Snowflake Taiwanese Desserts Secrets @ Kota Damansara

I think I am getting out of touch with the latest makan places. But as much as I want to try new food, I am more concerned about going ‘up car’ in the process. ‘Up car‘ is a funny term (direct translation of 上车 in Cantonese) that me and my circle of friends use to indicate bad experiences, more oftenly used when it involves bad or expensive food at an untested eatery. I am sure most of you could relate to this so you know why I tend to post more established eateries.

Anyway, Snowflake is one of the hottest dessert shop to open recently and I have heard both positive and negative things about them. From what I gather from the forummers’ opinion, Snowflake is good for their refreshing concept (for locals, at least) but bad for being bland tasting, overrated and expensive. I find the bad comments hard to believe because how would you explain the long queues at Snowflake then? I went to find out and just so you know, this is a personal observation so no offense intended to Snowflake lovers.

As expected, when we reached the shop a queue reaching from the ordering counter to the entrance was already formed. To be honest the queue is not a problem because it was moving quite fast. The problem is the shop’s small and crowded interior that made the queuing uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that it is Snowflake’s fault for having a small shop – it is simply the way things are. And if you are here alone then good luck on looking for a seat. Your best bet would be sharing a table with strangers.

The Snowflake Bestseller @ RM6.90 is basically made up of three layers: grass jelly ice at the bottom, grass jelly in the middle and taroballs as the topping. A cup of creamer is given separately so its up to you whether to add it or not.
This is the bestseller for the most obvious reason – simply because the ingredients are things Malaysians could relate to and the taste is not bad too. If you are wondering if the desserts here taste the same like those in Taiwan, then my answer is yes they are especially those taroballs. So the authentic taste is there, unlike some other Taiwan eateries that tweak the flavor to suit the local taste buds.

Sea Amber Jelly @ RM6.90, similar taste to Ai Yu Bing but with the addition of tapioca balls. Somehow the shaved ice is not as smooth as the bestseller’s so I am rating it lower. The chilling texture is perfect for cooling down on a hot day nevertheless.

I feel the Tohua here (price range from RM5 to RM6.50) is average at best, definitely not the smoothest you could get. And I am pretty sure what you could get from the pasar malam is a lot better not to mention cheaper by a mile too. What makes the Tohua worth trying is the 12 types of toppings available.

The Pearl Milk Tea @ RM4.90 tastes watered-down and diluted. Plus, there’s not much tea flavor going on so you end up feeling like sipping sugar water only. So in the end, is Snowflake overrated? My answer would be ‘no’ if you are comparing it with the real stuff in Taiwan but ‘yes’ if you are comparing it to our local desserts like cendol, lai chi kang, ABC etc.
Anyway, I feel Snowflake is a bit hype now since it is still new and people are rushing to try it. This phenomenon is similar to when J.Co Donuts opened their first outlet in Malaysia. That being said, I won’t mind returning once in a blue moon when the hype has finally cooled off and when queuing is not necessary.

SNOWFLAKE KOTA DAMANSARA
26-1, Jalan PJU 5/10, Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS Coordinates: N3 09.094 E101 35.605
Business hours: (Sun – Thu) 1.00pm – 11.00pm, (Fri – Sat) 1.00pm – 12.00 midnight