Cafe 86 - Northridge — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Food & Drink Order: Ube Monster Truffle (ube cake, coconut cream cheese frosting, white chocolate, oreos) Churrochi (grilled mochi dough, cinnamon sugar, caramel drizzle) Signature Halo Halo (coconut jellies, jack fruit, boba, frosted flakes, ube ice cream, flan, pandan & strawberry flavored jellies) Hibiscus Calamansi Cooler

I was super excited for this YEE at Cafe 86 because my foodie bestie, Michelle W., also received a "you're in" notice, & my son misses his "auntie."

I first visited the Pasadena & wasn't that impressed with their offerings, so I'm not sure if it's because we tried something different or food just tastes better with friends. Elites are comped with an Ube Monster Truffle & choice of drink, milkshake, or halo-halo. I had to choose their signature Halo-Halo, & it's a monster size dessert drink! The other versions of Halo-Halo that I tried had a medley of sweetened beans, purple yam, & gelatin (Goldilocks); Cafe 86’s is better IMO. Although it's winter, we're out in the valley so temps run hotter here & it also felt like summer even though it's November on a lovely Saturday afternoon; I added a Hibiscus Calamansi Cooler for my l'il guy.

The truffles were still in the oven & it smells so rich & decadent; a rich dark chocolate aroma, air smells sweet that it feels like you can gain calories by sniff alone. LOL We received our drinks first while we waited, & I went back to add a Churrochi to nosh, figuring we'll hang out for a bit to catch-up.

The churrochi was served pipin' hot & oozed with yummy caramel. The mochi dough is grilled to perfection with a crisp crust & soft inside... so damn delicious! My son gave me puppy eyes to leave the rest to him even though it's meant to be shared. When the truffle ball was ready, & it was a monster one, Michelle shared hers because it was soooooo rich, decadent that she couldn't finish it -- chocolate, sugar overload. I took a bite & agree, I cannot eat this on my own; M gladly polished it off for us. Ha! I saved mine for my hubby since he's a huge chocolate fan (he says "it was bomb!"); he didn't finish it either & shared it with our daughter.

The dining room has a similar feel as the Pasadena location, but doesn't feel as cramped, with an industrial chic feel & very cool wall mural. There's a decent amount of parking, but it was quite crowded.

It's a bit out of my way for this location... thanks to Yelp for this 2nd chance, I'll be seeing you near my hometown...

My family and I were out of town in Northridge and visited Café 86 yesterday. We are really excited as ube is one of our favorite flavors! The halo halo and the items we ordered were delicious.

Unfortunately, an exciting afternoon turned into a bit of a scary incident. The pastries were not labeled with which items contain nuts. My nephew just learned that he has a nut allergy. He ordered the Tres leches cake, and there was a crumble on top. My nephew took two bites of his dessert and his throat started to itch and his throat started to swell. Panic set in and frantically asked if there was nuts in his Tres Leches. When we asked the cashier, they confirmed that the crumble contained cashews. She also said "usually customers ask if there's nuts in our items." Disappointing. Especially in this day and age with all the severe food allergies; all food should be listed to ensure Public Safety. We typically ask, however, my nephew is a minor and is learning to acclimate to his allergens.

I reached out to the bakery and awaiting a call for the manager.

We understand that we hold the responsibility to ask. However, they should label their items with allergens per The Food Code, which is updated every 4 years by the FDA. The FDA's latest version of its Food Code calls for allergen labeling of "unpackaged" food served at restaurants, delis, and bakeries, among others to label the Top 9 allergens in the U.S. However, there is a catch. It is guidance that represents the FDA's best advice to ensure that food sold at retail or food service is safe. It is not federal law, nor is it regulation, but if you value your customers safety, marking your items can reduce or eliminate risks for your customers.

I'm writing this to help the general public that if your eat here, you need to ensure you inquire before you ingest. A mistake we made and paid the...

Great customer service and delicious dessert!! Cute and chill vibes here~ Would definitely come here again!

The guy at the counter was very observant and waiting for me to figure out what I wanted and only approached at the right time when I have seemed to have made my decision. I didn't feel any pressure to hurry and figure out what I want.

I got the Ube Leche Flan Cupcake and Hibiscus Calamansi. Absolutely delicious! I love how the sweetness of the Leche Flan counters the cupcake portion that was not as sweet. It can easily get messy but if you eat slowly with utensils you can avoid that issue. I love how they have cupcake holders that is just the right size and seems secure enough to not fall out too if I were to take it with me as takeout.

Price: $-$$, reasonable for the quality

Restroom: Yes.

Great for: Singles. Small groups of friends, family and couples.

Sound Level: Not the quietest but still loud enough for people to come and chill there with friends.

Wheel Chair Accessibility: Seems to be accessible, just need some assistance with moving the chairs.

Seating: ~26 indoors.

Parking: Plaza style. Some parking depending on...