Happy Lemon Mango matcha slush: Matcha and mango seemed like an unlikely pairing, but I decided to give it a try as it was marked as a Happy Lemon top pick on the menu. Because of the way the drink is made, it’s not possible to adjust the sweetness, which I was a bit worried about since I usually get my beverages at 25% sweetness when possible. While the drink was on the sweet side, it also had a delicious creaminess that mellowed out the flavor overall. A thick base of mango at the bottom ensures that there is a bit of f... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks berkeley happylemon mango matcha slush 3.5
Happy Lemon Taro with fresh milk drink with boba: A tri-layer drink with boba at its base, a milk slush at the top, and bits of taro root sandwiched in between. Purchased at 0% sweetness, the boba, which had a honey coating, was sweet enough to keep the drink balanced. The taro root pieces had a good amount of bite and starchiness to give the drink extra substance. And the slushie was both creamy and rich. If you’re a fan of taro, you’ll like this drink! 3.5/5.0
recommended berkeley drinks bubble happylemon taro milk slushie boba 3.5
Ici Coconut passion fruit sorbet: Ici is an ice cream shop in Berkeley started by a former Chez Panisse pasty chef. Its menu consists of elevated classics made with quality ingredients. The coconut passion fruit sorbet I ordered had a vibrant orange hue and was more tart than sweet, with an acidic passion fruit flavor and smooth coconut finish. The balance was slightly off, as it was more sharp than I personally prefer, but the most disappointing part was the texture, which was varied and mostly too icy. The homemade cone, t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
berkeley icecream ici coconut passion fruit sorbet 3.0
Ici Lemon ice cream with ginger cookie: Faintly sweet but super rich and creamy lemon ice cream filled with bits of spiced ginger cookie. The cookie pieces were my favorite part and felt very seasonal. The ice cream itself could have been more smooth in texture but was good overall. 3.5/5.0
recommended icecream dessert berkeley ici lemon ice cream ginger cookie 3.5
John's Ube Ice Cream: Neighboring the Berkeley Bike Station is a small ice cream shop named John's with barely enough room for two sets of freezers and a single-file queue that regularly extends well past the doors. Given the size of the establishment, it wouldn't be inaccurate to credit these lines simply to space limitation rather than the quality of John's products. But a comic-sans printed sign outside the door advertises what is likely the biggest draw: $1.50 scoops (the $0.50 handwritten and appended to t... (read more) 2.5/5.0
berkeley icecream longreadsunday johns ube ice cream 2.5
Juice Bar Collective Peanut butter banana shake: Juice Bar Collective is probably my favorite food spot in The Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley. It's a small worker-owned collective that offers a variety of veggie (and a few meat) entrees like polenta, lasagne, and bahn mi. This may be surprising given the name Juice Bar, but they also had some fantastic beverage options to accompany your meal. The peanut butter and banana shake I had with soy milk had just the right amount of peanut butter without affecting its smooth, creamy consistency. Much ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks shakes berkeley juicebarcollective peanut butter banana shake 3.5