“Ber months” are here but we know Elsa was right when she said “the cold never bothered [us] anyway”. And with the rising popularity of shaved ice Korean dessert called Bingsu, Snowbing is the perfect place for Pinoys to hangout and chill.

Basically the Korean version of our own Halo-Halo, bingsu is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert that is usually topped with tropical fruits, red beans, and infused with milk and fruit flavors. With the continuous rise of Korean culture in the country, this frozen delight has been in the spotlight for the past few years along with a slew of Korean food items like Samgyeopsal (pork belly), Korean-style chicken, Bibimbap (mixed rice), and many more.

The popularity of bingsu in the country has paved way for Korean-inspired dessert café Snowbing to open its doors to Filipinos last July 15, 2017 at SM North EDSA. Kate Navarro, the Operations Manager of the branch, says that Snowbing offers not just the typical bingsu that you’ve seen or tasted before.  

“Although we’re not [the] first [bingsu place in the Philippines], we have very unique flavors and lineup for the bingsu. It’s not the typical or the traditional bingsu that you find elsewhere. Here, we have 12 different flavors that you can choose from. Plus, our sizes are [for] solo–we don’t have those big bowls that you typically see which costs so much,” said Navarro.

With flavors ranging from fruity and creamy delights to chocolatey and authentic Asian flavors, Navarro recommends Cheezy Mango, Choco Brownie, and Matcha Green Tea as their best-selling bingsu flavors.  

We were able to try some of their best sellers and we have to say, we instantly became a fan! Even for a solo size, their bingsus are definitely worth its price with the generous amount of ingredients every bingsu-lovers would totally dig in.

Every spoonful of Cheezy Mango bingsu feels like tropical sunset meets winter wonderland with the snowy shaved ice that fills the bowl, and the luscious mangoes along with soft and chewy milky cheese cubes that surrounds it. Snowbing’s Cheezy Mango bingsu is also topped with vanilla ice cream that melts on the milk-infused shaved ice–making it consistently milky and creamy. Drizzled with mango syrup and sprinkled with cheesecake crumbs, Cheezy Mango gives a refreshing kick without being overly sweet.

Unlike other bingsu players in the market, Navarro said that Snowbing had Korean experts come up with a menu lineup and flavors that are more accustomed to Filipino palate. Snowbing also has more to offer to Pinoys who have a heart for Korean food like Korean pastas, Korean pizzas, and Korean version of French toasts.

Snowbing serves Salted Egg, Korean, and Kimchi pastas for customers to relish. Their Korean pasta is a fusion of the traditional Korean BBQ Beef known as Bulgogi and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. The well-marinated beef strips in it are perfectly tender–giving off sweet and savory flavor as it mixes with the olive oil and sauteed minced garlic. Onion chives and bean sprouts are also added to create texture and crunch as you chew it.

For those who have unwavering love for pizza, Snowbing has four remarkable flavors in single pizza slices to choose from: Korean, Pepperoni, Cheese, and Kimchi. Just like the Korean pasta, their Korean pizza is also topped with smokey Bulgogi and sweet onion slices with melted cheese on its crispy thin crust.

Others who prefer sweets but are hesitant to iced treats can try Snowbing’s toasts that comes in Honey Butter, Matcha Green Tea, White and Dark Chocolate, and Belgian Chocolate. Their Matcha Green Tea toast is a “match-a” of distinct and aromatic taste of matcha leaves and salted butter soaked in the toasted bread that makes it remain soft and chewy.

With the warm welcome of customers, the dessert café plans to expand to more branches. Snowbing is also continuously developing new items to add on their menu and plans to offer seasonal items and flavors that Filipinos will surely love!

Apart from their store in SM North EDSA, Bingsu lovers can now check out their second branch in TriNoma located at the 4th level, garden restaurants. Soon to Open at Level 5 East Wing, Shangri-la Plaza Mall. For more information, you can check out their Facebook page here.