This was the first time I tried Taiwanese Shaved Ice and it was absolutely delicious! When you see pictures, the ice cream seems flaky and that it might not have much flavor but the flavor is infused into the snow ice so well, it's awesome! How to Order: When you go in, you grad a mini clipboard and check off what you would like. There are two sizes of snow-ice (regular-$5 and large-$7). For the regular, you can choose one flavor of ice, one fruit or two toppings (mocha, toppers, brownie bites, tapioca, almonds). For the large, you can choose more fruit and toppings. Next, you can pick a drizzle that comes with the ice cream (strawberry, boba, mango, chocolate, condensed milk). *I got the strawberry ice with condensed milk and tapioca balls and mango poppers. The ice cream was so creamy and just melted my in mouth. I think that the fruit is overpriced, so maybe stick to the toppings instead of fruit. Quality: The quality of service was acceptable, nothing great. I feel like when there aren't many people, they could pay more attention to their customers. Ambiance: Cute date place or a hangout place with friends. Final verdict? I would definitely come back with more friends and try out the other ice flavors! I hear that the green tea and vanilla milk are pretty good! read more

Nu Cafe - Strawberry ice cream with condensed milk, mango boba and tapioca! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came on a really busy night during winter break; it was so busy I'm surprised we could even catch a booth. My sister and I ordered the hill size shaved ice (salted caramel). There are two sizes, hill and mountain, but hill seemed just large enough for my sister and I to share. You could go all out and add toppings and drizzle, but we skipped that option. Onto the reason for the -1 star: the shaved ice had some weird after taste. And this wasn't an after taste you get ten minutes after finishing the meal; it was an aftertaste after every bite. My sister and I are sure that it was because of the salted caramel flavor, because we tried our friends' taro flavor and it was heavenly! So maybe skip out on the salted caramel. There are SO many flavors that you won't be disappointed with. read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Late night cravings for sweetness brought me to Nu Ice. This place sure didn't disappoint me. The cashier was friendly and explained the shaved ice options. I ordered the mango sorbet with strawberries and condensed milk on top. See the pic below or on my Instagram page - EatingHappily read more

Nu Cafe - Mango Sorbet shaved ice with strawberries and condensed milk on top - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

i genuinely love this adorable place. i still remember my first time ever trying their famous shaved ice back in 2010. it was mind blowing. and changed my view on desserts forever. now every time i go eat some sort of shaved ice. i always compare them to what Nu cafe had. and i still have yet to find one that come close to what they offer here. their prices have gone up over the years but understandable with economy. there are plenty of toppings to choose from as well as flavored ice. my favorite is lychee or mango flavored. with condense milk or lychee syrup on top. and egg pudding rainbow jelly and lychee jelly on the side. oh god. i am drooling as i type this. i need to go back to houston more often for this yummy goodness on a plate. WAIT FOR ME MY LOVE. I SHALL RETURN TO YOU SOON. read more

This place has changed. The snow ice is not as it used to be: flaky and fluffy. The consistency now is a bit more dense, overly sweetened and at times chalky. The Mochi balls were not chewy, but more tougher than I remember. The staff left much to be desired. I ordered two plates of the snow ice. They made one plate timely, the other one curiously was delayed. It was a lychee flavor. They missed it and said it will be ready "later." All very odd. She made it fairly quickly with no apology-- it was fine. The table we sat at was covered in a sticky film and the entire place was humid. It was just a gross feeling to be sitting there in that damp space. Quality is not as I remembered it to be. Too many other good dessert joints to try. Next! read more

Man this place is so cute! The decor is really whimsical and Galaxy-ish. It's a little small. It's really popular on weekends. The shaved ice is extremely smooth. Its not icy like a snowball. It's not the exact texture as ice cream. It's fluffy and unlike any other. It's full of flavor. My favorite is taro with condensed milk and mochi. Strawberry and mango are also really good. When I come to Houston I try to come here everyday I'm here. Really unfortunate it's in Houston, wish they had one in New Orleans. read more

Nu Cafe - Mango mountain and strawberry mountain! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this place. Don't know of any other place like this in Texas. Always our go to place whenever we visit Houston. Service is typical Asian setup but you come here for the dessert! read more

Nu Cafe - Coconut with mango and strawberries. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

They changed a lot; in the bad way. The portion is way smaller than before. The cashier is so slow. That's the reason why the line is long. Terrible terrible experience. read more

FYI their promotion of buy one get one 50% off the same cold drink and using the same cup is misleading. You have to purchase it with your order versus coming afterwards. They need to update their promo board to be clear. read more

