Vancouver has a fantastic dessert scene, with local ice cream and dessert shops spotted all over. While it’s been around in Vancouver for some time now, Snowy Village is an ever-popular East Asian dessert franchise with two locations: one in Richmond near Lansdowne Station, and one downtown on Robson Street.
While I was never one to be picky about my sweets, I certainly pride myself on being able to appreciate the work of a well-crafted dessert. After remembering about how badly I told myself I wanted to go to this Vancouver Bingsoo dessert shop during the summer (but never actually going), I finally dropped by for a quick bite the other day, and I’m here to share how it went.
But First… What Is Bingsoo?
Bingsoo is a Korean dessert composed of shaved ice (which can be made from water, milk, or even green tea) and several toppings and ingredients, with popular ones including green tea powder, sponge cakes, injeolmi (a type of sweet rice cake), or fruits.
Snowy Village serves varieties of Fruit Bingsoo (fruit toppings such as strawberry or blueberry) and Shaved Ice Bingsoo (classic dessert toppings such as injeolmi and green tea powder, and varieties such as condensed milk or Oreos).
After learning about this, I went straight to the Richmond location for a taste. Given that it was during the weekend, the place was quite busy. However, it certainly wasn’t too much of an issue, and I was in after about a 10-minute wait. The space is small but fitting for a dessert spot, and I split a regular-sized Green Tea Bingsoo with a friend.
After a short wait, our dessert arrived. I expected a much sweeter dish, but was satisfyingly surprised at how balanced the tastes were. (In all fairness, I will admit my slight bias towards how much I love Korean rice cakes.)
Bingsoo is not their only dessert option, however; they also serve taiyaki, which is a cute Japanese fish-shaped cake filled with a dessert of your liking. Red bean paste is the most popular choice for good reason, but other options include custard, nutella, or even no filling. If you’re not feeling like having a cold dessert, this is your go-to.
Snowy Village was a lovely visit, and I would certainly go again, maybe for a fruit-based serving. If you find yourself pressed for time, fear not—you can skip the lineup to dine in and get your dessert to-go in a nifty sealable bag (I swear, it’s a lot cooler than the way I just described it).
Locations:
Richmond: 8571 Alexandra Rd, Richmond, BC
Vancouver: 1696 Robson St, Vancouver, BC