The first-ever Michelin-starred gelato has been awarded this week in a game-changing move by the restaurant guide. 

Minimal Gelato in Taiwan is the first ice cream establishment in the world to receive a Michelin star after blowing away the anonymous inspectors. The already celebrated gelateria is a sister venue to the already Michelin-starred Taichung restaurant Sur and is the brainchild of former Sur pastry chef, Arwin Wan.

The seven-course tasting menu is around $60 and cleverly layers textures and flavours with gelato, sorbet, nitro-style ice cream and shaved granitas. 

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The Michelin inspectors said of the experience, “This place caught our eye from the day it opened. We had seen some of their creations, but because of its unique concept—something rarely found in Asia, or even globally—we hadn’t had the chance to fully experience their set menu until a very hot day.”

The young team behind the icy creations take full advantage of local produce and flavours like red-fleshed plums, magnolia flowers, yuzu blossoms and more. Childhood memories are evoked through a yuzu-flavoured frozen “lollipop” with pear in one course. 

Each course is served or created at varying temperatures to achieve specific textures, such as the nitrogen-crafted plum, walnut and Angelica Keiskei (a herb from the carrot family) which is made at a staggering -196 degrees celsius to create an incredibly smooth ice cream. One inspector described the dish as “a very intriguing and sophisticated experience.”

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In an Instagram post, chef Wan reflected on his inspiration for the unusual restaurant concept. “Ice cream is a pure food for pleasure, not necessary for human survival, but when I was young I always tried to eat more.

“As we get older, many people have experienced more food, [and] no longer have the way to experience ice cream for the first time, [when] the temperature and taste are completely new. I wanted to find a way to regain that feeling, maybe a more delicate flavour, maybe more connected, to touch more feelings, [so] I created Minimal.”

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