New Flavors from Ben & Jerry's - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

It is no secret that I love ice cream.  I grew up eating it pretty much every night after dinner.  Sometimes just a simple scoop, or uh, two, but more often than not, we made sundaes.  Or topped our homemade pie with it.  Yes, I was spoiled.

I grew up in New Hampshire, not far from the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont.  To me, the generic brand of ice cream was Ben & Jerry's.  Even the farm stand where I worked sold Ben & Jerry's, it was that commonplace.  Pints were 2 for $5.

I moved a bit further away for college, to upstate New York.  But Ben & Jerry's was prevalent even there.  Our little on campus diner stocked pints, and we had the option of redeeming our meals for grab and go items from the diner instead.  I will not admit how many pints I got over the years, and how many I may or may not have consumed in a single sitting.

It amazed me once I left my nest to learn that Ben & Jerry's is a bit of a novelty to people elsewhere.  For many years, I didn't have any in San Francisco.  Why would I pick that, over our local, artisanal choices?  But eventually, the craving for that experience of just digging shamelessly into a pint of Ben & Jerry's returned, and, so I did.

I've reviewed the flavors I've had over the past few years before, so I'll spare you a repeat, and this time, focus on the brand new flavors that they added in the past few years.  Ben & Jerry's always adds a few new flavors every year (and of course, sends some to the "flavor graveyard" to make way for them).  Many don't last long.  Flavors that are removed are often mourned.

2014

This year, the new Salted Caramel Blondie is quite a winner.  I hope it sticks around!

Salted Caramel Blondie, single, 2014.

"Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Blonde Brownies & a Salted Caramel Swirl"

This is an excellent new addition.  Basically a blondie sundae, turned into an ice cream.  The only thing it was missing was whipped cream.

The ice cream base apparently was sweet cream, although I assumed it was just basic vanilla.  Creamy, rich, good base.  Standard Ben & Jerry's.

The caramel swirl was exactly what caramel should be.  Buttery, sweet, delicious.  I didn't actually taste much salt, which would have been better perhaps, but it was pretty delicious as it was.  If they just removed "salted" from the product name, I wouldn't have minded the lack of salt.  The caramel was particularly fascinating because it didn't get hard, even inside the cold ice cream, it still stayed pleasantly runny, like caramel that had just been poured over an ice cream sundae.  My only complaint, which is a bit silly, is that there was too much caramel.  It was very sweet, and at one point, I wished to have a little more ice cream to balance out the plentiful caramel.  Perhaps that was just my scoop.

And finally, the blondies.  Chunks of just the right size, big enough to know you got a goodie, but not too big to be annoying to eat.  Sweet, classic blondies.  And again, like the caramel, I was impressed with how they didn't get hard.  They somehow stayed perfectly soft inside the cold ice cream.  Ben & Jerry's knows how to work magic here.

So overall, definitely a winner, and one I'd gladly get again.  Salted Caramel Brownie is only available in Scoop Shops, although a similar offering, Salted Caramel Brownie Core, is available in pints.  That one is the same sweet cream ice cream with blondie bits, with a caramel core down the center of the pint.  It seems like the amount of caramel you get in a scoop could be more easily controlled with the core version, although I did like it being all mixed in.

I also had the chance to sample the other new flavor, Cotton Candy: "Cotton candy ice cream loaded with cotton candy pieces."  It tasted, you guessed it, like cotton candy.  Super sweet.  I'm sure this is a huge hit with children, but for me, not quite something I'd want a full bowl of.

2015

The Tonight Dough™, Single, 2015.

"Caramel & Chocolate Ice Creams with Chocolate Cookie Swirls & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Peanut Butter Cookie Dough".

Wow, this had a lot going on, almost giving Everything But The ... a run for its money.

Let’s start with the base.  I didn’t realize that the caramel ice cream was actually caramel, I assumed it was vanilla, or perhaps sweet cream.  So, it was there, but it certainly wasn’t overly sweet, which is good, as a flavor with so many components easily could have been overwhelmed by too sweet ice cream.  The other ice cream was classic chocolate.  I don’t tend to care for chocolate ice cream, and probably would have preferred this to be all just the caramel flavor, but, the ice cream base is really not the interesting part of this flavor.

The interesting part, as is common with Ben & Jerry's, was the mix-ins.  First, the big shocker for me: "chocolate cookie swirls".  Now, I didn't really know what a "cookie swirl" was going to be, but I somehow thought something like chunks of a cookie.  Nope. Instead, the cookie was crumbs, integrated throughout as, well, a swirl.  It does match the description quite well, now that I think about it ... anyway, I really liked it!  It was almost like bits of brownie, but easier to bite through since it was loose, if that makes any sense.  Really a great texture.

Next, the cookie doughs.  I was seriously impressed with the amount of cookie dough in here.  Tons of chunks, all large sized.  Ben & Jerry's really nails the eating experience of this one, with the chunks large enough that you really, really get to enjoy your cookie dough, and don't need to struggle to build up a few little chunks in order to build your own ball (you do that too right?).  The chocolate chip cookie dough was standard Ben & Jerry's cookie dough, presumably the same as from their regular cookie dough ice cream, which I've reviewed before.  The peanut butter cookie dough was actually the reason I picked this flavor, I was very interested to see what that would be like.  Similar to the chocolate chip dough chunks, just, sans chips.  I actually didn't taste that much peanut butter to it, and would have preferred more.

Anyway, this was a good flavor.  I was worried that so many add ins would make it a disaster, but, it worked.  Not my favorite flavor, and probably not one I'd order again, but if someone had some, I'd certainly dig in.

Two Wild & Crazy Pies™.

"Coconut cream & chocolate cream pie ice creams with a chocolate cookie swirl."

I was inspired to get this one solely due to the chocolate cookie swirl.  I loved the chocolate cookie swirl in Ben & Jerry's Milk & Cookies flavor, and really just wanted more of it.

