Adorably tiny Minions and Anpanman macaron ice cream  sundaes appear at a traditional Tainan ice shop

Text and photos by /Kuma

I found some time to revisit Tainan’s Shinong Street to soak in its old-world charm and the new shops nestled within.

At Boring Lang’s retro ice drinks, both nostalgic and creative treats await. When cute macaron ice cream meets classic retro frozen treats, the result? I ended up ordering one of everything. Among the innovative items, it’s still the nostalgic flavors I love most.

This time when I visited Shinong Street, I noticed several buildings under renovation—wondering if new shops will be opening? Might take a while before we know.

While strolling through Shinong Street, Boring Lang, which was on my visit list that day, hadn’t opened yet. Through an explanation nearby, I learned about the owner’s reason for starting the shop.

After opening, the owner will pull out the cute monkey motorcycle. During my visit, there happened to be customers, so I thought I’d come back later to snap a photo of the adorable food truck—but in the end, I completely forgot to take the picture. Darn it, my memory has really gotten bad lately…~"~

That day, while the owner was taking a work break, they chatted with us about why they started the shop and the story behind the store logo. I really enjoyed this kind of personal small talk. Though it was our first meeting, it felt like we’d known each other for ages.

Besides the cute series of macaron ice cream, Boring Lang also offers a selection of nostalgic ice treats and drinks. The ice treats in the shop are made using the vintage ice machine on the first floor, so even the macaron ice cream carries a hint of retro flavor.

Since the owner was preparing takeout ice treats for customers, we headed upstairs to the second floor for a look. Walking up the nostalgic terrazzo staircase reminded me of the silly games we used to play, like racing down stairs on our butts…=^^=

The second floor also serves as a seating area, where you can feel the cool-in-summer, warm-in-winter atmosphere of older architecture and construction methods. The display of vintage items also brings back memories of life in earlier times.

After the tour, it was time to pick our ice treats. In addition to several cute designs, Boring Lang’s macaron ice cream comes with ice filling flavors such as milk, strawberry, chocolate, and Oreo, plus you can choose one of four toppings.

On that day, the food truck only had a few shapes available, so I couldn’t capture them all lined up in a row—it felt like such a missed opportunity.

The shop is also currently running a points collection campaign, which you might want to check out if you’re interested.

We ordered the Minion and Anpanman-shaped macaron ice creams. These two feature crispy, delicious cookies with patterns drawn by the shop using icing and such, while the ice filling has a refreshing taste similar to egg popsicles.

It was so hot that the gummy bears kept sliding off the ice uncontrollably. After lying on the ice for a bit, the chilled gummy bears were chewy and firm—and super tasty.

After finishing the macaron ice cream, craving something else, I ordered a snow ice treat.

Because you can mix flavors, the bear—who loves sour stuff—ordered three types of snow ice with varying degrees of sourness and flavor. The ice was smooth and delicate, and you could still taste the icy texture. The three flavors and three sour notes melted in the mouth, evoking the most nostalgic of tastes.

At the back of the first floor is the kitchen. When I first arrived, I smelled the aroma of simmering red beans, which later gave way to the scent of classic black tea. Unable to resist, I ordered a cup. Not only was the flavor great, but the tea was served in a retro floral-patterned cup with measurement markings—the perfect blend of retro inside and out. After drinking it, I seriously wanted to take another one to go.

Snapped a photo of the cute tissue box on the table and the packaging container next to it used for collecting straws or chopsticks—something you rarely see these days.

Finally, thanks to the shop staff who lent us the just-finished drawing of Big Eye Guy for the bear to take a photo with. It was super intricate and adorable, and I’m looking forward to their next creation.

What are the Minions and Anpanman chatting about? They seemed really into it. Next time you’re in Tainan’s Shinong Street, why not stop by and rest at Boring Lang? Enjoying ice treats in a historic building is a blend of old and new, and a taste of nostalgia within nostalgia.

Boring Lang Retro Ice Treats & Drinks
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Address: No. 108, Shinong Street, West Central District, Tainan City
Phone: (06)221-8798
Business hours: Weekdays 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM / Holidays 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Fridays and Saturdays until 11:00 PM)

The everyday and sometimes moments of life are recorded through text and photos.
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