You can enjoy Taiwanese shaved ice in Markham at Cha Me Cha and ZenQ, however Korean shaved ice aka patbingsu is a little harder to find. The Cups Thornhill location recently opened next to Piggy’s (one of my fav Korean places), and despite having to wait over an hour for seating and food, I still walked away from the experience delighted! My favourite Korean shaved ice (patbingsu) in Markham is officially The Cups.
An authentic Korean dessert cafe, The Cups is quite small with about 8-10 tables. On a Monday night, we were surprised to find it filled – though it was the first Monday of 2017. After going up to order, we waited for a table for 30 minutes. There is an extensive menu with a variety of shaved ice, toast, bubble tea, and other assorted drinks. You can order the shaved ice in 3 different sizes: cup (for 1), small (1-2 people), and large (3+ people).
The Food
It was refreshing to have patbingsu instead of the usual Taiwanese shaved ice. Contrary to the fluffy sheets, patbingsu is milk shaved ice in the form of a light powdered snow. We ordered a small Injeolmi Shaved Ice ($7.99), a small Matcha Red Bean Shaved Ice ($10.15), and an Injeolmi Toast ($5.99).
The Injeolmi Shaved Ice contains milk shaved ice, almond flakes, soybean powder, mochi, and condensed milk. It was delicious and undoubtedly my favourite. I highly enjoyed the fact that the condensed milk wasn’t overly sweet. The chewy powdered mochi balls were the best part about the Inejolmi. If going to The Cups, the Injeolmi Shaved Ice is a must try!
The Matcha Red Bean Shaved Ice has the same ingredients as the Injeolmi with the addition of matcha ice cream, red bean, and matcha powder instead of soybean powder. The amount of matcha powder sprinkled over the shaved ice pleasantly surprised me. However, I actually found it to be too sweet and will not get it again.
Thinking about ordering toast? Expect to wait. The contents are the same as the Injeolmi Shaved Ice over two toasts, proving to be quite good and more filling. When we cut into it, the condensed milk spilled out! We would have loved it even more if it had more mochi sandwiched in the toast.
In conclusion, The Cups is a must try and I will be back very soon. Some patbingsu I look forward to trying include the Tiramisu Shaved Ice and Mango Shaved Ice!
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5 Glen Cameron Rd., Unit 25B
Thornhill, ON
905.597.8838
Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm
Sun Closed
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Stone & Fern is a travel and lifestyle blog started by friends who have a passion for exploring cities, capturing moments, and trying new food. This is part of our Cafes of Toronto series. To see more of North America, click here.