Nu Cafe - Misleading!!! You need to buy this in the same order. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Overpriced fancy shmancy b.s. taste OK but really 5 bucks from milk and tapioca balls? No. Just no. The kicker: the place was jam packed!!! Final gradr: C- I will not return unless someone else pays read more

I came here on a Saturday around 4PM. I ordered 2 of the Chocoholic for myself and my family because of the 'buy 1, get 50% off'. The drink itself was delicious but who would've known I found these TINY FOIL pieces in my drink. I shrugged it off at first since it was just one. But as I drank over half, I found more tiny foil pieces!  When I got home I opened up my cup and poured my drink onto a plate to check for more foil pieces. I found at least 8 more foil pieces in my drink. Weird how the 2nd drink didn't have foil in it. I feel really queasy just thinking about it. Don't think I'll be returning here for some time after this incident. read more

Nu Cafe - Poured my drink on to the plate and found more aluminum pieces. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We got the Nutella mountain with mango poppers and flan pudding. I came in here randomly and heard a lot of reviews of this place from friends and didn't really think much of shaved ice. This is AMAZING. I loved every second of it and I TORE IT UP! read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

The shaved ice is delicious. The drinks are really great too, just a bit too sweet for me. They also have hot teas. It's a little bit loud and it can get busy on weekends. read more

Super friendly and fast service and it was clean inside but the 3 drinks we got just weren't very good... Prices are inline with other area boba shops but to be honest, it will be hard to go back with so many better tasting boba choices in the area. read more

I've never had shaved ice like this! It's so powdery and fluffy! I love their Vanilla Milk with condensed milk and various fruit toppings. I would not recommend their boba drinks at all. read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Order two drinks which was the Half-Half Milk Tea and the Honey Blue Pop with the mango crepes on the side! They had a deal where if you brought a crepes you can get a free green tea or milk tea which I thought was a steal! The Mango Crepes in my opinion was too sweet, as the mango sauces used for it was a bit too savory or too much for my palette (if that make any senses), but my sister enjoyed it A LOT so it might have just been me. The Half-half milk tea was good, sweet like I wanted to but the main winner throughout the things we brought was the Honey Blue Pop! Man, that one was so refreshing and it had a variety of jelly inside, especially with the lychee popping boba which I thought was superb since I'm a die-hard fan for Lychee! This place is great, and if you're here from a hot sunny day and need some refreshments, get the Honey Blue Pop. It like a refreshing italian soda with bobas and jellies that bursts into your mouth with flavor. read more

Nu Cafe - Honey Blue Pop and Half-Half - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

The staff here was not really useful, but they also weren't rude. We had a hard time figuring out what to get because everything looked great. We ended up ordering the Green Tea Mountain, which was huge. The green tea was good, but there wasn't enough condensed milk, and when we asked for more the staff member said they would give us more for a fee. I didn't think that was fair since there was barely anything on the huge mountain of shaved ice. It was nothing like the videos I had seen before. Anyway, I probably won't come back to this spot since there's plenty of better shaved ice place. We had fun though. read more

Nu Cafe - Green Tea - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

I love going here with my friends, it's a nice place to sit and chat. The workers behind the counter are very friendly and welcoming. Their shaved ice cream is so smooth and soft. It's very soft and not too strong in flavor. Their bathrooms are usually pretty clean as well. If you're from out of town and want to go somewhere for dessert this is the place to go. The only issue I have with this place is that the tables are usually sticky haha. But overall I love this place. read more

Had the Mango Shave Ice with Mochi, Oreos and Condensed Milk. Small portion for the price compared to other places. They do not build it well so the top will fall down within 30 seconds of it being at your table. Luckily, I was prepared for that since I saw it happening to others. The number one take away you should get from this review is do not get the Mochi as a side. It was disgusting. Tasted like some weird chemical. I don't often leave bad reviews, but I wanted to remind myself not to stop in this place again. Maybe the drinks are better? read more

I'm definitely a fan of this place. It may seem like a glorified shaved ice, but the flavours and price is well worth the praise that they get. Other than their shaved ice, I think their drinks are pretty good! Although the flavours are pretty generic, I'm sure they can do even more unique flavours. read more

Nice spot for a quick refreshing treat. The booth and tables are funky but overall it's a hip little place~ they have milk teas and mountain of ice cream!! You pick your favorite topping and drizzle. I liked the matcha with the condensed milk and tapioca. The green tea ice cream was the real deal, not the fake baking poster kind which is too sweet and has none of that grassy aroma when it spreads in your mouth. The texture is very fun to eat as it seems flakey and melty! The smallest size was a good amount between three people who ate a big lunch but still room for dessert!! read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

