A Look Into The World’s Only Michelin-Starred Ice Cream Shop

When you think of Michelin stars, gourmet restaurants serving intricate dishes typically come to mind. But in Taichung, Taiwan, Minimal, the world’s first Michelin-starred ice cream shop, is redefining fine dining with sub-zero creations that combine artistry, science, and childhood nostalgia.

A Michelin Milestone

Taiwan’s culinary scene has blossomed in recent years, as evidenced by the 2024 Michelin Guide, which awarded stars to 49 establishments across the island. Among them, Minimal stands out as the only ice cream shop globally to achieve this prestigious recognition.

“Focusing on ice and ice cream, the restaurant skillfully layers flavors and textures through temperature variations and creative combinations,” the Michelin Guide notes, praising the establishment’s innovative use of local Taiwanese ingredients.

Located in a quiet alley near Taichung’s scenic Calligraphy Greenway, Minimal’s sleek, charcoal-hued exterior could easily be mistaken for an avant-garde art studio. Inside, guests are treated to either a takeaway ice cream experience or a seven-course tasting menu that elevates ice to an entirely new level.

A Passion for Ice

Minimal is the brainchild of Arvin Wan, a soft-spoken visionary whose obsession with ice began in childhood. Growing up in a single-parent household, Wan recalls being captivated by the sensory thrill of crunching on ice cubes.

“My family had a double-door refrigerator with an installed ice-maker. I’d eat ice cubes every day,” Wan told CNN.

As a young chef, Wan worked grueling shifts while his mother battled cancer, leaving him little time to spend with her. After her passing, he reevaluated his career path. “I reflected a lot — if I continued on my current path, I wouldn’t have time for people I cherish in the future,” Wan explained.

In 2014, he shifted gears, taking a job at an ice cream parlor before co-founding a contemporary restaurant, Sur-, in 2016. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2021, but Wan left shortly after to pursue his true calling: creating a dedicated ice cream experience.

“I don’t feel the same way about other desserts. I just wanted to make ice”.

The Minimal Philosophy

Minimal opened in 2021, embodying Wan’s vision of simplicity and perfection. Its name reflects both the minimalist aesthetic of the venue and the careful engineering behind ice cream’s texture and flavor.

“Minimalist design may look very simple, but it’s extremely complex if you understand it,” Wan told CNN.

The shop’s ground floor serves as a takeaway counter, featuring imaginative flavors like biluochun green tea with sugarcane and Angelica morii, or pine needles infused with Camellia seed oil. Upstairs, the restaurant offers an intricate seven-course tasting menu that plays with varying temperatures, mostly below zero.

A Journey Through Temperature

Each dish at Minimal is named for its serving temperature, offering a sensory adventure through ice. The current menu begins with 0°C Loquat/Pear, a half-molten starter, and includes courses like:

• -40°C Wild Ginger Flowers/Sake, a crunchy ice lollipop that melts slowly.
• -5°C Whisky/Pineapple/Magnolia, a refreshing shaved ice creation.
• -12°C Snakeweed/Perilla/Anise, an herbaceous gelato.
• -196°C Strawberry/Roselle/Cream, a dazzling liquid nitrogen dish.

The lone hot course, 180°C Rice/Edamame, features a warm rice dumpling sandwiched between crispy pancakes. The meal concludes with 40°C Pastry, paired with longan and osmanthus gelato.

Wan’s meticulous process requires not only innovative recipes but also specialized equipment. “Our kitchen is fitted with fridges set at varied temperatures.” This allows his team to prepare and plate dishes precisely, ensuring they’re served at the ideal state.

Overcoming Challenges

Designing such unique dishes is no easy feat. Wan explained that achieving the perfect texture for his -40°C lollipop involved creating a thicker mixture to trap air bubbles while freezing.

“I had to make the mixture thicker so it could coagulate the air bubbles,” Wan told CNN. “Then, I had to create a valve so that gas could enter the liquid and not exit before freezing.”

Flavor is another challenge. “Most ice doesn’t have a lot of aroma because fragrance is very inactive below zero,” Wan noted. To counteract this, he layers flavors with complementary ingredients, like adding mint and Angelica morii to green tea ice cream to enhance its grassy notes.

Rediscovering the Joy of Ice

Despite his exacting standards, Wan remains a fan of simple pleasures. “I still eat ice cream almost every day,” he admitted. “Most of the time, I eat really cheap ice treats like qing bing — they’re a no-brainer for me.”

Minimal’s mission, however, goes beyond serving gourmet ice cream. Wan hopes his creations rekindle the childhood excitement of eating ice.

“As we grow older, eating ice is much less exhilarating. The ice itself hasn’t changed, but the feeling towards it has. I hope that with Minimal, grown-ups can rediscover the joy of eating ice again.”

A Michelin-Starred Legacy

Minimal’s Michelin star isn’t just a testament to Wan’s creativity but also to Taiwan’s growing reputation as a fine-dining hub. As Wan continues to innovate, his ice cream shop has become a pilgrimage site for dessert lovers worldwide.

For those lucky enough to visit, Minimal offers more than just a meal — it’s an icy exploration of flavors, textures, and temperatures that challenges our understanding of what dessert can be.

Minimal is located at No. 16, Lane 133, Section 1, Meicun Rd, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan. For reservations or inquiries, call +886 4 2321 9080.

Follow The Daily Dive on MSN for all your travel and lifestyle tips.