Sweet Run 3: Bing’s Fong Café Part 2

Welcome to Sweet Run 3 which is the continuation of the Sweet Run 2’s featured Bingsu selections. For the benefit of those who have not seen SweetRun 2, bingsu is a Korean style dessert made of shaved ice and sweet toppings ranging from fruits, red beans, and mocha (rice cake) balls. Hence, bingsu is one of those desserts that is very flexible as you can literally add anything sweet under the sun and it would still taste good.

The selection does not stop with the classic milk red bean and the bean powder which is quite unique in itself but also extends to chocolates and fruits. Like I said, anything sweet under the sun;)

Bingsu Number 1: Chocolate Bingsu/ Snowflakes

Visual: Similar to the first two, this one is also based on soft served vanilla flavored ice topped mainly with white flakes, cookie bits and chocolate chips. 

Taste: I was not really expecting much given that I am not fond of chocolate drinks or any chocolate desserts with liquid base, given that most of them do not mix well with the syrup, cream or whatever it is they decide to incorporate. However, this one really surprised me. Turn out to be good and for some reason the shaved ice blended well with the cookie bits. Usually, combining chocolate and ice do not produce the best results given that the ice cancels out the taste of the cookie bits plus leaving it all soggy but for this one, the cookie bits was able to enhance the taste of the shaved ice.

It got me curious and I think it is the almonds that did the trick. Remember the white flakes, those are apparently, crushed almonds, not white chocolate as I initially thought. The natural sweet and unique taste of the almond neutralized the ice’s power of diminishing the taste of the chocolate as almonds do not get soggy when placed in a liquid mixture. In short, there are like two forces of sweetness surrounding the ice --- one from the almond and the other from the chocolate. Talk about sugar overload ^_^

Bingsu Number 2: Mango Bingsu / Snowflakes

Visual: Attractively Bright amidst the white expanse and you can really see the smoothness of the ice. I almost want to lie down and sway my arms and legs up and down.

Taste: As expected, classic mango bingsu. Nothing really special but still at the very least, they should have gotten the mangoes right. I kind of dislike the fact that most establishments would rely on the sweetness of the dessert to make up for the sourness of the mangoes. I mean we are in a tropical country that is well-known for its mango production.

While the taste is already perfect. It has all the qualities that one can expect from a bingsu. Bing's Fong should find a way to differentiate itself not just with other bingsu cafes but also with other oriental desserts with the same concept. It could do better when it comes to ambiance and service. There is lack of individual tables with most of them having to share with someone else. The café sells grocery products and snacks that do not match its ambiance. Service is good at times but inconsistent. You would encounter really pleasant servers and some on the snappy side.

Store when viewed from outside. Magical isn't it?

Bing! Drop Everything, it's time for Bingsu. Comments? Suggestions? Don't hesitate to share them in the comment box below.