Long Quan Ice Shop

Review

Long Quan Ice Shop sits inside Madou Central Market and is the old ice shop most often mentioned in Madou. Supertaste calls it a century-old shop and notes that it was a filming location for the TV drama 'Someday or One Day', so fans of the show often make a pilgrimage. Newtalk's Madou food roundup also lists it as a highlight, and the Tainan tourism food map includes it too, drawing both locals and tourists.

The signature is build-your-own shaved ice: NT$50 for any five toppings, or ask the owner for a mixed selection if you cannot decide. Toppings named by the media include brown sugar jelly, Alishan aiyu, taro and candied sweet potato, chewy and soft with an old-fashioned sweetness. Another highlight is NT$5 roasted flour tea, fragrant with toasted flour when served hot in winter, and some diners like ordering warm rice balls alongside the ice for a hot-and-cold contrast. Portions are generous and the ice is fine, so two people can share a bowl.

Fans praise the variety of toppings, the handmade feel and the fair price, plus the atmosphere of an old shop and a drama set that makes for good photos. Complaints are mostly about weekend crowds and limited seating, some finding it too sweet or certain toppings ordinary, and tourists noting that the market setting is dated and stuffy in summer.

Sources differ on opening hours: some say 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., others 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closing days are irregular, so check before going. The address also appears as No. 2-4 Pingdeng Road or on the Zhongshan Road side, but both are inside the Central Market. Parking nearby is hard, so ride a scooter or park outside and walk. Weekday afternoons are quieter, while weekends after noon are the busiest.

It suits lovers of traditional shaved ice, drama fans and anyone strolling the market with older relatives, and makes a natural dessert after wan gui or pot-boiled noodles nearby. First-timers can order the NT$50 shaved ice with brown sugar jelly, aiyu, taro, candied sweet potato and one favourite of their own; in winter try the hot roasted flour tea, spending about NT$50 to 80 per person.