meet fresh 鮮芋仙

keeping it fresh, taiwanese dessert style

“Meet Fresh” doesn’t give enough credit to the punny name in Chinese 鮮芋仙, which sounds like the words for meet and fresh while also using a wordplay of two of the specialities they are best known for: grass jelly (仙草) and taro (芋頭). Established in 2007, the franchise has catapulted to international success, bringing along with it a more widespread recognition of Taiwanese desserts.

While they carry a wide spread of traditional desserts, Meet Fresh specializes in grass jelly based desserts, served in various combinations at different temperatures, from hot herbal tea soup style to solid jelly to their signature shaved ice blended with grass jelly. When it comes to toppings, they have all the classics but are most well known for their taro and sweet potato balls, which are house made using all-natural ingredients with traditional processes. The wide menu also includes tofu puddings, shaved ice and teas with endless permutations of toppings. Although their local Taiwan locations have dwindled over the years, Meet Fresh has become a one stop shop for Taiwanese desserts all year long in other parts of the world, with a loyal fanbase all around mainland China and outposts in Asian enclaves in the western world too.

the details

Address all locations listed here
Website http://meetfresh.com.tw/tw https://www.meetfresh.us/
Instagram @meetfreshusa
Hours varies by location but most open midday and stay open until late evening
Price $$ – varies by region but generally about “mid” priced – in Taiwan it’s on par with other “sit down” ice shop franchises so more expensive than your traditional ice shops, in the US desserts are around $10, and drinks are around $5.
Aesthetic fairly commercialized version of an “artisan” brand story

good to know

Go here for: fulfilling a Taiwanese dessert craving all year long

Order this: any of their herbal jelly based desserts, the herbal jelly shaved ice is the perfect summer treat, or if you’re getting something for the road go for an iced herbal tea with cream top

Amount of time to spend: 30 min pit stop or hours long hang out spot (it’s an “authentic” way to pass time)

When to come: any time, but generally great for a mid-afternoon snack or an after dinner dessert

Other things to note: 

  • Most of the locations in Taiwan are in the northern area, in Taipei, New Taipei City, and Taoyuan. They also have dozens of locations all around China. There are also locations in Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand.
  • Outside of Asia, there are locations in Australia (Melbourne and Victoria), New Zealand, London, Canada and the U.S.
  • While most places carry the same signature desserts, the menu varies from location to location and in different markets.

Last visited: June 2021

Last updated: June 2021

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