The Taipei Zhongshan location of Pa Shih Mesona, located in a busy commercial area and only a short 5-minute walk from MRT Zhongshan Station, entices with its industrial-inspired interior. It has a modern look defined by exposed brick walls and concrete. Clean lines and subdued colours define the room, giving guests a serene and welcoming ambience. The faint scent of grass jelly in the air enhances the sensory experience.
Since its introduction to the culinary scene of Taichung in 2013, Pa Shih Mesona has developed a devoted following among fans of grass jelly in Taipei and central Taiwan. Hong Kong has also seen the opening of its branches. Despite the initial lacklustre demand for grass jelly at its first location in Taichung’s Fengjia neighbourhood, Pa Shih Mesona persisted thanks to the team’s unrelenting dedication to their work and deep love for what they do.
Mesona, a plant of the mint family, is used to make grass jelly. The herb’s unique flavour profile is achieved by first drying it and then slow-cooking it for about eight hours with very few additional ingredients to allow its inherent essence to concentrate and develop. In order to provide a great culinary experience all year round, Pa Shih Mesona prepares seasonal cold-month desserts to serve as winter warmers and refreshing ice-based delicacies to take the stage in the warmer seasons.
Table of Contents
I wrote an article for Travel in Taiwan earlier in the year about Pa Shih Mesona. Find the link here: Chilled Delights to Keep You Refreshed Under the Taipei Sun
While I encourage you to come and enjoy Pa Shih Mesona for the atmosphere and the freshness of the produce, you can also get it delivered right to you, too:
Link to Pa Shih Mesona on Foodpanda here
Link to Pa Shih Mesona on UberEats here
If you’re coming here to dine in, then you’ll have to order your food or drinks before you enter. You can do so using the bilingual menu on the screen at the ordering counter. Below I will go through what we ordered.
A Secret Insider’s Guide to the Fabulous Zhongshan District in Taipei
There's an industrial feel to the interior of Pa Shih Mesona that I can't help but enjoy. It's not thought-provoking as such, but it's oddly calming and comforting.
If you aren't sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Pa Shih Mesona, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Pa Shih Mesona
Ordering is made simple by the bilingual menu that includes images of the dishes and beverages. The beautiful grass jelly dish, which includes tapioca balls, house-made grass jelly, and a variety of sweet potato soup dumplings and taro, is one of the most notable treats. To achieve a pleasant balance of sweet and bitter, a scoop of matcha ice cream, which is somewhat bitter, is added. The light quality of the shaved ice is ideally complemented by the deep, creamy ice cream.
You can always add more if you feel especially hungry or thirsty for that delicious Pa Shih Mesona goodness when you arrive, but I'd say that their portion sizes aren't small, and there's a minimum order of 1 drink/dish per person anyway, so it's unlikely that you will leave feeling unsatisfied.
I had to take a picture and showcase that picture top left. There was something intriguing about the farmers harvesting the Mesona in order to make the dish that has made Pa Shih Mesona so popular.
Pa Shih Mesona makes a range of cool grass jelly iced delights throughout the summer months. A refreshing grass jelly tea with a minty aftertaste that offers immediate heat relief and is perfect for people on the go is one of these options. You can take advantage of the shop's cool, air-conditioned environment and selection of chilled sweets when you need a break from the heat outside.
Snowflake Shaved Ice With Grass Jelly and Mashed Taro
Pa Shih Mesona's shaved ice is an amazing mixture of carefully stacked grass jelly on top of slightly flavoured grass jelly ice. The distinctively soft and pillowy texture of this tall pile of fluffy shaved ice creates a wonderful contrast with the hidden grass jelly underneath. The scoop of mashed taro on top wasn't sweet at all but brought an earthiness that contrasted nicely with the mildly sweet taro and sweet potato dumplings served on the side and the sweet snowflake ice.
The snowflake ice itself is a wonder. Incredibly thin and flakey, it melts as it touches your tongue, which is exactly what I want from my ice. I really dislike the ice that I have to crunch on, so this was an easy win. The red beans were soft and syrupy-like in texture and brought more decadence to everything.
I can't say enough good things about these sweet potato and taro dumplings with the black rice combo. The pure flavours that come through are refreshing, and it feels as if you can even taste the individual essence of the ingredients within the dumplings.
Assorted Grass Jelly Combo With Matcha Ice Cream
Pa Shih Mesona skilfully combines gelatin with its concentrated grass jelly to create a delicate texture that preserves the entire intensity of scent without diluting it. Every spoonful of this modest dessert is rich and fulfilling, despite its plain appearance. It is typically served warm in the winter with crunchy peanuts on the side. But here it came with a dollop of rich matcha ice cream that complimented it wonderfully.
The grass jelly itself is so delicate that it melts in your mouth with this wonderful brown sugar-mint flavour that is so intriguing.
Perhaps not the winner of the dish, the little boba bubble things were OK. But those taro balls and the black rice were awesome additions that I could've eaten many more of (but didn't, as I was incredibly full!). The taro flavour coming through in those taro balls was so pure and it was such a real flavour that it brought a lovely smile to my face as I chowed down.
To keep the flavours continuing while you are outside on-the-go, think about grabbing a cup of refreshing grass jelly drink before departing Pa Shih Mesona. You will be reminded of the delicious experience in every sip of the healthy and minty grass jelly drink.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? It's refreshing, and you can almost guarantee that it is healthier than most of the drinks you find at the drink stores around Taipei. I wouldn't hesitate to say that Pa Shih Mesona is worth it.
What is the best dish? While I love the grass jelly drink itself, I thought the snowflake shaved ice was top quality.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of shaved ice places around Taipei, but few do their grass jelly the way they do it here at Pa Shih Mesona.