WASHINGTON 鈥� A new pop-up is giving locals a taste of an exotic treat from abroad.
On Saturday, Jan. 30, the concept will showcase the Southeast Asian dessert falooda at in Northwest D.C.
In Burma and other parts of Southeast Asia, Toli Moli means 鈥渁 little bit of this and that鈥� 鈥� and that鈥檚 exactly what falooda is. It’s a聽tall glass filled with different layers of varying textures and colors. The spoon that comes with it also functions as a straw.
Is it a dessert or a drink? That choice is up to you.
Jocelyn Law-Yone and Simone Jacobson are the mother-daughter team behind Toli Moli, and their goal is to bring back the sit-down snack.
鈥淐ommunal snack time is something that we really care a lot about,鈥� says Jacobson, who also works as a manager at the restaurant El Centro D.F. on 14th Street. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lack of snack culture in this country. It鈥檚 such a solitary activity.鈥�
And it is, if you think about it.
Vending machines full of prepackaged, individually wrapped snacks make it possible to eat on the move, eliminating the possibility of just taking a break.
鈥淲e want people to enjoy that small delicious pause, and we want them to have something that they can feast on with confidence,”聽Jacobson says.
Falooda, ubiquitous across most of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, comes in many forms. At its most recognizable, the snack is shockingly pink in color, piled high with layers of creamy topping and chopped pistachios. The color comes from rosewater syrup, an essential ingredient in any falooda.
鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a pocket of people who, if they鈥檝e lived in parts of the world where falooda is served, know it like you would know peanut butter and jelly,鈥� Jacobson says.
Toli Moli will sell three different versions of falooda. The tropical-tasting Mango Mogul, which is vegan and gluten-free, has fresh mango, coconut shavings and mango-carrot jellies. Royal falooda, a twist on the standard version, has pomegranate-ginger jellies, ginger milk and pumpkin seeds, along with homemade rosewater syrup.听The Black Eye falooda 鈥� made with iced coffee, coffee jellies and a marshmallow-oat crumble 鈥� is both a sweet treat and a caffeinated pick-me-up.
Each dessert is assembled by hand with careful attention to detail. The Mango Mogul begins with a layer of rosewater syrup 鈥� Law-Yone鈥檚 version is flavored with cranberry and ginger 鈥� and vegan mango-carrot jellies. On top of that, she puts a heaping scoop of basil seeds, a digestive superfood that hasn鈥檛 achieved the same popularity that chia seeds and hemp hearts enjoy.
The next layer raises eyebrows from some. Law-Yone adds cellophane noodles, popular in Asian stir fry dishes, to the fruity dessert.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of feedback on this. Some people aren鈥檛 sure they want a noodle in their dessert,鈥� she says.
She covers the noodles with a combination of almond and coconut milk, mixed with a syrup made of ginger, turmeric and lime. Then, mango gelato, coconut shavings, fresh mango and pistachios top it off. It鈥檚 a hefty snack, but a healthy one.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not selling diet foods, we鈥檙e not selling the next thing that鈥檚 going to make you lose weight. It鈥檚 sweet and it鈥檚 a treat, but it鈥檚 not bad for you,鈥� Jacobson says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing in it that鈥檚 harmful to your body in any way.鈥�
Some people may eye the hot pink rosewater syrup with suspicion, but even that鈥檚 all-natural. The color, Law-Yone says, is very important. The syrup recipe was developed over six months of testing.
鈥淚 get the berries, I boil it, I sift it, and if it鈥檚 not the right clarity then I have to sift it again, so it鈥檚 really a labor of love,鈥� Law-Yone says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 all fresh. Everything.鈥�
Toli Moli opens at 11 a.m. at EatsPlace on Jan. 30. Law-Yone and Jacobson will assemble and serve faloodas until 3 p.m. For more information, visit the .听
