Tara Tai
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Ahhh, I can't believe I hadn't heard about this place before they opened a handy-dandy, convenient little Newbury location! I'm so excited I wish I could come here every day.
My partner and I are big fans of Asian desserts, and Vietnamese desserts are no exception -- we usually get the jelly/bean dessert drink every time we go out for pho and have talked about how nice it would be to just get that dessert and not have to pair it with noodle soup every time (although pho is excellent). Finally, our dreams have been answered! Coco leaf is amazing and offers an extensive menu of coffees, teas, juices, smoothies, and other fancy drinks, not to mention pastries such as macarons, cakes, cream puffs, and even mochi cake. However, it's their che that is really standout. A mixed drink/dessert of ice and jelly, it's so refreshing and incredible especially on hot, humid summer days under the unforgiving sun beating down on Newbury St. We got the halo halo with ube ice cream, chunks of taro, jackfruit, white bean, pandan jelly, and hot luu (a crunchy water chestnut boba-ish topping). While the ratios were a little on the sweet side for me (I wished there was more ice actually, and more beans!) I'm glad that they are very generous with the toppings and also really kind -- when we asked what hot luu was, they promptly offered us both an explanation and a sample.
They also prepare their coffee with Intelligentsia beans, which are very high quality. Despite the brightness of Intelli coffee, however, they were still able to extract a really nice, roasty flavor that is typical of Vietnamese coffee. Their che costs around $5-8 and is big enough for two people to share. Definitely will be back often!