We recently stumbled upon Glacier Snow in Chandler during the shop's soft opening. The dessert spot makes its own Taiwanese-style ice — which, if you aren't familiar, is made from a frozen cylinder of milk mixture that's thinly shaved by a machine into ribbons of ice/snow.
These ribbons of ice are then layered in a bowl and can be topped with candy and fruit. The snow tastes like a hybrid of shaved ice and ice cream and is extremely light, almost like cotton candy melting on your tongue.
The clean, bright white shop features an adorable logo called "Snophie," and you'll find pops of color around the room, from the children's table by the front door to the bright purple-and-green striped wall. The uncluttered shop makes for an inviting atmosphere, and the friendly staff is ready with information about ingredients that might be new to you.
We tried the mango Iceberg. And though the Cap'n Crunch option sounded odd, something about the combination of mango snow, mini mochi, fresh strawberries, and Cap'n Crunch — all of which was then covered with a glaze of sweetened condensed milk — was just right. Every bite offered a nice mix of toppings, flavors, and textures.
The shop also serves milk tea, and our taro-flavored milk tea tasted sweet, slightly starchy, and offered just a touch of funk. If you are not familiar with taro, it's similar to a lavender-colored sweet potato but with a slightly different flavor profile.
The green tea snow was interesting but probably our least-favorite item. The green tea really does taste like tea and is perfect for anyone without much of a sweet tooth. The addition of mini mochi and sweetened condensed milk will make the tea flavor much more palatable for those who tend to favor a sweeter profile. .
Glacier Snow is at 2080 North Dobson Road, Suite 4 in Chandler. The shop's grand opening will be from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 9. For more information, check the Glacier Snow Facebook page.
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