Kaohsiung also has adorable monster ice cream treats — the butterfly pea flower gradient “Blue Little Monster” is super popular

Reported and photographed by Chen Hanyin / Kaohsiung

The wildly popular matcha monster ice in Taichung, with its cute appearance, has drawn many dessert lovers to take photos and check in. Now, southern Taiwan has a new adorable monster character making appearances too. A small ice shop tucked away in the alleys of Kaohsiung’s Xinxingjiang shopping district is serving up fun-to-photo, fun-to-eat, and delicious monster ice that’s ready to heal your heart.

▲ The cute monster shaved ice brings a healing afternoon tea experience.

▲ The combo comes with special homemade pineapple cakes and chocolate jelly.

▲ The store features a fresh and minimalist decor.

Though compact, the little ice shop is warm and cozy, with great natural lighting and a minimalist interior that pairs perfectly with the icy treats. Their bestseller is the blue little monster called “Hua’er Suanliuliu.” This isn’t artificial coloring — it’s the trendy natural plant dye, butterfly pea flower. Since butterfly pea flower itself has no strong flavor, the owner added lavender to enhance the aroma, creating a beautifully vibrant and delicious sweet-and-sour blue ice block.

▲ A naturally blue ice block made from butterfly pea flower and lavender.

When your order arrives, the monster sports hand-drawn chocolate devil horns from the owner, large icing eyes, and its signature cheeky smile — oddly therapeutic. Don’t rush to eat it just yet, as there's a fun DIY twist hidden inside. Thanks to the butterfly pea flower’s color-changing property when exposed to acid, slowly pour the small cup of honey lemon provided on the plate, and watch as the little monster gradually transforms into a dreamy blue-purple gradient.

Before the color change (before adding the lemon honey)

▲ The butterfly chocolates on the head are super cute too.

After the color change

▲ The monster slowly turns into a dreamy blue-purple gradient.

Aside from Hua’er Suanliuliu, the store’s Milk Wine Tieguanyin is another standout. The ice block made from Tieguanyin tea boasts a rich aroma, and the two round “blushes” on its cheeks are wine-filled chocolates. The 24-year-old owner, who has a baking background, loves experimenting with different ingredients. That’s how they came up with replacing dairy with milk wine — allowing customers to add it themselves to the ice. It’s not only playful, but the rich wine flavor pairs cleverly with the tea-based shaved ice base.

▲ The Milk Wine Tieguanyin flavor isn’t overly sweet and has an intense wine aroma.

▲ The wine-filled chocolate can be poured into the ice by yourself.

The Faceless Man on the Chocolate Banana is hand-drawn stroke by stroke by the owner and is a popular choice for photos. Seasonal fruit flavors are also customer favorites — the summer mango series has been taken off the menu, and the latest offering is “Papaya and His Cow,” a new taste combining papaya with milk candy. The owner hints at a future product featuring blueberries and raspberries as the stars — a must-try for those who love sweet-and-sour flavors.

▲ Black chocolate Faceless Man banana ice.

▲ The expression seems to get more sarcastic the more you eat it.

“A Corner Ice Shop”
Business hours: 1:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Prices: NT$140–160
Location: No. 39, Lane 127, Wenhe 2nd Rd., Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City