Meet Fresh | CHOW BELLA | t Café Sweet Treats First Taste: Taiwanese dessert chain Meet Fresh arrives in Chandler. BY ALLISON TREBACZ boba shop we’ve all been to before, but at Meet Fresh, boba tea isn’t what it’s about. Meet Fresh is more. It’s a Tawainese S dessert shop that serves a variety of treats. The most interesting is the rich, black grass jelly desserts which supposedly have cool- ing properties. But then there’s shaved ice covered in sweet red beans, mochi, bean cakes, or all of the above. And if none of those sound appealing there’s almond soup and tofu pudding available, hot or cold. But whatever you order there are 18 toppings to choose from and each dessert has suggested combinations, if total free- dom is overwhelming. Toppings range from tara balls and mochi to peanuts, melon jelly and boba. Meet Fresh isn’t kidding about the tra- ditional experience. They’re so committed tark white walls, paper lan- terns meticulously hung above the food prep station, and bright LED menu boards — it feels like a little like a Pudding & Q Mocha Milk Shaved Ice at Meet Fresh is a great way to tour the menu. It’s topped with mochi, caramel pudding, melon jelly and ice cream. that they make several of their signature toppings in Taiwan daily and import them to their U.S. stores. So the taro balls, grass jelly, and boba are as close to what you’d taste in Taipei as it gets in Arizona. “Meet Fresh aims to bring authentic and delicious desserts to people who enjoy the sweets,” says Sheng Wu, the Arizona franchise manager. “We have seen enor- mous potential in the Arizona area, and the weather is very suitable for Icy dessert items.” Winter or summer, they’re a sweet treat that fits the moment. Icy Grass Jelly Signature ($8.25) Normally, ink black and sticky isn’t a great way to describe a dessert, but it illustrates the grass jelly’s exciting texture. The jelly is light, sweet, but with a bit of bitterness from the root the jelly is made from (and where it gets its color). The jelly is served over shaved ice, topped with taro balls, and served with a coffee creamer if you want to take the decadence up a level. Their icy dessert options will be a wel- come treat in the summer, when ice cream just doesn’t hit right. There’s also a hidden bonus, despite looking like molasses, grass jelly is made from a plant called the Chinese mesona. It’s in the mint family and it, supposedly, helps cool the body. Hot Almond Soup C ($8.25) The hot almond soup combines almonds, rice, eggs, and a little sugar. Traditionally, the almonds and rice get soaked in water and blended with the remaining ingredi- ents to create a smooth, creamy, >> p 34 33 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JAN 27TH– FEB 2ND, 2022
