The Fruitea (left) is a green tea base with fresh fruits and rainbow jelly bits; the Give Me S'more Crepe is wonderfully self-explanatory. (Entree Dallas)
Dallas’s frozen yogurt machine has been stuck in the ‘on’ position for the past few years, leaving citizens up to their armpits in the plentiful froyo.
The four friends and owners of Sweet Mix Desserts are here to change that. Drawing on experiences from their road trips across the US as well as their travels across Europe and Asia, the four are bringing variety to the city’s dessert menu with items such as Parisian-style crepes, waffle sandwiches and Thai iced teas.
“We just tried different foods and knew Dallas was missing some of the items that we loved and thought it would be a great idea to bring it to Dallas,” said Tiffany Nguyen, one of four partners at Sweet Mix Desserts. “We wanted to open something different. We wanted to give something another option other than just yogurt. I mean, everybody has a sweet tooth.”
And for every sweet tooth, a different dish to spoil it rotten.
The Parisian-style crepes were inspired by crepes sold on the streets of Paris as well as in Japan and are made for a life on the go. Items such as sliced strawberries, bananas and Nutella are swaddled in a warm blanket of crepe, ready to lull the fortunate foodie into a blissful post-meal dream.
Those looking for a richer repast should guide their eyes to the “Specialty Crepes” portion of the menu. Unlike the nearly pocket-sized Parisian crepes, these crepe cornucopias are brimming with ice cream, fresh whipped cream and variable ingredients such as cheesecake, graham crackers, brownie bites and fresh fruits.
While your saccharine-sensing taste buds will have the time of their lives at Sweet Mix, remember that there are four other groups patiently waiting to be pleased. Savory crepes satiate the heretofore lonely umami receptors with recipes that fill you up with simple comfort food.
“It’s very basic,” says Nguyen. “Just like when you go to Paris and you go to the street vendors, their crepes are very basic. They have ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, maybe mushrooms and that’s where our dessert crepes were inspired—the streets in Paris.”
Dessert has too often been pushed to the last course, but why not treat it as an entrée? Waffle sandwiches, or “wafflewiches,” are heartier than a crepe, leaving you less likely to eat your way into a diabetic coma. Just like the rest of the menu, the waffles were inspired by trips around the world.
“We realized that we wanted our waffles a little crispy, a little crunchy. It’s not like typical American style where it’s soft and fluffy like pancakes,” Nguyen observes. “So ours is more airy, light—it’s more like a Belgian style waffle.”
You may waffle when choosing which wafflewich to whiff down due to the wondrous selection on the menu. The option to choose from forty toppings and add-ons only makes your predicament more problematic. Some waffles were made to baffle. Red velvet waffles redefine what a waffle might even be.
The Coconut Snow with fresh fruits, drizzled with condensed milk at Sweet Mix Desserts. (Entree Dallas)
If you have ever found yourself envying those teenage froyo scenesters with their quick metabolisms, then look no further than Sweet Mix’s low calorie option: shaved ice, otherwise known as ‘snow.’ The zero calorie base can be adorned with fresh fruits and berries.
Those tired of ‘hun-cal’ froyo can now enjoy a dessert that totes a total of zero calories. The ‘none-cal’ revolution has begun.
The zero-calorie base can be adorned with fresh fruits and berries, perfect for any diet. Then a scoop of ice cream is carefully laid atop the snow-capped mountain and the whole thing is drizzled with condensed milk. Maybe it’s not as healthy, but it is certainly easier to eat less sugar since it is easy to share.
Shaved ice, inspired from Asian cuisine and some of the warmer regions of the world, is a perfect fit for the hot Texas summer.
“The flavored snow is influenced by Taiwan,” Nguyen says. “In Taiwan, the mango flavored snow is very popular. In every culture like Filipinos, the Chinese they use different toppings like red beans, jellies—things of that sort.”
Sweet Mix is not a Wonka dessert factory. They have yet to throw caramel popcorn between two waffles or create a baklava-crepe cake. Although the minds of the owners are busy dreaming up green tea crepes and other variations, they are focused on giving their customers a consistent product. The young minds of the owners, impressed upon by globe-trotting adventures, promise to infuse the Richardson area with vivid glimpses of the sweet life.
