$1 Soft Serve Ice Cream Cone At First S’pore Outlet Of Popular Chinese Dessert Chain, Mixue
Mixue (say “mee-shwear”) – a huge ice cream and drink chain from China with more than “20,000 outlets worldwide” – has just opened its first outlet in Singapore on February 26 at Grantral Mall in Clementi.
The takeaway kiosk saw long queues over its opening weekend – with a waiting time of up to one hour – for its signature vanilla soft serve ice cream cone which goes for just $1 apiece. Other desserts and beverages, like sundaes, shakes and milk tea, are also sold by the brand.
The master franchisee for Singapore is Mixcity Pte Ltd, a new company that’s been set up for the local expansion of Mixue.
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Long queues on opening day
Free ice cream cones were given out with any purchase during the Singapore shop’s opening weekend, which probably explains the long queues back then. According to the spokesperson, around “1,000” ice cream cones were given out free of charge from Feb 26 to 27. Sadly, the promo has ended.
The average waiting time has since abated to just “five to 15 minutes,” says the spokesperson.
Mixue was founded in 1997 by a university student
Before amassing thousands of outlets – most of which are concentrated in China – Mixue was a humble drink store founded by Zhang Hongchao back in his university days in Zhengzhou, Henan province’s capital city, circa 1997.
Mixue underwent several transformations – first as a shaved ice dessert store, then a restaurant selling Chinese and Western cuisine – but only took off in a big way in 2006, when it started selling ice cream cones at 1 yuan (S$0.22) each. The brand opened its first ice cream store a year later, and the rest is history.
Nothing over $4.50 on the stall’s menu (for now)
While you can’t get an ice cream cone for $0.22 in 2022, you can get the Signature KingCone for $1 at Mixue. And nothing costs more than $4.50 on the menu here at press time, aside from add-ons.
4 of 8The desserts
These include the Signature KingCone ($1) of course – as well as other desserts like the Strawberry Sundae, Mango Sundae and Brown Sugar Pearl Sundae, using the same vanilla soft serve as a base. The sundaes cost $2 each.
Signature KingCone Taste Test, $1
Our foodie colleague tried Mixue’s Signature KingCone and found the towering, photogenic swirls of ice cream fairly smooth and creamy. She says it wasn’t too sweet, but was marred by a markedly artificial vanilla flavour that’s also apparent in the crispy biscuit cone. Verdict: it’s not gourmet stuff, obviously, but fun to eat for the price — the portion size is generous, too.
The drinks
For drinks, there’s the Lemongrass Lime Tea ($2), Mango Pomelo Sago ($3), and Taro Grape ($3). While they come in different sizes (indicated on the menu above), the exact specifications aren’t available just yet, says the brand’s spokesperson.
Second outlet in Bugis Village opening in March
A second Mixue outlet has been slated for a tentative March 20 opening at Bugis Village.
While this shop will be “about twice as big” as the Clementi outlet, the spokesperson informs us that seating there will be minimal – “less than five” – and only after Covid-19 blows over. “We might not wish to [place seats] even after Covid, as the area can be used for self-ordering kiosks,” he adds.
The details
Mixue is at #01-09 Grantral Mall, 3151 Commonwealth Ave W, S129581. Open daily 10am - 10pm. More info via Facebook or Instagram.
Mixue’s second outlet will open Mar 20 at 241 Victoria St, S188030.
Photos: Yip Jieying, Mixue, @iris.nihao
With additional reporting from Yip Jieying.
All photos cannot be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg
