Just north of Bellaire Boulevard in Chinatown, Sweet Memes Desserts & Tea is a charming shop whose neighbors include Mein restaurant and Blkdog Coffee in the Yun-Lu Center.
With plush seating and vibrant faux flowers adorning the walls and corners, its whimsical, cozy space is home to specialty coffee, tea, and desserts largely inspired by East Asian cultures.
Many customers find out about Sweet Memes through social media, and are drawn to it through pictures of the specialty dessert, which is soufflé pancakes.
“I can say for eight to nine out of ten customers coming into Sweet Memes, they’re going to be looking for soufflé pancakes,” Daniel Quach, manager of Sweet Memes, says.
Strawberry and milk tea are their popular flavors for the pancakes, and the special is crème brûlée until Feb.10 as the featured flavors change seasonally.
The shop serves other kinds of desserts such as waffles, Shibuya toasts, and kakigōri, or shaved ice. Japanese-style, the salted egg yolk toast and Dalgona Coffee Nutella Toast are popular, and they also serve a few Thai-style desserts such as Thai Creamy Fruit and Thai Tea Kakigōri.
Sweet Memes is not only popular for creative Asian desserts, but also for its Asian drinks. The most popular ones include sea salt Vietnamese coffee, coconut cream coffee, eggy coffee, dirty boba fresh milk, and dirty boba taro milk.
My personal favorites were the eggy coffee, salted egg yolk waffle and Dalgona Coffee Nutella Toast. Slightly sweetened black coffee topped off with raw egg yolk foam, the body of the eggy coffee is rich and smooth with the subtle, creamy hints of egg yolk.
Salted egg yolk desserts are popular in many parts of Asia right now, especially with Lunar New Year approaching, and the salted egg yolk waffle did not disappoint.
Splashed with toasted egg yolk crumbs and salted egg yolk sauce, the salted egg yolk-flavored waffle is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The vanilla ice cream and whipped cream that come with it add a delicious hint of sweetness that complements each savory bite.
Accompanied by chocolate ice cream and an almond cookie dipped in whipped cream, every forkful of the Dalgona Coffee Nutella Toast is flavorful. Drenched in Dalgona coffee, Nutella, and chocolate drizzle, the sweetness of this thick, fluffy Shibuya toast is, unexpectedly, just right rather than overpowering.
The name Sweet Memes originates from the drinks and desserts as well as the staff’s desire to emulate the way trendy memes connect people on social media. Sweet Memes is unusual in that its décor changes regularly to be relevant and memorable. You can’t help but want to capture these moments and post them to social media.
“When we try to decorate the store, we change it seasonally, year-round, so that we can bring a unique look. So, they will remember Sweet Memes,” Quach explains. “Whenever they come to Sweet Memes, it’s not only for desserts and teas, but also for memories and photos.”
— by Nicole Ting
