Hippo Ice

I was a bit disappointed after trying Hippo Ice. I was really excited to finally eat some shaved ice (mian mian bin variety) but I thought theirs was just ok.
I ordered the milk tea shaved ice with red bean and I can’t remember which topping. I think my main problem with it was that the shaved ice tasted too dense, not airy/​fluffy. I’m wondering if it’s because they serve it in a circular bowl rather than a more elongated bowl or plate?
My sister-​in-​law ordered a fruity flavored shaved ice and she said the pineapple topping that she ordered came out of a can and tasted bad, like it had been sitting out too long.
So that’s why the overall 3 stars.
Service was good, no complaints there.

I got the milk tea flavored ice with boba, with the hopes that it would be like a soft frozen boba drink, and added mochi for good measure, because mochi. So good! The small size is actually quite a lot, because the bowl is packed pretty densely. Would come here again, the texture of the ice is very refreshing– airy, flaky, squishy but in a good way… and yum. And the boba weren’t too mushy, so good job to Hippo for that :) I opted for no drizzle (choice of sweet things like condensed milk, mango purée, etc.) and the ice was still a little sweet for me, though, but everyone’s taste is different!
You can also get a sample before you decide on the flavor you want.

Taiwanese shaved ice. Omg, what is there not to like? I first had this style of ice cream years ago in Hawaii and have struggled to find this type of dessert since. I’m glad to hear that it’s starting to catch on (at the time it seemed limited to Hawaii and Southern California). Taiwanese shaved ice is super thin sheets of flavored ice that nearly melts in your mouth as smoothly as ice cream. Top it with various things like you would froyo, maybe some kind of sweet cream and you have heaven in your mouth!

Nice shaved ice place in the area.
Never had tried shaved ice like this and decided to try it with the family.
Different flavors and toppings to have and it is nice to enjoy a refreshing shaved ice.
Mango ice is nice and refreshing to try with some condensed milk on top if you want to try something sweet and refreshing for yourself.

The customer service is a 5 star. They were friendly and very inviting.
The place is very clean
ample parking
I’d say there are enough flavors to choose from. Sometimes, having too many flavors to pick from makes it too hard and frustrating to decide. (Especially if you have kids)
As for the shaved ice, I got the horchata, strawberry, and avocado. The horchata and strawberry, my family enjoyed. I got to taste it and it was decent. Kids loved the strawberry. I liked the avocado, but only the part where the condensed milk was drizzled on. Otherwise, the avocado flavor left a nasty bitter after taste. I had to put a bunch of popping boba in my mouth to get rid of that after taste. I was hoping that it would’ve tasted like the avocado shakes you can get from Vietnamese restaurants, but it wasn’t. Again with the condensed milk drowning the bitter taste, it was good. Without it, bad!
When I saw how big the small size is, I was really pleased, until I realized that there really isn’t much you get for about $ 5. It just looks like a lot because the ice is layered on top of each other with lots of space in between. Think freshly fallen snow.
I think of all the shaved ice around the area though this is one of the best ones. But if you compare it to anywhere else (in the US) it’s just mediocre.

I saw a lot of friends going here and wanted to try it out. The ice cream is pretty good and the employee was really friendly. The only complaint I had was that the pineapple I ordered as a topping tasted like it was from a can and was really unfresh.

The shaved ice is not the same as what you’re probably used to. I loved how its light and fluffy and just melts in your mouth. The different combinations make it even better! Love it.

I decided to try this place given I was in the area and this Houston heat just called for shaved ice. Reviews were excellent too so that convinced me to stop by.
I’ve had shaved ice before from other places in Houston (Nu Ice, The Ice Barn). I just think this place doesn’t have a huge selection. Only about 5 – 6 flavors of shaved ice. (See «step one» on the blackboard, picture included) I really wanted to have some coconut. Nope didn’t have it. ³⁄₅ in that aspect.
I actually went back to see some pictures posted on here and apparently they have some «seasonal» flavors including coconut (sad face).
The customer service was ⁵⁄₅. The cashier was super friendly. But I was still left wanting my coconut shaved ice.

One of the best shaved ice I have ever had… cute place a lot of different flavors like durian, milk tea, horchta, avocado and etc… I seriously need to come back to this place asap to try their other flavors
We got the green tea which was so airy, fluffy and immersed with green tea flavor
You also get 10% off if you check in!

