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

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

One of the biggest things I miss about Houston are places like these in Chinatown. Little stores with different asian foods and treats. Nu Cafe is relatively new and although their food is staple Taiwanese fare (i.e. Braised soy sauce pork chop with rice), it was their take on shaved ice that intrigued me. It's called, "snowflake ice" and basically it's flavor infused shaved ice. It's like ice cream except icy and shaved (not as rich and creamy) and smoother than just regular shaved ice pieces. My favorite was the green tea and I paired it with red bean and some mochi (we had little kids with us or else I wouldn't have gotten it - the flavor of mochi was too artificial for my taste). I really liked it and would've liked a larger portion! In the future I'd go back for their dessert only, not so much for their food since there are many more restaurants around that do the food portion better. read more

I have stopped in here years ago to see what Nu Cafe was all about. Their Nu ice is what pulled me in here. I used to go JuiceBox next door pretty often for their shaved ice and fruits, but I'm beginning to think Nu Cafe will go up on the list because of what they have to offer. Nu Ice is the about the same concept, but the presentation and taste of this item is pretty darn good! Thumbs up for their sweets. I am in love with Sweets almost anywhere I go. They also have tapioca/bubble tea/boba. I have heard people call it these names from different sides of the country. If you're not sure what to get I'll suggest you get some honey green tea with honey boba. I don't think the milk teas here will stand out. Their Half and half is what is advertised on their menu and windows. I have tried it and I really like it. It's not as sweet as I thought it would be and I enjoyed ever sip. They also have a frequent visitor check in by Belly. You can grab a card off their counter or download the app onto your phone. With more check-ins, you will be able to claim extra toppings, free drinks, and more. I can see they do need help and the owner did post up a sign seeking for workers. They open after 12 so don't come early and wait unless you like to do that. It's pretty weird to see there's about 4-5 boba houses all within the same shopping center. Competition for food here is serious! read more

This place has really won me over. I was never a fan of sweets or tapioca when the hype first came out! But I must admit I do love their freaking green tea icecream.. maybe its bc its not so sweet!! Great service everytime...staff very helpful...Best part.... they take credit cards!! If you know bellaire area like I do, its hard to come across a place who accepts credit cards... thanks alot uncle sam! hah read more

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

I love shaved ice! If I'm in this area is my safe place to go for shaved ice! When we went it was a little hot inside. I went to get a cup of water and it was hot. But that's okay, my shaved ice compensated for that.. read more

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

Guess what? I've got a fever and the only prescription is more shaved ice. Instantly addicted. I kept it simple and got the vanilla ice, condensed milk, mango, strawberries, and rainbow jelly. read more

Nu Cafe - Vanilla milk + condensed milk + mango + strawberries + rainbow jellies - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

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

Clean but worth the price and the owner is too busy flirting with someone that she's not paying any attention to her customers, even though we told her its our first time here read more

Tasty and different! I love it! Even the small size is a lot because they pile it high. read more

Came back for Green Tea shaved ice. Holy crap! I kept taking bites of the Green Tea, then the Peanut (yes, I ordered both), then the Green Tea again, but could not for the life of me decide which one I liked better. Guess I'll just have to get both every time now. Why five stars for shaved ice and not the multitudes of frou frou restaurants I dine at? Because not only does Nu Cafe's ice have consistently perfect consistency, but their flavor is out of this world amazing. Rich, creamy, natural flavors that outshine most ice creams! Will come back to try their savory menu items in the future. (: read more

Omg this is the best shaved ice I've ever had. I travel alot and this is by far the best. Definitely try the mango, greentea. So so so good. I would definitely come back when I'm in Houston 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

