Traditional markets now have cafés — enjoy Japanese-style shaved ice even in summer’s heat

Text and photos byOrange Dog Loves Sweets

Normally, when I visit Xiangshang Market, I’m just looking for an affordable noodle stall or dumplings to fill me up, or maybe some fried chicken and braised snacks. After all, traditional markets usually feature more Chinese-style eateries or stalls. But one day, I happened to ride by Huamei Street and unexpectedly spotted the sign for 【Machiya Café】. It was a bit of a surprise since coffee shops aren’t commonly found around here. The shop also had a flag hanging out front advertising a Japanese-style ice stand, which reminded me of Kogei Ice Parlor on Dayong West Street. With the hot weather, I figured I’d stop by for some shaved ice.

Although it’s named “Machiya” (traditional Japanese townhouse), the café doesn’t really resemble the architectural style of Kyoto’s machiya buildings. From the sliding doors at the entrance to the wooden floors and furniture inside, everything has a Japanese-style wooden design that looks especially refreshing in the summer.

The word “ice” on the shop’s sign clearly indicates that shaved ice is on the menu. Though it’s a coffee shop, there aren’t many seats — only about three sets of four-person tables — but it has air conditioning and comfortable seating.

On a day like this, having a shop with air conditioning feels incredibly blissful, especially if there’s no time limit XD

Another display counter inside the shop sells a few simple items.

For example, this imported 100% unfiltered Aomori apple juice, sold in 1000ml bottles for 250 NT$, doesn’t seem expensive to me.

There are also homemade lemons and mangoes for sale. The entire shop was created by a pair of sisters, and due to limited staffing, the current menu offers more drinks than food items.

But there are several flavors of Japanese-style shaved ice to choose from, priced between 60 and 80 NT$. For a café, that’s quite reasonable, and the other items aren’t pricey either.

Of course, what attracted me most was the adorable Shiba Inu shop dog, 【Duoduo】. Usually, it’s tied up in a corner of the shop because they’re worried it might run outside, so that’s how it stays for now.

But it’s actually quite well-behaved, mostly staying quietly in place, and it’s very friendly, loving to be petted and pampered (if you’ve ever had a dog, you know where the furry kids like to be scratched).

For me, finding another pet-friendly shop is always a joy, as it means I have one more place to bring my dog. It’s just that Duoduo isn’t a big fan of having its photo taken XDDD — unless you’re holding food, then it’ll obediently pay attention to the camera.

But don’t feed the shop dog randomly, hey — too much human food isn’t good for dogs, you know. (That’s another visiting Shiba Inu named Boji!!)

【Original Latte / 105 NT$】
Their cups are quite refined — with a curved shape and thick walls. The milk foam on top of the coffee is extremely delicate and smooth. As soon as it touches your lips, the warm or cool foam glides smoothly and richly, while the bold bitterness of the coffee emerges along your taste buds, carrying a hint of light roasted aroma. The bitterness is just right. Compared to the usual latte at most cafés, this one has a slightly stronger bitterness, but it’s the flavor ratio and texture I prefer. I was quite surprised to find such a good latte here, with careful attention to both the milk foam temperature and the coffee temperature.

【Matcha Latte / 100 NT$】
The moment you take a sip, you can taste the aroma of matcha powder. I forgot to ask for sugar, so it wasn’t sweet — the staff said it was a small oversight on their part, but I actually preferred it this way as it let the original matcha flavor come through. The aftertaste has a faint milky sweetness, and it’s quite nice, though I still lean more toward the original latte.

【Uji Kintoki Shaved Ice (with condensed milk and mochi balls) / 80 NT$】
The presentation is very cute and Japanese-style. I’ve only had Japanese shaved ice twice before in Japan, and I think what attracts me most is seeing the snow-white shaved ice served in a clear bowl — it’s so refreshingly cool-looking. On a scorching summer day, seeing this is instantly cooling. There’s a simple small wooden tray with a coaster, topped with crushed ice drizzled with matcha syrup, and half of it is covered with a generous layer of red beans. It’s a small portion — enough for one person but better shared between two. The condensed milk is for customers to pour on themselves, and I think they could probably add a bit more.

