Kinmen’s old-time comic book shop also sells shaved ice！Red beans are creamy with rich toppings

Text and photos byViviyu

Sheng Li Ice Shop, Kinmen City
Address: No. 129, Juguang Road, Kinmen City, Kinmen County (diagonally opposite Houpu Wu Temple)
Phone: 082-325635
Business hours: 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Strolling along Kinmen’s Model Street, I visited in October thinking it wouldn’t be too hot, but even at noon the sun was blazing. Not knowing where to go, I wandered to Sheng Li Ice Shop, guided by a friend.

From the outside, it looks just like the comic book stores of my childhood—back then, comics cost 5 NT dollars to read inside the store, and you paid based on how many you read. I could immerse myself in the world of comics.

Look at these walls full of books—some must be older than me!! Back in the day, this was probably a great spot for soldiers to kill time, and perhaps because of that history, there’s an ice parlor here where you can sip banana water or enjoy a bowl of shaved ice to cool off while reading comics.

Though the shop doesn’t have many items, the toppings for shaved ice are plentiful, and prices are very reasonable—a cup of plain ice water is just 15 NT dollars, and you can add toppings for an extra charge.

Check out the toppings in the freezer—there are about 15 varieties, most of them homemade and self-boiled by the shop. Honestly, I wanted to add every single one because they all looked so delicious, and I spent ages just deciding on the toppings.

After much internal debate, I chose red beans, tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), sweet potato balls, and wheat flakes—all homemade and self-boiled by the shop. Don’t they look tempting?

My friend ordered different toppings: grass jelly and big red beans. It was so satisfying to eat them in big bites—the toppings were really generous.

The bowl my friend ordered was seriously overloaded with toppings!! We even joked that she must’ve sweet-talked the grandma into giving extra toppings, haha!!

Although it’s already autumn, the midday sun in Kinmen is still blazing. At a time like this, a refreshing bowl of shaved ice is just the thing. I love how the red beans are cooked to a smooth, creamy texture, and the wheat flakes are thick, fragrant, and lightly aromatic.

But what I love most are the small tangyuan—they have the chewy elasticity of glutinous rice, and the daily freshly made toppings are truly delicious. Right now, I’m missing that bowl of old-time shaved ice again.

There’s no fancy decor—even walking by, you might not notice it, but don’t forget this rich old-time flavor. Stop by for a glass of banana water or a bowl of shaved ice, and reminisce about the scenes of your childhood.

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