As temperatures rise in Korea, one dessert quietly makes its seasonal comeback: bingsoo. This shaved ice treat, often topped with sweet red beans, fruit, or condensed milk, becomes a staple as spring transitions into summer.
Strawberry Nights & Street Bites: A Spring Walk Through Myeong-dong
Spring transforms Seoul’s Myeong-dong into a lively night market filled with bright lights, street food, and fresh strawberries. Vendors line the streets from late afternoon until around 11 PM, selling strawberry tanghulu, cream-filled waffles, and skewered meats. Dessert cafés and cat cafés stay open late, offering a break from the crowds. Seasonal strawberry treats are especially popular from March to April.
And with six Olive Young K-beauty stores, there’s plenty of health and beauty products to shop for too. (Pro Tip- use your home-country Costco membership to get K-Beauty products even cheaper than Olive Young.)
Looking to cool down in Seoul this summer? Try bingsoo (빙수, bing‑soo) — Korea’s ultimate shaved ice dessert! From the old-school pat‑bingsu (팥빙수, pat‑bing‑soo) at Taegeukdang (태극당) to towering matcha (말차) and mango (망고) “ice mountains” at trendy cafes and hotels, the Korea Times highlights where to go for both jeontongjeok (전통적, traditional) and hyeondaijeok (현대적, modern) flavors.
Don’t miss injeolmi (인절미) toppings or sweet red beans. Seoul’s bingsu game is strong — one bowl might not be enough!
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–Bingsoo still in-season
-Bingsoo gets an update at Seoul hotels
The weather was beginning to cool off until the rain dragged the humidity back this past week. And so I return for more bing-soo. At Cafe T in Cheongdam, Seoul.
Mango bing-soo and Espresso bing-soo
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