Beat the heat with Qingguang Market’s classic-style grass jelly ice topped with Beigang handmade rice noodles

Text & photos byOld K

After lunch, we dropped by Qingguang Market to see if we could find some ice to eat.

We happened upon this Urban Grass Jelly place that had quite a crowd. Though it’s located in Shuangcheng Night Market, it’s actually open all day—the offerings vary slightly between morning and evening.

Despite the name “Urban Grass Jelly,” they don’t only serve grass jelly ice—it’s just like regular shaved ice. A bowl costs 45 NT and you can choose 1 to 4 toppings, plus you can add lemon.

Mixed Grass Jelly Ice (45 NT)
Old K of course went for 4 toppings plus lemon. Their ice is pre-shaved and kept in metal buckets, so some pieces stick together and end up a bit coarser. Old K’s toppings were grass jelly, grass jelly, herb jelly, powder something... um, what else was there? Can’t really remember what else he got.

Let’s start with the ice and syrup first. Their syrup isn’t black sugar syrup, but it’s still very rich and has that old-school flavor. With the sour-sweetness of the lemon, it was absolutely perfect—instantly cooled us down XD

The herb jelly had a slightly crisp yet bouncy texture.

The grass jelly was super smooth and soft—we could tell it was the natural kind. Some grass jellies have that weird chewy-Q texture, which is just odd XD

This powder something was also on the sweet side, but not overly so—we really liked it.

The rice noodles are emphasized as being handmade from Beigang. They’re Q and bouncy with a good bite. Not as chewy as the powder something, but more flavorful than the powder something—pretty enjoyable. Worried the ice would melt before we finished eating it XD

Old K’s little tip: Old K thinks this ice is really delicious. The syrup and toppings are well-matched, and the added lemon is the perfect finishing touch. Like the four toppings Old K picked this time—they varied in texture from soft to hard to Q-bouncy, and were great whether eaten alone or mixed together.

Their topping selection isn’t huge—about 10 or so—but every one Old K tried was tasty. Plus, their hours are super long, open from noon until around 1 or 2 AM. Next time you’re at Qingguang Market and want snacks, braised goods, fried dough rings, or cotton candy, don’t forget to grab a bowl of this too. Oh, and in winter they switch to hot desserts like peanut soup, red bean soup, and burnt herb jelly—come back then to try those.

Old K’s personal rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.3 points
Value: 8 points
Dining Environment: 4.5 points
Price: 7 points

Urban Grass Jelly
Address: No. 14, Shuangcheng St., Zhongshan District, Taipei City (Stall 9, Shuangcheng Night Market)
Delivery Phone: 0921-451-539
Hours: 12:00–around 1:00 AM (irregular closures, rarely closed)

Old K
Keep the eating going, Old K!!

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