I always hate to read when people I know have less-than-stellar experiences at places that I enjoy. If you're in need of a change of pace from Star Snow Ice or Juice Box, look for this awesome place in nestled in between the two. VENUE: Tiny, typically-sized joint in Chinatown. It's between Juicebox and Star Snow Ice. I walked in and (maybe because we came at a good time) there was no usual hustle and bustle I would expect to see at a place like this. Just a nice steady buzz from the customers enjoying their vittles, watching the tv, or listening to the music. Music was not overbearing - and not fobby (which may not be a big deal to some people, but for others this could a deal-breaker). Atmosphere was light. Came with the bf and his parents, and wasn't worried if something was going to offend them, or if the noise was too loud. FOOD: We got the Taro Snowflake ice, with mangos on the side, topped with condensed milk and the Mango Snowflake Ice, with strawberries, topped with mango syrup. DELICIOUS!! As a bonafide sweet tooth, I can appreciate shaved ice, gelato, ice cream, you name it. This was a great alternative if you don't want to feel like you're eating something to heavy (like ice cream) but want something more than crushed ice. The fantastic thing about this snowflake ice, is you get the creamy texture that you would from ice cream, but the lightness of eating shaved ice (without all the left over ice bits). And when it melts, it doesn't create a puddle of ice water - not that we let it get that far because we were shoveling in every bite pretty quickly. I want to come back and try more flavors and I've heard the food is pretty solid as well. My bf's mother a bit of a picky eater, and she gobbled up the Taro. Mangos were sweet (not tart like I had been anticipating). Mango syrup was not over powering. SERVICE: The staff seemed friendly enough- not exceptional, but I appreciated their courtesy. They didn't seem impatient with us when we stood in front of them mouths hanging wide open looking up at the menu. After a while, they told us we could order off a paper menu. Once we had decided we came back up, paid, and within a minute or so our dessert was ready. The machine they use to shave the snowflake ice is neat. read more

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

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I came here, wowed and awed by the fact that snowflake ice finally made it to the USA from Taiwan's night markets. (Took them long enough, geez.) That being said, this review is written completely based off their ice. Now, I know that I can't compare this place to the ridiculously awesome 5+ star snowflake ice tucked away in Taipei's Shilin Night Market (http://ilovestinkytofu.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/desserttaiwanese-s-f-t-juice-ice-%E8%BE%9B%E7%99%BC%E4%BA%AD%E5%86%B0%E5%93%81%E5%90%8D%E5%BA%97/) so it holds up alright considering no other competitors have emerged yet. If it were me, I'd take out topping selections in general and just give a bigger portion of the ice itself (or build in set topping to go with the ice), but I suppose variety is the spice of life, right? I just feel like because the ice itself is so delicate, it's easy to pick some random topping that totally doesn't go with the base flavor you chose. But then again, that's me being a connoisseur and writing an extremely biased post. ANYWAYS, Nu Cafe seems to be all the hype lately, and it's for good reason because snowflake ice really is something you should try!!! The texture is incredibly smooth and it melts in your mouth, quite literally. What's a little disappointing about the snowflake ice is that I feel like it's trying to appeal to both Asian and Western audiences by diluting the more Asian flavors (green tea, taro) yet having slightly awkward ice cream-type flavors (vanilla, strawberry?). Because I naturally associate snowflake ice with Asian flavors, it was a bit strange to me. According to the other reviews, some flavors may taste a bit artificial as well. Guess ya can't have everything, huh? So, all in all, after the initial hype and wonder (3-4 trips with friends), I have loyally returned to Juice Box a couple doors over, whose super duper fresh fruit always leave me satisfied. read more

I know ice is primarily water, but the shaved ice they serve here is so good. It's fluffy and light enough that you can fill your stomach to the brim with dim sum and Malaysian from next door yet still have room for this dessert. You have to time it right when you decide to come here and eat because I've seen it get so packed on Fridays and Saturdays that the line is out the door. I do wish they had more seating for those times. For first timers, the process goes like this: you go up front to pick up a tablet and a pen to select your order while in line to pay. The mountain size is huge and can be split between three people. I'm not a fan of their green tea flavored ice because it's not creamy enough for me. It's way too earthy for my taste and I prefer to taste sweet when I'm ordering dessert. Love the lychee & mango ice as well as their drinks. However, we've had the chocoholic specialty drink and it literally was 98% chocolate syrup all the way. Very high-fructosey lol and inedible. They also sometimes don't make the half and half as good as it's supposed to be that it also sometimes becomes too sweet. Wish it was all consistently good. read more

