To fight Hong Kong’s rising temperatures, there’s nothing better than delicious shaved ice. Healthier than ice cream, tasty and incredibly Instagrammable, the Japanese delicacy has found a clear audience in the city over the years.
One of the reasons behind the dessert’s popularity is Hong Kong’s taste for fusion and innovation. Indeed, none of the dozen shaved ice cafés that have opened in recent years taste the same—some take their inspiration from Taiwan with taro-flavoured desserts and bubble tea, while others take after Thailand with flavours of mango sticky rice, and right here in Hong Kong with dragonfruit or peanut butter.
What’s certain is that the shaved ice scene is as diverse and delicious as it is complex to navigate. To help you find a bowl of shaved ice that matches your thirst, Tatler has selected some of the best shaved ice shops in Hong Kong.
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Safe bet: Shari Shari Kakigori House
Shari Shari Kakigori House’s shave ice (Photo: Instagram / @sharishari_hk)
Shari Shari Kakigori House is possibly Hong Kong’s most popular Japanese-style shaved ice shop, as proven by the long lines of people that are a constant. Opened by a Hokkaido native, its shaved ice is made with pure Japanese water. Make sure to try the strawberry, matcha and earl grey flavours.
Shari Shari Kakigori HouseAddress: Several locations around Hong Kong; instagram.com/sharishari_hk
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For Thai flavours: After You Dessert Café
After You’s shaved ice (Photo: Instagram / @afteryoudessertcafehongkong)
After You Dessert Café is another beloved destination for shaved ice. Its signature is a mango sticky rice-flavoured shaved ice, especially made of ice bricks imported from Thailand. The desserts can also be upgraded with a bed of soft and glutinous rice topped with sweet mango, as well as fried mung beans. Its popularity speaks for itself: the shop was forced to launched a takeaway version of the shaved ice due to high demand.
After You Dessert CaféAddress: Shop G24-25, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
For Taiwanese flavours: Meet Fresh
Meet Fresh’s shaved ice (Photo: Instagram / @aiufami_hk)
Meet Fresh, a Taiwan-inspired shaved ice cafe, shouldn’t be overlooked. As a proud representative of the island’s flavours, the shop serves shaved ice made with fresh and natural ingredients, such as handmade soft taro balls and herbal jelly desserts. Try the Q Mochi Milk shaved ice and the mango milk shaved ice to sample the wide range of their toppings.
Meet FreshAddress: Several locations around Hong Kong; facebook.com/meetfreshhongkong
For local flavours: Auntie Sweet
Auntie Sweet’s shaved ice (Photo: Instagram / @auntiesweethk)
With four shops around the city, Auntie Sweet is another popular shaved ice purveyor in Hong Kong—and for a good reason. While its ice is flown in blocks from Japan and is broken down by Japanese ice machines to give it a smooth and dense texture, the flavours are hyper-local. Some of our favourites include the Mr. Hong Kong flavour with peanut butter, the Ruby Umbrella with dragonfruit, and the Yan Chim Kee bowl with caramelised coconut.
Auntie SweetAddress: Several locations around Hong Kong; facebook.com/auntiesweetdesserts
For a cute date: Lab Zero
Lab Zero’s shaved ice (Photo: Instagram / @labzerohongkong)
With delicious, Hong Kong-style shaved ice topped with mango, grapefruit pulp, taro paste, pistachio candies and more, Lab Zero is one of the city’s favourites. But what also makes the dessert different is its Instagrammable environment, as Lab Zero is decorated with cloud lights and industrial details, making it the perfect spot for your next date.
Lab ZeroAddress: Shop B, G/F, 68 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
For grass jelly and a gelatinous dessert: Pahshih Mesona
Pahshih Mesona’s shaved ice (Photo: Instagram / @pa_shih_shen)
If you’re feeling like chewing on something gelatinous, Taiwanese dessert chain Pahshih Mesona is the place to go. Its grass jelly is made by boiling aged dried mesona leaves for eight hours, then chilling the mixture until the liquid is gelatinised. Pair it with toppings like ice cream, chopped mango, red beans, and a generous drizzle of either milk, taro, or hojicha sauce.
Pahshih MesonaAddress: G/F, 19 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
This article was originally publish in Chinese by Elise Yau.
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