Icing Castle offers summer treats

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This article was published 19/07/2022 (315 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A refreshing addition to the culinary scene, The Icing Castle can be found in Winnipeg’s northwest corner — a heavily populated area that’s beginning to attract consumer services and businesses. The attractive shop is situated at 55 Waterford Green Common, in a relatively new shopping plaza at the intersection of Adsum Drive and Dr. Jose Rizal Way, the north extension of Keewatin Street

The light-filled shop with soaring windows, serves an assortment of parfaits and sweets that reflect an Asian influence. Shop owner and operator Eumi, as she prefers to be known, said dessert cafes such as this are popular in Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, and the Philippines.

Eumi, 38, who came to Canada when she was seven years old, said she opened The Icing Castle in 2018, after graduating from culinary school. Although the past few years were slow, owing to the pandemic, the shop was filled with people when I visited — four teenagers, a grandmother and grandchild, plus a young woman picking up her husband’s favourite treats. Some customers sat down to enjoy their purchases, but others preferred take-out.

“We give them something new and different,” Eumi declared.

The Icing Castle offers many versions of bingsu (parfaits). The cappuccino toffee is fluffy shaved milk and contains toffee pieces, brown sugar crumble, whipped cream, and espresso. Chocolate forest is made up of chocolate pieces, meringues, puffed rice and chocolate sauce. A special favourite is halo-halo made up of jack fruit, adzuki beans, puffed rice, leche flan, and ube ice cream. My favourite is mango crumble, but you can choose strawberry fudge, or cookies and cream. Bubble tea is also available made with brown sugar and tapioca pearls.

Just to get your taste buds tingling, check out the displays of sweet treats. They are jewels of perfection — decorated bronuts (doughnuts) made with rice flour, or try the chewy, pastel-coloured meringues. Don’t leave without tasting the sylvanias — large, round cookies with a light cream filling.

Healthy options are also offered. Oat cups are flavoured concoctions, and you can choose from

peach cobbler, Oreo cheesecake, or salted caramel. I gravitated to the creme caramel cups made of vanilla custard and sugar syrup.

Eumi informed me that baked goods are brought in by local businesses. She offers bread cones baked by Mrs. R Bakery, filled with ice cream. Bronuts are also brought in, as well as the cookies and meringues.

All in all, my visit to The Icing Castle was a most delightful experience. It’s always enlightening to explore another part of the city and to mingle with the people who live and work in the area. Folkorama will be another opportunity. I can’t wait.

Freda Glow
North End community correspondent

Freda Glow is a community correspondent for the North End.

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