Other than that, it was delish. The curry fish balls were like any other curry fish balls, nothing too spectacular about it. i loved the sweet paste with peanut and sesame topping. It wasn't;t too sweet and there was just enough dusting of the sesame and peanuts. Yum. We also had the salt and pepper chicken wings, that took awhile to make, but it was so good. The crispiness was perfect, not sure if it was worth it though, for the price. The french toast with peanut butter in it was so good too! My sister in law had the watermelon juice with aloe and she really liked it a lot. I would definitely come back here again with some more friends for a late night sweet attack. Cash only!
3.5 starssssss.
i still like the mango/coconut/sago drink better at golden island, but this one is cheaper and just as good.
open late AND they have free wireless internet for you internet junkies.
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Mango mochi - so soft and tender with a FRESH piece of Mango inside (not some mango-flavored paste - but a sweet fresh piece of mango!).
My next mission is to figure out the nutritional value cuz I can eat six of these babies in 5 minutes flat. Crack Mango Mochi. Five stars for both the mango mochi AND the late hours!
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The place is really clean when I came and my orders came after 4 minutes. It tasted delicious! The employees were ugly and looked very HK though.
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A way to a girls heart (or mine at least):
1. fried crab wontons
2. fresh mango mochi
3. white tapioca balls with fresh fruits.
Yes! This place has all three...what more can a girl ask for? I'd give this place 5-stars except for the fact that they only take cash and I hate walking block to the damn ATM machine from some unknown bank where I'm charged an additional $2 service free. Boo.
I've came here when it opened and haven't been back for years until recently.
I remember I use to love this place when it first opened. A new dessert place is always good for me. I love the mango mochi and I'm sure I still do but last night, although my BFs' dessert was pretty good, sago in mango juice I think, my Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Juice with extra mango, $4.50, was so bland! The mango wasn't even sweet too. I usually like to finish my desserts but I really couldn't finish it.
I'm sure the other desserts are good, maybe I just chose the wrong one last night.
Probably come back months later and try other desserts and get the mango mochi again.
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One of my favorite dessert places in the city. I used to go to Hui Lau Shan all the time as a kid living in Hong Kong, so I was ecstatic when a friend "discovered" Creations in SF. They're geniuses at selecting sweet and tasty mangoes, so you're definitely doing yourself a disservice if you opt for one of the non-mango desserts.
Their other appetizers range from mediocre (the fried wontons that taste somewhat rancid) to decent (french toast). I do love their fried radish cake, but that's pretty hard to screw up. Minus one star because I always seem to reek of oil whenever I leave the place. I hate going home smelling like I had just stepped out of the fryer at McDees.
To preface this, I usually try to never write negative comments. However, this place is extremely popular, and I had very high expectations.
To start off with, the place was very crowded, but, of course, it was Saturday night. Crowded doesnt really bother me, but sometimes more intimacy is nice especially at dessert time.
However, I was unhappy with the dishes we ordered.
We tried the crab wontons, the fruit and ice cream combo "mixed fruit combo twins", and the sweet paste with peanut and sesame topping.
The crab wontons had too much of a cream cheese like substance and the coconut ice cream seemed more like shaved ice with coconut. Maybe ice cream isnt the right word............The mango ice cream was better and the sweet paste with peanut and sesame topping was okay; however, I still wouldnt bother to go here again.
Even though the service was slow, it was polite enough, and the atmosphere was nice, just the dessert was really a let down. Maybe I dont completely understand Chinese desserts, but I have really liked some other places I tried in the past.
I absolutely love the 3 tiered drinks that they have with mango, coconut milk, and mango jelly. Although I haven't seen this at this location, their other location in Milpitas has the family size mango pudding which is a good deal and pretty tasty. That's pretty much all I buy here.
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One of the best Chinese dessert places I've been to. The deserts here are delicious and a lot different then the other ones in the city. For instance, Golden Island, uhh the one on 6th and geary.. etc.. The items on the menu consist of desserts that I've never seen. I ordered the Glutinous Black rice with extra mango, so that was so good and refreshing. The Glutinous black rice was very chewy. Had some of the Mango Mochi which was very chewy as well, and flavorful. The tea they serve is very special as well, I'm not sure whats in the tea.. but it was really good and addicting..
