Po Po Ice (Original Store)

Review

The original Po Po Ice stands at No. 135 Qixian 3rd Road in Yancheng. Supertaste describes it as a long-established ice shop founded in the early Republican era, and it remains one of Yancheng's signature places to cool off. The same family runs another branch on Qixian 3rd Road; diners note they share roots, but many longtime locals still see the original store as the real starting point.

Toppings and candied fruit are mostly made in-house. The signature mixed ice is topped with red beans, taro paste, mango, corn and salted plum, sweet with a salty-sour edge that is typical of southern Taiwan. Old-fashioned sweet-and-sour flavours such as star fruit ice, sour plum ice and pickled green mango ice are also popular, and diners recommend mulberry with condensed milk, durian with condensed milk, and seasonal strawberry or mango. Portions are generous, so two people can easily share one bowl.

Praise centres on generous toppings, a wide range of flavours, friendly prices and the nostalgic feel of a place locals have loved since childhood. On the downside, winter mango ice uses frozen fruit that is not as good as in season, some find drinks such as milk tea ordinary, and the room gets crowded at busy times, making seats hard to find.

Sources disagree slightly on hours: Supertaste lists 10 a.m. to midnight, while online listings show 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and closed Tuesdays, so check before you go. The shaved-ice version of the signature mixed ice is NT$80, and most items run about NT$55–100. It is busy day and night and works well as an after-dinner stop; Ya Rou Zhen and other Yancheng favourites are close by, and since parking is hard, walking between them is best.

Good for travellers who want old-style southern shaved ice, anyone hunting for dessert in the evening, and groups who like to share. First-timers should try the signature mixed ice to taste the house-made toppings, and fans of sweet-sour flavours can add star fruit or pickled green mango ice. Choose mango in summer and strawberry in winter and spring to avoid out-of-season fruit.