Newly opened SnoJoy Café in New Haven has been busily trying to make people aware of its existence since it opened last month.
This signboard is intended to let passersby know that desserts aren’t all that SnoJoy offers.
Like its name, SnoJoy is bright, clean and cheerful,
with Asian knickknacks
and even a tip jar.
Asian customers have been drawn to it immediately;
others may take a little educating, as these menu boards
and specials board are intended to do.
Friendly owners Nina Xiao
and Jolina Li,
originally from Fujian, China, are only too happy to educate curious customers about shaved ice desserts.
My wife and I began with a fresh and flavorful chicken banh mi, a version of the popular Vietnamese sandwich that resulted from fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines during colonization.
Our younger daughter wasted no time tackling a bowl of mango shaved snow (shaved ice with milk) with elected toppings.
The shaved snow also comes in milk, green tea, taro and strawberry flavors. I had a strawberry, banana and Nutella crêpe with vanilla ice cream.
My wife, who sometimes makes shaved ice desserts in our home with a hand-operated ice shaver, was naturally jealous of SnoJoy’s commercial grade ice shavers.
She elected a bowl of patbingsoo, a shaved ice dessert with all kind of added goodies similar to the halo-halo she loves in her Philippine homeland.
If you’re looking for a recommendation, look no further than this photograph.
SnoJoy, 9 Whitney Ave., New Haven, 203-752-1888, www.snojoycafe.net