Lots of good food while I was here at Chinatown of Houston and after a hearty meal, one could only have place for something special enough to placate your tummy, and that would be....
"I Scream ,You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!!"
And who am I to not heed the words penned down by the renowned song-writer Howard Johnson. So, I headed over to this hole in the wall cafe which serves authentic Taiwanese food, and guess what?
They are good at Shaved Snow Ice or Xue Hua Bing as told in Taiwanese which is literally known as shaved snow.
So I have headed over to this place called Star Snow Ice & Teriyaki.
Well, the place was busy being a Sunday during the evening. I luckily found a table within 10 minutes of checking the menu and I went ahead and got seated with my delicious heaps of ice.
First one of it,
This is Taro Shaved Snow Ice. I could have just kept staring at it while it melts away along with my heart. Food is an art and is a gift given to humankind to perfect it. This masterpiece is shaved through a machine which spits out thin layers of flavored ice.
The toppings are as important as the flavor of the shaved ice you choose. For this one, I went with Litchis, Kiwis, Strawberries and Almond Jellies. My heart did not let me damage the design it has formed, but we need to move on with it.
I took a big scoop in my first bite consisting of all the pairings with the ice. It was as magical as it can get. The flavors were spot on. The fruits which were sweet and had slight sourness pairing with the taro ice was magical. The almond jelly is perfect with taro as well. Try these toppings and you wouldn't be disappointed.
Taste: 8.5/10
Next one,
This would be Mango Shaved Snow Ice. The same thing as above albeit with mango flavor. The toppings in this case were Kiwis, Strawberries, Pineapple and Watermelon. I went ahead with a bite of everything, as I usually do, however the fruits did not add up to the refreshing flavor of the mango ice. The strawberries and watermelon paired well with the ice but I could have skipped kiwis and pineapples and substituted it with better toppings.
Taste: 7.5/10
Finally,
This is Strawberry Shaved Snow Ice. No dessert would be complete without a strawberry flavored delish and I was no different. I opted for ingredients authentic to Taiwanese cuisine and I went with freshly sliced ripe Mangoes, Kiwis, Mung Beans and Barley Beans. When a tummy fully filled to the brim tells that it wants more, then it gotta be appetizing.
So, I went ahead and returned the favor to my tummy with a spoonful of everything. It was phenomenal that I couldn't stop eating it. Be it the ripe mangoes or the savory mung beans or the jelly textured barley beans along with the sweet strawberry ice, I was just amazed with this rendition.
Taste: 9/10
Looking for a dessert at Chinatown or looking for a dessert to put your stress at ease, then this place would be on the top of that list!
Details
Star Snow Ice and Teriyaki
9889 Bellaire Blvd Houston, TX 77036
(713) 779-8886
Overall
Taste: 8.5/10
Ambience: 6/10
Service: 8.5/10
Value For Money: 9/10
