Chinatown Ice Cream Factory Ginger and Black Sesame Ice Cream: I finally made it to Chinatown Ice Cream factory, a shoebox-sized shop that specializes in Asian flavored ice cream like durian and Thai iced tea. It reminds me of Garden Creamery in SF in terms of selection. The ginger ice cream was impressively smooth and had a pleasant ginger flavor, though I personally would prefer it to be spicier and less sweet. The flavor of the black sesame ice cream was very special - quite savory, and sprinkled with real black sesame seeds, it was nutty and not t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended icecream nyc blacksesame dessert chinatownicecreamfactory ginger black sesame ice cream 3.5
Churro Cone Charcoal black sesame churro ice cream: Like a pop-up version of Chikalicious's Dessert Club (now closed), this standing-room-only shop has a variety of ice cream flavors served in churro cones. The charcoal black sesame (legally referring only to the color rather than the additive, as that is no longer legal in NYC) contains shards of savory black sesame which pairs nicely with the creamy and sweet black sesame soft serve. The churro cone, purchased at the end of the day, was a bit dry and verging on stale, but I appreciated that... (read more) 3.5/5.0
dessert nyc ice cream blacksesame churrocone charcoal black sesame churro ice cream 3.5
FK Frozen Custard Black Sesame and Matcha White Chocolate Ice Cream: The last time I had ice cream from FK Frozen Custard, the brand was still named "Frozen Kuhsterd," and they were a food-truck-only business. Now they have a brick and mortar in the Lower Haight in SF, still offering a mix of classic flavors and asian-inspired options like black sesame, milk tea, and ube. I ordered one scoop with two flavors, which was generously sized and easily sharable – though I had the entire scoop for myself. (: My previous experience with Frozen Kuhsterd involved an ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Gomaya Kuki Sesame Ice Cream: This is a rare spot I had actually bookmarked before arriving in Japan in my search for top ice cream shops. At Gomaya Kuki, off of a side street in Shibuya, you have only the choice between black and white sesame ice cream, but each comes in three varieties. For the black sesame, you can choose between triple rich, rich, and salted, while for the white sesame, they have triple rich, rich, and chunky multigrain. I decided to try the triple rich black and chunky multigrain. On the side ar... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Greenmax black sesame cereal: If you haven't had black sesame cereal before, it's a powdered mix drink popular in asian countries. This brand is from Taiwan. Mixed with hot water, it creates a thick drink (similar in consistency to hot chocolate), but typically much more nutritious. It is one of my favorite things to drink in cold weather. This brand is especially good because it's not too sweet, and the black sesame flavor is deep and comforting. 4.0/5.0
greenmax asian hmart blacksesame drinks taiwan black sesame cereal 4.0
Iceskimo Shaved Snow: Located in La Jolla, Iceskimo is a self-proclaimed "artisan snow shavery" serving shaved ice inspired by those found in Taiwan and Hawaii. The shaved ice is a mix between ice cream and shaved ice - creamier than the shaved ice found on the streets of Taipei, shaved thinly into overlapping ribbons. They have many classic Asian flavors to chose from, from black sesame to matcha to Thai tea. I tried both the black sesame (pictured) as well as the Thai tea and found the Thai tea to be the mos... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended desserts taiwnaese shavedice blacksesame thaitea boba icecream iceskimo shaved snow 3.5