Bang Bang Ice Cream Avocado and Matcha ice cream: Redolent of butter and baked goods, Bang Bang Ice Cream is a small shop specializing in ice cream sandwiches and waffle cones all made in house. I was lucky enough to experience Bang Bang without having to wait in line, a rarity I'm told. I ordered one scoop, without a cookie or cone, combining two flavors: avocado and matcha. Both were excellent, with a distinct creaminess without being heavy or dense. Having had a lot of matcha ice cream, I was especially appreciative of the deep, rich her... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream Toronto greentea bangbangicecream avocado matcha ice cream 4.5
Sweet Olenka's Ontario strawberry ice cream: Stumbled upon this minuscule ice cream shop and was drawn in by newspaper clippings praising its unique flavors. Sadly, no especially bizarre combinations were to be found tonight, but I got a very solid Ontario strawberry ice cream that was somehow vegan despite being creamy and smooth. Strawberry flavor was very pure though more light than concentrated. Shout out to the extra nice worker that I ended up having a super long music conversation with on everything from math rock to Molly Nilss... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream Toronto sweetolenkas ontario strawberry ice cream 4.0
Il laboratorio del gelato Plum and grape sorbet: Whenever I'm in LES, I can't help but stop by this outstanding gelato shop, with its endless array of cycling seasonal flavors. The plum and grape were super concentrated, tasting exactly like those ingredients in their freshest form. The texture could have been better (this time, the grape was a bit icy); nonetheless, I've never had anything but solid fresh sorbet from this NYC mainstay. 4.0/5.0
recommended nyc illaboratoriodelgelato plum grape sorbet 4.0
Kekou Gelato House Soursop and osmanthus plum berry sorbets: Specializing in Asian flavors ranging from milk tea to peanut sesame, Kekou is a Toronto-based ice cream shop with a strong anti-stabilizer philosophy. This means all of their gelato and sorbets are not made with any additives or stabilizers to maintain their consistency. As a result, their sorbets are not entirely smooth, with some small ice chunks throughout. Their gigantic scoops are generous, and the mildly flavored sorbets I ordered were fresh though a tad too sweet. I enjoyed the tropi... (read more) 3.0/5.0
sorbet Toronto asian kekougelatohouse soursop osmanthus plum berry sorbets 3.0
Riska Corn Potage Corn Snack: There is nothing subtle about this Japanese fried snack. Shaped like onion petals, each bite combines the best of sour cream and onion with corn soup, a surprisingly sweet and savory combination that seems obvious in retrospect but refreshingly new at the same time. Intensely concentrated creamed-corn taste, like a powdered form of the liquid from canned corn. There's also small bits of dried parsley that cut through and round out the umami goodness. Airy, puffed consistency, with a text... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese riska corn potage snack 5.0 tokyofishmarket
Seed + Mill Tahini Goats Milk Softserve: Mildly flavored nutty soft serve from Seed + Mill, a small stand in the middle of Chelsea Market. Goats milk gives it a slight tang. A unique offering. Just a tad icy. 4.0/5.0
recommended softserve icecream seedmill tahini goats milk 4.0 nyc chelseamarket