Taichung’s newly opened ice cream shop in June — milk ice cream drizzled with rose petal jam

Text and photos byAh Mon

Taiwan has officially entered summer, and the hot, muggy weather makes people reluctant to go out. But this is also the perfect season for enjoying ice cream — that cool, refreshing sensation when it melts in your mouth is truly wonderful. With new ice cream shops popping up on every street, which one should you choose?

We highly recommend this Bulga Ice Cream shop, which just opened in June. Even before it had its own storefront, it supplied ice cream to restaurants, so we’ve had the chance to try it several times. Its rich and smooth ice cream has always been very popular. This year, the owner finally opened a shop near the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Qsquare, complete with dine-in seating. The shop is called Bulga Ice Cream.

The location is tucked away on a street near Guzidi, close to both Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Green Park Boulevard. Let’s take a look at what this ice cream shop has to offer. The exterior and decor give off the vibe of a high-end restaurant — understated yet classy.

At the entrance, you’ll see the shop’s small signboard. A single ice cream set meal costs just NT$110, which is quite affordable considering the area around Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. The space at the entrance isn’t very large, so if you’re driving, you might want to park at a nearby paid parking lot. Riding a scooter is recommended for easier parking.

Business hours are from 12:00 PM to 9:30 PM on weekdays, and from 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM on weekends. The weekend hours start two hours earlier. If you’re planning to come for ice cream, it’s best to avoid the peak lunch and afternoon hours.

As soon as you step inside, you’ll be amazed by the elegant atmosphere. Among ice cream shops in Taichung, Bulga is definitely one of the top-tier in terms of ambiance. The seating area is divided into sofa chair and high-top table sections.

It’s really up to personal preference — I personally love sitting in the sofa area, where I can comfortably lean back while enjoying my ice cream. There’s no time limit for dining, so there’s no need to rush. Taking your time to savor the ice cream is the whole point.

The menu immediately gives off a high-quality vibe, with its black velvet fabric and gold foil detailing, making you feel like you’re about to enjoy a fine European or French meal. It doesn’t even feel like you’re in an ice cream shop XDD. Truly, this place has a very upscale, almost luxury-dame-level ambiance, yet the prices are very reasonable.

Flipping through the menu, you’ll see the prices for à la carte items and set meals. The minimum spend per person is NT$70, but there’s no time limit, so you can stay as long as you like. However, if you look closely at the menu, many might be surprised to find that Bulga Ice Cream currently offers only two flavors: chocolate and milk. That’s right — just two options. A single scoop costs NT$70, and the set meal is NT$110.

The set meal includes one scoop of your choice of ice cream flavor and two types of Bulga’s handmade jams. After asking the staff, we learned that the owner believes these two flavors are the most natural and widely enjoyed, so they serve as the basic offerings. Special flavors will be introduced occasionally in the future. For first-timers, we recommend trying the set meal first.

Jams and nuts
One of the highlights of Bulga Ice Cream is its selection of jams and nuts — there are currently seven varieties available, all made in-house. You probably won’t find the same flavors elsewhere. Each jam has a unique flavor and texture, allowing customers to mix and match to create their favorite taste and mouthfeel. With two jams included in each set meal, you’d need to order at least four sets to try them all.

Ordering counter: Once you’ve decided on your ice cream flavor and jam choices, head to the counter to place your order and pay.

Iced water
The shop offers free orange-flavored water, which is placed by the counter for self-service since no service charge is applied. It has a pleasant orange aroma and tastes quite good.

Chocolate ice cream set meal — NT$110
My friend took the milk ice cream, so I went with the chocolate one. The chocolate ice cream arrived with a sprinkle of chocolate chips on top, and just from the color, you could tell it would be rich and fragrant. One bite revealed a perfectly balanced bittersweet taste that practically melted my heart. The sweetness was just right — a flavor that both kids and adults would love. There was no artificial aftertaste at all, living up to the menu’s description of being “pure.” Truly impressive.

Princess Cherry, Blueberry Jazz
The first pair of jams I tried were Princess Cherry and Blueberry Jazz. I chose the cherry jam out of curiosity, as it’s not something you see often. I expected it to be overly sweet, but it turned out to be a balanced mix of sweet and sour, with a clear cherry aroma — probably made with real fruit. However, I felt the cherry jam paired better with milk ice cream.

Blueberry Jazz
Being a regular berry eater, I found this blueberry jam a bit more tart, with a slightly jam-like texture. It went quite well with the milk ice cream.

Many people hesitate to add jam to chocolate ice cream, worried it might clash. So I strongly recommend trying it with macadamia nuts instead. The rich chocolate ice cream combined with the crunchy macadamias creates a layered texture reminiscent of the childhood treat 77 Milk Chocolate. The more you chew, the more the aroma of the nuts enhances the overall flavor. Highly recommended!

Milk ice cream set meal — NT$110
This is the milk ice cream ordered by my friend, paired with macadamia nuts and raspberry jam. But we quickly realized the macadamias actually went better with the chocolate ice cream, so I claimed them all for myself XD. The milk ice cream is a soft pinkish-white color, decorated with a few blueberries that make it look very tempting. When you take a bite, the silky smoothness of the milk and the rich creamy flavor linger in your mouth — it’s genuinely made with quality milk. Like the chocolate flavor, there’s no artificial taste here. You truly get what you pay for.

Alice Raspberry, Macadamia Nuts
Aside from the macadamias that “went missing” to the chocolate ice cream, the remaining Alice Raspberry jam is mildly sweet and tangy. Paired with milk ice cream, it adds a slightly more sour note, making it refreshing and appetizing. I really like this combination — it’s also quite a crowd-pleaser.

Forest Berries
This is a mixed board in a berry flavor. The taste offers many variations and layers—tart with a hint of sweetness. It's recommended to save it for last. If you eat this fruit jam first, the flavors of raspberry and blueberry jam will become less prominent.

Versailles Rose
This is an extremely popular jam at the shop, made by finely chopping rose petals. It has a faint rose fragrance. When added to milk ice cream, the rose aroma instantly spreads across your tongue upon the first bite, bringing delightful surprises. After trying it, I felt this is a jam that many girls would love.

Eating one set each like this with friends turned out to be unexpectedly delicious, so we each ordered another set, swapped ice cream flavors, and chose different jams. After trying this variety of combinations, I found that chocolate ice cream paired with macadamia nuts was the best, and I highly recommend this combo. As for milk ice cream, it should be paired with rose jam or raspberry jam, using floral or tart notes to complement the richness of the milk itself.

Before we knew it, we had been chatting with friends and eating ice cream for almost two hours. I have to say, this ice cream really suits me—I kept eating bite after bite, and before I knew it, I’d finished two servings on my own (surprised). The shop offers free Wi-Fi; just ask the staff if you need the password.

Since it just opened, there’s a promotional offer: choose any one scoop of ice cream and one type of jam for just $80, but it’s only available for takeout. Personally, I’d recommend dining in—it melts too quickly if you take it away.

PS: This article is a contributed piece.

Overall
The quality of Bulga Ice Cream has remained consistently good over the years. It offers a pure, original flavor without any chemical aftertaste. Paired with various handmade jams, it creates even richer flavors. Of course, I also hope the shop will introduce more new ice cream flavors. Otherwise, at my current pace, I’ll probably go through all the flavors in just two visits XD. I recommend Bulga Ice Cream to everyone—these are just my personal thoughts, for reference only.

Bulga Ice Cream
Phone: 04-23027738
Address: No. 117, Gongzheng Road, West District, Taichung City
Price: Minimum charge $70 per person
Dining date: June 2016

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