It wasn't as bad as I thought. I came here a couple times w/ the fams and w/ the girl. The first time I came i looked over the weird items that I wasn't used to seeing like birds nest and crystal snow. So i ordered safe and got something w/ mango. i told myself next time I come here I should be a lil more adventurous and just try it. So I came w/ the girl and I couldn't get myself to do it so I ordered something else. I opted for something that I saw a lot of people were ordering which was the Taro & Black Rice w/ Rice Balls & Coconut Juice Pudding. I was actually very happy w/ what I ordered cuz it was warm and soothing. It was just right for the night as it was really really cold outside. Next time i come in I really gotta get over myself and try out the strange things they got.
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Sweet! Reminds me of the Hui Lau Shan in HK, but different menu. I always take a look at the "specials" white board and order whatever is the super cheap special for the day. My favorite is the aloe jelly with mango and coconut juice. Super clean, relaxed atmosphere and the waitresses are nice :)
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Yummm, extra points for being open so late. Pretty typical HK quick bite fare, heavy emphasis on the mango so... if you're not a fan of mango or gelatin-esque foods with suspicious origin (if you're not sure what bird's nest or crystal snow is... don't ask, just drink), not really going to be your place. Had the mango, black glutinous rice, coconut juice and mango juice number--awesome. My friend tried the mango mochis; not sure what the consensus was but they looked so good. Thumbs up for the turnip cake as well--so nostalgic. A little bit pricier than I expected for quick bite fare but still within the bounds of "decent". Clean, well kept, seems pretty busy; uber cute waitress. See you there at midnight!
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High rating because this place has my favorite dessert drink of all time.
Mango and Sago with Coconut milk.
I still haven't found another place that makes this yet. It's not a complicated drink but they do it so well at Creations. I love popping in for a quick dessert that's made of real mangoes! The only time I was disappointed happened when they ran out of mangoes. What a bummer.
The other desserts are ok. Sago. mmm..
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I must say this place has improved since it first opened . They serve lychee black tea which i think tastes ok . They serve FRESH FRUITS . The special jelly drinks are deliciouss !! The mango and watermelon juice is very tasty . My favorite is the coconut juice . It's very creamy and just sweet enough . The mango mochi is yummyy ! It's kind of cool how they have a piece of mango in the middle . The cherng fun is very good . I LOVE the glutinous rice balls which happens to be sweet tong yuen . They taste just like tapioca but a little sweeter . I don't like the black glutinous rice in mango and coconut juice with extra mango though . I don't like the mango pudding either . It tastes funky .. I don't like the pieces of mango inside . CASH ONLY !!
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Love their mango mochi! So glad they serve authentic Hong Kong Desserts...when we went to Hong Kong a couple of years ago, we went on a gastric trip to find the great Hong Kong Style Desserts...and low and behold, we ran into Hui Lau Shan...and I told my sister...this is just like what we have in San Francisco...same menu as Creations and all! Then we find out it it's the same chain business. Very refreshing, delicious, and a healthier option for dessert.
Mangos Mangos Mangos Mangos.... MANGO MOCHI & Open late. :)
One star off for slow service.
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Sago...yum.
Snow...ohhh.
Tea jelly...nomnomnom.
Mango...drool.
Yeah, I like their drinks. And they have fresh mango mochis.
I don't like their atmosphere (noisy people) nor the sit down areas...even if it is clean and neat. I prefer to go walk around Geary or go home and enjoy my drink.
Only thing...bring cash!
Pretty fun atmosphere, came here for some desert and to find a place where we could sit down, eats some sweets and chat. I am totally unfamiliar with all these Chinese desserts, the first thing I noticed when we sat down and I stared at the menu before. All those unearthly bright and vibrant colors splashed across the menu. It was almost sensory overload, still, after much deciding, decided upon the mango juice sago, I thought the mango was a little under ripe, almost sour, still the sago part of it was good, I liked the juicy little bits of pulp. The ice cream to me was a bit of a let down, I was envisioning rich and creamy, it was a little bit on the icy side.
One of the other people in our group had the Crystal snow jelly in mango juice, which I liked, I would probably get it next time. The service here can seem a little "bitchy" is the only word I can describe, and I did notice that they were kinda trying to hurry us along to finish our food, I can understand that I guess, we were just dropping in to fill our sweet tooth, still, if it's not busy I didn't think it was necessary. Still we did get alot of good laughs when one of the people in our group asked for two scoops of sesame ice cream, and the server came back with two scoops in separate dishes and seemed surprised she wanted the two scoops to herself, (they weren't even that big.)
I rated this place more of a 3.5, but rounded it up, mainly because we had a good time there overall and had some pretty good laughs... Oh I did like there menu, it had lots of good information on their ingredients and what it did, great for a total novice like myself!