But this ... wasn't great.  I actually blame my scoop shop, as I think something was wrong with their freezers.  The ice cream was all crystalized.  That is NOT normal for Ben & Jerry's!

I love creamy chocolate ice cream, and instead, this was just icy.  I didn't taste much coconut, which is fine, I didn't really want to, it doesn't seem like chocolate and coconut would make that great of a mix anyway.  But the cookie swirl that I was soooo looking forward to?  Without creamy ice cream to go with it, it was just additional icy bits.

This made me really sad.  The texture was just sooo wrong.  If it wasn't my birthday free scoop(s), I certainly would have gone back to say something.  I blame the freezers.

Also tried:

• Spectacular Speculoos™: "Dark caramel & vanilla ice creams with speculoos cookies & a speculoos cookie butter swirl".  Tasting Notes: I wanted to love this, but it was icy, and the texture was all strange.  I'm glad I asked to try it first.
• The Tonight Dough ™: "Caramel & Chocolate Ice Creams with Chocolate Cookie Swirls & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Peanut Butter Cookie Dough."  Tasting Notes: This is a case of too many good things don't add up to great result.  Every ingredient was individually great, but, together they became too much, and I couldn't taste anything in particular.

2016

Spectacular Speculoos™ on top, Empower Mint on bottom. April 2016.

Two scoops this time, because you know how hard decisions are!  Starting from the top:

"Dark caramel & vanilla ice creams with speculoos cookies & a speculoos cookie butter swirl."

I picked Spectacular Speculoos to give it another try, because on my previous try, I disliked it because it was strangely icy.  I assumed that was a problem with ice cream storage, not inherent to the flavor, so, I wanted to give it another chance.  Plus, I have a co-worker who loves Speculoos, and I think his mentality is rubbing off.

It was ... ok.  I really didn't taste dark caramel ice cream, it just seemed like vanilla to me.  There were chunks in it, but I couldn't distinguish between cookie chunks and the cookie butter swirl.  Also ... I guess I just don't love Speculoos.

Overall, fine, not icy this time, but, not for me.  I won't get this one again.

"Peppermint ice cream with fudge brownies and fudge swirl".

I was pretty excited about the Empower Mint though, a brand new flavor, not even on their website yet.  I love mint and chocolate.

The ice cream was clearly not just vanilla, but, it wasn't as minty as I would have liked.  I didn't find a distinct fudge swirl, just, some vaguely chocolately bits.  There were decent size chunks of brownie though, soft, rich, good brownies, but, somehow, not really what I wanted in my mint ice cream.

So, overall, I wanted more mint, and, I wanted the chocolate in a different form.  I think I wanted mint chocolate chip with real hot fudge on top.  Or some kind of crunchy chocolate mixed in.

2017

Another year, another birthday free scoop, and chance to try some new flavors (including the trendy cereal milk flavors).  No real winners this year.

Milk & Cookies. Small. (August). $5.25.

"Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl, Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies."

On this visit, I tried a few new flavors, and decided to settle on my old stand-by, Milk & Cookies.

I didn't love it this time around though.  It seemed to have a lot more chocolate components than I remembered, and, the signature chocolate chip cookie bits, that were more like a swirl before, were fairly non-existent.

Time to try some new flavors ...

Pistachio Pistachio. (July).

"Pistachio Ice Cream with Lightly Roasted Pistachios."

For National Ice Cream Day, the Whole Foods that I stopped into happened to have free samples from Ben & Jerry's.  I used the opportunity to try a flavor I had never had before: Pistachio Pistachio.

I didn't really care for it.  I liked the chunks of pistachio, but, the base ice cream flavor wasn't great.  It was standard Ben & Jerry's rich, quality product however.

Others:
Totally Baked:
"Chocolate & vanilla ice creams with fudge brownies & chocolate chip cookies."

I tried this one for the chocolate chip cookies that I knew from Milk & Cookies, and the brownies from chocolate fudge brownie (both of which I've liked and reviewed both before).

This was ... fine.  But boring.  Chocolate and vanilla, brownie and cookie, but, it didn't really add up to anything particularly amazing.

Truffle Kerfuffle™:
"Vanilla ice cream with roasted pecans, fudge flakes and salted chocolate."

I like pecans.  I like fudge.  I like salt.  And chocolate.  This basically sounded like an ice cream sundae, jammed into a single flavor.  Much potential.

But it fell a bit flat for me.  The texture seemed harder than most other flavors, and, my scooper actually told me he doesn't like this flavor, as it is always too hard (which he said after I said I didn't like it).  Not really sure why this was a miss, but, it was.

Frozen Flakes™
"Cereal milk ice cream with crisp cereal swirls."

Ben & Jerry's jumped on the cereal milk fad big time.  This summer, they introduced not one, not two, but three different cereal bases flavors: Frozen Flakes (e.g. frosted flakes), Frozen Fruities (e.g. Fruit Loops), and Cocoa Loco (e.g. Cocoa Puffs).

I tried Frozen Flakes, pretty excited.  I adore the Cereal Milk soft serve from Momofuku Milk Bar, and fully support this trend.

But, I didn't like the Ben & Jerry's version.  The "crisp cereal swirls" were not crisp.  Just like the waffle cone pieces in Americone Dream, and the potato chips in Late Night Snack, they were kinda soggy and really unappealing.  The base was also just far too sweet.

This was not for me, and the server told me he really didn't like it either.

2018

Limited Batch: Gimme S'more. Small.

"Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie Swirls, Graham Cracker Swirls & Fudge Flakes."

I don't really care for s'mores.  Graham crackers are a useless item entirely in my world.  I don't like to munch on them, I don't like them for s'mores, and I hate them for pie crusts.  So, picking a s'mores flavor, even if new and limited edition, was a bit of an odd move for me.