The shaved ice was so good and it so soft! - I enjoy the tendency of the shaved ice and how the topping fit along with the shaved ice no matter how weird it can be also the service was amazing like the employee there are so nice which I enjoy the environment they bring out. This place is so consistent and I love it even though they need to remodel the place but beside the point ,the food there is totally worth going to and I would 10/10 come back! read more

Fantastic experience! This is the very best dessert place ever. The ice is just smooth and creamy, full of fresh quality ingredients. Drinks are super fun and cool looking full of flavor. Definitely worth experiencing and returning to. read more

This place is legit! I've been here a couple times before and ordered different flavors but I must tell you the the lychee with the condensed milk, boba, strawberry's, bananas, mochi and whipped cream is fire! Definitely my favorite shaved ice place. read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

The best shaved ice I've ever had!! I got a hill sized strawberry flavored with mochi and lychee poppers (for 2 people). As the staff called out our name, part of the shaved ice fell off and she kindly put more shaved ice on there for us. She also put an extra side of fresh strawberries for the incidental. read more

Nu Cafe - Strawberry Hill sized with mochi and lychee poppers - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Snowflake ice is a tasty delight, but man, that price point is steep for doing essentially the same thing Juicebox or Star Snow does, just adding flavoring to the ice. The small/large snowflake ices here will set you back $4.50 to $6, and the toppings aren't nearly as robust. Personally, I'd rather throw down my Lincoln on a Juicebox stuffed to the brim with fresh fruits. It's healthier for you, too. I'll give it to Taiwanese brethren, though. My peeps are geniuses when it comes to creating money sucking desserts made out of two molecules of hydrogen and one oxygen. read more

Yum! I love their shaved ice! I am a fan of all things mango and their mango shaved ice does not disappoint. So light, airy, flavorful, melts in your mouth. Lots of toppings to choose from. The parking lot can be tough-- just be aware of your surroundings. Give this place a try if you like shaved ice. read more

Snowflake ice is sooo light and fluffy. It's different compared to the Juice Box located next door because snowflake ice comes in flavors!! My favorite flavors are vanilla milk, mango, and green tea (not mixed together, of course). The two best toppings are egg pudding and lychee boba. LYCHEE BOBA is different from regular boba and bursts in your mouth when you chew on it!! Oh, and I also love their fruit tea oh so much. The owner is also very nice and always greeting me with a warm smile whenever I visit. read more

This review is based on green tea shaved ice, service and atmosphere of the shop. The ice is so puffy like fresh fallen snow. I LOVED it tons! Service is as nice as the atmosphere. Highly recommend! ^_^ read more

Nu Cafe - @^__^@ - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

I love going to this place when I have a sweet tooth! The mango shaved ice is so delicious! Not too heavy and just the right amount of flavor. The staff is usually friendly and efficient as well. I also tried their half and half specialty drinks and that was pretty good too. Just enough sweet to end the day. read more

Nu Cafe - Mango shaved ice with strawberry, mango and mochi toppings on too of drizzled condensed milk. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

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As you can tell from the photos, their Nu Ice is incredible! I've tried a couple places in Austin that have a similar product, but this place makes by far the softest snowflake ice. I go for the plain vanilla ice with condensed milk, mango, and a wobbly custard. I've never had an issue with service. read more

Nu Cafe - Vanilla ice with condensed milk, mango, and custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've always heard amazing things about Nu Cafe and I'm so glad I finally came here. I came on a Wednesday afternoon at around 2:00 pm and it wasn't busy at all, which I like. The place is really clean and well-kept. There's plenty of seating too. If you order shaved ice, there are three steps. The first step is to pick a size and flavor. There are only two sizes - hill size for $5 and mountain size for $7. Personally, I had a hill size vanilla milk-flavored shaved ice, which was the perfect size. It was neither too small nor too much. The second step is to pick a topping. Additional toppings are 0.75 cents. The third step is to pick one drizzle, which ranges from condensed milk to strawberries to lychee. Nu Cafe also offers bubble tea drinks. I haven't had their drinks, but I've heard they were pretty decent. I'll probably get a drink next time I come by here. I would HIGHLY recommend coming by this place if you're in the area and craving some shaved ice. You definitely will not regret it. read more

