Photo by Meadow Desserts
Aug. 16, 2024 By Jessica Militello
Meadow Dessert, a charming new addition to Astoria, is winning hearts with its freshly made Japanese-style sweets that are almost too adorable to eat. Operating out of Koyo, located at 37-12 31st St., this takeout and delivery-only spot has quickly become a go-to destination for dessert lovers in the neighborhood.
Owner and baker Jojo Zhang brings creativity and craftsmanship to every dessert, crafting treats that are as visually delightful as they are delicious. Highlights include a peacefully sleeping bear made of light and fluffy mango mousse and a tasty tiramisu with a bunny’s face sweetly peering from atop the dessert. Each creation is thoughtfully designed to invite customers to indulge in the moment and savor the simple pleasures in life.
Meadow Dessert’s offerings are perfect for both personal indulgence and special occasions. Zhang’s attention to detail and use of high-quality ingredients ensure that every bite is a memorable experience.
Photo by Meadow Desserts
“I like the look of Western desserts, but I like the taste of how Asian dessert is,” said Zhang. “I started to combine the ideas together to create light, sweet, and refreshing Japanese-style desserts, and I want to make the flavor unique and in very pretty, cute shapes.”
Zhang originally moved to Flushing, Queens, from China in 2019 and shortly thereafter opened a dessert shop in Manhattan called 75 degrees Café and Dessert in the East Village, which opened in November 2021 and closed two years later in August 2023.
Around the same time that she opened 75 degrees, she also became part owner of Koyo, a sushi restaurant in Astoria, after first working there as a manager. With the increasing rents in the city as well as the logistics of running two businesses, she made the difficult decision to close the dessert shop.
Photo by Meadow Desserts
However, she continued her passion by selling her desserts wholesale to several Japanese restaurants in the city. Most recently, she decided to test the neighborhood’s reception of her desserts by selling them for takeout and delivery via Koyo, where she also uses the kitchen for both her individual and wholesale orders.
“We closed the storefront, but I didn’t want to give up; I really love what I’m doing, and I enjoy the customers coming back to say ‘hi, these are very good,’” said Zhang. “You feel like there’s something you can do besides a service as a server or manager in a restaurant. You have some new products that people will be looking at. As a restaurant worker, maybe they could find there are better servers or better managers, but my flavor of cake or dessert is just only me.”
Photo by Meadow Desserts
Zhang’s dessert menu will change seasonally so that she is always offering her customers something new with fresh ingredients. Presently, her menu consists of items like a mango mousse bear, matcha tiramisu, earl grey tea cheesecake, kumquat matcha basque cheesecake, just to name a few, as well as cakes for special occasions.
“By season, we also change, so I’m going to change the fruits, change the flavor,” said Zhang. “In the fall, pumpkin is in season, so I’m going to have pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin mousse, it really depends. As a chef, you should focus on the seasonal ingredients-peak season always tastes the best for any type of ingredients.”
Some other items she offers are lunch specials, like a matcha iced latte or black sugar houjicha latte with a sandwich. Another unique offering is the signature dessert box, which comes with four desserts.
Photo by Meadow Desserts
“The gift box is one of my very unique items,” said Zhang. “It’s four desserts in a very nice box, and I also have lunch where you can pick the combo, and they are able to bring to friends and family for a gift besides a birthday cake if they want to do something not traditional, something sweet.”
Since May, Zhang said the reception from her customers has been very positive, and she’s been getting a lot of referrals from regulars who tell friends to stop by and discover it for themselves.
“I was very surprised actually,” said Zhang. “In the beginning, I was thinking no one [in Astoria] is doing Asian dessert, so I was scared, because I can’t be the first one. If I really open up a place, what if it doesn’t go well, but everyone’s been saying, ‘this is so good, I never had this in this neighborhood.’”
With such positive reception from the community, Zhang is already looking into available spaces in the area to open up her dessert shop again officially, but, in the meantime, her desserts will be available for take-out and delivery via Koyo.
Photo by Meadow Desserts
“The neighborhood is very friendly,” said Zhang. “I have so many regular customers, but I currently don’t have so much energy to put out advertisements. Mostly our regulars are telling friends, and the friends are coming to the place-feedback is pretty good.”
To place an order, you can call them at 929-621-0402 or visit their website at Meadowdessert.com. For a sneak peek of their latest creations, check out their Instagram @meadowdessert.
*This story first published in the August issue of BORO Magazine.
