Just in time for summer comes a brand new frozen dessert spot—Snow Dragon Shavery, which serves up Taiwanese-style shaved snow. The frozen treat hasn’t been easy to find around the area (Cloud 9 used to serve it, but they closed a few years ago), but Chicagoans Gulzar Huda and Roshan Meghani opened Snow Dragon in spring 2015 with more than 10 flavors of shaved snow, including green tea, vanilla and chocolate, along with frozen yogurt, fresh coconut water and baked treats.
The snow is flavored, then frozen into a block, and it’s shaved onto your plate to order in front of you. The texture is softer than shaved ice or a snow cone, but lighter than ice cream or frozen yogurt. Most flavors are dairy-based, so they're slightly creamy, and the delicate snow melts in your mouth immediately, so it’s pretty refreshing.
After selecting the flavor, you can add on toppings, including fruits, jellies, boba and candy, but if you have no idea where to start, ask the server. I ordered black sesame snow, and she suggested I add lychee jelly and sweet red beans to complement the almost savory snow. I also tried the piña colada snow and added coconut flakes and strawberry juice-filled balls. The snow is finished with a topping drizzled over it, and while sweet condensed milk is the traditional option, fruit and chocolate drizzles are also available.
Snow Dragon is open late, just like Wiener's Circle next door, but it's a slightly more civilized option for a late-night snack.