Because after pouring, only the surface gets coated, and the sweet flavor of the condensed milk doesn’t really seep down. But the red beans are cooked soft and fluffy, and they’re especially plump, giving a satisfying texture. The shaved ice itself is different from what I had at Kogei last time — theirs was snowflake-style ice.

In Japan, I’ve had both crushed ice and snowflake ice, so I’m not sure which is the traditional Japanese style. But crushed ice doesn’t melt into water as easily, so it holds up better for photos. The matcha syrup is poured generously but isn’t overly sweet, with a refreshing matcha flavor that doesn’t try too hard to emphasize the taste. I think it’s quite tasty, though as mentioned earlier, the condensed milk could be a bit more generous. Otherwise, I also like the presentation.

【Today’s Special – Ginger Chicken Leg Rice (with soup) / 120 NT$ / price subject to daily availability】
This special meal doesn’t have a fixed daily menu — it depends on the ingredients purchased each day, so the price may vary. But today’s chicken leg rice is quite a good deal, as it’s really tasty.

It comes with pumpkin and mushroom soup. The chopped mushrooms add texture to the rich, slightly sweet soup, which is thick but not overly heavy.

The ginger chicken leg rice takes about 10 to 15 minutes to prepare. It comes with a fairly large, solid piece of chicken leg meat, paired with onions and some king oyster mushrooms. The ginger sauce is prepared in a way that’s quite common in Japanese cuisine and is a typical home-cooked dish.

But the ginger flavor is aromatic without being too spicy, paired with the crispness of the onions and a hint of tangy sourness that stimulates the appetite. The chicken leg meat is tender and fresh, making it very satisfying. I almost couldn’t stop eating and finished the whole thing. Each bite brings a refreshing layer of flavors from the sauce on the taste buds — it’s a rice dish that pleasantly surprised me.

【Peanut Thick Toast / 30 NT$】
If it were just cheap, I wouldn’t think it’s particularly worth recommending. But since the toast is also homemade by the shop, it’s slightly crispy on the outside after baking, soft and chewy on the inside. The shop said I should try the milk crumb topping—they recommended it because the spread is also made in-house. But honestly, at this price point, it’s unbelievable that a regular café would offer homemade bread at such pricing!!

[Lemonade / Complimentary]
At most cafés, the lemonade usually just tastes faintly of lemon because the slices are so thin. But since the shop grows its own lemons, they use whole lemons in the water. The lemon aroma bursts with a subtle sourness like fresh lemon juice—that’s truly the flavor only fresh lemons can deliver. Even as complimentary water, I really liked it. Though I always come right when they open, so I can’t say if the flavor remains as vibrant later in the day.

[Homemade Bread]
This is bread made by the owner herself. I was lucky enough to try a piece just as it came out of the oven. I forgot what flavor it was, but the bread itself was incredibly soft, light, and slightly chewy—though maybe a bit too moist. The moisture dulled the aroma of the bread while chewing, but the initial bite was quite nice. The owner mentioned that some items are still in the adjustment phase, and since it was just a trial product, I just had a quick taste. (Later the next day, after giving feedback, I learned that the one I tried was freshly baked—once it cooled to room temperature, it had the usual firm and chewy texture.)

This food review is a bit messy XD, because today I just came by myself to escape the heat, mainly to eat a bowl of shaved ice and play with the dogs, so I only introduced two dishes. I plan to bring my dog again another day and write about more items. (Also, I’ve been adjusting my camera settings lately, and the colors turned out a bit... let’s just say suboptimal, so please bear with it for now.) But compared to the shaved ice, I actually liked the special set meal more—the flavors are great, and the price isn’t high because the ingredients are solid. The location they chose to open the shop is pretty interesting too—most cafés wouldn’t open inside a traditional market. But the style still has its own charm. At the very least, the bowl of shaved ice plus the shop dog left an impression on me. With summer in full swing and the prices at Machiya being reasonable, I’ll probably come back when I have time. Though there are only three tables and chairs, so on weekends when it gets crowded, I’d recommend getting takeout!! (Also adding records of three more visits for coffee and dishes I tried later.)

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[Machiya Coffee / Shangxiang Market │ West District]
◎ Address: No. 245, Huamei Street, West District, Taichung City
◎ Phone: 04-23027155
◎ Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
◎ Note: Closed on Mondays. This is a pet-friendly café, but no pet food is provided.
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