But, I had hope for this, as it has chocolate cookie swirls, and I've found those so successful in other ice cream, like the Milk & Cookies I enjoyed before.  Add in an interesting sounding base (toasted marshmallow!), and a promise of fudge flakes, and I could overlook the graham cracker swirls.

Or so I thought.

While the graham cracker didn't necessarily dominate, it was very prominent, and added a strange thickness and grit.  I didn't like it.

Meanwhile, the base ice cream, while an interesting marshmallow-y flavor, was far too sweet.

The chocolate cookie swirl and bits of fudge chips were good, but overall, this was just too sweet, not balanced, and too gritty.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Single.

"Vanilla Ice Cream with Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough."

"We knew we were onto something big when we made the world's first Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream in 1984. It took us a while to iron out the details, but in 1991 we finally rolled the world's first Dough - in pints - out the door & into ice cream history. Today it still reigns among our all time most popular flavors."

My scoop shop really didn't have any new exciting flavors that were appealing to me, and, after sampling 4 (!), I felt bad and decided to just go with an old reliable.  Cookie dough.  About as classic as Ben & Jerry's gets!  And yes, they really do claim to have invented cookie dough, and really have perfected it.

Rich creamy ice cream base, studded with chocolate chips, and plentiful large chunks of good flavored cookie dough.  The texture of it all is spot on (creamy ice cream, crunch from chocolate chips, soft cookie dough), and this is a classic, reliable option for a reason.  I was happy enough with it.

Other flavors sampled:

MooPhoria Light Caramel Cookie Fix:
"Vanilla Light Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Swirls & Shortbread Cookie Swirls."

Well, ok, I didn't expect light ice to be amazing, but, this was awful to the point that I think my scoop shop must not have stored it properly.  It was so, so icy.  Really just ice.  And the shortbread cookie was really dry.  So dry and icy?  Yeah, not ok.

I'd be curious to try it again somewhere though, as it does have promise, it is real ice cream, just lighter, 140 cal per scoop, and the salted caramel and shortbread cookie swirls do sound good.

Cinndoughrella™ (New 2018 Flavor)
"Cinnamon & Caramel Ice Creams with Cinnamon Bun Dough, Shortbread Cookies & Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookie Swirls."

This one falls in the "almost awesome" category for me.  I loved the cinnamon and caramel bases, I loved the cinnamon bun dough chunks, the shortbread cookie chunks, and the oatmeal cinnamon cookie swirls.  All the components were great, and they worked well together.

So, the problem?  It was just too sweet.  Too much.

I would have gladly gotten this as a mixed scoop, and in the past, my local Ben & Jerry's has allowed split scoop for a single cup (not for a Kiddie size, but a single is actually two scoops but, the very new scooper I had wasn't up for it, and I didn't really care enough to press more).  But balanced with another flavor, or perhaps even whipped cream actually, I think this would be great.

Chocolate Therapy®
"Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookies & Swirls of Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream."

Chocolate ice cream is rarely what I like, but, my scoop shop didn't have many flavors I was interested in, and I do love the Ben & Jerry's cookie swirl, so, I gave this one a try, also interested in "chocolate pudding ice cream" swirls.

This was however an ice cream for chocolate ice cream lovers, very much chocolate ice cream and even more intense chocolate ice cream in the chocolate pudding ice cream swirls.  Not for me.

Chocolate Shake It™
"Chocolate Malt Milkshake Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie-Covered Fudge Truffles & Marshmallow Swirls."

It has been a while since I've had Phish Food, again, since I'm not a big chocolate ice cream fan, but this really reminded me of Phish Food as both have chocolate ice cream base, marshmallow swirl, and chocolate covered items inside.  And I almost like Phish Food, cuz the marshmallow goo is so tasty.

It really was just like an enhanced version of Phish Food for me.  I liked the chocolate malt milkshake ice cream more than standard chocolate, but it was still chocolate ice cream.  I loved the gooey marshmallow swirl, and thought it provided great balance to the marshmallow that I don't care for.  The "chocolate cookie-covered fudge truffles" didn't really seem that different from other chocolate covered things in Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and I didn't see what was "chocolate cookie" about them, but they were a nice component.

Phish Food lovers might want to try this just to mix it up, but, it wasn't the one for me.

2019

Another year, another chance to try a few more new flavors!  Ben & Jerry's introduces a bunch every year, many only at scoop shops, but few rarely stick around ... 

Cinnamon Buns®

"Caramel Ice Cream with Cinnamon Bun Dough & a Cinnamon Streusel Swirl."

"Our cool salute to cinnamon buns is so cinnamon-streuseled & dough-loaded, there's no telling where the cinnamon buns end or the ice cream begins. That's because it's one fun flavor all the way through. Enjoy!"

Yup, another cinnamon inspired ice cream from Ben & Jerry's.

The first cinnamon flavored ice cream I had from Ben & Jerry's was "Cinnamon Cereal Swirl", a sweet cream base with crunchy cinnamon cereal.  I didn't care for it .

In 2018, I tried the brand new Cinndoughrella™, a cinnamon & caramel base, with cinnamon bun dough, shortbread cookies, & oatmeal cinnamon cookie swirls.  It was almost awesome. The base was a success, as were the cinnamon bun dough chunks, as were the shortbread cookie chunks, and the cookie swirl.  But ... it was just far too sweet.

Cinnamon Buns® has been around for longer, and seems like a more toned down version.  Just the caramel ice cream base, not cinnamon and caramel.  Just the cinnamon bun dough, not cinnamon bun dough and shortbread cookies.  And a cinnamon streusel in place of the oatmeal cookie swirl.

It was definitely better, not nearly as sweet.  The base ice cream was fine, sweet caramel ice cream, classic Ben & Jerry's.  The cinnamon bun dough chunks were the perfect size and texture, and it was loaded with them, just the right distribution.    The streusel swirl didn't overwhelm or over sweeten, as it was generous, but not too much.

