MINIMAL

The sister dessert spot of Sur- makes a gustatory and visual splash with its complex layering of flavours and textures. The seven-course menu changes every season; frozen treats like gelato and granita are artfully plated to articulate a theme. In line with wabi sabi aesthetics, the pared-down interior embraces imperfections in its rusted steel siding, restored roof truss and concrete beams. Reservations recommended. Or order gelato to take away.

The World's Only Michelin-Starred Ice Cream Shop

• MINIMAL in Taichung is the world's first and only ice cream shop to be awarded a Michelin star.

Extreme Temperature-Based Tasting Experience

• The restaurant offers a seven-course tasting menu where dishes are presented across a wide range of temperatures, including a -40°C ice lollipop and a -196°C strawberry/roselle/cream course using liquid nitrogen.

Dual-Format, Minimalist Taichung Venue

• The venue comprises a ground-floor six-flavor takeaway shop and a second-floor 20-seat dining room serving the tasting menu, all housed in a stark gray minimalist space near Taichung's Calligraphy Greenway.

Signature Ingredients

• Biluochun green tea with sugarcane and Angelica morii: A flagship ice cream flavor where biluochun's grassy notes meet sugarcane sweetness and Angelica morii for aromatic lift. Sourced from Taiwanese green tea traditions; this flavor anchors Minimal's tea-forward identity.
• Pine needles with Camellia seed oil: Pine needle infusion paired with Camellia seed oil delivers a piney, resinous profile and a silky mouthfeel, illustrating Minimal's penchant for unusual botanical ingredients and temperature-driven textures.
• Yuzu pear and moroheiya (mallow leaf) ice pop: A takeout favorite blending citrus brightness with subtle herbal depth from moroheiya, showcasing Minimal's playful yet precise balancing of flavors.
• Red flesh plum and walnut ice cream: A fruit-nut combination highlighting Taiwanese plum varieties and walnut texture; served in dramatic temperature contexts to highlight flavor contrasts.
• Pineapple, whiskey, and magnolia shaved ice: A tropical-meets-woody profile using pineapple sweetness, whiskey for warmth, and magnolia for floral aroma, exemplifying the house's multi-layered flavor architecture.
• Snakeweed, perilla, and anise ice cream: An herbal trio that delivers fresh, earthy, and aromatic notes with perilla's bright pepperiness and anise's lift; a signature herbal-forward dessert from Minimal.
• Longan and osmanthus gelato: A distinctly Taiwanese pairing where the tropical longan harmonizes with the perfumed osmanthus to create a delicate, floral gelato.
• Sake and banana flavor: A playful, still-evolving combination that marries sake's umami with banana's sweetness, reflecting Minimal's penchant for unconventional dreamlike pairings.
• These ingredients are repeatedly highlighted in coverage of Minimal, including CNN's narration of the restaurant's local Taiwanese ingredient sourcing and temperature-variant presentations.

Tasting Menu

• Seven-course ice cream tasting menu: $30

Signature Takeout Flavors

• Cup (120ml) - choose two flavors per cup: TWD 200
  • Sorbet: 清酒 | 野薑花 | 糖蜜
  • Sorbet: 乳酸 | 紫蘇 | 蘋果
  • Sorbet: 楊桃 | 四季春 | 桂花
  • Sorbet: 蓮霧 | 荔枝 | 天竺葵
• Box (500ml) - choose two flavors per box: TWD 760
  • Gelato: 威士忌 | 大麥 | 玄米
  • Gelato: 普洱茶 | 仙草 | 樟木
• Gift Box: 酒韻 | 體驗禮盒: TWD 1320

Notes: The tasting menu is seven courses and flavors are seasonal. Takeout options are available in cup and box formats with prices in TWD.