Yuan Zai Hui (Guohua St. flagship)

Review

Yuan Zai Hui's Guohua flagship is at No. 99, Section 2, Guohua Street, and is one of the most-queued ice shops on the southern stretch of the street. According to the MICHELIN Guide, this traditional shaved ice shop has been run by three generations for more than fifty years, and its name combines the owners' names with their proudest creation. Supertaste notes that it has been a Bib Gourmand pick since 2022, and it appears on the 2025 Tainan Bib Gourmand list.

The shop serves shaved ice and hot sweet soups, with more than ten toppings made in-house every day, of which you choose five. MICHELIN singles out the dense, chewy rice balls as the signature, while the slow-cooked honeyed taro and the little ice-cube-like starch cubes are also popular. According to Supertaste, the eight-treasure ice costs NT$60 with five toppings and plain ice starts at NT$25; the ice is white shaved ice with syrup, sweet but not cloying, and people come all year round.

Fans praise the fresh toppings, the big, creamy chunks of taro, adjustable sweetness, and a room that stays fairly comfortable despite the bustle; some say they have been regulars for years. Critics feel it is not very different from other famous eight-treasure ice shops; there are queues at peak times, though the line moves quickly. Diners also note that extra toppings cost more and that it is cash only.

The MICHELIN Guide lists hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays. Summer afternoons and evenings are busiest, while mornings or mealtimes tend to be quicker. Decide on hot or cold and pick your five toppings before you reach the counter. Parking around Guohua Street is difficult, so walk over from Baoan Road or Yongle Market and carry on exploring afterwards.

Good for anyone wanting a bowl of ice to cut through a Guohua Street or Baoan Road snack crawl, and for hot sweet soup in winter. First-timers can order the eight-treasure ice with rice balls, honeyed taro and starch cubes plus two kinds of beans; ask for less syrup if you dislike sweetness. One bowl shared between two is just right.