I've been here numerous times and each time I come the prices go up. I don't think I can afford it anymore till I get a raise! Hahaaa Today, we ordered a large green tea snow flakes and a small milky snow flakes, the girl asked me if I want to switch toppings and I said sure, I would switch a topping on the small one. She then told me there would be a charge for switching, I asked her how much, she replied "little", I said how much is little, she replied "little". I was a bit annoyed at her little and asked her to look it up, her "little" fee for switching 1 topping on a small size snowflakes was $1. Man, not like I was trippin' over a dollar but wow! Not only they give a very scarce amount of toppings, charging about 25% on switching toppings is a killer for me, therefore I told her I am sticking to the menu. So after I paid 12 bucks and some on a small and a large, I was like, wait a min, they didn't add up right.....I asked the girl again, she was a little annoyed with me I can tell, and she said " Oh the menu on the wall is old, we don't go by that price anymore. Large is $7 and small is $4.80( something around that range I was kinda upset so I forgot what exactly the new small price is). Ok, so I feel cheated at this point. Not only the Menu on the wall reflects the old prices, noone took the time out to inform any customers the changes in price. Maybe some of y'all may think comon' it's only a few bucks, what's the big deal? But it is a big deal for me. It's the principle!!! If today my head did not act like a calculator, I would've still thought I was paying the "old" prices on the Menu on the wall. I used to love this place! I didn't mind paying a little extra on something unique and refreshing. But back then toppings were giving out generously, what happened? Prices went up, snowflakes and toppings went down, went down the hole... I felt 4 stars, now I feel a 2. To be fair I'm giving a 3 today. I hope Nu Cafe can put positive back in me in the near future. read more

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Nu Cafe has the best tasting shaved ice (cream) I have ever had! We went on a Sunday afternoon and there was already small crowd. The place is very cutely decorated and a pleasant place to hang out with friends. I had the sea salted caramel with caramel drizzled on top and my friends got green tea with condensed milk. Both were amazing! Creamy texture, generous portions, the fruit and other toppings we got were kind of small compared to the amount shaved ice, but that could be easily overlooked because the shaved ice itself was so delicious. We will definitely be back next time we are in this area. read more

Nu Cafe - Green tea and sea salted caramel - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

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

I'm only giving this place a 4 star based on their unique snowflake ice ignoring the people who work there. I particularly like the mango and peanut one. The green tea is also good but can get a little bitter towards the end. Service = 0 star The staff is horrible. I've been twice and both times the girl at the cash register was extremely rude. After you order, they usually ask you where you want to sit. My boyfriend and I looked around and we only saw one empty table but it had stuff on it from the previous guests. We kindly asked her if we could sit there after she cleared it, and we just got a "CAN'T YOU SEE I'M TOO BUSY TO CLEAN OFF THAT TABLE *GLARE*!" She could've asked us to wait a little bit until she had time to clear it off. I would've been fine with that. Yeah I know it's Chinatown, but other cafes in the area can do it so can they! The only reason I go back is because of the snowflake ice... read more

Don't have much to compare this to since it was my first time having this type of "shaved ice." We got mango shaved ice with condensed milk, egg pudding, and strawberries. All I can say is, I was beyond obsessed with the texture of the ice, the way it melted in your mouth, and just how the ice didn't taste artificial. Got the "mountain" size to share, but I feel like I could've finished it all by myself lol read more

Seriously, haven't had shaved ice forever! Last time I had shaved ice like this was about 15 years ago in Taiwan. This place reminds me of home! Also, this is the only dessert place in the area takes credit cards! Anyway, I had a taro shaved ice with condensed milk, it was wonderful!!!! I think before heading back to New Orleans tomorrow, I will get some shaved ice again! read more

Nu Cafe - Taro shaved ice with condensed milk! Yum - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

