Ice Cream Craze Heats Up: A Japanese-Style Ice Cream Shop in an Unassuming Corner of Kaohsiung

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

Kaohsiung’s summer heat is undeniable—basically, once June and July roll around during the summer vacation, the scorching sun is blazing. The piercing, intense sunlight makes you feel like your skin is about to get burned the moment you step outside, with waves of heat rolling in. That’s why there are so many ice shops on the streets of Kaohsiung, not to mention the packed scenes at Qijin Ferry Pier every summer. But I have to say, I’m glad this year’s ice cream craze is still going strong, resulting in more and more ice cream shops opening. Almost around every corner or in an unassuming part of the city, you’ll find a Japanese-style ice cream shop inviting you in. On this particular day, after finishing a work meeting with a client, I dropped by 外公家 (Grandpa’s Home) across from HanShin Department Store and discovered that many new shops had opened in Lane 235, Section 3, Zhixing Road. Walking in, I found two small stores—one was a matcha specialty shop, and the other was this [Nikko's 'Ice Cream Sundae Specialty Shop'].

By the way, for those unfamiliar with the area, when thinking of HanShin Department Store, many might take the MRT to Zhongshan Park Station and walk over, take a taxi, or search for a bus. But actually, from Exit 1, you can walk to Wufu Road where there’s a HanShin shuttle bus. The service is very frequent, and there are staff on-site to assist. This short shuttle ride can conveniently take you to many places. For example, last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival exhibit of the yellow rubber duck at Glory Pier was less than a ten-minute walk from HanShin. As for Nikko Ice Cream, it’s located around the corner in a back alley behind HanShin. With two large sun umbrellas set up, it’s quite eye-catching—the shopfront is almost hidden from view.

It has a slightly Japanese-style wooden design façade—most ice cream shops that opened this year tend to favor a wooden style.

The ice cream-themed lights at the entrance reminded me of my slight thirst and the heat, and before I knew it, I walked in wanting to buy some ice cream. What caught my attention particularly was the banner for the movie *Twelve Nights*. Although the film is no longer showing, I think the wave of public concern for stray animals in Taiwan has also cooled down. But for pet owners, this flag isn’t just about being trendy—it represents our commitment to spreading the message of ‘Adopt, Don’t Shop.’

That’s when I noticed the shop had posted instant photos of cats—they must be their pet cats at home. However, unlike dogs, cats probably aren’t suited to being shop cats in such an open store environment (they might just run away!), so only photos of the pet cats are displayed. Still, there are plenty of cat-themed decorations gathered in a small corner by the counter.

Most ice cream specialty shops currently offer two flavors per day. I’m not entirely sure why, but the pricing here surprised me a bit—a single scoop is only NT$70, and the second one is just NT$50. Actually, this was the first ice cream I’d had in Kaohsiung, so I’m not familiar with the pricing at other shops here. But in Tainan and Taichung, most scoops are priced between NT$90 and NT$100. In comparison, Nikko’s ice cream seems much more affordable and great value. They also offer sundaes with five different sauces to choose from, all at a flat rate of NT$70.

There’s also a small hand-washing sink provided, which is really thoughtful for when your hands get sticky from eating.

[Nikko Ice Cream / Pistachio + Extra Rich Milk Combo / NT$70]
I wanted to try both flavors, but since I couldn’t eat two scoops by myself, I went for the combo. Their cones don’t have a flared rim, but they’re crispy and sweet, and the portion—just over four rotations—is quite substantial. The mix of white and light green (though the camera didn’t quite capture both colors) gives it a solid, weighty feel.

Since they fill the inside of the cone with ice cream before spiraling the outer layer, it’s incredibly rich and full. The aroma of pistachio blends with the creamy richness of the milk. At just NT$70, it feels much more affordable compared to shops in central and northern Taiwan. And with the second scoop at NT$50, that averages out to just NT$60 per scoop—great value, so definitely grab a friend to come along!!

[Nikko Strawberry Sundae Ice Cream / NT$70 / Cup]
There are five sauce options: chocolate, caramel, strawberry, cranberry, and passion fruit. Each sundae looks a little different. With milk ice cream as the base, topped with star-shaped marshmallows, a layer of coconut jelly at the bottom, and then drizzled with strawberry sauce, it looks really appealing. The handheld cup is convenient for eating on the go, and the rich ice cream is complemented by the fun tanginess of the strawberry sauce. The overall presentation is very girly—I actually wanted to order the chocolate flavor, but ended up saying strawberry instead XD

Eating it with a crispy cookie crust adds a lot of flavor, but the sweetness of the coconut jelly at the bottom combined with the strawberry sauce felt a bit too sweet for me. I think chocolate or caramel flavors might suit my taste better, or maybe even adding a matcha flavor could make it more popular XD

Ice cream shops are popping up on every street corner—a trend we could already see coming this year, especially with Japanese and Korean ice cream brands rapidly expanding. For us, it means more convenience in choosing something cool to eat, with an ice cream shop just around the corner. I know it’s high in calories, but for some reason, whenever I see one, I want to buy one and eat it while walking. Trying every ice cream shop is a nearly impossible mission because they just keep opening—but I don’t want to keep gaining weight either. But if you happen to be nearby, remember to bring a friend along, because the second scoop is just NT$50, a real bargain XD

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◎ Shop Introduction: [Nikko Ice Cream & Sundae Specialty Shop │ Zhongshan Park Station, Qianjin District]
◎ Address: 1F, No. 16, Lane 235, Section 3, Zhixing Road, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City (Behind HanShin Department Store)
◎ Phone: None
◎ Business Hours: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM (until sold out)
◎ Notes: Closed on Mondays, Ice Cream NT$70 per scoop, Second Scoop NT$50
◎ Nearby MRT Station: Take the Red Line MRT to Zhongshan Park Station, Exit 1, and transfer to the HanShin shuttle bus (~7 minutes to arrive)
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