Top 5 Trendy Asian Ice Cream Spots to Hit This Summer in NYC
There’s no better place to find your new favorite ice cream than NYC. And surprisingly (or not), the most trendy ones today happen to be Asian-owned! I know, you may not equate Asians with ice cream at first, but we Asians love taking photos so when it comes to picturesque treats, it’s no wonder the cutest, and most Instagram-able ones are Asian-owned! We’ve done the taste-testing, and have rounded up the top 5 that NYC has to offer. New summer bucket list, anyone??
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Store: Justin Tea
Location: 69 Mulberry (Chinatown)
Trains: J, N, Q, Z to Canal
Open: 10am-12am, yes people, you can have your late night ice cream binge here at midnight!
Most Instagram-able must trys: There are tons of creative desserts to try including liquid nitrogen ice cream (watch them make this from scratch and feel like a scientist eating your smokin’ cold scoop), mango tower drinks, pop rocks toppings etc. but we opted for the cutesy teddy bear waffle cone and my little one was NOT disappointed!
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Store: Soft Swerve NYC
Location: 85B Allen St (lower east side)
Trains: B, D to Grand st.
Open: 12pm – 12am everyday except Sunday 12pm -11pm (gotta love these Asian-owned places for staying open late!)
Most Instagram-able must trys: What’s special about this place are the exotic flavors such as black sesame, matcha, or the ube (purple yam) will beg you for a try! If your kid is like mine and loves the color purple, ube will be the best pick, (get it with the red cone for an extra vibrant pic) and watch as your kid’s tongue and mouth turns Barney-purple! I took this shot right outside the store in front of a grafitti covered love wall. They do a cute job with the mochi sprinkles by adding a ring around the base of the ice cream, making for a super cute cone – next time I’d get that too!
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Store: Milk & Cream Cereal Bar
Location: 159 Mott St (border of Little Italy and Chinatown)
Trains: J to Bowery, B,D to Grand, 4,6 to Spring St.
Open: 12pm – 10pm everyday except Fri & Sat (open til 11pm)
Most Instagram-able must trys: With 4.5 Yelp stars and almost 200 reviews, you know you can’t really go wrong here. Specialties include birthday cake and matcha flavored cones plus an endless selection of all the nostalgic cereals from your childhood. Pick your favorites and they’ll crush and mix it into your ice cream! Also, the store is so cute, you’ll wanna stay and take shots of your tasty cone from all angles!
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Store: Taiyaki NYC
Location: 119 Baxter St
Trains: J, N, Q, Z, 4,6,N,R to Canal
Open: M – Th 12pm – 10pm, Fri 12pm -11pm, Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm (so confusing by changing it up so much..)
Most Instagram-able must trys: Let’s start by mentioning the over 1050 reviews and 4.5 stars..that is a mighty feat! It’s a tiny store with hardly any space to sit and enjoy so plan on taking your shot by the quote wall or out in the city for a cool street shot. Beautiful presentation includes a unicorn option (not pictured here). The fish cone with red bean inside is served warm making for a tasty contrast to your soft serve of choice!
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Store: Cafe Bene’ (don]’t let the French- sounding name fool ya, this is truly a Korean chain..one that we frequent both in K-town and beyond)
Location: www.caffebeneusa.com
Trains: so many locations to choose from.. K-Town, Tribeca, Brooklyn, East Village, Union Sq, Times Sq. etc
Open: see website Most Instagram-able must trys: This all – in – one coffee/gelato/bubble tea/ waffle/sandwich/ice cream shop is a must-stop for anyone who loves a shaved ice (with ice cream). Our favorite is the matcha one with green tea ice cream, matcha sauce, almonds and whipped cream but the cutest one for pictures is the choco devil.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
So there you go! It’s National Ice Cream Day today. Time to start checking off that list! Leave a comment to let me know which one takes top priority for you to visit or if you see that I missed something, please let me know!
Here’s to summer!
For tips on how to get those coveted Instagram-able photos, click here!
There was a lot of pink in this fashion show!
