In Korea, people happily look forward to the return of bingsu (shaved ice dessert) season every summer. While the classics such as patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) and fruit bingsu are standards, new bingsu types are released every year, like funny bingsu designed to look like jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) or bibimbap! With a street of shops that specialize in bingsu, Korea is indeed bingsu heaven.

>> The original patbingsu

Patbingsu is a timeless option, available at almost every shop that sells bingsu, and sometimes the ONLY bingsu item on the menu. However, the sweet red bean paste that goes on top of the ice shaving takes a lot of time and effort to bring out the perfect balance of sweetness and texture. It’s no surprise most popular patbingsu shops make their own sweet bean paste.

# In Seoul

There are several shops in Seoul that make their own sweet red bean paste. One of the most well-known shops where you can taste authentic handmade patbingsu is Dobinggo in Ichon-dong. The patbingsu from Dobinggo sticks to the original as much as possible, limiting the ingredients to ice, condensed milk, sweet red bean, rice cakes, and milk. Homilbat in Sinchon and Geumokdang in Yeonhui-dong also make their own sweet red bean paste.

# In Busan

There are many places in Busan famous for their traditional patbingsu. Namcheon Nokcha Patbingsu is one such place, known for their addition of green tea powder. Their patbingsu is extremely cheap, costing only 4,000 won, and they offer unlimited refills of green tea powder. The interior design, featuring wisteria trees, has made the restaurant popular as a photo spot, too.

Another popular patbingsu café in Busan known for making their own sweet red bean paste is Maru Patbingsu. The crunchy ice texture creates the perfect complement to the sweet red beans. They also sell tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes), a surprising but delicious combination!

Busan also has a patbingsu alley! Located within the famous Gukje Market, the shops here sell refreshing bingsu on hot summer days and warm bowls of danpat juk in freezing winter. Nampo-dong Patbingsu Alley has been in the area since the 1970s, and most vendors continue to serve the old-fashioned bingsu using the same recipe that’s been passed down for years. The recipe uses simple ingredients like milk, syrup, sweet red beans, and cocktail fruits for a no-frills bingsu, but its simplicity is what earned its reputation for bringing old time memories among Koreans.

>> Unique Bingsu

# Social media-worthy bingsu

If you enjoy taking pictures and showing off your vacation, then we recommend trying a very special bingsu! Daegu café _sweet_and_ serves creative and unique jjajangmyeon bingsu, designed to look just like a bowl of jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce). The white “noodles” are actually ice cream, and the deep red colored red beans represent the sauce.

Don’t let the looks confuse you! This is bibim bingsu, designed to look just like a bowl of bibimbap. The large bowl is filled with frozen milk flakes, and topped with colorful fruits and injeolmi (bean-powder-coated rice cakes). Jelly made to look like a fried egg, and strawberry jam in place of gochujang (red chili paste) completes the image of bibimbap. Mix in as much of the jam, ice cream, and red bean paste as you would like.

# Vegan bingsu

New vegan bingsu has come out for vegetarians and vegans who have a sweet tooth. Pan Honesta, a vegan bakery in Itaewon, makes vegan bingsu using oat milk for the ice base. They offer three types of bingsu with different vegan toppings, including black sesame, pistachio, and chocolate.

# Luxury hotel bingsu

Every summer, even luxury hotels jump on the bingsu train to serve up sweets as luxurious as their rooms. The steep price of the Jeju apple mango bingsu available this year at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul doesn’t stop it from being so popular that there is a waitlist to enjoy it. At Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, you can enjoy three types of delicious bingsu: Jeju apple mango, red bean, and green tea. The green tea in particular is this year’s special option, blending the taste of green tea with traditional French rice pudding for a full-bodied taste. Most hotels only offer bingsu for a limited period, so be sure to call in advance.

# Convenience store bingsu

If you’re not up for fancy and expensive bingsu, opt for a bingsu at a convenience store. The range of available options is wide, from the basic patbingsu to various fruit bingsu, and with lower prices than you can find elsewhere, convenience store bingsu is sure to please everyone. You can also find tasty bingsu made in collaboration with big companies, such as Choonsik’s bokja bingsu, featuring the popular Kakao Friends character, or Moonhori Patjuk patkal bingsu, a product made with a famous patjuk (red bean porridge) restaurant. No matter what bingsu you try, you’ll feel the summer heat melting away with the first cool and crunchy bite of ice.

* This column was last updated in July 2024, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to check details before visiting.