The Australian sun can be heavy in the summer months. So we arm ourselves with a layer of sunblock, a hat and sunnies. We cool down with milk teas, iced coffees and gelato. There's another way to stay refreshed, too: or bingsoo is a Korean shaved ice dessert, often topped with fruits, red beans, syrup and condensed milk.
Bingsu dates back to the early period of the Joseon Dynasty (which began in 1392). Government records document officials eating crushed ice topped with various fruits distributed from Seokbinggo, (modern-day Seoul). One of the earliest forms of bingsu is , which is typically sweetened with red beans. Many credit , one of Seoul’s oldest bakeries for the modern version of the dessert. The bakery opened in 1946 and today, it still sells bingsu topped with traditional red beans, as well as other elaborate variations.
The first time I had bingsu many years ago, it was a massive bowl filled with finely shaved ice, matcha ice cream, green tea KitKats, red bean paste, rice cake and cornflakes with condensed milk. It piled on layers of flavours and textures all in one bowl. Each spoonful was a different sensation and taste – oddly so satisfying.
Melbourne boasts a variety of bingsu options to sample this summer.
Scoopy
Hidden in a Melbourne laneway is the CBD location for (which has outposts in Glen Waverley and West Footscray, too). In the morning, it's the cafe. It transforms to Scoopy, a Korean dessert parlour at 4 pm. Although it's tucked away in Guildford Lane, the long queue snaking out of the venue makes it easy to spot. In the summer months, bingsu lovers don’t mind standing in line for a long time just to get their fix of the dessert.
A popular pick is the Royal Taro bingsu with rainbow jelly, tapioca pearls, blueberry pearls and taro mochi topped with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Want a less sweet option? The Mai Thai Times bingsu is the perfect choice with milk tea, grass jelly, tapioca pearls, mango jelly, mango pearls and mochi. The Lychee Bloom bingsu is a great option for people on vegan and dairy-free diets: it's made with oat milk, lychee pieces, lychee pearls, pineapple jelly and grass jelly.
The Royal Taro bingsu at Scoopy. Source: Maida Pineda
33 Guildford Lane, Melbourne, Sun – Thurs 4 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 4 pm – 11 pm
Nox Monster Bing
If seeing an ice monster tickles your fancy, then feast on the playful characters at . They have cute names like Mungmung the Mango Monster, Sim Sim the Sesame Monster and Hoji the Hojicha monster, so expect nothing less than an Instagram-worthy experience. The flavours are served with smoke effects, fairy floss and, of course, edible monster faces on the shaved ice.
The Elmo stuffed toy and giant teddy bear add an extra layer of cuteness to the experience. The menu goes beyond serving bingsu, so don’t be surprised to see brunch dishes, croffle monsters and monster cocktail drinks on offer. The venue is currently closed and will be relocating to a new location at the end of January – follow the for updates.
Sulbing
isn't kidding when it describes itself as a "premium cafe". Yes, it's dedicated to bingsu, but expect more than the usual toppings: Sulbing presents cheesecake, ice-cream and real green tea powder sprinkled over ice. Its signature bingsu is the Injeolmi Sulbing with injeolmi powder, injeolmi rice cake and almond slices.
Expect premium ingredients like green tea powder from Korea on the Real Green Chocolate dessert with chunks of brownies and matcha ice-cream, or go even more extra with Yuzu Matcha Sulbing with green tea powder, matcha ice-cream, yuzu and cheesecake, or the Premium Strawberry Sulbing with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, cheesecake and yoghurt powder.
This strawberry-topped bingsu from Sulbing also is bolstered with cheesecake and whirls of whipped cream. Source: Sulbing
168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Sun – Thurs 12 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
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