Hallab Pastry 1881

If Hallab Pastry 1881’s name didn’t flag its year of founding, guests would have no clue that this humble dessert shop in Anaheim’s Little Arabia district is the only U.S. outpost of a nearly 150-year-old Lebanese bakery chain founded in Tripoli. Locally franchised in 2021 by the owners of its immediate neighbor, Little Arabia Restaurant, Hallab is so simply appointed inside that it’s easy to skip past: Its small selection of pastries is somewhat plainly presented, with large metal trays of mostly beige bars and phyllo dough baklava variants behind glass and sometimes cellophane, interrupted only by a fridge with rice pudding cups and more colorful mini muffin-sized treats with nut toppings. While most of the experience is low on frills, small take-out orders come in gem-like plastic boxes that look and feel worth saving – a sign that there’s more to Hallab than initially meets the eye.

As one might expect from a bakery with nearly a century and a half of experience, Hallab’s sweets are generally very good. Mafroukeh ($6 each) are palm-sized pistachio and semolina shells with cores of thick ashta cream – think cream cheese without the tang – balancing out the intensely nutty and seedy outside with a sweeter but nearly as firm dairy core. Despite refrigeration with the potential for condensation, Hallab’s rice pudding ($4 each) is notably not watery at all, combining a sweet, thick cream with rice and a generous garnish of ground pistachios to deliver one of the best versions of this Middle Eastern/Mediterranean classic we’ve found in Orange County.