3 Siblings Snow Ice 三兄妹雪花: must-eat shaved ice in Ximending

November 1, 2024

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Snow ice, or 雪花冰, is one of the most popular cold desserts you can have in Taiwan – of course, other than bubble tea.

By looks alone you might think this is similar to bingsu. However, it is slightly different! Whereas bingsu is typically shaved milk ice, the Taiwanese snow ice is actually flavoured ice that is shaved into ribbons to look like snow.

There are, of course, many shops in Taiwan selling snow ice. However, there’s a particular one located right in the heart of Ximending that many people go to: 3 Siblings Snow Ice.

The storefront is easily recognisable thanks to the bright yellow colours and cheerful mascot outside. It tends to be quite lively and bustling, as many tourists will make their way here especially during the hotter months.

What to order & eat at 3 Siblings Snow Ice

As you may be able to guess by the signboard and the cute mascot, the signature dish of 3 Siblings Snow Ice is none other than mango shaved ice.

To be fair, mango shaved ice is wildly popular in Taiwan. Mangoes can be cultivated locally, though they are not actually native to the island.

We were a bit shocked that 3 Siblings offered so many dizzying variety of snow ice flavours. I forgot to take a photo of the menu, but here’s a snippet of it:

Being on the cusp of summer meant that it was the perfect season to eat shaved ice with fruits. Naturally we wanted mango (duh!), and decided that having some strawberries would be nice. It also happened that strawberries were right in season!

P.S. if you notice, the facility is heavily vandalised with tons of graffiti! I thought this was pretty similar to the Miss Lee Café, where they welcome patrons to leave behind a mark to show that they’ve been there before.

It’s a sweet gesture, though you have to be a little careful that your clothes & belongings don’t get stained from any of the ink!

As you may have noticed from the photos, the shaved ice is yellow from the mango flavouring. Not only that, they’ve also topped the bowl of shaved ice with a scoop of mango ice cream.

The end result is a rather overwhelming burst of mango, but one that is greatly welcome!

The mango flavouring didn’t taste too artificially sweet, despite our initial concerns. The shaved ice also makes it easy for it to melt in your mouth. Paired with the refreshing fruits that the shop generously topped, it made for a delightful treat that we gobbled within minutes.

Is 3 Siblings Snow Ice worth visiting?

While there are quite a few notable places to eat shaved ice in Taiwan, my personal favourite after all these years remains 3 Siblings Snow Ice.

The syrup is not cloyingly sweet, and the fruits are actually some of the freshest that I’ve had thus far in Taiwanese desserts.

If you’re in Ximending and need somewhere to hide from the sweltering heat, 3 Siblings Snow Ice is your best bet. Other than mango shaved ice, you can also enjoy other traditional desserts like soya milk and fruit juice!

DIRECTIONS

Address: No. 23號, Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

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