Tony L.
Yelp
[ Background ]
July 2024 on a Sunday at ~1:40 PM
Located in the Blossom Market Hall, AK Fresh Roast is a coffee shop that specializes in Vietnamese coffee but also offers teas and croffles (croissant waffles). Most of their items have a strong Asian influence, containing ingredients like matcha, ube, coconut milk, lemongrass, and black sesame.
The front entrance on South Mission Drive leads directly to the shop, but if you're entering through the parking lot entrance, you'll have to walk a little. They only have one table in the corner even though there's a lot of empty space. Fortunately, there's an abundance of tables and chairs in the food hall (although it did get packed during lunch time).
[ Food ]
Their drinks are very aesthetically pleasing. Pictures and prices of their offerings are included on their online menu: https://akfreshroast.square.site/s/order
Because I don't drink coffee, I ordered:
* Eric's Specialty ($6.25)
Listed under the Caffeine Free section of the menu, this drink is also dairy-free since it uses coconut milk. The beverage came with a bed of red strawberry bits at the bottom, covered with a light olive green layer of pandan juice that was blended with coconut milk and ice. The creamy and viscous pandan mixture had a nice toasty, nutty flavor; it was my first time trying pandan, and I was pleasantly surprised. And of course, the strawberry bits were sweet but not saccharine.
[ Service ]
There was only one person in front of me in line, so I didn't have to wait long. The employee who took my order was friendly and polite, and I paid by tapping my credit card on the card reader device. After a very short wait, I received my drink.
[ Tips ]
Parking is extremely easy. There are a couple of parking spots directly in front of the Blossom Market Hall on South Mission Drive with a 2-hour limit. Otherwise, there are plenty of spots located in the parking lot behind the building ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/qXekpiD4fAee3mbt7 ).
If you're interested in their seasonal drinks, check out the seasonal section on their online menu. Alternatively, the seasonal menu is also displayed in the coffee shop under their restaurant sign on the wall to the right of the register. I wish they would've put it somewhere more visible (maybe underneath the regular menu) since I might've ordered the Kumquat Matcha Tonic or the Pandan Green Tea if I knew about them.