Ice cream lovers in Taipei, listen up! If you’re looking for something a little different than the usual scoops of chocolate and vanilla, prepare yourself for this delicious ice cream by Snow King Ice Cream, a Taipei institution churning out unique and inventive ice cream flavours since 1947. Forget your standard Taipei ice cream shops – Snow King goes way beyond the ordinary with innovative flavour combinations.
This local favourite isn’t afraid to experiment, offering a mind-boggling selection alongside seasonal fruit flavours. We’re talking savoury options like Taiwanese basil and pork floss, alongside adventurous sweet choices like litchi and honey. Feeling brave? Snow King even boasts flavours inspired by local favourites like chicken with sesame oil and Taiwan beer.
Whether you’re a seasoned ice cream aficionado used to amazing Taipei ice cream like 北門鳳李冰, He Mei, or some of the beautiful shaved ice places scattered all over the city. Or maybe you’re simply curious about a truly unique experience, Snow King Ice Cream is a must-try for your next Taipei adventure. Ditch the predictable and get ready to embark on a flavour journey unlike any other located in an old apartment building near Taipei Main Station.
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Snow King Ice Cream is a Taipei institution. It used to take up space on the ground floor, but a while back they moved to the 2nd floor of this apartment block opposite the little park near Taipei Main Station.
Heading up these stairs, you will open the door to Snow King Ice Cream and your journey begins.
There’s a lovely blackboard on the wall and chalked up there are all of the flavours that they have on the day. They don’t tend to change too often, but it’s worth checking out the board just to be sure.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Snow King Ice Cream
This menu is exactly what you love to see at an ice cream space. The amount of flavours on offer here at Snow King Ice Cream is unbelievable for such a small space. Some of the most notable inclusions are Hibiscus, Basil, Wasabi, Chili Pepper, Pork Knuckle, Kaoliang (58%) and even Curry!
The decor inside is classically Taiwanese. The walls are plastered with news clippings and awards showcasing all of the accolades that Snow King has accumulated over the years. Some of the internationally recognized awards are incredibly impressive considering that they have entered into many very high-profile competitions.
On the blackboard, they claim to have 73 different types of ice cream. You, like me, should probably make it your personal mission to try all 73 flavours.
It's a fairly simple set up inside. Once you have decided on the flavour(s) that you want, just head up to the cashier and let them know. Pay right there and then, and they will deliver your ice cream to your table.
I love how the ice cream comes in these beautiful glass goblet-style dessert bowls. While it's a fairly generous ball of ice cream per serving, you are paying around $100 per serving (roughly equating to $3 USD or just over £2 GBP). It's certainly not cheap, but is it worth it?
What we ordered
Red Wine & Oolong Tea
The oolong tea is on the left side and the red wine is on the right side.
You'll notice a slightly green colour to the oolong tea, typical of the colour of oolong tea, of course. The flavours were fresh, lively, and packed full of those classic oolong tea flavours that you hopefully know and love of Taiwanese oolong tea. There's some lovely floral and fruity notes that come through in the ice cream, but it is predominantly the grassy flavour of oolong tea with a milky aftertaste. It's very nice.
The red wine ice cream isn't red. I was surprised by this. The raisins within have been soaked in red wine, and they explode with flavour when bitten into. The ice cream itself has this intense red wine flavour coursing through that surprised me with every bite. How can something so plain-looking be so flavourful? Deep, rich, and wonderfully boozy. I will definitely get this again!
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Snow King ice cream is a Taipei ice cream institution. It is absolutely worth your time, effort, and money.
What is the best dish? I was taken aback by the red wine-flavoured ice cream.
Are there other places like this? There are lots of places to get ice cream in Taipei. But, I think that Snow King ice cream offer history, epic flavours that you're likely to find nowhere else, and all in a unique space. However, some other places you might want to try are:
- Bei Men Ice Cream 北門鳳李冰
- This place is a favourite of mine for the simple flavours. The peanut ice cream is top class.
- He Mei 和美冰果室
- Not far from the wonderful LeHua night market in Yonghe, this ice cream is inexpensive, packed full of fresh flavours, and they often lots of authentically Taiwanese flavours.
My favorite is the ginger. The banana is also delightful. I also enjoyed the basil the couple of times I had it. Wasabi was exactly what I expected it to be, and once was enough.
I imagine the basil could be quite refreshing