Bingsu is one of the most popular Korean summer treats enjoyed not only in South Korea but also across the globe, thanks to the growing popularity of K-food and culture. But did you know that a bowl of bingsu can cost more than ₩100,000 ($70-80) at some high-end hotels in Seoul? It seems absurd, considering that bingsu is traditionally a simple dessert, originally just a combination of finely shaved ice, condensed milk, and paht (sweet red bean).
Bingsu has certainly evolved over the years, with many restaurants and cafes offering their own original versions and variations of flavors and toppings. There are now chains devoted just to bingsu, offering endless arrays of flavors.
But how fine can fine ice get? It seemed to me that no one needs to pay over ₩100,000 for a bowl of ultra high-end bingsu–specifically the often raved-about Shilla Hotel Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu. But I decided to try it for myself and for the sake of research, I prepared for the task by visiting and experiencing bingsu at the most popular spots. After all, it was imperative for me to become somewhat of a bingsu connoisseur in order to fairly and objectively evaluate the epitome of this frozen confection, which I saved until last.
1. Sulbing (chain)
Price: ₩13,900 ($10)
Bingsu Rating: 7/10
Sulbing was my first stop as it is the biggest bingsu chain with around 500 locations just in South Korea alone, and a few have made it all the way to the US. There’s a good reason Sulbing is the most popular bingsu chain — it has perfected the mass-produced bingsu, offering all kinds of flavors, featuring frozen fruit, ice cream and syrups. The result is crowd-pleasing, sweet, delicious bingsu. Every time. The snow is very fine and topped with frozen or fresh fruit depending on the flavor you choose. For fruit flavors, the syrup matches the fruit, blending with the snow when mixed. Als added are bonus cheesecake cubes, which bring extra sweet, salty richness! And it doesn’t end there; there is also a dollop of ice cream in the center of the bingsu, which allows the shaved ice to maintain its creamy, smooth consistency until the last bite.
The only part I did not like was the condensed milk packet served on the side of the bowl. For one thing, having passed on the ice cream dollop, the packet of condensed milk was insufficient and didn’t penetrate into the snow. It stayed on the surface and was gone before getting absorbed, leaving a plain layer of untouched snow. Maybe I shouldn’t have said “no” to the ice cream scoop after all. No matter, I ended up visiting Sulbing at least 10 more times, bravely, thoroughly, investigating all the finer points and leaving stone or blueberry unturned…
I will say that every Sulbing location I visited was loud and crowded. Very crowded. On weekdays at prime time, it is absolutely packed, mostly with teenagers and young adults. Whether that’s good or bad is subjective. But like I said, it is popular. I gave it a 7 out of 10!
2. Angelinus (chain)
Price: ₩26,000 ($19)
Bingsu Rating: 8.5/10
Angelinus is a café owned and operated by Lotte Hotel. While it does not necessarily specialize in bingsu, per se, it is in my humble opinion, the best thing on the menu. It does not have a huge array of options and is much more expensive than Sulbing – double the price to be exact. But the bingsu is truly superior: in quality, presentation, freshness, and taste. The part is that the snow is pre-blended with condensed milk, which creates a texture akin to fluffy snow that keeps its light consistency throughout the experience. No dollop of ice cream or cheesecake cubes needed! There is nothing mass-produced about this bingsu. Perhaps to justify its lofty price tag, another distinction is the use of more subtle and sophisticated ingredients like honeycomb, yogurt, and succulently ripe fresh fruit, as opposed to frozen.
The overall result is a luxurious bingsu experience. The texture was remarkable and it certainly far exceeded my expectations. I tried both options in one sitting – fresh blueberry/honey comb and injeolmi and loved it enough to visit twice. However, I couldn’t justify going more than that and opted for Sulbing when I needed a bingsu fix on a hot day.
But I love everything about this café. Not only was the bingsu excellent, the café itself was not crowded, open, spacious, bright, clean, with modern booths, couches, and tables. I highly recommend it and gave it a 8.5 out of 10.
3. Bing Chur
Price: ₩14,900 ($11)
Bingsu Rating: 5/10
Bing Chur is a small, independently owned bingsu café on a second-floor terrace in Hongdae that seemed to always have a wait. I had to try a few times before finally getting a seat to try their most popular bingsu flavors, strawberry yogurt and injeolmi pat. The space was cramped and crowded and the seats were metal fold-up terrace chairs. Not exactly a place designed for customers to comfortably linger after their shaved ice melts. I tried not to let the cramped terrace quarters influence my rating of the bingsu.
