Snow King Ice Cream

Review

Snow King Ice Cream is at 2F, No. 65, Section 1, Wuchang Street in Zhongzheng; from Exit 5 of MRT Ximen Station, walk to the plaza by Zhongshan Hall and look for the sign. Supertaste says it was founded in 1947, nearly eighty years ago, and bills itself as Taipei's oldest handmade ice cream shop; the founder first sold homemade ice from a pushcart before buying the shop and gradually adding flavours.

There are more than seventy flavours. Classics such as red bean and taro cost NT$105 each and peach NT$100, but the savoury range is what most people come to try: Thai basil at NT$105, pork floss at NT$140, and sesame oil chicken, pork knuckle and 58-proof Kinmen sorghum liquor at NT$180 each, so do not drive after the sorghum one. Many seasonal flavours use fresh fruit, and there is an unsweetened tofu ice for those watching their sugar.

Fans praise the huge choice and the fun of the oddball flavours, find fruit flavours such as mango, watermelon and lychee refreshing, and call the lotus seed one smooth; after renovation the shop is bright and tidy, its walls lined with medals and press clippings. Critics feel the texture is not creamy enough, with noticeable ice crystals, find the tea flavours ordinary, think a single scoop is not cheap, and say seating gets tight when tourists crowd in.

Hours are about noon to 8 p.m., and sources mention no closing day. Weekend afternoons are busiest, so try a weekday or early evening. The shop is upstairs, so look for the staircase; first-timers often miss the entrance. Parking around Ximending is expensive, so the MRT is best, and you can also stroll to Zhongshan Hall and the Red House.

Good for showing foreign friends distinctly Taiwanese flavours or for anyone wanting to try unusual ice cream. Two people can order a classic red bean or taro plus a pork floss or sesame oil chicken scoop to compare, and the cautious can start with a fruit flavour. Expect about NT$100 to NT$200 per person.