Eating ice in winter is super refreshing – strawberry snowflake shaved ice and warm almond soup at an old Tainan house

Text and photos by /Aibi Girl

It’s strawberry season again~ The chilly weather is the perfect time for strawberries to shine. Add strawberries to drinks, frozen treats, desserts, and even fried chicken – everything must have strawberries, strawberries, STRAWBERRIES!!! Ahhh~ I’ve been following the strawberry trend too~ Hey there, I’ve wanted to check out Caotian Bajia (Grass Field Eight Houses) since summer but kept putting it off. Now that strawberries are in season, I can’t not go – I’d be letting myself down if I didn’t~

Caotian Bajia is tucked away in an alley on Nanmen Road. If you don’t walk further in, you’d never realize there’s an old house here. There’s something like a small courtyard right at the entrance. Come on in, let’s go have some ice.

The old windows are also paired with trendy neon lights – the mix of old and new is pretty cool.

The first floor space is decorated with dried flowers. The blend of old and new has a unique charm. While waiting for the ice treats, the owner invited us to check out the second floor. Since we had time, we went up to take a look.

Wow~ The atmosphere on the second floor is completely different from the first floor. The dining area is much larger, and the sofa section feels cozy, like visiting a friend’s home. It also resembles an old-house brunch café vibe. But currently, they only serve ice treats, smoothies, and the like. Simply put, it’s about eating ice in an old house.

Caotian Bajia’s menu mainly offers snowflake shaved ice, smoothies, tea, and some seasonal specials like almond soup, salty rice balls, and strawberry ice – all available only in winter.

Handmade filtered almond soup + rice balls $50, served with small cookies on the side

Winter is the perfect time for a warm bowl of almond soup. The almond flavor isn’t overpoweringly strong. It’s warm, smooth, and has a distinctive almond aroma. The small rice balls inside are chewy.

Strawberry snowflake shaved ice $120

I came here for this strawberry ice~ Even though eating ice in winter might seem a bit wild, for strawberries, I’m totally in~~~

The strawberry snowflake shaved ice is topped with fresh strawberries. There are also cookies and crispy pastries, and on top is a scoop of ice cream — probably plum-flavored, if my taste buds haven’t failed me XD

The snowflake ice tastes milky, perfectly complementing the sour-sweet strawberries. It gives off a strawberry milk vibe. Plus, there’s an advantage to eating ice in winter – the snowflake ice doesn’t melt as quickly, so you can enjoy it slowly. Haha~

It also comes with agar jelly and hot tea. The plating is pretty Instagram-worthy. Photography lovers can snap a few shots here – anything with strawberries photographs beautifully. If you love old houses and snowflake ice, you should give it a try, Up~

Caotian Bajia Handmade Snowflake Shaved Ice

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Address: No. 8, Lane 209, Nanmen Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business hours: 14:00–20:30 (Monday to Friday)
13:00–20:30 (Saturday to Sunday)
Closed on Wednesdays

Beautiful food moments deserve to be recorded.
Loves to eat. Loves to play. Aibi Girl.
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