Make It Sweet — Restaurant in Meridian Charter Township

The short version: after stopping in almost every week for three months, if I could give every visit a 10/10, I would. Do yourself a favor and stop by. Try a Strawberry Macaron and get a Matcha Cream Americano.

The long version: everything, and I mean, everything about Make It Sweet is wonderful, from the people to the store to the food, to the drinks. My wife and I have been patrons of Make It Sweet near enough every week since mid-November, and we've tried so many things. My photos don't do the place justice, nor the food/drinks (I've an older phone and I'm not a great photographer).

The macarons are absolutely to die for (I'm particularly partial to Strawberry, and Coffee, but oh then there's the Chocolate...). Try a few, share them with those around you or get too many for yourself! They're constantly trying new flavors and recipes, so take a chance, or ask them for a recommendation.

I have to get a Matcha Cream Americano every single visit. I've not had anything like it (the green drink shown here, about 20 minutes after I got it home: MIS has better photos!), and I can't leave the store without getting it. Absolutely addicted. OH, my wife absolutely swears by the sparkling fruit drinks if you're not a coffee drinker.

We've tried several of the cakes & bakes, including the chocolate ganache (shown here...minus a bite), the tiramisu, the strawberry tiramisu, etc. They're all wonderful. The fruit tarts are a perfect size and taste: light, flavorful, and bright.

The store itself is bright, open, and welcoming. You walk in, and if you know what you want, move ahead, and if you need time, there's a small bench where you can look at some laminated menus. But, it's so much fun to look at their display week after week!

I've saved the best for last: the Kims, aka, the owners. They're the sweetest, nicest, and most welcoming folks. Every week, I order online ahead of time, and every week, they're all smiles. At time of writing in Feb 2021, they have an online ordering system through Clover, and they post their menus mid-week (Wednesdays usually), take orders through Thursday evening, then open at noon Fridays & Saturdays. It's such a wonderful and clear online service, and if you have questions (like I do), they're more than happy to help you. More than that, the Kims greet everyone like they're family. They work so, so hard throughout the nights to get everything ready for the afternoons, they go above and beyond to make sure your order is perfect, and they're just the absolute best.

I've been back week after week after week not because I love the sweets or the drinks (...okay, I do), but because the Kims really are just that wonderful. I'm not being compensated for this review at all -- I just really love this sweet shop!

Do yourself a favor. Treat yourself. Try something new, support a local business, and...

A local hidden gem! You HAVE TO TRY their banana cream latte. It's like having the Magnolia's banana cream pie but caffeinated in a latte form lol.

If your looking for a treat that is French-inspired with a touch of Asian creativity and beauty, I highly recommend this place. If you're visiting Lansing/East Lansing, stopping by this place should be on your schedule 😀.

Few other recommendations:

1. Financier cake: coffee hazelnut and earl grey are the perfect size and texture. Not too sweet, yet moist and buttery. I love all almond-based cakes, and this didn't disappoint.

2. Basque Cheesecakes (not in pic): It's a cheesecake that isn't overwhelmingly thick. If you've had Japanese cheesecakes, it's very similar. The texture is somewhere between fluffy and creamy.

3. Macarons: This isn't the trader joes or costco macarons. It's a perfect balance of chewy and sweet. They also offer creative flavors like the churro flavor.

4. Dalgona coffee: Don't waste your precious time making dalgona (it is a Korean delicacy that appeared on Squid game). Just grab your dalgona coffee from here. I like this better than brown sugar coffee.

What's amazing is their price point for such quality. I usually do grab and go, but the place has cute, instagrammable seating areas...

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Young and his team since they opened back in 2020.

The quality of their desserts is unmatched and has stood the test of time. They have a rotating menu updated on Facebook each week (and a new website!) so the variety keeps us coming back week after week.

Some of my favorites are the carrot cake, dacquoise, cream puffs and pecan financier. You really can’t go wrong. Sometimes there are savory options as well that are always beautifully balanced. The drinks are great too! Personally, I go for the banana latte or matcha americano.

For any Muslim or vegetarian/vegan customers they are well informed of which desserts contain gelatin. Yeremi was even kind enough to experiment with plant-based gelatin but the outcome wasn’t the same (also shows how genuine they are when they say they don’t put out new products unless it meets their standard)

Lovely people, warm and inviting atmosphere with desserts that are the perfect balance...