Cloud 9

Absolutely sad this place is closed and hope they some how can someday reopen. This was the best place locally (Lakeview East) for bubble tea!
The owner was always around the shop and friendly!

This is a tough one. I’d wanted to try it out for a while because the reviews were all over the place. After finally trying it out, I’m firmly in the middle. It’s… odd. The snow ice comes from a large block of… something. It looks artificial. It’s a wheel of… stuff… that gets shredded up into a fluffy consistency of… fluff. What’s so disconcerting about the product is that, to me, it’s so alien in appearance, consistency and taste. And, as it melts… hmm.
As you can tell, it’s hard for me to find the words to adequately describe it. The product is cold. The liquid fruit topping (purée) was my favorite part of the treat. I just kept getting stuck on wondering what, exactly, it was I was eating. It was, like, something other worldly but not like Lady Gaga other worldly. More like, jellyfish. I didn’t hate the experience. I don’t know that I would try it again… and from recent reviews, it appears that doing so many not be an option anyway.

I bought the Groupon they ran earlier this year, expiration date 10/​31/​2011. I went there Wednesday, 10/​26/​2011 to redeem it before it expired and discovered they were closed. Closed as in out of business closed and the store front is for sale. BOO!

Taiwanese shaved ice. It’s a bit different from the usual shaved ice topped with syrup. At Cloud 9, the ice blocks are infused with the flavors, then thrown on an ice machine to be gently shaved in a bowl and topped with an assortment of ingredients.
I ordered the Green Tea Snow Ice (Snack — $ 3.79) drizzled with condensed milk and topped off with Red Bean (+$ 0.69). The bitterness from the green tea complimented perfectly with the sweetness from the red bean. I was hoping the condensed milk to add some more sweetness, but it seemed watered down so that it almost appeared nonexistent when eating it. The texture of the shaved ice was not up to par. It almost felt a bit wet and condensed down, as I like for my shaved ice to be dry and light. But regardless, it’s a refreshing alternative to ice cream, but I prefer the creaminess of traditional ice cream or the lightness of a Hawaiian shaved ice.
The Original Milk Tea with Tapioca (20 oz. for $ 3.55) was decent, but by no means does it have me wanting another. The milk tea tasted almost watered down. It could have been stronger or creamier or sweeter, to give it some oomph, but it was somewhat drab. The tapioca balls were soft on the outside but too chewy near the center. I like for my tapioca balls to be consistent in chewiness from in to out. They were also a bit bland and tasteless, which didn’t help this otherwise boring milk tea drink.
I was really rooting for Cloud 9, but the shaved ice and milk tea fell short of amazing. It’s a solid dish that will probably satisfy those who have a craving for either, but far from earning repeat visits.

I had a bubble tea craving while at the Lakeview Arts Festival so I had to stop by when I saw the huge sign in their window.
I got the mango passion fruit while my friend got the strawberry. I love the fact that there was soooo much tapioca but it didn’t taste very fresh. I’ve had better bubble tea (Joy Yee — Chinatown). I couldn’t see if they used fresh fruit or frozen because they do blend it in the back not infront of you. If I’m in the area, I’m sure I’ll stop by again.

Unique snow (shaved ice) that tastes CREAMY like ice cream — not crunchy like a snow cone — and only 150ish calories for an enormous pile of goodness! This has got to be the best kept secret in Chicago!
The drill: 1) pick your ice flavor (mango, strawberry, vanilla, green tea); 2) pick your size (snack or regular), 3) pick a drizzle (chocolate, mango, strawberry, sweetened condensed milk); 4) pick from a variety of toppings such as kiwi, berries, nuts, candies.
This stuff really rocks and I cannot believe it’s so few calories. It’s rich, it’s creamy and a HUGE looking portion.

I was really excited to hear that there was Taiwanese ice sold in Chicago. It’s definitely something new that people should try if they haven’t yet. Honestly, a light dessert you can’t find anywhere else, except for Taiwan, of course.
If you want traditional order: green tea ice with red beans with a condensed milk drizzle.
The people and the owner here are super friendly and funny.
I mean of course it doesn’t beat the shaved ice you can find in Asia, but you know it hits pretty close to home.

Good bubble tea is hard to come by. It’s a very easy thing to mess up. Bubbles can be too mush, to hard in the middle, drinks can be too sweet or syrup-y…etcetcetc.
Cloud 9 does a good job with their bubble tea. My fav is the taro bubble freeze. And they are always pretty friendly in there! I have yet to try the snow ice, but props to being one of the only places in Chi that offers this! The stuff looks legit, though I do think they need to increase the offering of traditional snow ice toppings. Only standard one I saw was Red Beans.

Whoa whoa whoa… what the hell is this stuff?
What is this black magic?
IT’S MOTHAFUCKIN SNOW ICE!
My girl and I ordered the «snack» size… and we were handed 2 mountains of delicious, delicious snow. These things are huge! The texture is really unique, and we both loved it. The ice is so light, and so fluffy, and so good. I ordered the green tea, with red beans and condensed milk, which was excellent. My girl ordered the vanilla with strawberries and mango drizzle, which was also really really good. The two people working were really friendly and were really helpful in making the best snow ice choice possible. I will be definitely be coming back.

