This Summer’s Coolest Treat: Oolong Icy Delight – Refreshing, Not Cloying, Plus Free Cold Brew Tea for Check-Ins

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

It’s the peak of summer vacation, and August is when the heat is at its most intense. The ice cream craze continues to sizzle, though no one knows how long it will last. The limited-edition ice cream battles between FamilyMart and 7-Eleven are still in full swing, and consumers are happily snapping up the deals. But the ice creams in the city all start to taste pretty similar after a while, unless there’s some unique alcoholic flavor that piques more interest. That day, a colleague said they were going to Zinan Temple in Zhushan to pray for good fortune, so we spontaneously made the trip from Taichung. Right after exiting the Zhushan Interchange, someone suddenly wanted a drink, and that’s when we noticed a blue tent across the street with the words 【Oolong Icy Delight】.

If it had been your average ice cream, it probably wouldn’t have caught our attention. But because it was under a blue tent, in the blazing sunlight, it felt like a beachside drink stand. We thought, “At the very least, they must be selling some kind of drink!” So we parked the car and walked over, only to discover it was actually an ice cream shop, seemingly run by the nearby Rong’en Tea House. There wasn’t any big signage—just the words 【Oolong Icy Delight】 written inside the stall. We asked the staff and found out more.

Turns out, they make their own ice cream using their house-produced oolong tea. It was the first time I’d heard of a tea shop selling ice cream. When I got home, I did a little research and found that Rong’en Tea House is quite famous—they won the Grand Prize for Tea in Lugu Zhushan back in 2009, and in 2014, they took home four First Prizes. So their tea must be pretty good, but selling ice cream? That’s pretty quirky.

And there was a young woman behind the counter who was super enthusiastic about explaining things—even if you couldn’t always understand what she was saying, XDDD.

But she just seemed so warm and friendly, and adorable, chatting with other people’s kids. Upon closer look, this ice shop only sells two products: Oolong Tea Ice Cream and Oolong Tea Sundae.

But what surprised me was the price—just NT$40 and NT$45 respectively. That’s really cheap. The best part? Take a photo, check in, and upload it, and you get a free bottle of their homemade cold brew tea (original price NT$35). How are they even making money??? We must’ve hit the jackpot with perfect timing. Our cheapskate instincts kicked in, and we each quickly bought one, XDDDDD (Later I asked how long the promotion would last, and it turns out there’s currently no end date!!)

【Champion Oolong Tea Ice Cream / NT$40】 At this price and portion size, it can go head-to-head with convenience store ice creams. It’s generously portioned—four big scoops—but they don’t use any artificial ingredients to create an overly intense oolong flavor. The ice cream has a light grayish-green hue, with some granules on top from tea leaves and seeds. It’s not cloying at all. The texture of the ice is slightly like a granita—cool and refreshing—but still firm and not crumbly. Without that heavy creaminess, it’s incredibly refreshing with a subtle oolong aroma. It’s not trying too hard, and it’s really quite good.

And there are also shakers on-site, like the ones you see at Western restaurants for sprinkling salt and pepper. The shop grinds tea leaves into fine particles, so you can sprinkle three different tea aromas onto your ice cream for a whole new experience. This is something only a tea shop could pull off—and at such an affordable price, too.

【Champion Oolong Tea Sundae / NT$45】 Though it’s called a sundae… it actually comes with a homemade tea jelly base. There are several flavors of tea jelly to choose from, and I found the tea flavor in the jelly even stronger than in the ice cream—pretty impressive. Aside from that, there’s no extra syrup or toppings. Even without fancy decorations, this simple treat is surprisingly satisfying.

【Champion Cold Brew Teas (Three Flavors) / Original Price NT$35 / Currently Free with Ice Cream Check-In】 All three flavors are delicious, with a natural tea taste that’s neither overly sweet nor bitter. Unlike the cloyingly sweet convenience store versions, these are refreshingly smooth, easy to drink, and incredibly thirst-quenching. Getting this with your ice cream is the ultimate summer cooler.
(The white balance in this post is a bit off—please just bear with it, Up!) Zhushan isn’t a town I visit often. Usually, I’d only pass through when heading to Xitou or Zinan Temple, so I’d usually just turn left or right right after the interchange. Since I don’t usually drink tea, I never paid attention to the tea shops. But this time, thanks to the blue tent, I discovered such an affordable summer ice cream and cold brew tea. The name might be a bit of a tongue-twister, but the location is super easy to find. If you’re in the Zhushan area, don’t miss it!!

【Oolong Icy Delight – Rong’en Tea Industry】