Meet Fresh is a popular Taiwanese dessert chain that has a focus on fresh natural ingredients. The name of the store came about because the owners wanted customers to “meet” the “fresh” and healthy desserts that they had to offer. Known for the taro balls, herbal jellies, tofu puddings and cold desserts, the offerings are quite traditional, and someone not familiar with them may be scratching their head as to what they’re about to eat.

For dessert, I had the Chocolate Waffle. Every customer making an order is handed a buzzer and you pick up your dessert when it’s ready. My waffle was ready 10 minutes after ordering and was nicely presented. The waffle is actually a decent size and 4 times the size of what it would be elsewhere. The waffle was freshly made and piping hot when it arrived. Unlike other places, there were no chocolate pieces inside the waffle. I suspect it was just cocoa powder mixed into the waffle batter. The ice cream appeared to be cheap supermarket variety. The dessert comes with a flimsy plastic knife and fork which makes it difficult to eat.

One friend had the Taro Balls and said it was quite good.

Another friend had the Rice Dumpling. She said it more savoury than sweet, but it was still good.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was fair. My waffle set me back $6 which was good considering the serving size. The waffle wasn’t the best I’ve eaten and it was further let down by the cheap ice cream and flimsy utensils.

WHERE: 31-33 Hindley St, Adelaide