Thought I was in Japan！Taichung’s popular Japanese-style shaved ice shop, Hida GariGari

Photos provided by Man E & Man J – Daily Life of Men –

A new Japanese-style shaved ice shop, “Hida GariGari,” opened in April this year in West District, Taichung.
Situated in a quiet alley on Gongzheng Road, not far from Kenko Miyashita Aeon in Kōei Road, it became very popular right after opening,
In addition to five types of shaved ice, the shop also offers desserts like scones, as well as drinks such as coffee and flavored milk.
During the hot summer season, sitting in a cool indoor space and enjoying adorable and refreshing icy treats is definitely a real treat.

That day, after finishing work with J in Taichung, we still had some time, so we thought of visiting the newly opened Hida GariGari for some shaved ice. We originally thought Hida would be located in a quieter, less crowded old house in an alley, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy to find and the area nearby was quite lively.

Hida has quite a few seats, including the original seating area inside the house, as well as window-side areas built like tin sheds.
On a 29-degree day, charming sunlight poured in, and although it was slightly warmer than inside the house, it still felt quite comfortable.
The space is decorated with unique items, reading materials, and green plants that add a touch of life.
It features a hipster design style with a hint of commercial flair.

A huge bowl piled high like a small mountain of shaved ice, topped and filled with pineapple flesh directly sourced from Pingtung, then garnished with yogurt. A small cup of pineapple juice is served on the side. The fruit pairs with the delicate shaved ice, along with a slight citrus tang, making the whole thing sweet, cool, and not overly sugary.

Hida offers two types of matcha desserts in-store. One is a lemon matcha shaved ice topped with ice cream, and the other is the matcha fresh milk shaved ice that we ordered.
The finely textured shaved ice also hides red beans inside, topped with fresh milk.
Poured generously with a mountain of Matcha House matcha syrup, it's not an overly sweet shaved ice. It has the fragrant aroma of matcha and a subtle bitterness, making it very refreshing and charming.

It comes with two types of mochi that are quite chewy, while the matcha jelly has a more noticeable bitterness, which isn’t really my favorite.
The matcha syrup and condensed milk on the side can be added by yourself to adjust the sweetness and enhance the matcha flavor.

Postscript
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On the menu, besides sweet and icy treats, there are also adult-oriented shaved ices made with alcohol as a base.
J and I both really liked the two types of shaved ice we ordered this time, and the adorable-looking scones are reserved as our next dessert mission.
When we went, we were lucky enough to get a seat. After choosing what we wanted to eat, we ordered at the counter ourselves, then just waited at our table with our number ticket.

Actually, the only times we usually write about service in our articles are when it’s either extremely bad or particularly good.
This time at Hida, even though the staff was very busy, they still felt incredibly warm and friendly—it’s a happy place.
We also hope that Hida can maintain its current quality and continue to share these heartwarming iced treats in the future.