Tianmu Italian Artisanal Gelato – Savor a Matcha Flavor Worthy of Tea Ceremony Mastery!

Text and photos by /Liver-Burning Nurse

On the road This shop not only offers a set selection of gelato flavors daily but also rotates 7–8 surprise flavors to keep things fresh. In addition to being low-fat, low-sugar, and low-GI, the gelato incorporates three of Europe’s top chocolates—Michel Cluizel, AMEDEI, and Valrhona. The whiskey and rum-infused gelatos are absolute classics. Notably, the shop also serves mulled wine, a common find at overseas Christmas markets, and offers customizable flavors and delivery services, making it the top choice for those craving Italian handmade gelato in the Tianmu area.

The owner is a big ice cream fan, so he gave up his career in finance to open this gelato shop and chase his entrepreneurial dream. Through this shop, he hopes to spread joy and offer more than just gelato, aiming to bring people together on the path of happiness—hence the name “On the Road.” However, Liver-Burning (nickname) feels that entrepreneurship is tough, perhaps because it’s about forging your own path, which adds another deeper layer of meaning.

While some entrepreneurs can rely on one-stop services—with just a machine, you can make gelato—the owner wanted to deliver the most authentic flavors. He avoids using pre-made ingredient mixes, instead sourcing tea ceremony-grade matcha, high-end imported chocolates, seasonal fruits, and fresh milk from partner farms. Also, being a wine enthusiast, he has developed many surprising alcoholic gelato flavors. His homemade rum-soaked raisins are especially extraordinary.

The storefront is already eye-catching, but stepping up to the counter and seeing the abundance of gelato flavors makes it impossible to choose just one!! Owner: “Come on, try some—whatever you like, have a taste.”

After sampling so many different gelatos, the owner’s smile remains as unwavering as if it were glued on with super glue. With an owner like this, you’ll definitely feel okay about staying in the store, sampling to your heart’s content before leaving.

If you really can’t eat any more out of embarrassment, no worries—the shop has seating and free Wi-Fi, so you can pretend to check in, promote the shop to friends, and chat about how amazing it is. After a few minutes, head back to the freezer and keep sampling.

Plus, the Wi-Fi password is right there on the wall—it’s easy to find.

But… if you’re really too shy to keep sampling without buying anything, just sit down, order a gelato, and enjoy it slowly. There are also menus at each table where you can order tea or coffee to pair with your treat, plus the incredibly delicious (and slightly tipsy-making) mulled wine—we highly recommend it.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

As I sat there, browsing around, wow—the owner offers delivery too!!! “Boss, how much for delivery?” “Any amount, even one scoop.” The boss must just be looking for an excuse to go out for a walk. By the way, if you want a special flavor, you can also customize and preorder. One day, I tried a pure red wine gelato and got totally tipsy—Liver-Burning style.

This spoon has a little story. Originally, the owner bought lots of Japanese spoons for customers to scoop their gelato, but they kept disappearing… To combat the terrifying urban legend of the vanishing spoon, the owner introduced these spoon-shaped cookies so customers could scoop and snack at the same time. But the cookies were so good that they disappeared even faster than the spoons… So, the spoons and gelato ultimately went their separate ways… (end of story)

The owner is super proud of his vanilla gelato made with fresh milk from small farms.

After all this introduction, since this is a food feature for the Tianmu Food Festival, let’s dig in. First up: a trio of colors—Peachy Little Dragon, Kyoto Matcha from Japan, and Yuzu Lemon Sorbet. Hmm~ Very pretentious, I know—Banbi taught Liver-Burning this.

The dragon fruit is mixed with citrus and apple, but the owner doesn’t like it—his aunt who sells ice cream insisted he make it, so he keeps grumbling. But the taste? It’s authentically dragon fruit. Love what you love, hate what you hate. The Kyoto tea ceremony-grade matcha dessert is truly smooth and sweet, and Liver-Burning loves it!

Also highly recommended is this lemon sorbet, which is like turning a lemon tart into an icy treat. The lemons come from the owner’s friend in Pingtung, and acid lovers will absolutely adore it. Oh, and although the ice cream auntie’s Facebook profile says “Ice Cream Auntie,” if you call her a “sweet and cute big sister,” she’ll definitely give you a super generous scoop of gelato.

Affogato
Espresso + vanilla. The bitterness of the coffee pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the vanilla gelato—rich and mellow, with no flavors clashing. Highly recommended for coffee lovers.

Back at the counter, the owner continues introducing the chocolates. The popular Banbi immediately says, “Oh, I know this—I got some from Italy from a friend, and it was super expensive!” The cheeky Liver-Burning chimes in, “Does your friend know Taiwan has it too? XDD.” Seriously, this chocolate is really delicious—you must try the Porcelana, translated as “white porcelain.” So good!

France’s Michel Cluizel dark chocolate pearls are also used as ingredients in the shop’s gelato. Suddenly, you realize the owner is a true gelato maniac.

85% Ghanaian chocolate gelato with hot chocolate—another staple on the menu. The Liver-Burning way to enjoy it? One scoop of gelato and one drink—double the experience, double the pleasure.

Are you on trend with next year’s hottest herbal green color? Kyoto matcha and matcha latte from Japan—this combo will leave you feeling refreshed, clear-headed, nimble-footed, and maybe even scoring 100 on your exams.

Shouldn’t have brought up alcohol—but once we did, the owner’s eyes lit up in a way you don’t want to witness. Mulled wine—if you saw fans swarming to buy it during the Christmas market, wouldn’t you rush to Tianmu now that you know you can easily enjoy great mulled wine here? It’s delicious, but it’ll definitely get you tipsy—don’t overdo it!

You guys drinking?—quietly pulls out a jar of Angostura 5-year black rum-soaked raisins marinated for three days and lets Liver-Burning sample the grape flavor. Wow—so good. This rum-raisin gelato—well, no need to say much. Hardcore wine lovers like the Housewife, the Chubby One, Old Ginger, and Five-Year-Old will definitely want ten scoops!! Call the boss “handsome” and see if he’ll share one of those rum-soaked raisins with you. And remember to call the auntie “beautiful big sister.”

Here comes the mischievous boss again—“Do you drink whiskey?” 105 Glenfarclas cask-strength chocolate—seriously, seriously delicious!! Get both chocolate and whiskey flavors in one bite—absolutely exhilarating~

Intrigued? This Italian artisanal gelato specialty store on Zhongcheng Road—Liver-Burning really wishes he’d found it sooner. After the last gelato place closed down, he had no idea Tianmu still had this gem. Now, whether it’s for the matcha, the 105, or the rum-raisin, he’s a regular. If you love gelato and haven’t been here yet, come quick!

On the Road Italian Artisanal Gelato Specialty Store
Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/OntheRoad136/
Location: No. 136, Section 2, Zhongcheng Road, Shilin District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-28752717
Business Hours: 12:00–22:00
Transportation
Bus: Tienmu Baseball Stadium Station
MRT: Exit 2 of Zhishan Station; take the Takashimaya shuttle bus, then walk 3 minutes
Car: Roadside parking on Zhongcheng Road / Takashimaya Parking Lot / Taipei Physical Education College Parking Lot

We are the overworked nurses “Rouyuan” & “Wan|Junbao...?Sailu prepared this sharing with heart, hoping to bring everyone a relaxing time and happy mood, introducing the natural scenery, human stories, and local delicacies in Taiwan, making it hard for friends who’ve been there not to recall the feelings of those moments.
Blog、Fan Page