Came here with a groupon. I had high hopes for this place, being from Taiwan. Tried the green tea snow ice with red bean and condensed milk. The flavor and texture were great. But my biggest issue was we had to eat it with forks! What are people supposed to do with the melted ice at the bottom of the bowl? Slurp? Is it really so hard to offer both spoons AND forks so customers can choose what they want to use?
Also wished they had more traditional flavors but was told there’s no demand. Oh well. Maybe my expectations were too high when I went in.

While I do not share the same enthusiasm as my gf on ice cream and other desserts I do admit that I’ve grown to like desserts much more.
Snow ice… Nothing much to say except for that it is brilliant. Had a groupon and went here after dinner out with a few friends. Gf got the mango shave ice with the obligatory condensed milk on top as well as tapioca and fresh mango. I just got the mango shave ice with the condensed milk. Really good stuff here. The mango snow ice reminded me of a mango lassi or even a mango kulfi i’ve had except shaved into fluffiness.
They were out of strawberry, but with another groupon (or even without as the gf has said) we will be back to try other flavors.
If only they used their machine to make shave ice too then I’d totally drop down that other star to give the perfect 5 stars. *HINT*

We heard about this place while watching TV… might have been «Check, Please» or some other show that features great eateries in Chicago. So we noted it for future reference and had a chance to give it a try last night.
I’d never had Taiwanese shaved ice before, so I can’t testify to its authenticity, but I really enjoyed my overall experience. I got mango shaved ice drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and topped with strawberries, a real treat on a warm summer day. I got their snack size, which is their smallest one, though it was still rather substantial. I looked at it and felt sure it was going to kill me. But it was large because it comes out so fluffy, and I felt just fine after consuming the whole thing. Not sure I’d ever spring for their regular though.
I think what made the experience for me was really the staff. There were only two people there, and I wish I’d gotten their names, but they were both so friendly and chatty, and while we waited for our orders, I enjoyed a pleasant conversation with them about where we were all from and how much we enjoy Chicago.
I recommend this place as a place to go when you need a light, cool summer treat. Its décor is fun and bright, and they do provide games and invite people to linger and talk and play while consuming delicious shaved ice. It wasn’t terribly busy, even for a Saturday, which was great as well.
I think if there was one thing I took issue with, it was eating my shaved ice with a fork. I think a spoon would have been more optimal for scooping up the ice that had melted. :) But other than that, we enjoyed it and plan to return again.

One of my pet peeves is going to a place that has filthy tables and dirty napkins all over… people can be so gross sometimes! Granted its no ones fault except for said customers but if you want people to return you’ve gotta clean after your messy customers! I’d understand if the place was really busy but the fact was there was only one other person there and the guy behind the counter was just on his little mac book when we came in. Also having never tried Taiwanese shaved ice, the guy was not very informative nor was he friendly. We seemed to have interrupted his internet browsing I guess!
As for the actual ice, I would have to say its unlike any other shaved ice I’ve ever tried! Like others have described it really is like frozen cotton candy in the way that it melts in your mouth. I want to say that its like fluffy snow but with flavor but its even lighter than that if you can imagine it. The regular sized shaved ice is pretty large and definitely enough to share! We tried the mango flavor with mango drizzle, though if I go back I’d probably try the strawberry with condensed milk. The toppings also didn’t really look appealing in my opinion and can probably be better left without! Hopefully the next time I go back the tables will be less sticky!

I like how Cloud 9 incorporates Asian drinks/​desserts with free wifi and board games. We ordered milk tea and the vanilla shave ice with strawberry and chocolate drizzle to go with our game of scrabble. The shave ice didn’t appear very appetizing but it was yummy and worth a try.

Cloud 9 — Take 2
I’ve decided it’s pretty much the frozen equivalent of cotton candy. It’s light and sweet but not as filling as ice cream. This time around we tried the strawberry with strawberry drizzle and kiwi. It was really good. The strawberry drizzle is pureed strawberry, so it’s tart, not too sweet.
They have a new menu, lots of tea and beverage selections. I was really impressed with the ginger and honey tea (yes, I’m easily impressed). It’s hot water with chunks of fresh ginger and honey. It was good and I love that it was made fresh.
As always, the staff was super friendly. There is a pretty nice selection of board games to play too. This would be a good date spot for a low-​key night.

