Concluding the Dessert Detectives series — where the El Estoque staff review the quality and cost of local dessert shops — we wrapped up the alphabetical sequence, visiting ZERO& in Cupertino Village. With many locations across the Bay Area, ZERO& is most popular for its fruit and milk tea, as well as an emphasis on using fresh fruit — or as the chain likes to say, “0 additives & more real fruit, 0 calorie sugar & more healthy, 0 artificial flavors & more tasty.”
Strawberry Marble ($6.95)
Starting on a fruity note, the Strawberry Marble is a frozen mix of 24 ounces of fresh strawberry and is also the shop’s most ordered drink, according to ZERO&’s menu. The drink has an alluring scarlet color, promising buyers a rich experience. However, the Strawberry Marble is dominated more by its icy texture than its strawberry flavor. While the ice provides a satisfying crunch, it also evokes the frozen strawberry cups offered in the school lunch line, minus the joy of excavating it with a spoon. As the flavor from the strawberry diminishes over time, the experience becomes reminiscent of trying to find flavor in the leftover melting ice of a fast-food beverage cup. Still, the drink is refreshing and the sweetness is well-balanced. However, the jammy puréed strawberries — which get mushier as they melt — may not offer enough unique flavor to justify the price.
RATING: 2.5/5
Teapuccino ($5.95)
Many tea shops offer a teapuccino — a drink made of tea, steamed milk and milk foam — and ZERO& isn’t any different. Although they mainly promote their fruit drinks, the teapuccino is a hidden gem in their menu. Promising “not your average milk tea,” ZERO& delivers a balanced drink that combines earthy oolong tea and sweet milky flavors into a pleasant sipping experience. At a cryptic sweetness level of “less sugar,” the drink is slightly bitter, especially when compared to the fruit options. However, the bitterness plays into the appeal — the drink takes you through smooth notes of chocolate. Even as the rich flavors taper off in the end, customers feel compelled to take more sips.
RATING: 4/5
Mango Breeze ($7.45)
When it comes to their fruit selection, ZERO& has a better time with mango. As a new seasonal addition to the menu, the drink’s marigold and white swirls exude a tropical aesthetic that is perfect for hotter weather. Comparatively, Mango Breeze has a stronger fruit flavor than Strawberry Marble; the sweet and tangy mango saturates the palate but is far from overwhelming. The addition of coconut milk serves as a nice break from the powerful punches of mango, and ZERO&’s promise for real fruit really shines through in this aspect — the taste of the coconut is crisp and summery. While the default ice amount was chosen for both of the fruit drinks that were ordered, this drink is much less crunchy and way more viscous, almost akin to a mango smoothie. In hot weather, the drink lasts a surprisingly long time, so it is a more-than-viable option for a summertime treat.
RATING: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 3/5
$$/$$$
The overall experience at ZERO& is similar to that of many dessert eateries. The clever branding alongside a clean interior brightly lit by white lights is inviting enough for customers. After ordering drinks, we were able to walk around Cupertino Village and enjoy our surroundings while sipping our beverages. However, it felt as if there was something missing, as while ZERO& promises to offer zero-calorie options, none of these options were available — neither were the Hanabi Desserts it touts on its website. For the drinks that were there, the experience was decent — but because of all the amazing options that were not accessible to us, it feels as if ZERO& needs to add a “zero available” to its slogan.
