Warm Eats & Cool Treats: Authentic Japanese Snacks in a Hsinchu Alley

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Department, compiled and reported by Liao Qiyu
 

   A dreamy blue shaved ice topped with homemade yogurt sauce resembles a miniature Mount Fuji with melting snow. Immediately snapping a photo and uploading it to Facebook sparked curiosity among netizens: “Where can I get this?”. A small Japanese shaved ice shop called “Warm Eats & Cool Treats,” nestled in an alley in Hsinchu, thus debuted in August amid buzz and attention.

   With the concept of warm winter treats and cool summer desserts, Warm Eats & Cool Treats has become a popular topic in Hsinchu over the past half year, selling cute and imaginative sweets. Stepping into the small shop, you’re greeted by wooden and white tones, creating a bright and refreshing atmosphere. Upon closer inspection, you’ll also find cute patterns adorning the space, making it hard not to fall in love with this little shop.

   The idea behind Warm Eats & Cool Treats stems from the owner’s childhood memories of the emotional impact brought by their grandfather. Since the Japanese colonial period, the owner’s grandfather, struggling to make ends meet, sold ice treats with his limited Japanese. From individual hygienic ice cubes to refreshing Japanese-style popsicles, the satisfied smiles of children after school and the crisp sound of biting into the ice were the simplest yet happiest moments of everyday life. Now, that sentiment has been passed down through three generations, and the owner hopes that their “Warm Eats & Cool Treats” can, like their grandfather did, become someone else’s deeply memorable ordinary happiness.