Cait's Plate: Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

It's a sunny day and the air is cool and crisp when I stumble upon Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea, a quaint little tea shop nestled in the heart of Stamford's downtown center.

The setting is well-lit and it's a weekday, so it's very quiet. 

A vintage 70s-looking deck of UNO cards sits on a yellow table, creating a warm inviting touch.

I look at the menu that hangs on the wall. 

should I get a tea, milk tea, brown sugar pearl tea, or winter special?

After pondering between a fruity one and one that's coffee-based, I decide to go with one that a friend recommended to me: the brown sugar pearl with coffee. 

I order it with light ice as I do with most drinks to enable me to get more of the product.

If there's one thing I remember from chemistry class, it's mass over volume.

I watch as the server begins to prepare it for me. 

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea is located at 215 Main Street.

According to the website, the story behind this chain all started with a pineapple and, of course, love. 

Founder Kei Tzu-kai's grandfather worked long hours under the scorching hot sun on their pineapple farm in the mid 1900s.

Concerned about his health, Yi Fang, Kei Tzu-kai's grandmother, "gave over-ripened pineapples a new purpose," cooking the homemade pineapple jam used in the refreshing drinks she made her husband and the fruit tea served today. 

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea uses only natural and organic cane sugar and fruits.

I take another look at the cards on the table and am tempted to play a game, but lack enough players for a fun-filled time. 

Within close proximity to the University of Connecticut, this is a spot where students sprawl in for a study break and some quick Taiwanese street food and drinks.

The server calls my name and I thank her as she hands me the lukewarm-bottom tea.

A woman holds a brown sugar pearl with coffee tea from Yi Fang Fruit Tea.

Prior to mixing it, I admire the different layers of brown and tan, which matches the aesthetic of an Autumn drink. 

I take a sip.

I find that the brown sugar balances out the coffee so it isn't overwhelmingly bitter. 

It has a nice texture that's slightly thick with an almost creamy sensation.

The pearls were shriveled and small, but overall the presentation and taste make up for it.