Overall, a good flavor.  I'd gladly have it again.

And it turns out, one I had before, and just didn't remember, although the version I tried was the European version, actually made in different facilities, with slightly different ingredients.

Wake & "No Bake".

"Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cookies & Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Fudge Chips & a No Bake Cookie Dough Core."

For my free birthday scoop this year, I went for a brand new flavor: Wake & "No Bake".  I was drawn in by the peanut butter and the fascinating sounding "no bake cookie dough core".

This was good, but not great.  I don't think I'd get it again.

I did appreciate the peanut butter flavors throughout, but I never really found anything that seemed like peanut butter cookies.  What threw me off for this was what I guess is the No Bake Cookie Dough Core, a very gritty layer full of chocolate.  I wasn't expecting as much chocolate (not that its a bad thing) and I certainly wasn't into the grit.  The texture just kinda ruined it after a while.

So sadly, this, after a few bites, as fairly meh for me.

Other flavors sampled:

Chocolate Peanut Buttery Swirl
"Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with a Thick Peanut Buttery Swirl."

I tried this one at the scooper's recommendation when the  P.B. Doughable Chocolate that I actually wanted wasn't available (even though on menu!).  I loved the sound of the PB Doughable, with both dark and milk chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, AND peanut butter cookie butter, but alas, they were out.

The chocolate peanut buttery swirl was no substitute.  It was just fairly standard chocolate ice cream, with a tiny bit of peanut butter swirl.  I'm sure some bites are more loaded up than others, and since I was just trying a sample I didn't get a great one, but, this did not do it for me at all.

Nutty Caramel Swirl
"Nougat Ice Cream with Peanuts, Fudge Flakes & a Salted Caramel Swirl."

I liked the sounds of this one, lots of good mix-ins, but it fell pretty flat.  It was just ... bland and boring, really.  Again, perhaps just the sample I got didn't have much going on.  The base seemed liked regular vanilla as well.

Toffee Break
"Buttery Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Almond Brittle & a Toffee Caramel Swirl."

I *almost* got a full scoop of this flavor.  I may have actually kinda begged (er, nicely asked?) the scooper to let me split my scoop into two flavors, since I couldn't decide which to get.  But I was turned down.

This was a sweet flavor, no question.  Sweet base (buttery brown sugar I guess, it was fairly caramely), and sweet mix-ins (candied almond brittle and toffee caramel swirl).  Of course this was going to be sweet.  But it wasn't cloying somehow, and I liked the textures and flavors.

I do think a full scoop probably would have been too much sweet, hence why I went for the other instead, but I was very close to picking this one.

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German Gymnasium, London

When in London, go get ... German food?

Uh, yeah.

This was mostly a meal out of convenience, when we tried to go to Dishoom for an easy meal because it was close by, and the wait was substantial (don't worry, I went another time, see my review).  It was cold, raining, and we just didn't have it in us to venture far.

I had read good reviews of German Gymnasium, a fairly new establishment in Kings Cross, just a block away.  It is open for breakfast (and weekend brunch), lunch, and dinner daily.  Our visit was for dinner, 6pm, no reservation.

My Feast.

I had a light meal, shared with my companion, but we did get a nice sampling of a salad, a hot dog (of course), dessert, and a cocktail.

It was all actually decent, and service was quick and efficient.  I wouldn't seek it out, but, if I needed a convenient bite near the office, I'd go back.

Setting

The German Gymnasium is huge, located inside, well, a converted gymnasium (built in 1865 for the German gymnastics, and even hosted the Olympics in 1866!).  Really, a fascinating space.

The establishment is made up of multiple spaces: a higher end restaurant on the first floor (not ground floor!), a more casual all day Grand Café on the ground floor, two bars, and an outdoor terrace.  The menus (and price points!) are dramatically different between the spaces.

Main Floor Bar & Seating.

We wanted quick and easy, so opting for the casual ground floor restaurant, the Grande Cafe.

This area had a bar, and seating all around.

I could see the fancier restaurant on the floor above, but didn't venture up there to see more (which I don't think would have been welcome anyway).

Food and Drinks

Red Del Fashioned. £10.50.

 "Nomad whisky, sherry liqueur and bitters stirred. Topped with orange and cinnamon foam and grated orange."

My cocktail selection came from the "Short & Seductive" category.  It took longer to arrive than my food, which was a bit disappointing, as I wanted to sip on it before my meal, and with it.

It was good though.  It said "topped with ... foam" but I never expected such generous foam!  Look at that gap!  I really liked the froth, but didn't quite taste the orange and cinnamon that were supposed to be there.  Nor did I find grated orange.

Still, a nice cocktail, and I enjoyed it.

Menu.

The dinner menu at Grande Cafe has ... well, everything.  It was overwhelming, actually.  A full page, tiny print, many sections.

The menu options ranged from oysters & caviar, to crowd pleasing burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, to lighter seafood dishes, and of course, more traditional dishes like sausages and schnitzels.

There was also an entire section devoted to autumn specials, which caught my eye, lots of fun ingredients.  I tried to order the roast chestnuts from this section, but was told the chef pulled them from the menu because they were small and bitter.  I appreciated the quality control, but, alas, I wanted chestnuts!

Narrowing down our order was really rough, but in the end, we went for a autumn salad, a hot dog, and a dessert.  There were many other items I would have happily ordered however.

 Autumn Special: Chestnut & beetroot salad £8,50 (starter size).

"Apple, walnut, goat cheese, red wine vinegar dressing."

Last minute, we went for chestnut salad instead, still being offered as the chestnuts had been roasted already.  I would have *never* ordered this if I had read the ingredients, as it had goat cheese and beets.  I dislike beets and a loath goat cheese.  And it had apple, which I don’t really care for.  But … I ordered it when the server mentioned that the salad had chestnuts as a last minute replacement for my roasted chestnuts.  And I liked it.

