#bingfen

Jell & Chill is the first bingfen shop in the 626. Bingfen is also known as ice jelly or crystal jelly and it’s popular in Southwest China. They make their own crystal jelly with the plant seeds of the “Apple of Peru”; the seeds have to be rubbed by hand to get the thick liquid out. Their jelly is organic, vegan, herbal and detoxifying. It’s supposed to be good for your skin. Also, they do not add sugar to the jelly and it’s low in calories. The jelly is soft and transparent.

The actual bingfen here is served in a clear drinking cup. It’s layered and reminds me of a Chinese version of Vietnamese che. There were 9 variations, starting at $7.50. Some of the options are vegan (look for the V symbol on the menu).

Mung bean green ($7.50): I probably should have eaten it right away but I didn’t. It wasn’t as cold as I expected. At the bottom was a thick coconut jelly. It was richer, sweeter, and heavier than the coconut jelly from Coconut Jelly King and Melo Melo. On top of that was a mixture of the bingfen/ice jelly and mung bean paste. The jelly has little flavor and it’s soft and slippery. The mung bean has a mild sesame-like flavor – wish there were whole mung beans. Mochi balls (rice cakes) add some chewiness and texture. I like the idea of combining crystal jelly and coconut jelly but their coconut jelly is too rich and too sweet. The mung bean paste wasn’t too sweet.

The shop is cute – mostly white with a few small tables. It looks like a boba shop. You can order at the register or use their kiosk to order. The strip mall has some above ground parking and underground parking. Jell & Chill is across the street from the old Blackball Desserts. I prefer grass jelly desserts to bingfen because the grass jelly has more flavor.

3.5 out of 5 stars