Hippo Ice has been opened for a little over a year. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Sugar Land. I finally made my way over there just a few days ago. I cant compare Hippo Ice to any other place because it was my first time trying shaved ice. I love the concept! At first, I literally thought the product would be plain shaved ice. But I was wrong. The kind young lady at the register explained everything to me. The ice actually has flavor and pieces of fruit in it as well. I opted for the coconut ice with strawberries and watermelon chunks. For the sauce, I opted for the mango purée. The combination of the flavors went well together. The coconut ice literally tasted like fluffy snowflakes. Very creamy, delicate, and with a unique texture. A nice change from ice-​cream and frozen yogurt. I definitely see myself coming back and trying their other flavors as well. This place closes late which a nice addition from all of the other spots that close early in the ‘burb’s.

This is the MOST refreshing treat! They have a lovely assortment of flavors and toppings (and not too much, so you’re not overwhelmed). It doesn’t melt as quickly as you think, and when it does, it turns into a sorbet-​like texture.
The mango ice was absolutely amazing, and almond ice wasn’t overdone, and I cannot wait to go back :)

We decided to stop here on a Friday night after a Skeeter game and it was empty… but not for long! Soon after we arrived the place was packed & I can see why! I got the mango with strawberries, passion fruit poppers & condensed milk & it was the best frozen treat I’ve ever had!
I don’t think I’ll be able to eat a snow cone again! And it’s guilt free, it doesn’t leave me feeling heavy like when I eat ice cream!
We will be back!

Not bad.
Compared to Nu café, idk if I like hippo ice better…
Staff was pretty cool about letting us try different flavors.
I’d come back again if I could afford the calories and the craving hits since this is closer to where I live than Nu café.
I got the mango btw! Pretty standard flavors. Hit the spot for me.

Treat yourself to a fresh & delicious summer treat, here at Hippo Ice.
First things first, this is a shaved fruity (or savory) dessert with toppings, NOT a snow cone type dessert with syrups. Shaved Ice can commonly be mistaken for snow or crushed ice or most of all Shave Ice (syrups).
Modern and interesting décor, with plenty of comfortable seating. Strangely located, but pretty easy to find.
I ordered the mango ice, with chunks if fresh mangos and strawberries with a mango drizzle (mango, mango, mango!), and that cost me almost 8 bucks… Was it amazing? Yes. Was it THAT amazing? No.
It’s a fun treat on a hot Houston day, but it’s not a regular place, and that is the true sad story here. If their prices were better, and the location not so far out from the 59, this would be a regular.
For the time being, this place is worth a try if you’ve never had shaved ice before, as it’s so light and fluffy/​flaky. But remember, it’s a shaved fruity dessert, NOT a snow cone type dessert.

I love this place! Everything is fresh and the ice is super light and snowy. The ice is specially made at the dessert shop. Fruits are puréed, mixed with milk and sugar, and then hard frozen into giant cylindrical blocks. When you order your ice, they’ll bring out a huge block and shave it into fluffy sheets. Yum!
I really enjoy the different flavors and seasonal toppings served here. My favorite flavors include the brown rice green tea (different from traditional matcha green tea), mango, and almond ice. The flavors are not too sweet (you can try two flavors per party) and the fruit toppings are fresh. I think the only fruit topping that wasn’t fresh– cut was the pineapple topping… I think that came from a can.
A large bowl comes with 3 toppings and a small comes with two toppings. Additional toppings include sweet treats such as Oreos etc… Also, don’t forget to add one complimentary «drizzle.» Drizzles include fresh mango drizzle (syrup/​purée), condensed milk, and others.
Make sure you order a large and pay with cash! If you get a punch card, you get an extra punch for paying with cash, two punches for a large, and one punch for a small. Eight punches = one «free» ice! :)
Prices are a bit more than your typical dessert shop but totally worth it. You can easily spend $ 10.00 for two small bowls of ice if that gives you a better idea… Anyway, go try it!

LOVE their shaved snow flavors and the amazing variety of toppings! Probably the only place comparable to what I’m used to getting in LA. Plus, their service is super friendly and they have plenty of seats if you want to enjoy your snow on-​site.
I ordered their milk tea snow with coconut and red bean. However, the server apparently made a mistake while making it and put on almonds instead of coconut. I would’ve been okay with them just adding coconut on top of that and just giving us the extra topping, but they ended up remaking the order for us (completely unprompted), and then ended up giving us both orders. This is likely the reason our order took so long to get out, although I saw a couple who came in after us who ordered to-​go and were given their order super quickly, so I’m a bit curious about how that happened.

O Hippo Ice, O Hippo Ice
How lovely are your shavings!
O Hippo Ice, O Hippo Ice
How lovely are your shavings!
Not only milk tea, but also matcha
Through summer sun and winter snow.
O Hippo Ice, O Hippo Ice
How lovely are your shavings!
Seriously, this place is amazing. The service is extremely friendly and the flavors are on point. I drove here from Katy twice in a week. IT’S THAT GOOD.
If you’ve never had Taiwanese snow cream, you need to get over here! It’s so light and fluffy like finely shaved ice, yet creamy like ice cream. IT’LL BLOW YOUR FROZEN DESSERT MIND.

My happy place! I’m so happy and excited that Hippo Ice is in Sugar Land, and I don’t have to drive out to Bellaire for some good ribbon shaved ice.
The shaved ice here is amazing! My favorites were mango and green tea (just depending on my mood) at first. Then they recently came out with a milk tea that’s to die for. The employees here, yes they’re all probably in high school, but everyone is so incredibly sweet and helpful. The owner is also a really energetic and genuinely nice Taiwanese guy that really wants to make sure you love everything. He explained the whole process and gave us samples the first time we were there. I’ve never tasted anything here that I’ve hated. Everything is so full of flavor and so refreshing.
I usually get the milk tea ice with red beans, tapioca, and condensed milk. If I’m craving something fruity, I get the mango ice with mango jelly, fresh mangoes, and mango syrup (mango overload, but it’s so good.) They also have really cheap drinks here, even though it’s not a lot of variety. I usually get a passion fruit green tea to go, and it’s the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. It’s only $ 2.50, it’s definitely worth a try. The shaved ice with the toppings can run a little high, and even though it doesn’t look like a lot, it’s definitely worth it! Usually I can share 2 shaved ice orders with 3 – 4 people.
It’s a really cute, casual little place to stop by with your friends or family. Oh, and it’s always freezing in here so bring your jacket.

I love Nu Café in China Town, but it’s a little far… therefore I’m SO excited that Hippo Ice came to Sugar Land so now we have an awesome Asian shaved ice place right in our backyard! :D Its equally good with one portion size (woohoo, no need to choose), and oh-​so-​heavenly goooooood :)
My favorite is brown rice matcha (green tea) with condensed milk and fruits.
The people there are very friendly and welcoming, and for all of July you get 30% by checking in on Unilocal or Facebook.

I would actually give this 4.5 stars… but there were just a few issues that kept me from giving a full five. They aren’t even big ones, but you shall see…
I heard about this place through the grapevine and through a few friends. A group of my friends and I decided to stop by this place after dinner. We were greeted by the owners and they were very welcoming and happy to see us. If you haven’t had this type of shaved ice before, they will be happy to explain the whole process to you, although they have made the process very easy and understandable.
There is a set menu of flavors from which you can pick, then you pick your toppings, sauce, and they also serve drinks /​bubble tea. The flavors are fresh and creative, and they do not have any artificial anything. It’s natural, made with real fruit or real green tea. You can also try samples of the flavored ice, and their overall presentation of the samples is really professional impressive. They give you a good sized sample on a small plate and top it with condensed milk. It’s like you’re getting a mini dessert, and multiple people can try the same flavor (if you’re ok with sharing with your friends).
We decided to go with the mango, topped with strawberries, mangoes, mango sauce, and condensed milk. It’s 4.75 plus .50 per topping. If you check in on Facebook or Unilocal,you get 30% off. (This may be just for their grand opening). My total came down to under $ 5 dollars.
Wait was not long as it was just before the after dinner rush. The soft, fluffy, mango flavored ice was piled in high ribbons on a large plate. The mangoes and strawberries were ripe and sweet and the sauces went well with the flavors we chose. There was enough dessert to share among 4 – 5 people. And keep in mind this was under $ 5. The ice had a good mango flavor and tasted just like mangoes… this is because they use real mangoes! Duh!
My only tiff with them is that you can’t put more than one flavor into a dish, and that you can’t get different sizes. We were told that the flavors won’t mix well, but there are different flavor pairings that will work and also people usually eat this stuff quick enough before it even melts. There may be some logistical issues and reasons why they prefer to do it this way, but as my friends and I discussed, they could actually make more of a profit if they offered flexibility in choosing flavors and also different sizes so people could by more flavors in different sizes. Maybe just a medium and a large so that it doesn’t complicate things?
We were actually split between green tea and mango but because we could only choose one flavor, we stuck to mango. We wish we could have had both.
Anyway, other than that, this place is special. It’s got the skills and quality that rivals the other shaved ice shops. The quality is much better, and at the price that they’re asking for, it’s a steal. I hope this place gains a big following, because it would be awesome if they could open a location elsewhere, like Uptown, midtown, or heights, or even the growing EaDo.
Best shaved ice in Houston/​Sugarland so far.