Well, mostly.

The greens were great, a mix of bitter greens like radicchio, and common “mixed greens” like baby spinach and the like.  Everything seemed quite fresh.  The apple was thin strips and added a welcome juiciness and crisp bites.  As did the similarly thin slices of what I think was raw beets (it might have been fancy radish though).

I avoided the large chunks of roasted beets.  The walnuts seemed lightly toasted, added more crunch, and I somehow liked those too.

The chestnuts, the ingredient I was after were … fine.  Kinda hard, not very flavorful.  The weakest ingredient.  I avoided the goat cheese, but it somehow didn’t ruin everything.  I was pretty surprised how much I liked the salad, and ended up taking more and more of it.  It was lightly dressed, fresh, full of good textures and flavors, and, well, I guess my body was craving this.

This was available as a starter or main, and we got the starter, which was more than enough for two to share.

GG Hot Dog. £9,80.

"Marjoram spiced pork sausage, coleslaw, house sauce, crisp onions, brioche roll."

For a main ... we went for the hot dog.  Yup, the hot dog.  The menu had this "GG" hot dog and a curry dog, in addition to more traditional german sausages (currywurst, weistwrust, etc).

But I'm a hot dog girl, and couldn't really get past "hot dog", particularly when it came with coleslaw and crispy onions, and was served in a brioche roll.  All things I quite like.

Now ... it was a sight for sure.  Not what we know as hot dog. It didn’t really fit in the bun, rather, came perched on top, a bit hard to eat, overflowing with garnishes.

The hotdog was very juicy. I didn’t care for the house sauce, and found myself really wanting ketchup. Who was I? I love creamy house sauces!

I did like the slaw, and the crispy onions, as expected.   The brioche bun was soft and fine.

My dining companion really liked it, I think I just wasn’t quite in the mood for it, and was strangely just too excited by the salad.

Mont blanc. £7,00.

"Blackberry vanilla mousse, blackberry compote, chestnut cream."

For dessert we again had many, many options.  I was tempted by some of the actual German offerings, like warm apple strudel with vanilla sauce, and I did want a warm dessert so the fruit crumble (apricot) was also appealing, but, the mont blanc called me in.

Why?  Because I kinda got hooked on mont blanc in Tokyo.  Also: more chestnut!

The Moun Blanc was … meh.

The hard tart shell was chocolate, and it came dusted in cocoa powder, which I wasn’t expecting, as I avoid caffeine at night.  I'm not sure I would have ordered it if I knew there would be chocolate components.

I liked the sweet white chocolate decoration on top, smooth, sweet, creamy.

Mont blanc: Inside.

Here you can see the cross section, with the many layers inside.

The layer above the tart shell was some kind of blackberry compote, with tons of seeds.  I hate seedy berries.  Oops.  The menu did warn me about the blackberry, I just somehow missed it.

So, two big strikes right away: I don't like tart shells, I don’t like seedy berries.

Above that layer was a cream dome, with a berry cream in the center, and then chestnut paste along the outside.  The cream was fluffy but pretty boring.  The center was blackberry vanilla mousse, or so the menu said, but it too wasn't very flavorful.

Since this was a play on mont blanc, there was no chestnut in the center, which is really what I wanted!  It did have the iconic chestnut paste wrapping though, thick and more flavorful than the other components, but still fairly lackluster.

But overall?  Meh to this, the only item I wasn't really satisfied with.

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Russian food from Pushkin

Russian cuisine.  Not one I am all that familiar with.  But I do always like to try new things, so when I had the chance to try food from Pushkin, I gladly did.

Pushkin is in San Francisco, a small retail storefront in the International Food Court, open for lunch only, Mon-Fri.  They also do catering, which is how I experienced the food.

PIROJKI

Pirojki were new to me, large, yeasted baked stuffed buns.  Pushkin makes these in 4 varieties year round (beef, sausage, mushroom, and apple), the last of which is sweet plus additional, more exciting sounding, seasonal varieties.

I was able try two kinds.

Mushroom. $4 each.

"Button mushroom, onion."

First up was the savory bun, filled with mushroom and onions.  The buns all had a lovely golden sheen.

I really liked the bun dough itself, soft, slightly sweet, really enjoyable.

Mushroom: Inside.

But I did not like the filling.

I like mushrooms, I like onions, but this ... truly did not do it for me.  The mushrooms were chopped up into reasonable size chunks, the onions were smaller, the ratios were right.  But ... I just can't pinpoint it, I didn't like it.  It was basically just slimy mushroom stuff inside?  It didn't seem particularly seasoned.

I ate the entire bun, but, um, discarded the interior.

Apple. $4.

"Apple, raisin, cinnamon, poppy seeds."

Next up, the sweet one, apple.

I *loved* it.

The dough was again soft and fluffy, slightly sweet.  It was almost like what I always want Asian style buns to be.  Excellent base for the product.

Apple: Inside.

Inside was cubes of well spiced apple, perfectly cooked slightly al dente, which be sound weird describing apples, but, I actually really liked, as they had some bite to them this way.  Unlike American style apple pie filling, there was no additional goo really, just, the chunks of spiced apple.  Small chunks, which made a mess as they fell out, but really didn't bother me.

Also in the mix were a few raisins, not too many, and they were rather plump and juicy, so not a deterrent for me in the way that they are when hard bits in granola or scones.

I found this strangely satisfying, as a snack, just as is, but it was even better warm with honey cinnamon whipped cream, turned into more of a dessert.  I could imagine it also perhaps appropriate for breakfast?

Dumplings

A huge part of the menu is assorted dumplings, all varieties, again, offered in 4 staples, plus a slew of additional seasonal ones.  They come by the cup normally, but we had a full pan for catering.

