KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — With our tropical weather, it's perpetual shaved ice season.
Sure, there's always ais kacang or cendol but how about something different, like bingsu.
In the Klang Valley, the Korean shaved ice dessert has evolved from its early days, where it was a single flavour and a dollop of red bean paste on top.
As the frozen dessert game has matured, we're seeing more places serving bingsu crafted with milk and tea elements. Some places even play the local card with flavours like durian and calamansi.
At Binq Dessert, I found well-executed bingsu with clear, distinct flavours shining through. The toppings are stellar too. Mix it with the bingsu to add layers of flavours and even texture.
The portion is ideal for an indulgent treat all to yourself. Or share the bingsu with a friend since one can debate which flavours work best.
Nestled in Desa Sri Hartamas, it's a place worth seeking out for some cool relief from the hot afternoon. As it closes late, it's also a great after-dinner treat.
The place is packed with ladies and yes, there are even guys tucking into the shaved ice dessert. Who can resist a cold treat?
Roasted Soybean Oolong (RM23) is their best seller. It comes with brown sugar jelly, soybean coated mochi cubes, butter crisps and cream cheese.
If any of these toppings aren't to your liking, you can swap it out for others. There's even an oat milk alternative, if you're lactose intolerant.
The small mountain of shaved ice is composed of light, airy milk flakes. As it instantly melts in the mouth, you get the flavour of oolong tea on your tongue.
Here, the toppings are placed in small bowls served on the side. This lets you have fun, experimenting with the different elements on how you want your bingsu to taste.
The slightly chewy brown sugar jelly is incredibly fragrant and I'd happily eat it on its own. The soybean powder coated mochi was soft with just enough chewy pull to make it my favourite topping here.
An interesting element is the lightly salted cream cheese made in-house. It adds a richness to the shaved ice while that saltiness offers a contrast to all that sweetness.
Last but not least, there's the butter crisp. This acts as the crunch for the bingsu, offering a contrast of textures.
When I looked around, I could see a popular order was the White Peach Oolong (RM23). The standard order is paired with brown sugar jelly, peach popping boba and taro balls.
Again, the flavours of white peach with the tea is definitely there. It's perfect for those who love the sweet taste of white peach with the milky oolong tea.
I'm a big fan of popping boba, so this peach version was ideal for this bingsu. The taro ball wasn't my favourite though. It's chewy but just lacks flavour.
I was curious about the Kumquat Jasmine (RM23). With one scoop of this shaved ice, my friend and I went "wow". You straightaway get the piquant kumquat flavours followed by the floral notes from the jasmine tea on your tongue.
It's incredibly refreshing, making it an ideal after-dinner treat.
This flavour suits those seeking a tangy taste with that underlying floral aroma. What I noticed was they douse the top of the shaved ice with syrup, which is where the kumquat and jasmine tea flavours are coming from.
Once you dig underneath, it has a plain taste that needs the aiyu jelly which pings in your mouth with its tanginess. There's also another layer of flavour with the passion fruit popping boba. You also have thin cut nata de coco to add texture to the whole dessert.
Other flavours to try include The Dark Knight with dark chocolate, Matcha with green tea and red beans, and Hoji Cha Cha with roasted tea. There's also a selection of drinks too.
Binq Dessert, 48, Jalan 27/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 1pm to 11pm (Sunday to Monday), 1pm to 11.30pm (Friday and Saturday). Tel:03-58885453. Facebook:@binqdessert Instagram:@binqdessert
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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