Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
“Decent bingsu and interesting side menu”
Bingsu, or Korean shaved ice, has hit the shores of our sunny island of late and the number of shops popping up recently show how this dessert is fast gaining popularity among locals.
Nunsaram means “Snowman” in Korean, aptly named for a store that sells the ice-cold dessert. The sleepy looking snowman makes for a cute motif too.
Snowman aside, the Nunsaram store features an open, roof-less concept within Orchard Central and has taken over the space where “Spanish Doughnuts – The Original Churros” used to be. For those disappointed at the franchise’s closure, rest assured that another worthy dessert store has sprouted to satisfy your sugar cravings.
Our first choice off the menu was Patbingsu ($14.40 with ice cream), or Red Bean Bingsu, one of the more popular flavours at the cafe. Comprising of shaved ice, injeolmi (a type of Korean rice cake), red bean, bean powder and almonds, this was our preference between the two bingsus we ate.
While the shaved ice could be a tad more flavored, the ice cream, red bean and condensed milk (given separately) added more variety and sweetness to the dessert. The generous serving of almonds also lent it a nice texture.
Next was the Sweet Potato Bingsu ($14.90), a lesser-seen flavour that piqued my interest. The sweet potato paste and chunks are made from a variety of the root that is naturally purple – which adds such a bright, vibrant colour to this bingsu.
The paste and chunks tasted sweet yet did not seem cloying even with the ice cream and the condensed milk. We wished it were less mushy though; think firmer chunks with the soft, snowy shaved ice.
For those who are not keen on bingsu, Nunsaram has a side menu which has tteogkkochi, toast and bread. We had the Injeolmi Toast ($5.90), which is bread with injeolmi, butter and sweet syrup, sprinkled with dried cranberries and almonds.
The butter spread on the inside of the bread cuts through the sweetness and makes it less jelat, or overly heavy, despite the chewy injeolmi and syrup. The almonds give a nice crunch and the dried cranberries, a fruity taste.
For something more savoury, go for the Cheese Tteogkkochi ($5.90). Tteogkkochi here actually refers to tteokbokki, a type of Korean rice cake which is more commonly known. The rice cake is baked with cheese and sweet syrup, resulting in a slightly crispy texture, hence the play on the word.
They definitely did not skimp on the cheese. I could taste it in every mouthful. The syrup was a nice touch as it prevented the dish from being too salty without compromising on the cheese.
While their bingsus were not the best, it is decent and worth it to go down to take a look or to satisfy a craving.
Their side menu, on the other hand, is a new list to explore all together. I am definitely interested in going back to try more.
Expected damage: $10 – $15 per pax
Nunsaram Korean Dessert Café: 181 Orchard Road #05-51/52 Orchard Central Singapore 238896 | Website
