3 months into the scene, Bingsu is well on its way to becoming the new ‘it’ spot for dessert. So here’s the deal with Karachi:
- We’re keen on trying new things
- It’s scorching hot
And that’s all you need to know to understand why Bingsu is currently keeping people happy.
We decided to check this quaint little spot on one of the hottest days that Karachi has experienced this summer. So all we really needed in life was ice and the AC.
Read: 5 Healthy Drinks to Get You Pumped Up For the Summer
And Bingsu does not disappoint on either front. Call me weird, but I’m impressed by how cold it was in there- I was shivering by the time we left and my bones were nice and cold for the next hour. Thanks, you guys. But, back to the point:
Bingsu means ‘shaved ice’ in Korean. So, how is it different from a gola ganda? Where a gola ganda uses shaved ice as the base for syrups/toppings, bingsu uses shaved milk- which is what accounts for the fine, melt-in-your-mouth quality of the dessert. The menu that Bingsu offers is quite straight forward: A fruity line and a chocolaty line.
Related: 5 Things in Karachi That Are As Great As Anday Wala Burger
What we ordered:
- Strawberry cheesecake
- Chocolate brownie
- Toasted coconut
The Good
There’s nothing quite like this shaved ice. The regular size comes in a generous serving bowl which is more than enough for one. It’s delicate, not overpowered by the added flavors and the sensory experience is exquisite.
The toasted coconut was a personal favorite and I’d order it again happily, without the additional scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Strawberry cheesecake was my colleague’s favorite and it was well balanced with the tartness of the strawberries and had just enough crushed biscuits folded through the ice to stand true to the cheesecake element.
The chocolate brownie was undeniably the least favorite option. Not because it didn’t taste good, it definitely did- but more so because it was unexciting and a rather safe concoction (which we admit, every menu must have crowd pleasers).
The fact that the two of us managed to almost finish three extremely generous servings speaks volumes about the ‘taste’ factor offered at Bingsu.
The Not So Great
Immediately, with the first bite of the ice-cream topped toasted coconut, I did a bit of a double-take. What is that taste that is so familiar yet not entirely pleasing? Another bite in, it was clear that it was in fact the scoop of vanilla atop the shaved ice that was giving off a very commercial-vanilla flavor that is just not good. And actually acts against an otherwise lovely dessert. Chuck the ice-cream.
Another element that requires improvement is the preparation time of the dessert. Since we kept ourselves busy taking photos and asking questions, we did not realize at the time that it took close to 15 minutes to prepare our dessert. But we hear they’re working on tackling this issue- hoping it resolves quickly.
We were disappointed to hear that they were not serving the Vietnamese Iced Coffee that was mentioned on the specials menu- but we’re definitely going back to try that and a couple new flavors they’ve launched (including the red bean!).
All in all, Bingsu is a fantastic addition to the few unique dessert spots found in Karachi.
Have you been there yet? Let us know which flavor you tried and what you thought of it.