Yes, there are several bakeries and ice cream shops in Taichung, but if you want a classic, old-school Taiwanese dessert, you need to check out Uncle A-Dou’s Frozen Taro.
I’m told that the frozen taro soup and strawberry toast are the two things to order here. Actually ordering them, however, might be a bit of a challenge.
There’s no English anywhere (of course), and I wasn’t sure if a photo would work. So I tried out something new: I typed “frozen taro soup and strawberry toast” into Google Translate, and then showed the guy the translated text. It worked like a charm.
If you’re unfamiliar with taro, it’s essentially like a cross between a regular potato and a sweet potato, and it’s a frequent ingredient in Asian desserts.
The soup here is quite simple: a couple of very tender, partially frozen taro chunks floating in a sweet syrup. It’s not the most appetizing-looking dessert ever, but it’s sweet, tasty, and refreshing.
The strawberry toast is even more simple: it’s strawberry jam and a boatload of butter slathered between two pieces of fresh white toast.
It’s good. I mean, why wouldn’t it be? It tastes like something you might have eaten as a kid; it’s pure comfort food.
Location: No. 356, Chenggong Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
How to find it: It’s a cart with a bunch of tables set up nearby. It’s easy to miss (I walked past it at first). You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see all of the toasters.