Potato Mushroom Vareniki. $48/tray.

"Potato, mushroom, fried onion / pan fried."

I was very excited for these, as they are fairly familiar to me, I went through a pierogi discovery phase in college, and ate them regularly.

I found the dumplings fairly unremarkable.  Sure, the dough was better than frozen grocery store ones that is fairly lifeless, but they didn't taste particularly good, and the filling was kinda just a mass of potato.  Others did enjoy them quite a bit though.

That said, the caramelized onion bits served with them were delicious, so flavorful, droolworthy.  I gladly ate just the onions!

Salads

Salads are not part of Pushkin's regular offerings, but are available through catering, several styles, including a basic "fresh" salad, a traditional Olivier potato salad and a herring salad, and a beet salad, which is what I had.

Vinegret (Russian Style Beet Salad). $60/tray.

"Beet, potato, peas, pickled cabbage and cucumber, dressing: vegetable oil."

This was ... fine.  Not really my thing, as I don't care for cooked beets, or really potato cubes, peas, cucumbers .... really, just not my thing at all.

It was far more bland than I expected.

Mains

Pushkin only has one main dish, and it is only available via catering.  And only in mass quantity, with the smallest order being 3 trays of the main itself, and a tray of the side it comes with.

Plov (Uzbek plov). $150.

"Rice, beef, carrot, onion, garbanzo beans."

This is not a dish I had any interest in.  I don't like rice (unless in dessert), and I hate garbanzo beans.   The bits of beef were chopped small, and looked dry.  Just totally not a Julie-style item.

But I was quite interested in one thing in these trays: the garlic.  The *entire* bulbs of garlic.  Several of them per tray.  Just, entire cloves.

The garlic, um, I liked?  Roasted garlic is just so delicious, the flavor mellowed out, and I enjoyed eating it just by the spoonful, although it was also fantastic warmed back up and spread on croutons (I didn't have any fresh bread!)

Salad that comes with Plov.

"Fresh tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, shallot onion."

I did not try this, as it really looked like just some mushy tomatoes, yellow onion, and jalapenos.

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Out the Dough

Edible cookie dough.  As in, *raw* edible cookie dough.  One of the more recent fads to hit the area.  Not one I was particularly excited for, given that I'm not really much of a cookie girl, but, eventually I gave in and tried.

It turns out, I certainly like raw dough more than cookies!

"From classics to new innovative flavors, our mission is to bring you a wholesome product, with the freshest ingredients, providing a nostalgic, enjoyable experience that you and the whole family will love! You DOUGH-serve the most DOUGH-licious treat!"

My ventures took me to Out the Dough, in San Francisco.

Out the Dough Kiosk Experience.

Out the Dough is not the first raw cookie dough shop that I tried, but it is the best I've had so far, no question.

Quality seems high.  The dough is made fresh every day, and can keep in your fridge for 2-3 weeks (or 2-3 months in freezer).  They make all fun mix-ins as well, like the cinnamon rolls, baklava, pie crust bits, cheesecake, and caramel.  

The flavor line up is fairly extensive, with vegan and gluten-free options as well.  In addition to your choice of flavor, you need to decide how you want your dough.  The basic option is like ice cream, by-the-scoop, in a bowl, with or without toppings.  Toppings are fairly classic ice cream toppings like chocolate or caramel sauce, sprinkles, assorted cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and toasted marshmallow fluff.  You can purchase by the pint to take home too.

But you can also choose to have it rolled in chocolate, as a truffle.  Or stuffed into a cannoli shape in a pizzelle cookie shell.  Or, if actual cookies are your thing, you can have it baked into a real cookie too.

Ordering Window.

The SF location is in Trinity Place, just a small window on the alley there, across from Barry's Bootcamp.  You know, get your workout on, then come eat raw dough?

There was no crowd, sadly, no line "out the dough" as they may have wished for, but this gave me time to consider my options from the large menu.   I was also quickly offered samples of any flavors I wanted, which of course I agreed to.

Greek Goddess
"Classic sugar + house made baklava."

The first sample I tried was Greek Goddess, which I hoped would have decent chunks of baklava inside.  I can't say I really tasted anything baklava-esq, no filo chunks, no honey, no nuts.  Just kinda sweet dough.  I moved on.

What The FLUFF?!
"Peanut butter + marshmallow fluff."

As a peanut butter and fluff fan, this was a no brainer for me to try.  The peanut butter flavor was good, but I didn't get much fluff to it.  Perhaps that was just my sample size.  Still, very peanut butter-y, which is a great thing.

The texture of both doughs was good, but they just weren't the flavor I wanted.  Luckily, I found it next.

Cannoli: Jimmies Classic. $3.75. 

"Try Out The Dough's version of a cannoli...select flavors of cookie dough rolled inside a delicious pizzelle cookie!"

I opted to do a cannoli, because, why not?  It was made to order.

I really liked the shell, not a standard cannoli shell, but rather, a pizzelle cookie, which was crispy, sweet, and a great component to have with the filling.  It also made the dough ridiculously easy to eat - I've had it before by the spoonful, or in a cone, but this was just far easier, just pick it up and munch.

The shell was very generously stuffed, packed full, with cookie dough.  It might not look like a big item, but, given how rich it was, it was a bit hard to imagine finishing in one sitting, except, that, um, it was addicting and amazing, and I kept going back for "just one more bite" after I'd put it down, willing myself to save it for later.

Jimmies Classic
"Classic sugar + rainbow sprinkles."

For my flavor of dough inside, I went with the Jimmies Classic, because I just can't resist rainbow sprinkles when they are an option.  This did mean it was a very sweet flavor, sweet sugar cookie dough and sweet sugar sprinkles, but, that is what I was in the mood for.