They had a very good pork ramen, and a very bad seafood ramen. But the pork ramen was good...its too bad the ramen craze hasn't hit Houston yet, cause I imagine a dedicated ramen house would beat this place out, but until then, I'd say this place is pretty darn good. The other food we've tried have not been as bad as the seafood ramen, but not as good as the pork ramen either.... And while it took me a little bit to try their shaved ice, I gotta say I like it. Yeah its kind of a gimmick, but its cool, I like it...I've been very happy with the original ice with condensed milk and strawberries...mochi is a plus though not worth paying extra for..... read more

compared to their competitors, this place just doesnt match-up. i appreciate their "spin" on making ice more modern and pleasing to the eye however the improved appearance wasnt enough to compensate for the lack of flavor and quantity of toppings. we ordered green tea ice, almond ice, strawberry ice, and mango ice (yes, we are fatties)...of the 4, almond ice was my favorite. the green tea ice had too strong of a flavor and strawberry/mano ice had NO flavor...it was hard to even tell it was supposed to have fruit flavor to it. also, the ice wasnt creamy but tasted very watered down. the texture of the ice was good however it lacked the creamy-ness that true taiwanese ice has! another con is the amount of toppings is soooo little and very unsatisfying. read more

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Place is always super packed, located in the most crowded plaza off Bellaire. We got the mango and coconut artisan shaved ice. The nu ice is delicious, but could use a little bit more fruit and condense milk. Juice Box next door gives you more fruits and condense milk but the shaved ice isn't as good. read more

Nu Cafe - Mango and coconut shaved ice with mango on the side. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

Snowflake ice: the ice is light and low fat... It's good and I'd even prefer to eat the ice by itself without the toppings. Food: I came here hoping for some good, traditional Taiwanese food. It was a disappointment. The Taiwanese sausage was NOT Taiwanese sausage, but the usual Chinese sausage you can find in the grocery stores here. read more

yum! so many delicious combinations so little time. We had lychee and taro. Both were great, especially with the condensed milk. read more

I have been to this place several times and enjoyed each one of my visits. They serve wide variety of things here: shaved ice, bubble teas and drinks, Chinese fries snacks, and even meals. I tried their fried snacks combo, which costs about $10 and allows you to pick 4 different fried snacks into a combo. I thought it was a pretty good deal to share with friends. It was a great portion of food and good selection as well. They have a new kind of drink called "half and half nu drink", which has tapioca and pudding in caramel milk. It sounds very creamy and heavy; however, you will be surprised by its taste. The milk smoothies was blended fine with ice and went really well with caramel. I have to say that the "half and half" drink was pretty good. I would also recommend their shaved milk ice, which is shaved off a block of flavored milk ice with toppings. It is a great place to fulfill your sweet cravings and spend some time with your friends. read more

Love the shaved ice here! So many different flavors to try. I usually get the strawberry flavored ice with strawberry toppings and condensed milk. The mango ice with mango toppings was refreshing and sweet. Hits the spot on hot days like today. It's not quite snowcone or Hawaiian style shave ice. It's not quite ice cream either. Texture is somewhere between the 2. Good enough to keep me coming back. read more

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Good service. I ordered the chocolate and taro flavored ribbon ice. Both were great. I recommend getting mochi as a topping. read more

Nu Cafe - Chocolate and taro ribbon ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Houston, Texas

COME HERE for the Ice! The PEANUT Starflake ice. Get it with custard or SMALL red beans, not the big red beans. There are no words. The unique from other shaved ice texture, the explosion of peanut flavor in your mouth... This is the only time I'll ever use the words 'Explosion' and 'in your mouth' in one sentence followed by "YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!!!" The food is only ok. maybe 3 Stars. The Shaved Ice is 5 stars. Railroad pork chops are decent, but nothing to rave about. (The one at Cafe La Tea is better.) Ru rou fan braised pork is decent, but nothing to rave about. (The one at shabu house is better.) PS: They take CASH only. read more

Delicious creamy shaved ice in Houston's Chinatown ~ The shaved ice resembles more of a "shaved ice cream" texture instead of "ice" per say. The cafe is very cutely decorated with plush booths and colorful walls and edm/pop music playing in the background. This place is very popular amongst the teenage crowd. They have fill-out forms where you can write down your order via checkboxes on the form. A go-to favorite of mine is TARO shaved ice with RED BEAN and MANGO (or any fruit really) and CONDENSED MILK. It's delicious. They have two sizes. The monster is pretty large, even for three people (although we were full from having lunch right beforehand). Yummy place. Can't go wrong here. Similar to Snow Monster in Austin! read more

