#49 – SHAVED ICE at ICE FIRE LAND

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

I’m lucky to not have an addictive personality. I’ve never had a habit of smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, or consuming large amounts of candy. Besides my Iphone, I think there’s only one other thing I’ve been physically addicted to. This is going to sound strange, but it’s ice.

And when I say the word “ice”, I don’t mean a street nickname for some hard core drug. No I mean, the solid form of water. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a habit of chewing on ice cubes – crushed or whole. I belonged to the Clean Cup Club, which has a much better ring to it than our sister club for Plate Cleaners.

Some people would claim it’s from sexual frustration, but I chewed on ice because I loved the cold wet sensation and the refreshing crunch (sounds like sexual frustration to some, I’m sure). However, over the years I learned it can take the enamel off your teeth and is uncooth at fancy restaurants. So now I purposely order my water with no ice to prevent a relapse.

Which brings me to the shaved ice at Ice Fire Land, a cavernous Taiwainese joint in the heart of my favorite NY Chinatown, Flushing. It’s a unique confection that you can find in and around most Chinatowns in the city. And it’s almost always presented as a build-your own sundae. And the toppings are seemingly strange options like corn, red beans, and black jelly.

After we enjoyed a really fun meal of beef and seafood hot pots (which is basically Chinese fondue), I made sure to save room for the ice part of Ice Fire Land. The Shaved Ice comes in a huge bowl and you get to pick four toppings (extra will cost you extra) to flavor your snowy dish. We went with three of Time Out’s recommendations: red bean, condensed milk, tapioca, and we added lychee jelly for a sweet texture.

I’ve had these before so the novelty wasn’t as surprising to me and I finally was able to relax and enjoy the flavor experience. The ice itself is heavenly for me (see above) and the condensed milk added a sticky, creamy sweetness that if I closed my eyes might have reminded me of a dish of ice cream. The red beans certainly add a savory aspect, but I like the sweet, smokiness and the mealy texture. The bright lychee jelly was a lot of fun and the big white tapioca balls could have been raw scallops for all I knew.

It’s a fun way of ending a meal – especially on one of my many Flushing adventures. While the shaved ice looks like a heavy monster of a dessert, it never quite fills you up and leaves you completely satisfied. I’ll have to come back and try other toppings, like pineapple, peanuts, and pudding. See, already I’ve fallen off the ice wagon.

Would Ice Fire Land’s Shaved Ice make my Top 100 of the year? It’s a refreshing and sweet ice treat with unique options of toppings that bring out my inner ice fiend. It gets an 8 out of 10.