This newly opened dessert cafe on Alexandra Road in Richmond is my new favourite dessert spot. And when I say favourite, I mean I’ve already visited five times since they first opened two weeks ago… (#shameless).

Snowy Village Dessert Cafe is a new Korean cafe specializing in “bingsoo”, or shaved ice milk dessert, often topped off with red bean, nuts or fruits. They already have over 80 locations around the world, including Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and more.

Their store is beautifully arranged with a fun green and white colour scheme, complete with lighted signage, and glowing snowflakes on the ceiling. The order counter is made with an unfinished wood design, which gives the feeling of being in a warm toasty cabin amidst snowy weather outside.

I’ve tried four flavours so far – my favourite is the “Green Tea Bingsoo”. This shaved ice milk is topped with matcha green tea powder, condensed milk, mochi pieces, and red bean. I love that each bingsoo is heaped into a mountain of “snow” or shaved ice, because I just can’t get enough!

Another flavour I enjoyed is their “Oreo Bingsoo”, with chocolate powder and a perfect Oreo cookie on top. I believe their classic is the “Injeolmi Bingsoo”, topped with peanuts, mochi, red bean, and condensed milk.

When it comes to shaved ice, Snowy Village Dessert Cafe takes it to a whole new level. Instead of using ice, Korean shaved “ice” actually uses milk as the base ingredient. This unique tweak to the recipe means the texture of the shaved “ice” is super fluffy with a light milk flavour. Bonus: you don’t get the feeling of brain freeze that you do with regular shaved ice, because the Korean bingsoo doesn’t taste as cold!

In additional to the shaved ice/milk, Snowy Village also serves a few desserts, including the popular “Taiyaki”, a fish-shaped pastry with a red bean filling (originally Japanese), but with a croissant batter. It’s served piping hot, and the contrast of the sweet crunchy outside and the soft red bean inside is absolutely delicious.

I am very much looking forward to trying all the flavours, and I can see this dessert cafe becoming very popular when summer rolls around. Snowy Village – thank you for bringing this incredible bite of heaven (that I am obsessed with) to Vancouver!

If you want to taste this unique dessert, check out their Facebook page for their menu items and hours here: Snowy Village Dessert Cafe. They’re super busy on weekend nights, so go early if you can!