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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Taste Test: Meet Fresh, Taiwanese Dessert, Haymarket (15 July 2011)

13 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
http://meetfresh.net


Overwhelming dessert choices

Thanks to Meet Fresh (not Meat Fresh) for inviting me to sample some of their Taiwanaese dessert dishes. I’ve passed by this placeso many times and have always noticed how popular it gets but this has also prevented me from venturing in because of the crowds that have formed at the entrance. Also being unfamiliar with Taiwanese desserts combined with the vast amount of choices on the menu made it too challenging to decide where to start. The Camellia Green Tea ($TBC) served cold is a new flavour which was quite interesting, sort of refreshing and rather likeable. Similar to what you might find at EasyWay perhaps. The Taro Ball Dessert 3 (Red beans + Peanuts + Pearls) ($5.50) served hot had a mixture of flavours that seemed to work together and reminded me of a Chinese red bean soup. The Lemon Winter Melon ($3.80) served cold was very refreshing and a bit on the sweet side.

The Tofu Pudding with Sweet Potato ($5.20) served hot was quite smooth in texture and the sweet potato added some sweetness. I would have liked maybe a touch more sweetness in the syrup though. Apparently the tofu is made on site daily. The Camellia Green Tea ($TBC) served hot was quite likeable and tasted a bit different to the cold version. The Meetfresh Signature Herbal Jelly ($5.50) served cold is probably one of the dishes you’d have to try at least once to see if you like it. The texture is what you’d expect, quite soft and slightly chewy. The herbal jelly was quite light on taste. If you don't know what to order then perhaps start with this one as an introduction to Taiwanese desserts.

For something quite different the Herbal Ice with Whipped Cream ($4.20) served cold had an unusual herbal ice that I’d never tried before. Looking like a slurpee it was covered with a very silky smooth cream and ended up tasting a bit like coffee to me. I wasn't quite sure how you'd drink it through a straw but it must work somehow. The Mountain Green Tea ($3.80) served hot had a very herbal grassy taste almost reminding me of hay. Probably not something I’d have again although I think the more you drank it the more you get used to the taste. The crowd favourite of the day was the Super Mango with Milky Ice ($8) served cold. It had familiar ingredients which probably helped its popularity. It’s one of those desserts that could go well with adding some sago pearls, palm seeds, coloured jelly, lychees and perhaps using coconut milk instead of plain milk although it would probably start being more like a Malaysian Ice Kacang I guess. I’d happily have this one again. If you don’t get your fix of mango pancakes and mango pudding at yum cha then this one might become your backup plan.

Other visits to Meet Fresh:
15 July 2011 - Introduction to Taiwanese desserts
29 Sept 2010 – Just passing by

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Plenty of extra seating upstairs when opened, So many choices — although perhaps too many, Interesting and unusual flavours to be discovered, Tables seem to be kept clean
CONS: So many choices it’s quite overwhelming at first, Very busy and crowed when popular, Hard to peruse the menu when the service counter is over crowded with customer ordering, Seating is tiny and somewhat awkward to sit in if you have long legs, Seems a bit of a weird name to me
WORTH TRYING: Super Mango with Milky Ice served cold ($8)

Camellia Green Tea, cold version ($TBC)


Taro Ball Dessert 3, Red beans, Peanuts, Pearls, served hot ($5.50)

Lemon Winter Melon served cold ($3.80)

Tofu Pudding with Sweet Potato served hot ($5.20)

Camellia Green Tea served hot ($TBC)

Meetfresh Signature Herbal Jelly served cold ($5.50)

Herbal Ice with Whipped Cream served cold ($4.20)

Mountain Green Tea served cold ($3.80)

Super Mango with Milky Ice served cold ($8)
WORTH TRYING :-)






Menu choices — are you as confused and overwhelmed as me?

Ingredients including Herbal Ice and Herbal Jelly & Tofu

Serving hot ingredients

Service counter

Downstairs seating

Stairs to upstairs

Upstairs seating

How three people can sit alongside each other and fit their legs under the table I'll never know

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