One fine evening, a bored human being was browsing Google Maps for shaved ice places and happened upon 九州純冰おいしい氷屋 (Oishii Koori), a cafe & shaved ice shop franchise from Fukuoka, Japan. She couldn’t make out the first half of the name, but she knows that the second half translates to “delicious ice shop.” As a lover of desserts, especially ice dessert products, she knew she had to try Oishii Koori’s delicious shaved ice! Also, some of the reviews on google maps claimed that the ice is imported from Japan, which only fortified her desire to try one of the best japanese shaved ice in Taipei!
Located in a cozy alleyway, Oishii Koori is unassuming at first, so it might be easy to walk past. There was a 10% discount for take-out orders, which was nice, and of course I opted for take-out, so I didn’t have to wait for it to be prepared. Upon entrance, the hostess immediately greeted me in Japanese. Getting my order only took 5 minutes, and I was given a 30NTD off voucher for my next purchase.
The Best Japanese Shaved Ice in Taipei
Matcha Mascarpone Kakigori(shaved ice) is unlike any other shaved ice you’ve ever had. The devil is in the details. It looks like a matcha shaved ice topped with whipped cream, but wait till you dig your spoon in! Below the whipped cream is a layer of fluffy red bean mixed with cream. As you dig further down, there is a pleasant surprise: a condensed milk cream! Last but not least, the quality of the matcha is superb. It is a beautiful vibrant green color(not greenish brown), and is not overly sweet. This is definitely one of the best shaved ice I’ve ever tried!
Locally-Sourced & Homemade Milk Kakigori is next up. The texture was light, and soft. It was a little bit too sweet for my taste. For people who don’t like overly complex things, this milk mountain is simple and perfect.
Wild Berry Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae Parfait(to-go)
Matcha Milk Kakigori w/ Dango and Adzuki Red Beans (to-go)
As you can see, the portions for to-go orders are not a lot compared to that of when dining in. That is also reflected in the price as well. The to-go orders were wrapped in aluminum to help maintain the cold temperature. The wild berry parfait was full of fresh ingredients and the vanilla ice cream was creamy and not icy. The matcha milk shaved ice was not too compact, and had good fluffiness and texture. I enjoyed the chewiness and QQ of the dango. The red bean paste seems to be homemade and was the perfect sweetness.
