Wanderlust Creamery Japanese Neapolitan ice cream with sticky rice and mango in an ube cone: Inventive flavors inspired by places around the world abound at Wanderlust Creamery in Los Angeles. Their Japanese Neapolitan, combining matcha, hojicha, and black sesame, was all the flavors I want to eat in one scoop, creating a beautiful marbled color. The sticky rice and mango was very rich, with a prominent coconut flavor and ribbons of mango throughout. I was most impressed by the housemade ube cone, which was probably the best cone I've ever had. The waffle cone was thicker than m... (read more) 5.0/5.0
icecream la exceptional wanderlustcreamery japanese neapolitan ice cream sticky rice mango in an ube cone 5.0 losangeles
Wanderlust Creamery Green apple wasabi sorbet and yuzu cheesecake ice cream: Located on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village (LA), Wanderlust Creamery offers flavors inspired by locations around the world. Their unusual flavors made it very difficult to pick just two, but I went with their green apple and wasabi sorbet along with yuzu cheesecake. I loved the tartness and spicy aftertaste of the apple wasabi, which was expertly balanced, and the yuzu cheesecake had a delicious graham crackle crumble and yuzu jam throughout. The flavors were fantastic and some of t... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream la japanese wanderlustcreamery green apple wasabi sorbet yuzu cheesecake ice cream 4.5
Destroyer Lemon ginger tonic: At a restaurant where the menu is projected onto the wall and their business card is a tiny sliver with no actual information other than its name, Destroyer could be easily dismissed as pretentious style over substance. But this lemon ginger tonic was just a perfectly balanced, no frills version of that drink, with just the right levels of carbonation, sweetness, and sharpness. 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks la destroyer lemon ginger tonic 4.0
Destroyer Tarragon chocolate chip cookie: A cookie that has mass appeal, with its gooey, 80% baked texture and generously sized (mostly melted) chocolate morsels. A dusting of tarragon powder adds a pleasant amount of bitterness, elevating it beyond a classic but extremely well done chocolate chip cookie. 4.0/5.0
recommended la destroyer tarragon chocolate chip cookie 4.0
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Apple and marscarpone cruffin: In LA on Larchmont, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse looks like just a regular pastry shop: no lines, a modest storefront, and a few nicely presented seasonal options. Both cruffin flavors (maple and beer and apple and marscarpone) were available, with seemingly no particular demand. We tried the apple and marscarpone muffin and donut hybrid, which stood tall and was dusted in sugar. The flavor of the apple filling was nicely spiced and textured like applesauce, and the exterior pastry struck me as more... (read more) 3.0/5.0
pastry donut muffin la mrholmesbakehouse apple marscarpone cruffin 3.0
N'ice Cream watermelon and mango sorbet: Located on Abbot Kinney in Venice, LA, this small shop offers an assortment of ice creams and sorbets. For a small, priced at $5, I was given two substantial scoops, both of very high quality. I was most impressed with the texture, which was perfectly smooth. The mango flavor was a bit faint but very clean, and the watermelon was especially distinct: a remarkably creamy take on a seasonal classic. Highly recommended. 4.0/5.0
nicecream la 4.0 recommended sorbet watermelon mango frozen dessert