The dough was a great texture, well, raw cookie dough.  Not crumbly.  The sugar cookie flavor was crazy sweet, legit sugar cookie, like the kind you get a tube and eat raw even though you aren't supposed to.  Great sweetness, plus nice crunch from sprinkles.

I was happy with my choice of filling, thrilled with the form factor, and I'd gladly get another, although I'd love to try others too (like ones with pie crust mixed in!).  

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Raw Rev Vegan Bars

Update Review 2019

I was pleasantly surprised (ok, shocked) when I tried my first Glo bar from Raw Rev, the Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, & Sea Salt version, as I wrote about in my first review of the brand.  These are healthy bars, no question, not decadent, not what I normally go for, and certainly still not anything I'd ever crave.  But the pockets of chocolate were good, and the very healthy base did make me feel like a good person eating it.

So I tried another, more simple kind of Glo bar.  And one from their other product line.  I'm still inspired by them, so next, I want to get my hands on a cookie dough one ...

Glo Bars

"Glo bars are high in protein with lots of fiber and only 2-5 g of sugar per bar! Glo and look your best with plant based, health supportive ingredients! Always 100% vegan, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher and free from preservatives, soy protein isolates, whey, grains, and sugar alcohols."

Glo bars are certainly the more fun sounding product line, the one that drew me in to the brand, with flavors like Cookie Dough, and those featuring chocolate, mint, and caramel.  They all have a fairly simple ingredient list with a base of the "Raw Rev Superfood Blend" of peanuts, pea protein, brown rice protein, hemp proteindidn' virgin coconut oil, chia seeds, sprouted flax seeds, most raw and organic.  I am pleased they don't have whey protein, as that causes me issues.

Crunchy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt.

"Clean wholesome peanut butter with that whole peanut crunch. A moist and delicious treat loaded with protein, fiber and only 2 g of sugar per bar!"

This bar looked as awful as the first kind I tried, but I pressed on, not deterred by the strange mushy texture, the shiny exterior, or the fact that it was half the size of its wrapper.

It was essentially the exact same bar, just, minus the dark chocolate.  Same "Superfood Blend" base.  The chia and flax seeds added a bit of crunch, as did the actual chunks of peanuts, which I appreciated.  And besides that, the only other ingredients?  Sea salt and ... "Isomalto-Oligosaccharides".  Not so sure about that last one, but otherwise quite simple.

It didn't have a strange bitter taste, it didn't have a bad taste, and it was vaguely peanut buttery.  It was also boring, and I needed to pair it with chocolate.  And the texture is strange, mushy, and shiny.  It still isn't appealing, it isn't something I want, but, it doesn't taste bad, and, it really is a good option for post-workout, with 11 grams of protein, only 2 grams of sugar, and 190 calories.  Not a meal replacement, but plenty of protein without the junk.  So if that is what your life needs, try these.

Organic Bars

"Enjoy Organic decadence with our fruit, nut, and seed bars that are moist and chewy with a crunch. Ohh so tasty, hard to believe it’s good for you! Always vegan and free from preservatives, soy protein isolates, whey, grains, and sugar alcohols."

Inspired by the near success of Glo Bars, I decided to try the other product line from Raw Rev, organic bars.  This line is far less fun sounding, in both flavors available and ingredients.  It doesn't use the Superfood Blend base, rather, just nuts, seeds, and dates.  Meh.

Organic Spirulina Dream.

"Spirulina never disappoints with its high nutrition profile and sweet taste. Be a green goddess! An organic raw nutty nutrient packed bar that is moist and delicious with a crunch of almonds and cashews. Spirulina has so many scientific researched health benefits such as: loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients and B vitamins, protein and trace minerals. No wonder so many people and cultures have hailed spirulina for being a true superfood!"

This base of the bar is just nuts and seeds (cashews, sunflower seeds, almonds, flax seeds), and it is sweetened with dates and agave.  Besides the namesake spirulina powder, there aren't any other ingredients.

And, well, it tastes exactly as the ingredients read.

Way, way too strong on the cashew for me.  And I hate dates.  So, not for me, not at all.

Original Review May 2017

I'm going to admit something from the start.  I had no intention of liking these bars.  I went into trying one assuming I'd hate it.  Yet of course I still tried it, because someone gave me one, and I figured if nothing else it would make a good review, and my blog regularly features assorted nutrition bars.

Raw Rev is another maker of healthy nutrition bars, gluten-free, non-GMO.  But their products go even further, in that they are raw and they are vegan.  Not that I have anything against raw and vegan, but, the results aren't usually very tasty to me.  Oh, and some of the bars are high protein too.  They just didn't sound possibly good.

Let me back up and talk about Raw Rev a bit though.  The company was started by a nurse who cared about nutrition.  She makes two product lines: organic bars and Glo bars.

Organic bars are available in 6 flavors (Chocolate Crave, Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Coconut Bliss, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Golden Cashew, and Spirulina Dream).  These are standard size bars, made up of fruits, nuts, and seeds, dubbed "superfood bars".  They have a moderate amount of protein (4-7grams) and moderate amount of calories (~230).  The ingredients are things like peanuts and cashews, chia, flax, and sunflower seeds, plus dates and agave for sweetness.   Nothing really scary in the ingredients list.

Glo bars are available in 7, far more tempting, flavors: Dark Chocolate Espresso Crunch, Mixed Nuts, Caramel & Sea Salt, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Cashew & Mint, Crunchy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt, Creamy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  The bars are a bit smaller, and are also the protein packed bars, ranging from 10-15 grams.  Of course, this means the ingredients list is a bit less pure, and the base of each is the "Raw Rev Basic Superfood Blend", made of cashews, pea protein, brown rice protein, hemp protein, coconut oil, chia seeds, and flax seeds.  Yes, still raw vegan ingredients, but not quite as wholesome.  They tend to be high fiber and low sugar.

