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When you think of Michelin-starred restaurants, what comes to mind? Maybe sleek, white-tablecloth dining rooms, elegantly plated dishes, or haute-cuisine meals that make your taste buds sing. But what if I told you that the world’s first Michelin-starred ice cream shop isn’t a high-end chocolate shop or a quirky gelato parlor — it’s an innovative ice cream “restaurant” in Taiwan.
Welcome to Minimal — a concept that’s changing how we think about ice cream and fine dining. Located in the vibrant city of Taichung, this isn't your typical dessert destination. It’s an avant-garde experience that combines the playful joy of ice cream with the meticulous artistry of Michelin-level cuisine. Minimal opened its doors in 2021, and since then, it’s been making waves, earning its Michelin star and raising the bar for what ice cream can be.
What’s So Special About Minimal?
While many ice cream shops focus on bold flavors and fun toppings, Minimal takes a more refined approach. Housed in a minimalist, gray-walled building that looks more like a modern architecture firm than a dessert shop, this two-story venue feels more like an art gallery than your typical sweet spot. The ground floor offers a takeaway shop with a rotating selection of whimsical, Taiwan-inspired flavors like biluochun green tea with sugarcane and Angelica morii, or pine needles with Camellia seed oil. These flavors are constantly changing, but there’s one constant — they all push the boundaries of what you expect from ice cream.
But the real magic happens on the second floor, where the experience truly shines: a seven-course tasting menu that’s almost entirely frozen. Yes, you read that correctly — a tasting menu that focuses on temperature variations and the sensory experience of ice. Dishes are served at everything from sub-zero temperatures to piping hot, and each course is named after the temperature it’s served at, making for an experience that's as much about science as it is about flavor.
“Focusing on ice and ice cream, the restaurant skillfully layers flavors and textures through temperature variations and creative combinations, using unique local ingredients from Taiwan,” says the Michelin Guide.
Minimal’s tasting menu includes dishes like -40°C Wild Ginger Flowers/Sake ice lollipops (yes, frozen lollipops at -40°C), and -196°C Strawberry/Roselle/Cream, a stunning liquid nitrogen concoction that looks more like a science experiment than a dessert. But behind each dish is an incredible amount of planning, testing, and innovation. The result? An unforgettable experience that takes you back to the excitement of your first ice cream cone, only this time, it’s more sophisticated, more refined, and more surprising than you could ever imagine.
The Science Behind the Ice
Creating such a mind-blowing tasting menu isn’t easy. The challenges go far beyond just churning ingredients in a machine. As the chef-owner Wan explains, "Most people are less familiar with temperatures below zero and think they’re all the same. I hope to find a way to understand the differences." For example, the -40°C lollipop has a crunchy texture that melts more slowly than regular ice, almost like fluffy cotton candy. Wan had to experiment with making the mixture thicker to hold more air, and even build a custom valve to inject gas into the liquid to create that delicate texture.
With temperature being such a critical part of the experience, the restaurant's kitchen is equipped with specialized fridges, each set to a different setting to control the exact temperature at which each course is served. And since ice doesn’t have much aroma at sub-zero temperatures, Wan often adds ingredients like mint or Angelica morii to enhance the flavor profile and bring out more complex aromas.
A Journey Back to Childhood
Despite all the culinary science, Wan's approach is rooted in nostalgia. He shares, “When we were young, most of us loved eating iced desserts. As we grow older, the prospect of eating ice is much less exhilarating — it’s no longer new and special.” Through Minimal, Wan hopes to reignite that sense of wonder and joy in grown-ups, allowing them to rediscover the simple magic of ice cream. And he’s not just about fancy creations — he still enjoys cheap, everyday ice treats like qing bing (a retro Taiwanese shaved ice dessert), proving that for him, ice cream is all about the experience, not the price tag.
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So next time you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, consider a trip to Taiwan, where a Michelin-starred ice cream adventure awaits. It’s proof that sometimes the simplest joys — like a scoop of ice cream — can be transformed into something extraordinary.
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