With more and more travel within Asia, a new generation of cool cosmopolitan Asian culture has emerged, blurring the lines between distinct culinary traditions in the form of a contemporary interpretation of mashed up Asian flavors and foods. And for the most part, the results are commercial successes primed for a hungry consumer base always in search of the latest trends. Cheevit Cheeva comes to Taipei by way of Chiang Mai and has a menu filled with Korean-style shaved ice with flavors that range from Japanese-ish to solidly Taiwanese-inspired, alongside rather random Thai dishes repackaged into cute lunch sets.
Since opening in 2015, they’ve taken Thailand by storm with several locations across the country, and Taipei being the first overseas flagship store. Of course, the formula for success in Thailand translates pretty easily to Taiwan. Shaved ice in any form is always popular in Taiwan. Photogenic drinks attract Instagram bloggers. And savory dishes tend to be a hit with Instagram husbands (actually let’s be real, as much as Taiwanese people love a pretty dessert, the Taiwanese palette is solidly more savory than sweet). Throw in different combinations for “afternoon tea” or “lunch” or “dessert” sets, add a cute logo and you have yourself an attractive dessert shop in a city full of them. But this might be the only place in town where you can get gra pow dumplings and Thai tea bingsu in one sitting.