Gangneung gelato shop with a corn supernova two-flavor cup: Hi Gelato

What is Hi Gelato on Toseong-ro in Gangneung like?

Hi Gelato is a gelato shop on Toseong-ro in Gangneung. Traveling around Gangneung, a cool, sweet dessert can sound just as tempting as coffee. That's exactly what happened this day — wandering around Gangneung, I got a craving for gelato and stopped by Hi Gelato. The clean white exterior with a red "Hi GELATO" sign stood out, so it wasn't hard to find.

Inside, the space was bright and clean overall. With a white base and red chairs and props scattered around, it had its own fresh, cheerful feel. It's not a huge shop, but plenty big enough to sit down and rest with a gelato while traveling.

The showcase had more variety than I expected. From tofu gelato to Mango and Strawberry in Love, Matcha Matcha, milk chocolate chip, and Lotus biscuit, there were plenty of menus that made me curious just from the names.

This time I picked three flavors in total.

The large cup held two flavors together — corn super nova and tofu gelato — while the small cup was ordered separately with milk chocolate chip. In the photo, the cup with yellow and white gelato together is the corn super nova and tofu gelato, and the small cup with a scoop of gelato dotted with chocolate pieces is the milk chocolate chip.

How does the corn supernova gelato taste?

Hi Gelato's corn super nova leans more toward the nutty flavor of corn than outright sweetness. I started with the corn super nova in the large cup first.

Its pale yellow color already brought to mind corn's nutty taste. Tasting it confirmed that — rather than a strongly sweet gelato, it had a soft, distinctly corn-like nutty flavor. The gelato's typical moist, smooth texture paired better with corn flavor than I expected.

If you usually stick to familiar flavors like vanilla or chocolate, corn super nova might feel a bit different. That said, it wasn't overpowering or off-putting in aroma, so it was easy to enjoy. The sweetness and nuttiness together kept me going back for more.

What does Gangneung soft tofu (sundubu) gelato taste like?

Hi Gelato's tofu gelato leans toward a subtle, plain taste rather than deep sweetness. It was the other flavor paired with corn super nova in the large cup.

Since I was in Gangneung, I figured I should try the tofu gelato at least once, and pairing it with corn super nova turned out to be a good call. Its pure white color already looked quite plain and soft, and in taste it was indeed centered on a subtle, nutty feel rather than anything sharp.

Because of the name "tofu," I expected it to be quite different from regular gelato, but it was surprisingly easy to eat. Rather than expecting a richly sweet ice cream, it felt more like enjoying a soft, plain flavor.

Why two flavors in one large cup works at Hi Gelato

Putting corn super nova and tofu gelato in the same large cup turned out to be a pretty good combination. Both are on the nutty side, but their flavor directions were clearly different. Corn super nova is sweet with corn's flavor coming through, while tofu gelato felt relatively plain and soft in comparison.

Taking a bite of corn super nova and then tofu gelato felt like a palate reset, and going the other way — tofu gelato then corn super nova — made the nutty sweetness stand out more clearly.

Above all, eating tofu gelato in Gangneung added to the travel feeling. If you're looking for something to try once in Gangneung rather than an ordinary flavor available anywhere, tofu gelato is worth choosing.

Milk chocolate chip in a separate small cup

Milk chocolate chip was ordered separately in a small cup. Compared to corn super nova or tofu gelato, it's a relatively familiar combination, but it was still a solid, classic flavor. A smooth milk base held small chocolate pieces, giving a fun bit of crunch amid the gelato's soft texture.

With the nutty, smooth milk flavor as the base and chocolate chips adding sweetness here and there, it never got tiring even after several bites. The chocolate flavor wasn't so strong that it covered everything, so the milk gelato's own taste still came through nicely.

Ordering milk chocolate chip separately in a small cup turned out to be the right call. The large cup's corn super nova and tofu gelato were enjoyed as the nutty, plain side, while the small cup's milk chocolate chip felt more like a sweeter dessert — making the differences among the three flavors clear.

Which of the three Hi Gelato flavors to order

Of the three, corn super nova felt the most distinctive, and tofu gelato felt like the best match for a Gangneung trip. Milk chocolate chip is an easy pick for anyone, so eating all three together made for a satisfying lineup.

Choosing at Hi Gelato was also part of the fun. With various gelatos ready in the showcase, you can pick according to your taste, and using both large and small cups made it easy to split multiple flavors.

Like we did, putting corn super nova and tofu gelato together in a large cup and ordering milk chocolate chip separately in a small cup lets you enjoy nutty, plain, and sweet flavors all at once.

Between eating meals, browsing the market, and walking a lot around Gangneung, taking a break with cool gelato in the middle was really nice. Coffee and bread are great too, but sometimes cold, smooth gelato is exactly what hits the spot.

If you want a dessert that feels distinctly Gangneung, tofu gelato is worth trying at least once, and if you want something a bit different, I'd also recommend corn super nova. Add the familiar, sweet milk chocolate chip on top, and comparing three different flavors becomes part of the fun.

This time at Hi Gelato in Gangneung, I tried corn super nova and tofu gelato in the large cup and milk chocolate chip in the small cup, and all three clearly had their own charm.

It's a place worth stopping by if you're looking for a light dessert after a meal during a Gangneung trip, or craving something cool instead of coffee. Next time I visit again, I'd like to try the other gelato flavors I missed this time, one by one.