FIRST LOOK: Global Taiwanese dessert chain opens in SA, with made-fresh taro & brown sugar mochi

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“Hidden gem” might be an overworked phrase, but Chinatown has undeniably evolved into a precinct defined by distinctive venues that remain closely connected to their Asian roots. The latest to join the mix is Meet Fresh, the Taiwanese dessert institution that has opened a store on Adelaide’s Field Street.

Founded in Taiwan in 2007 by siblings Fu, Meet Fresh has grown into a global chain with stores across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America and the UK. Despite that scale, its offering remains grounded in tradition. Desserts are made fresh daily, using time-intensive processes and familiar Taiwanese flavours that lean heavily on texture while keeping sweetness in check.

The new Adelaide store is sleek and comfortable, with roadside seating and a tucked-away upstairs mezzanine. Order a drink and settle in for a lingering chat with the crew.

The order to make first is the grass jelly with taro balls. Grass jelly is a long-standing Taiwanese dessert made from dried herbal grass, simmered slowly until it sets into something smooth, cooling and lightly aromatic. At Meet Fresh, it’s cooked using the brand’s exclusive grass jelly juice and simmered for eight hours, resulting in a clean, tender texture that’s often paired simply with milk creamer.

Taro plays a central role at Meet, and increasingly, across Australian dessert menus. Once largely confined to Asian grocers and bubble-tea counters, the root vegetable has been making its way into cafes, bakeries and dessert bars nationwide, as westerners adopt new ways to utilise its earthy sweetness. But there’s something to be said about keeping things traditional. As with matcha – which shifted from umami-driven to overly sweet before we realised that settling back into more traditional expressions actually tastes better – taro is at its best when it’s allowed to speak for itself. And if you’re after the real deal, it’s time to meet here.

The taro balls are made fresh daily from carefully selected taro, following traditional techniques. Soft, chewy and gently earthy, they add contrast and weight to the jelly without tipping it into excess.

Beyond taro, the menu spans much of the Taiwanese dessert canon. Silken tofu pudding made from non-GMO soybeans can be served warm or chilled, topped with peanuts, red beans or grass jelly. Coconut sago bowls arrive studded with mango, strawberry or taro, while purple rice features across yoghurt drinks, porridges and ice-cream-topped desserts. There’s also freshly made mochi folded through milk teas and soups, adding another layer of chew.

Drinks follow the same restrained approach. Alongside classic milk teas and jasmine teas are winter melon tea with brown sugar jelly, brown sugar fresh milk with boba, and grass-jelly-laced herbal teas.

Meet Fresh’s Adelaide outpost is unfussy and confident, offering Taiwanese desserts as they’re meant to be eaten. It’s no coincidence the chain has endured across decades and cultures, one spoonful of its grass jelly and taro combination makes that clear.

Meet Fresh is now open at T4, Field Street, Adelaide, in Chinatown. @meetfresh_australia_nz