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Purple lattes hit the spot. Back in March, Hood Famous Bakeshop — one of Seattle’s most creative dessert makers, known for its wildly popular ube cheesecake and fusion of Filipino and Asia-Pacific flavors — expanded from its small Ballard location, quietly opening up Hood Famous Cafe and Bar in the Chinatown-International District. Now the new place, located in the historic Publix building, is hitting its stride, attracting crowds with ube lattes and other treats. Customers can find a wide variety of Filipino breakfast dishes and inventive beverages on the continually changing menu, including mochi waffles, longanisa sausage quiches, and calamansi espresso tonics (and, yes, ube cheesecakes as well). The “bar” part of Hood Famous will soon come fully into play by the beginning of summer, with wine and cocktails — such as a dragon fruit shrub negroni — that pair well with desserts. This will also coincide with extended hours, as the cafe is currently only open during the daytime (Mon-Thurs, 7am-3pm; Fri-Sun, 10am-4pm).
Geo Quibuyen, who co-owns Hood Famous with his wife, Chera Amlag, tells Eater Seattle that the cafe uses single-origin beans from Asian countries roasted by Fulcrum Coffee and makes syrups in-house for its tonics, iced ube macchiatos, and pandan lattes. The tea offerings include mallunggay (moringa) and ampalaya (bitter melon).
In addition to the new drink options, Hood Famous Cafe and Bar in CID gives customers more room to roam than the takeout-only Ballard location, with seating for up to 22 in a bright space with high ceilings, part of the continued revitalization of the Publix. The century-old building (remodeled in 2017) used to house Filipino migrant workers, and Hood Famous honors the past by displaying vintage black-and-white photos of immigrants who passed through the neighborhood.
Could there be more Hood Famous expansions down the line? Quibuyen alludes to some “opportunities” he and Amlag are exploring, but says, “We’re 100 percent focused on establishing Cafe and Bar in the CID and making sure folks don’t forget about our tiny Ballard Bakeshop!”
