Margaret LeongThe Korean bingsu (shaved ice) trend is in Singapore! Bingsu 빙수, which means shaved ice, is a popular summer dessert in Korea and perfect to beat the blistering hot weather in Singapore. Some also refer to this treat as the Korean Ice Kachang!
Under the influence of Korean dramas and Korean pop, there has been a recent surge of bingsu shops in Singapore recently. Being a food enthusiast, I embarked on a quest to look for the best bingsu shops in Singapore.
Here are my picks!
1. Cafe Insadong
Image Credits: Café insadong
Cafe Insadong is a quaint cafe located in Chinatown. Prices range from SGD 8.50 to SGD 9.50 for the bingsus, making this cafe one of the more affordable ones around!
They have a smaller variety of bingsu options which include red bean and sweet potato, oreo, green tea, coconut, mango and their latest addition macchiato (picture above).
Though their shaved ice was a little coarse as compared to O’ma Spoon’s and Nunsongyee’s, it has a stronger flavour. They were quite generous with their toppings too. Their latest addition, the macchiato flavoured bingsu (picture above), is perfectly topped off with mochi, mocha flavoured ice cream, coffee caramel biscuit crumbs, almond flakes and chocolate wafers. It also came with a small pitcher of coffee milk with espresso!
The scoop of ice-cream that came with the bingsu was surprising rich and creamy. We were also allowed to mix and match our topping for the bingsu. Given the generous toppings, friendly service and the affordability of their bingsu, I would definitely be back!
P.s. This cafe is also famous for its delectable Injeolmi toasts (Korean sticky rice cake toasts).
279 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058828 (nearest MRT: Chinatown)
Opening hours: Mon – Thu (12pm to 9pm), Fri & Sat (12pm to 11pm), Sun (12pm to 8pm)
2. Nunsaram Korean dessert cafe
Image Credits: Nunsaram Korean dessert cafe
Nunsaram (snowman) Dessert Cafe is located in the heart of Somerset, making it a very convenient place to satisfy one’s bingsu craving. The price of each bingsu ranges from SGD 12.90 to SGD 15.90.
There is a wide selection of flavoured bingsus to choose from and their specialities include the Injeolmi Bingsu, Black Sesame Bingsu, Sweet Potato Bingsu and Strawberry Bingsu.
The portion is also generous as compared to the bingsus sold in NunSongYee Korean Dessert Cafe!
Orchard Central (nearest MRT: Somerset)
181 Orchard Rd #05-51/52 Singapore 238896
Opening Hours: 11am – 10 pm
Westgate (nearest MRT: Jurong)
3 Gateway Drive #04-37 Singapore 608532
Opening Hours: 11am – 10 pm
3. NunSongYee Korean Dessert Cafe
Image Credits: Nunsongyee
NunSongYee (snowflake) Korean Dessert Cafe (not to be confused with Nunsaram Korean Dessert Cafe) is also another place to enjoy your bingsu! Though this cafe is quite a distance from its nearest MRT station, Lorong Chuan, the bingsus there are definitely worth the extra mile.
There is also a wide range of dessert selections to choose from. Popular choices include Patbingsu and Injeolmi Bingsu, and prices range from SGD 12.90 to SGD 18.90. Their signature dish is the Black Sesame Bingsu. Their shaved ice, which is made from milk, is one of the softest I have tried! This unique bingsu is generously topped with red bean paste sticky rice cakes, soybean powder, ground sesame and almond flakes.
Although I feel that the bingsus here are a little too pricey for the amount of toppings given, it’s worth the try if you are looking for something different. Do give their popular Sweet ‘Ka-rei’ Korean rice cake a try when you’re there too!
45 Burghley Drive #01-04, Singapore 559022 (Nearest MRT: Lorong Chuan)
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 10pm, Closed on Monday
4. O’MA SPOON
Image Credits: O’ma Spoon
O’ma Spoon, which means ‘mother’s spoon’, has recently opened its second outlet in Singapore. The price range is rather wide, from SGD 4.90 (petite bingsu for one) to SGD 23 (bingsu for two or three). O’ma Spoon has a range of interesting flavours, from the more commonly found Patbingsu and Injeolmi Bingsu to creative flavours like Choco Brownie and Mango Berry Cheesecake.
The bingsus are made wholly from premium milk imported from Korea. I tried the Oreo Bingsu and the shaved ice was pretty spot on! It was very soft, fine and resembled snowflakes. However, there wasn’t a strong milky taste initially. It tasted more like plain ice and the milky taste eventually became stronger only when the shaved ice melted. The Bingsu was topped with oreo crumbs, oreo biscuits, finely diced almond bits and whipped cream. The portion was also quite big and the bingsu came with a cup of condensed milk which had right amount of sweetness to it.
I felt that the price of the bingsus sold here might have been a little too steep though.
Marina Square (nearest MRT: Esplanade)
6 Raffles Boulevard #04-102 Singapore 039594
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
313 @ Somerset (nearest MRT: Somerset)
313 Orchard Road #04-20/32 Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
Also read: 16 Local Foods You Must Try in Singapore
5. Binggojung
Image Credits: Binggojung
Binggojung is one of the first few bingsu shops in Singapore. Their bingsus taste incredibly authentic and similar to the ones sold in Korea. Flavours include: Injeolmi, Oreo, Greentea, Cheesecake, Lemon, Pat (red bean) and Melon. Prices of the bingsus are around SGD 10.00.
Each bingsu comes with a generous scoop of ice cream and other toppings like pat (red bean) and cornflakes. Binggojung is really generous with its servings of toppings as well. However, one drawback would be that their shaved ice is a little too coarse and not as smooth as the bingsus from other cafes.
That being said, Binggojung is a must to visit if you want to have a taste of authentic Korean bingsu!
102 Guillemard Road #01-01 Singapore 399719 (nearest MRT: Mountbatten)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm
Bt Timah Plaza, 1 Jalan Anak Bukit, Singapore 588996 (nearest MRT: Clementi)
Opening Hours: 10am – 11pm
Also read: 20 Reasons Why South Korea is a Terrible Travel Destination
So, with all that money saved on your flight ticket to Korea, go and try all these amazing bingsu creations now!