Nu Cafe - Shaved ice topped with condensed milk and strawberries. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Guess Nu Cafe isn't that new on yelp. Folded ice aka snowflake ice. The ice is cut so thin that it's folded over and over again and then served on a plate. From what I understand, there are flavored folded ices too. Weird concept that tastes delicious. The consistency almost tastes like frozen yogurt the ice is so fine. Really interesting. Bits of whatever you want on the side... but the way that it's served... I straight pushed my ice right off my plate. A bowl might be better. Hello, aren't we... the Asians... lover of bowls? Could have used a bit more fruits for what was paid but as stated previously... really enjoyed the consistency of the ice. read more

Just returned to Nu Cafe, where I was first introduced to shaved snow half a year ago, and there's no denying it. Nu Cafe still reigns. Since that first momentous bite, I've sampled shaved snow in Maryland, Virginia, Boston, New York, and Austin... and I still cannot find one that rivals Nu's snow. read more

A friend brought us to this place for the snowflake shaved ice.. ok, what the H is snowflake shaved ice? it sounds polluted its shaved ice thats made into sheets and folded like tortillas.. but its ice oh ok.. so we get the large green tea shaved ice and taro be forewarned.. the large is small and the small is pico sized in comparison to the next door star ice. I enjoyed the taro the best. the ice is actually taro flavored and i felt the green tea ice was a bit gritty but it was very good nonetheless. the red bean is a little overpowering in terms of sweetness but hey.. its red bean. now red bean with the taro ice was a perfect combo for me in this instance. I would go back and try the other flavors--strawberry, mango and thats all i remember.. there are others though. As Quynh pointed out, I also wish the portions were larger. As for the entrees, we also tried the seafood ramen they were raving about. I wasn't raving. noodles were overcooked but the seafood tasted fresh and so did the accompanying veggies. the broth was a bit salty. We also had the bbq beef and rice. the beef had good flavor but it was so tough, we even had trouble cutting the thing with a knife let alone chew with a some struggle. I would only come back for the snowflake ice in the future. i'm giving this place 4 stars because i'm a fan of the snowflake ice and disregarding the other entrees. I should also mention this place is cash only. read more

Try the SNOWFLAKE ICE. I love the texture, the reFRESHing taste and it doesn't melt as fast. I would recommend getting a Peach jasmine green tea #42. Excellent to consume during this 100 degree Houston weather. I noticed the beef noodle soup was a popular item with the customers, I'll have to try a bowl at my next visit here... and the hawaiian bbq. read more

I have not had the snow ice, nor have I eaten the savory foods here. So, this is a review on their ice cream and boba. Ice cream was tasty and I personally like the texture. It was very pleasant. Unfortunately, I did not like the durian one, which is ok. I'd never tried durian and now I know it's not for me. The chocolate was fine, though. I got a Thai milk tea and it was really good. The boba in it had a nice texture and tasted good. They were not bland at all. The people here were very nice. We arrived as they were filming a short commercial or interview with Miss Chinatown USA, so they were a little distracted but everything worked out. The owner was really nice. The dining room is very small, so I bet it can get really crazy in there during busy hours. With the place only half full, it was very noisy. I would come back here for boba or the pretty ice cream. The people are nice, so I will definitely say it's worth a stop. read more

Nu Café is located in Chinatown in Dan Huang Plaza. They have another location opening up on Westheimer and Fountain View next to Mongolian Hot Pot. Can't wait for this to open! Every time I come here the place is pretty packed but we can still always find a seat. They offer their famous Nu Shaved Ice, tapioca drinks, and snacks. Nu Ice comes in 2 sizes, small and large. We usually get the large because the large is not really that large and it's a better deal. Nu Ice is a big block of flavored ice that they put into an ice shaving machine and top with toppings such as fruits, beans, and mocha balls and then drizzled with either condensed milk or syrup. We have tried the Mango and Lychee shaved ice with strawberry and mango drizzled with condensed milk and they are both delicious. The ice is light and fluffy, almost ribbon like. After a meal in Chinatown, it definitely hits the spot for dessert. It's more expensive compared to other dessert places and tapioca places in Chinatown (a large comes with 2 toppings and a syrup and it costs about $7), but there's nothing comparable to Nu Café so I keep coming back. read more

Love this place. Everything is amazing! The owner and staff are really nice! But damn it's 85-90 degrees outside and yall got the heater on and it's not even cold outside! It's hot in here I'm sweating while eating shaved ice! Just sayin! Lol read more

Nu Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is the best place in China Town. I recommend the "Half and Half" premium drink. This is probably the only place around here that takes credit cards period. Weekly ritual. The owners wife and manager is often working and is very sweet. read more

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