I was drawn in to try Cloud 9 simply due to my attraction to odd lamps and lighting. Then when I saw an online deal for a discounted «snow ice,» I jumped on it. The location is, of course, in the Lakeview/​Boystown hood as most other frozen dessert shops (Berry Moon, Paciugo, Red Mango, Scooters, My Yogurt, Starfruit, Berry Chill, IceBox, Bobtail, Dairy Queen, Café Latakia, Yogen Fruz, Gyood – Jeesh it’s quite the fad, especially since we’re not in a city with an eternal summer season like AZ or CA!) but I was happy to see that Cloud 9 stood apart in cultural uniqueness and consistency. Plus, snow ice is made with real fruit, no preservatives, and is low in calories and fat. You have the option to reverse the low fat/​calories factor though with a variety of toppings to add on top of your ice.
If you’re all about trying something more traditional like the Japanese would snack on, go for the Green Tea snow ice topped with condensed milk and red beans. I wasn’t quite there yet and ordered the mango ice. It’s definitely refreshing and light. Eating the snow ice reminded me of being a kid eating individual snow flakes as they fall to the ground, or the «raspados» (shaved ice) found while traveling throughout Latin America. It’s a fun treat for a hot, humid day!

If you really just want to cool down, go for it.
If you want something tasty, umm, skip it.
As sweet as the employees were, the heaping plate of shredded ICE was not sweet. And the amount of topping doesn’t nearly cover it enough, nor make it sweet enough. This would be fun for kids, I imagine, as the pile of ice is like, 6 inches tall and quite funny looking. But adults may find it to be very lackluster. And it didn’t help that the tables and chairs were messy and dirty. :(
I could never return to a place like this when I could get yogurt instead. (at the same amount of calories)
I do not believe this place will last through next summer, but good luck to you, friendly employees!

Based on Wiki, Cloud Nine can refer to:
— «Cloud Nine», a 1968 Grammy-​winning single by The Temptations included on the album
— Cloud 9 (Battlestar Galactica), a luxury liner on the television show Battlestar Galactica
— Cloud 9, a crime novel by James M. Cain
— Cloud 9, a brand name for a chocolate coated nut bar made by Universal Robina Corporation.
— Cloud nine (Tensegrity sphere), giant sky-​floating Tensegrity spheres named by Buckminster Fuller
Or a simple, delectable dessert with fluffy shaved ice that promises happiness & bliss :) As we have found here on Belmont! Having just returned from Taiwan, I’ve had my fair share of shaved ice this summer. In Asia, shaved ice are giant ice cubes, manually shaved into wonderful fuzz of flurry ice (flavorless). With the mountain of furry ice resembling Mt. Fuji, the bowl is then nicely arranged with generous serving of fruits (Mango, strawberry, guava, lychees…), syrups (Sugar water, green bean sauce, condensed milk…) and topped off with yummy desserts like Bubbles, Flan-​puddings, or other local delights!
= see most popular store in Tainan, Taiwan:
Needless to say, we don’t have that luxury here in the U.S. With tropical fruits hard to come by (and expensive), none of the local delights can be replicated for lack of material & knowledge! So, I was skeptical when Cloud 9 opened up and boast their serving of «shaved ice».
Finally trying it for the first time last night, I was impressed by the 4 flavors: Strawberry, Mango, Vanilla & another fruit flavor. Cloud 9 inject their creativity by having fresh fruits meshed with low-​fat milk, creating smooth and chewy shaved ice as the main ingredient. The drizzles are lacking, with condensed milk been the only option thats reminiscent to its Asian servings, but chocolate sauce are clearly more popular with Westerners.
The verdict? The shaved ice tastes absolutely amazing sin toppings, and at 150calories a pot, everyone can enjoy this guiltless dessert! An extra star for its amazing service — the two girls at the cashier were knowledgeable, smiley, and offers refill on drizzles if you need it! There’s also a small selection of board games in store, so you can hang out with your friends or enjoy the free wifi =)

So, I can see how someone expecting ice cream would be disappointed by this place but as long as you understand that it is SHAVED ICE and not ice cream, you will most definitely be pleasantly satisfied.
At under 150 calories, this bowl is a huge heaping serving. If you’ve ever traveled to Hawaii, it’s very similar to the delicious shaved ice that they sell on every street corner. The difference is that this place does it Taiwanese style so it is actually skim milk and not frozen water. That makes it creamier. Plus, you have your choice of drizzles — Do NOT miss the condensed milk topping — to die for. It made me want to drizzle condensed milk over everythying!
I ate a lot and didn’t feel the least bit guilty. Plus, the atmosphere was cute and there were board games available to play while eating your treat. The people working were especially friendly and informative and very excited to educate me on my first Taiwanese shaved ice experience. On top of all of this — they are committed to being eco-​friendly with compostable dishes and silverware. I’m a fan! I’ll be back for sure!!!

I went back there today after seeing the special offer for Taiwanese bubble tea on Unilocal.The bubble tea was pretty good — I liked the small tapioca as opposed to the large ones that places usually have. I also liked how it was real milk tea instead of a smoothie, which not too many places offer. However, it was a little on the bland side, especially after eating a regular-​sized green tea snow ice. But it was nothing that a pack of Splenda couldn’t fix. :)
I liked the addition of the coffee on the menu. It would be great if this place had wi-​fi. If I lived closer, I would love to order a snow ice and a coffee and just read or study!