These days, finding a coffee shop in Hoboken is an easy feat — but finding one that serves babka, challah, and hamentashen? Much harder. Lucky for the babka lovers, a new Israeli bakery and cafe is opening in Hoboken on the ground level of the Monroe Center — called Yuki’s Bakery & Coffee located at Suite E-101, next to the bridal shop and Shaka Bowl. Read one to learn more about Yuki’s Bakery + Coffee in Hoboken.
Yuki’s Israeli Roots
Yuki {Aviyah} Levinson, a native of Israel, moved to the United States after finishing her time in the Israeli army. She has almost a lifetime of experience in cooking and baking, having managed kitchens, whole restaurants and was a pastry chef for renowned NYC restaurants and cafes, to name a few: The East Village Cafe Orlin, The Williamsburg Cafe Mogador, Brooklyn’s Lula Bean, and Lula Bagel, Kipsey’s on Kips Bay, Gotan in Tribeca, and more.
Born and raised in Yodfat – a collective community located in the Lower Galilee, Israel, Yuki had grown watching her parents and neighbors milking cattle and goats, making honey, and growing herbs. Her curiosity had drawn her to help around Yodfat’s communal kitchen, and later on in a local organic bakery.
Over the years Yuki baked pastries from her home kitchen under the brand “Yuki’s Cookies” which were catering for both private clients and restaurants and coffee shops in NYC. Yuki, who moved to North Bergen in 2018 recently decided to open her own shop in Hoboken.
The cafe will specialize in baked goods such as babka, a sweet braided bread that originated in Eastern Europe in the early 19th century, as well as challah, burek, rugelach, and hamentashen {a seasonal treat sold during Purim}. The menu will also feature coffee by Counter Culture Coffee and organic teas.
“I’m inspired by Israeli flavors and scents. The flagship items on the menu will include challah, borek, roghallach, vegan oat and dates square, alfajores, granola, quiches, and my signature babkas,” she shared with The Hoboken Girl.
The coffee served is by Counter Culture Coffee, and retail packages will be available, too. Other retail products that will be sold are gourmet non-perishable products such as Israeli Tahini – Har Bracha, quality za’atar, organic tea, silan-date honey, and halva.
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The Space
Prior to Yuki’s Bakery & Eatery setting up shop, the space was home to Maison 24, a lifestyle boutique that originated in the Hamptons. The shop was known for carrying unique and exclusive gifts like specialty chocolates, retro telephones, neon art, faux fur eye masks, leather clutches, and a whole lot more, all sourced from France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Other Recent Openings
The announcement of Yuki’s Bakery & Coffee opening comes just after the opening of several other businesses in Hoboken and Jersey. Some of those include a BBQ spot called Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ that is taking over the Soul Curry location in Hoboken and Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, an automated restaurant that specializes in dumplings is making its way to Hoboken’s Washington Street.
Over in Jersey City, Korai Kitchen’s sister Bangladeshi grocery store called Hilsa Grocery opened, and the very popular New York-based taco spot Tacombi will also be calling Jersey City home.
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