Don’t miss stopping at this delicious shaved ice specialty shop if you’ll be in Taipei during the hotter months.

Everyone craves different kinds of cold treats in the summertime–whether it’s ice cream, froyo, popsicles, or bubble tea. As far as our Taiwan-based Japanese-language reporter Yui Imai is concerned, however, you can never go wrong with one particularly popular dish in many places in Asia: shaved ice (called “kakigori” in Japanese). Today she’d like to introduce one particular hotspot that sells this treat which she highly recommends visiting if you go to Taipei over the summer.

Mr. Chef Snow and Tofu (Mr. Xuĕ Fǔ / Mr. 雪腐) is near Gongguan Metro Station, which is the closest station to National Taiwan University. As such, there are usually plenty of university students wandering around the area looking for yummy bites. According to Yui, you can’t go wrong with anything you order there, but the mango yogurt-flavored shaved ice limited to the summertime is worth a special trip. Shaved ice often comes in a very large dish, but this place offers conveniently sized portions for solo diners as well.

There’s a large sign outside of the entrance of the store displaying recommended menu items. Most of the descriptions are in Chinese with some English translations as well.

The most popular flavors of shaved ice include mixed berry yogurt (綜合莓果優格), tapioca milk tea (台18珍奶), passionfruit yogurt (百香優格), and double watermelon sherbet (西瓜雙響炮). Yui is a frequent customer and can vouch for any of the flavors as being delicious, but she highly recommends the limited-time flavors between the months of May through September. Those are mango feat. yogurt (芒果feat優格) and mango feat. milk (芒果feat牛奶) shaved ice. While milk is a fairly common flavor of shaved ice, she shares that yogurt is rarer.

Place your order at the counter first and then a worker will guide you to your seat. When your order is ready, they’ll call out your flavor to come pick up. Make sure you hang on to your receipt in case there’s a language barrier.

On this visit, Yui ordered the mango yogurt shaved ice for NT$180 (US$5.84).

The bottom of her bowl was filled with sliced mango. On top of that was finely shaved ice in mango and yogurt flavors which looked like freshly fallen snow. Condensed milk and nuts were in side bowls on the tray. The whole thing was practically begging to have its photo taken!

She poured the condensed milk over the top and dug in. The shaved ice melted divinely within her mouth. The sweetness of the mango flavor coupled with the slight sourness of the yogurt, on top of the extra punch of condensed milk, made it into an irresistible, cooling treat.

There was even more sliced mango than she had thought–it could have easily been a full piece of fruit. Upon taking a juicy bite, she thought to herself how lucky she was to be in Taiwan over the summer.

From the common to the unusual flavors, Mr. Chef Snow and Tofu offers it all in a popular part of the city. Yui hopes you’ll stop in whenever you’re in the area. Make sure you also check out more of her amazing foodie travel tips, such as this melon pan burger (officially: BBQ pork pineapple bun) sold at Starbucks Taiwan.

Restaurant information
Mr. Chef Snow and Tofu (Gongguan branch) / Mr. Xuĕ Fǔ (Gōngguǎn Diàn) / Mr. 雪腐（公館店）
Address: Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Roosevelt Road, Section 3, Lane 244, No. 21
台北市中正區羅斯福路三段244巷21號
Open: 12:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
Website

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