Nu Cafe is an interesting place. It's got a bit of a glitzy vibe, bright colors and lights on the walls, what you might expect from a shaved ice place I guess. The shaved ice is different. It was the first time I'd had shaved ice of this style. It's much more similar to ice cream than it is to a snow-ball, although it's much lighter than ice cream. I got the smaller size Coffee flavored shaved ice and shared it with a friend. It was actually a lot of ice; I definitely wouldn't get more than the small if I was by myself. Anyway, the ice was almost creamy. It's shaved very thin and piled onto a plate in a way that looks a little bit like what would happen if you put soft-serve onto a plate, it's folded over in a bunch of layers. They offer lots of toppings for the ice. We got the brownie bites and I regret it a bit; they were pretty bland and I would've preferred chocolate chips. Try it out. It's a cool place to go and shaved ice is a cool thing to experience. Enjoy! read more

I absolutely LOVE their shaved ice. It's very unique and unlike other shave ice places in Houston. It is just a tad overpriced though. Their pork chop rice is simply delicious! read more

I'll be nice and give it a 2 star. ok Here we go ! Strolling around looking for a place to eat and stumble upon Nu Cafe , never heard or tried before. Thought i give it a go. First appearance was ehhh. Super Loud music almost like I was clubbing on a Sunday afternoon. Menu was A HUGE MESS, bad placement. So I ordered there "FAMOUS Seafood Ramen" and "Fan Favorite Crispy Chicken" oh and Also a thirst Quencher Watermelon Juice! Watermelon juice was good, Hard to mess up putting watermelon ,ice and sugar in a blender. First on deck the FAMOUS seafood Ramen , I gathered myself and bib ready to slurp this bowl down. and had a bad first impression of it. definitely should of taken a picture but it looked like they threw everything in the bowl. Also the Fish WAS NOT FrESH!!! the meatball with stuffing in the middle was COLD inside, and the soup Literally looked like Galveston Water!! Taste was ok , enough for my 16month old daughter to eat. Definitely need to Change that FAMOUS to UN-FAMOUS!! this last one isn't as Harsh. Smelled really good, but very salty. I hope I won't end up with Kidney stones!! the breading/batter was way to hard to eat . On the Bright side Great Customer Service!!! read more

Came on a Saturday night around 8pm and it was pretty busy! Easy ordering process if you plan on just getting shaved ice. They have a mini clipboard for you to just check off on what flavor and toppings you want. Loved the fact that they had various flavors to choose from. I got a large size (mountain) to share with my husband and son. We ordered taro flavor with strawberry, flan pudding, and condensed milk as our toppings. We really enjoyed it and looking forward to come back to try their different flavors! I recommend this place if you're looking for a good dessert in the Bellaire area! read more

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

I really like the shaved ice at this place. It seems as if they mix the condense milk and ice into a texture that is similar to ice cream. It's delicious! I would've given this place 4 stars except for the fact that I have to pay $6 for one dish. It's quite expensive compared to juice box & star snow next door HOWEVER, if you are looking for better quality, this place is the place to go! I definitely like coming here with friends and I like the staff, they are pretty nice and friendly. read more

One of the best places in Bellaire for something sweet! I have to say the Nu ice is absolutely amazing and I would definitely become a regular if I didn't have to drive all the way here to get a taste of their ice. Since it's my first time I can't tell you all about the flavors but I can say the the lychee flavored ice is tasty! Bottom line, I will be come back! read more

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

Wow! I wasn't sure what to expect, is it ice cream or is it a snow cone?! Well, it's neither, although it's closer to ice cream because it isn't syrupy. They take a block of flavored ice and shave it, add toppings, add drizzle flavor, and serve it. It's great! I got the green tea in hill size, which is pretty big, but it's so good that's you'll easily finish it off. I had condensed milk and sliced almonds on mine! I think that it is dairy free, but make sure to ask. read more

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