With up to 20 ingredients  Summer ice wars rage on as a beloved old Tainan shaved ice shop stands firm

Text & Photos /Xiao Sheng

Babao Bin and Yuanzi Hui’s shaved ice is loaded with toppings, and some of the ingredients are perfectly cooked, while others are truly unique—this is definitely a shaved ice shop worth trying.

Summer is approaching, which means Tainan’s annual shaved ice battle is about to begin. Among the many shaved ice shops in Tainan—many offering creative flavors and fruit-based options—Xiao Sheng’s favorite remains the classic Taiwanese shaved ice. And when it comes to both quantity and quality of traditional shaved ice, Tainan, the historic capital, is undoubtedly the best. Today, I’m introducing a shop located at the intersection of Guohua Street and Bao’an Road: Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui.

Although there are countless traditional shaved ice shops in Tainan, to be honest, I only frequent a few. This time, thanks to my fellow ice enthusiast and junior, Xiao Yong, visiting Tainan, I finally had the chance to check out this particular shaved ice shop. Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui is a well-known spot in the area—you can tell just by looking at the walls covered in media coverage. The Guohua Street location is their flagship store, but they also have branches on Jinhua Road and in Anping.

Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui offers up to 20 different toppings. In addition to the usual ones, you’ll find almond tofu and almond-flavored “empty bowl” tofu. Customers can choose any combination of these toppings for NT$45, or add condensed milk for an extra NT$5.

The display case is packed with a dazzling array of shaved ice toppings that are simply mouthwatering. What intrigued me most were the almond tofu and the various types of mochi. Most places usually offer standard mochi, but here, the mochi is specially made to enhance the flavor of the toppings. By carefully observing, I could see…

Shaved ice + condensed milk (NT$45+5). When ordering shaved ice, I always prefer adding condensed milk—it just feels like the real deal. The syrup used at Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui is regular sugar syrup, not brown sugar syrup, but it’s cooked to be sweet and fragrant, making it a perfect match for the shaved ice.

What I admire most about Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui is the quality of its shaved ice toppings. I’ve visited twice now and tried quite a variety, and almost every topping meets a certain standard. Ingredients like red beans, green beans, and kidney beans are well-cooked, offering a plump and firm texture. The tapioca pearls, rice balls, tangyuan (sweet dumplings), and mochi all have a pleasantly chewy bite. The most unique part is how the almond flavor complements the mochi, something you won’t find in other regions. It makes me wonder why such a great shop isn’t more widely known outside of Tainan.

I’ve tried quite a few shaved ice shops recently, including Xiu’an and Jiangshui Hao. Although Babao Bin’s syrup isn’t as sweet as Xiu’an’s, its toppings are far superior. As for Jiangshui Hao, both the toppings and syrup were underwhelming. That’s why I really love Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui, and I hope everyone visiting Tainan will give it a try.

【Babao Bin Yuanzi Hui (Guohua Flagship Store)】

Address: No. 99, Section 2, Guohua Street, West Central District, Tainan City

Business Hours: 09:00–22:00 (Closed every other Monday)

Phone: (06)2263432, (06)2290055

Xiao Sheng’s Wandering Journey
Every journey, every trip is a quest. Though I’m not entirely sure what I’m searching for, what I gain in the end always exceeds my expectations. And so, my wandering journey will continue endlessly.