Rich brown sugar syrup with a variety of toppings—this classic-style popular shaved ice shop near Jianzhong!

Text & Photos /Old K

After finishing the Lin family’s dry noodles, we slowly walked over to Jianzhong Black Sugar Shaved Ice. The two spots are really close—both on Quanzhou Street, just 24 house numbers apart XD

Their color scheme is super vibrant, bright red and all—and the toppings are right there in the fridge by the door, with big signs so you can pick whatever you want.

If you’re too lazy to choose, the MENU also has preset options, numbers 1–8. Here, you can choose any four toppings for NT$50, and add one more for NT$10. In Taipei, prices are generally around that range—it’s a matter of whether the portion is generous or if the syrup is rich enough. Black sugar powder | I originally wanted to get lychees, but they were out, which was a bit disappointing because I really like those sweet ones, so I went with four-topping black sugar shaved ice. No taro here, which was a bummer. So I picked black sugar powder | longan, red beans, taro balls, and sweet potato balls.

Black Sugar Shaved Ice (any 4 toppings for NT$50)
Look at all that rich black sugar syrup—feels super refreshing and cooling, right? First, try a bite of just the black sugar ice—the aroma of the sugar is really intense. The thick black sugar syrup has just a hint of bitterness, and it’s not as cloyingly sweet as regular syrup—it’s really delicious.

Now for the toppings. The black sugar powder | I originally wanted lychees, but those were gone. These bits have a nice chewy texture because they’ve been chilled a bit more, with that lovely black sugar fragrance—pretty tasty. The red beans | taro balls | sweet potato balls I thought were a little firmer than I’d prefer. The pineapple is cooked fresh, not from a can, so it’s not overly sweet—but the pineapple flavor is a bit muted.

Old K noticed everyone has their own way of eating shaved ice. Many like to stir everything up before digging in, but I usually eat it slowly from one side without mixing, so the bottom doesn’t all turn to water. After finishing a bowl of this black sugar ice, it really is refreshingly cooling XD

K’s little tip: This black sugar ice is seriously rich—in Taipei, it’s probably top-tier. Two years ago I tried another black sugar shaved ice shop near Jianbei, which was somewhat similar, but this Jianzhong version might actually be a bit better. Though the topping portion here isn’t super generous. Recently I went to Beitou and had Chen family’s shaved ice, which also has black sugar—but the black sugar here is slightly less intense. However, that one had better toppings, a much bigger portion, and the best part—it’s only NT$40 XD If you love lots of toppings, check out Beitou’s Chen family shaved ice. But if you’re all about ultra-rich black sugar shaved ice, then this is the place!

K’s personal rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.1
Value: 7
Dining Environment: 5
Price: 7

Jianzhong Black Sugar Shaved Ice
Address: No. 35, Quanzhou Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2305-4750
Business Hours: 10:30–19:00 (open all summer, closed Mondays in winter)

Old K
Keep it going, Old K!

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