Taiwan’s Scenic Haifeng Train Is a Dessert Lover’s Dream
"A Michelin-recognized Taichung shop that supplies a petite, rotating ice-cream offering served as the final course on the train experience; one recent flavor blended lactic-acid tang and purple shiso to evoke the taste of a beloved yogurt drink. Portions are presented in souvenir boxes and paired with a keepsake seashell-shaped spoon, underscoring the shop’s emphasis on playful, craft-driven desserts." - Naomi Tomky
Inspectors Reveal All on MINIMAL, the First Ice Cream Establishment Globally to be Awarded a MICHELIN Star
"More than a traditional ice-cream shop, this place initially feels like a boutique tea house; we even had to muster the courage to step inside. Upstairs, a cozy, simple room with high ceilings, original red brick tiles, and sunlight on the table pairs finely crafted cutlery with a menu that shows careful selection and a young team’s personal touch, storytelling, and clear philosophy. The tasting menu explores ice in many forms—from sorbet to nitro‑style preparations—layering temperatures, shapes, and textures to create delicate, meticulous flavors with seasonal, uniquely Taiwanese ingredients like yuzu blossom, magnolia flower, and red‑fleshed plum. A lollipop‑shaped ice treat transported us back to childhood, its slightly compact, airy, slow‑melting texture releasing yuzu pear notes and the elegant astringency of moroheiya. 196℃ Red Flesh Plum/Angelica keiskei/Walnut arrived as colorful, eye‑catching shapes of ice that ate like crisp cookies, their fruity acidity, nuttiness, creamy notes, and delicate sweetness unfolding slowly. 12℃ Osmanthus/Rum/Longan was perhaps the richest and most complex, the creamy gelato amplifying osmanthus and rum, finished with a freshly baked brioche, crispy shards, and a crunchy bread base. Service is warm and foreigner‑friendly (no English menu, but staff happily introduce each dish in English); tea‑based non‑alcoholic drinks are highly recommended, and add‑on sorbet or gelato deepens the experience. With two seatings (13:00 or 16:00), the first is ideal; despite being all ice‑cream, the seven‑course menu is filling, so plan a light brunch and a stroll afterward. From day one the concept felt rare in Asia and beyond, and continued refinements in technique, flavor precision, and menu structure elevated it from Bib Gourmand to one MICHELIN Star—making it the world’s first ice‑cream establishment to receive this distinction." - The MICHELIN Guide
Minimal Is the World's First Michelin-Starred Ice Cream Shop - AFAR
"Hidden behind an unmarked gray door on a narrow Taichung street, this takeaway-only ice cream counter—the project of chef and owner Arvin Wan—earned a Michelin star in 2024 and draws long, hushed lines at noon. Wan condensed the rigor of his former tasting-menu work into single scoops served from a stainless-steel counter: six limited-run flavors a day presented plain in paper cups with polite, attentive, intentionally quiet service. Textures are airy and restrained (less dense than traditional gelato), engineered to melt into a clean, watery sensation by removing fibrous or starchy elements; Wan even layers techniques such as infusing bases with water condensed from steamed cypress. Flavors rotate from a nutty miso in soy-milk with almonds to a sake sorbet scented with wild ginger lily, whiskey with roasted barley, a citrus sorbet brightened by Sichuan peppercorn and pomegranate, green tea amplified with licorice and mountain angelica root, and local magnolia-infused vanilla. There are no toppings or spectacle—muted colors and careful composition aim to unfold slowly and reward attentive tasting; a small cup with two scoops costs US$5, while sampling all six across four cups is US$37." - Clarissa Wei
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