It was about time that I declare my undying love for the desserts at Aftermeal Desserts. This is after all the place that was declared the best dessert place in PJ when it opened in early 2019.
My first visit was probably late last year and I've steadily visited them every two months or so or when a day is too awful and I'm in desperate need of a pick-me-up. It's funny to say that their dessert always turns out to be something I didn't know I needed until I had it.
Each dessert has a lot of depth - layers of texture and flavor which makes each visit enjoyable regardless of what you order. Every bowl of kakigori has shaved ice with a hidden surprise in the center and is served with a little bowl of something, whether their signature trio of pearls, yam mochi and sweet potato mochi in brown sugar syrup or something else of a contrasting texture.
My favorite is definitely their Signature Iron Lady Milk Tea Kakigori. The earthy flavor of tie guan yin tea pairs surprisingly well with milk and the chewy tapioca pearls, yam mochi and sweet potato mochi are just the right amount of 'QQ'. The chewy trio are all flavorful individually and the brown sugar syrup is surprisingly not too sweet.
Equally good is their tie guan yin milk tea with their signature brown sugar pearls. They have achieved the perfect ratio of tie guan yin tea and milk in both the drink and kakigori, both flavors complement well and I would not have expected such a good pairing otherwise.
My second favorite is the Dark Milo Kakigori, a milk kakigori topped with Milo powder. Beneath the mountain of finely shaved ice is chocolate brownie ice cream with walnuts and Milo nuggets. This bowl of chocolatey goodness is served with a malty chocolate sauce on the side. The intense flavor of milky Milo from the kakigori is akin to the Milo drink you get from Milo trucks, a real treat for Milo lovers.
The Double Durian Kakigori is one rich dessert. You get two scoops of Inside Scoop durian ice-cream with a milk kakigori atop kanten jelly and on the side, a gula melaka syrup & a mini bowl of their signature chewy trio. The flavors is a great combination that tastes truly Malaysian.
As for the Royal Matcha Kakigori, it has a rich matcha flavor with red beans hidden under the green snowy mountain.
The Calamansi Yokan comes with wobbly calamansi jelly, calamansi shaved ice, popping passion fruit balls and white pearls. It may be too sour for some but I love that it's very refreshing and is one of the few items on the menu that doesn't contain milk.
The first drink I had here was the calamansi wintermelon. The drink is a nice balance of sour and sweet and even though you can't control the sugar level, it's not as sweet as some wintermelon drinks I've had elsewhere. The translucent 'white pearls' were delightful to chew on.
The cafe is usually full to the brim after dinner time, even on a weekday but during a visit on a weekday during the time of covid-19, it was easier to get a table. Aftermeal is very strict even though they are not able to operate at full capacity. You're presented with a card containing their SOP so it's nice to know that they're doing their part.
QC is also impeccable here. Almost at every visit we were asked if they've maintained their food quality and our answer every time was yes, most definitely.