Overall, the bingsu was not bad and had a nice presentation. However, I found the strawberry bingsu toppings to be too syrupy and cloyingly sweet and the injeolmi bingsu had way too much powder so the consistency was too dry. What I’m learning in my bingsu journey is that the right proportions, consistency, and flavor combination greatly impacts the overall experience and enjoyment of a bowl of bingsu. I gave it a 5 out of 10.
4. Milk Factory
Price: ₩12,000 ($9)
Bingsu Rating 4/10
The Milk Factory was a small bingsu place in a busy part of Hongdae. I liked the simple design; most of the surfaces were white, like milk. While it was very small, it didn’t feel cramped. We sat down on a table near the window, which was quite nice. The bingsu is very visually appealing. The snow is as fine as the others and comes with a generous side of condensed milk, a big plus. Underneath the large mound of fine shaved ice is flavored milk with fresh fruit or pat. However, after just a few bites, the bingsu quickly turned into sloppy white slush. The culprit? The layer of milk at the bottom of the bowl made the fine snow melt too quickly into a soupy mess.
While it was still tasty, the bingsu lost all its visual appeal and snowy texture, which definitely detracted from the overall experience. This one started with such great promise but ended up being disappointing. Too bad, I really liked the cow logo. I give this one a 4 out of 10.
5. Ediya Coffee (chain)
Price: ₩6,300 ($4.50)
Bingsu Rating: 2/10
Pre-all-bingsu-all-the-time, Ediya Coffee was my go-to for good, relatively inexpensive coffee, frozen drinks and sweet treats. At each visit, I’d see signs for its bingsu and debated whether to try it or not. Well, I finally did and I have to say it was not good. It was certainly the most mass-produced out of all the bingsu I tried. It is basically pre-shaved ice in a container stored in the freezer. The “snow” was crunchy and the toppings included granola, canned syrupy fruit and some frozen fruit.
It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but it certainly is nowhere near the same level as other places serving bingsu, including other chains. Perhaps it wasn’t fair of me to include this bingsu on my list as Ediya Coffee specializes in baked sweets and coffee but I do have a soft spot for Ediya. Some positives are that it comes out really quickly, is a serving for one, and pretty tasty for what it is. I give it a 2 out of 10.
6. Hanok Tea House
Price: ₩16,000 ($12)
Bingsu Rating: 7/10
Hanok Tea House is a famous spot in Insadong known for its teas, coffees, and especially their desserts. So, naturally, bingsu is among its most popular items on the menu. Both the mango and traditional pat bingsu were solid. Nothing earth-shattering, but it is obvious that this place has perfected the art of bingsu with no frills or extras. I appreciated the purity and simplicity of both versions of Hanok Tea House bingsus. Although, if I’m being honest, I did miss the cheesecake cubes and ice cream a little bit. I give Hanok Tea House bingsu a 7 out of 10.
7. Shilla Hotel, The Library
Price: ₩102,000 ($75)
Rating: 11/10
By the time I made my way to the Shilla Hotel, The Library, I had consumed more bingsu in a few weeks than I ever had in my entire lifetime. I was now ready to critique the highfalutin bingsu and prove my thesis: “No bingsu is so superior as to justify a ₩100,000+ price tag.”
I was proven so wrong. The entire experience was over-the-top fantastic. First of all, the bingsu was huge and big enough for three or four people. It arrived covered in a big glass dome and was presented with almost comical fanfare. Sides of sorbet and paht were presented elegantly in separate silver bowls. The bingsu was covered with a never-ending pile of mango — the best mango, maybe even the best fruit, I’ve ever had. The mango was tender, juicy, and perfectly sized, with just a touch of the lightest syrup on the fruit, unlike other places where the syrup was heavy. The ice was fine and subtly saturated with condensed milk, uniquely shaped to maintain its texture throughout the experience. The accompanying sorbet and red bean were simply exceptional. I wanted the experience to last forever.
Additionally, you cannot beat the elegant atmosphere and space. There was even live jazz music being performed, which truly enhanced the already extraordinary bingsu-eating experience.
Would I have gone there if BoK hadn’t sent me and covered the cost of the bingsu? Probably not. Was it the most transcendent dessert experience I had ever encountered? Absolutely. I give it an 11 out of 10 because it was on a wholly different level.