My biggest issue with most nutrition bars, particularly protein bars, is that they usually use soy or whey protein isolate.  Not only do I think whey protein isolate tastes gross, but it also always makes my stomach feel bad.  Like, really bad.  I no longer eat products with it, and I was happy to see that Raw Rev does not use whey protein.

So I tried a Glo bar, and, uh, I liked it?

Glo Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, & Sea Salt.

"A creamy, delicious taste with rich dark chocolate includes nutritious raw ingredients with omega-rich superfoods to keep you glowing from the inside out!"

Sure, the name of this product sounded great:  Peanut Butter!  Dark Chocolate!  Sea Salt!  I like those things.  But, how many nutrition bars ever live up to the promise their dessert-worthy names imply? (Yes, I'm looking at you Clif and LUNA bars!)  Very, very few.

I opened the wrapper, and extracted the bar.  It looked just as awful as I assumed it would.  Yup, strange looking texture, no chocolate coating.  Strangely shiny.  Broken in half (ok, that was probably my fault).  I took my requisite bite.  And then I was confused.

I tasted lots of peanut butter, and a creamy pocket of chocolate.  I almost tasted a peanut butter cup.  I immediately took another bite.  This was not awful.  I turned the wrapper over to read the ingredients: yup, rice protein, hemp protein, chia seeds, flax seeds ... all things I don't usually like.  Where were they?  Honestly, I didn't taste the bitterness nor the funk usually associated with those ingredients.  I did taste the peanuts, and, it really was decent peanut butter flavor.  The strange texture of the bar kinda worked if you think about it as eating slightly firmer peanut butter.  Peanut butter, with pockets of chocolate that is.  I was really shocked by the chocolate, it wasn't chocolate chips as I assumed it would be, but instead, creamy, soft, areas of "organic Italian dark chocolate".  The chocolate was good, and, um, chocolate and peanut butter is always a good combination.  I did taste the pea protein, but I actually like pea protein (I know, a bit odd, but it really is tasty.  Have you tried Ripple Milk?  I really like it!)

So, yes, this was actually pretty good.  Was it as good as a peanut butter cup?  Obviously not.  As good as a fresh baked good?  Obviously not.  But far better than your average nutrition bar.  Strange texture, but, good flavor.  And really, quite amazing for the protein content, and in particular, one without whey protein isolate.  I'd have another.

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Icicles

Update Review, July 2019

Last year, I had a friend in town and wanted to do something novel, so we ventured to Icicles, and I had my first experience with rolled ice cream.  As you read about, I was impressed with the texture, the flavors, and, um, the unlimited toppings.  Yet I never returned, mostly because San Francisco just doesn't really inspire ice cream eating for me - I like to eat ice cream outside in the sun, in warm weather, and, well, yeah, San Francisco.

But in July, after nearly 2.5 weeks on the east coast, where I enjoyed the glorious days of summer, and eating ice cream every day (literally), ranging from simple ice cream stands to soft serve filled taiyaki waffle cones (go to Taiyaki in Boston or New York! to, yes, other rolled ice cream (if you are ever in Boston or New York, I-CE NY was fabulous!), I really couldn't get rolled ice cream out of my head when I returned.

My first Saturday back, I hosted a visiting co-worker, and we went to lunch at Sushiritto (cuz, you know gotta educate visitors from small towns on trendy things like sushi burritos!).  Afterwards, I decided to continue the Instagram-worthy adventure, and brought him, and other local, to Icicles.  It was his first time having rolled ice cream too.

I'm glad I returned, it was good to have again, but, not quite as memorable as my previous experience.

Ube Everywhere (No Coconut), with Condensed Milk Drizzle, Rainbow & Lychee Jellies, Rainbow Mochi, Chocolate Covered Waffle Cone Bits, Rainbow Sprinkles, Whipped Cream, and a Torched Marshmallow. (Split-Cup)

"Need a ride? Hop on and get a taste of Ube Everywhere. Mixed with ube, taro and coconut flakes."

For my creation this time, I mostly just followed my own notes and advice, opting to share with another person and each get our own split-cups with generous toppings, and swapping out a few topping choices from last time.

I wanted ube, but didn’t like the texture of the coconut in the "Ube Everywhere", so, I left that out this time. I considered asking for another mix-in but left it simple, just the ube.

The texture was again great, smooth, creamy, and it melted nicely, but the ube flavor was fairly muted.  I thought I remembered more flavor, or, maybe I just have the comparison point of other places, like I-CE NY, which had far deeper taro flavor .  I’d consider another flavor next time, or perhaps mixing something in with the ube to give it more oomph.

But of course, one big appeal of Icicles for me is the unlimited toppings.  UNLIMITED!!!

For my toppings, I kept the jellies and mochi that I liked before, and dropped the popping boba, as I felt they were too sweet last time.  I again liked the jellies and mochi, good textures, fresh enough, and complimented the ube.  I’d keep these again.

I considered adding fresh fruit, and almost wish I had, but, I couldn’t see the fruit in advance, and I was worried it wouldn’t be very fresh.  They also only have blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, no mango or lychee which is what I really wanted.

I added chocolate covered waffle cone bits as a random addition, and I’m glad I did.  I loved the crunch.  Chocolate didn’t necessarily go great with my creation, but, it worked well enough for me.

I swapped out the white chocolate drizzle I did last time for condensed milk, per my notes-to-self from last time, and I’m glad I did.  I think it was less sweet, but also, it was just a better compliment to the ube.

And finally, I kept the whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles as they are staples of mine, although, to be honest, neither added that much, and the whipped cream was just generic from a can, the sprinkles generic too.

And then I added a torched marshmallow, because my peers did, and it looked too fun.  The marshmallows were torched to order, and can perched on pretzel sticks.  Not necessarily in any way, but, fun.

Overall, I was happy enough with my creation, and I think my refinements were good ones.  However, I wasn’t quite as pleased with the ube base as other ube and taro flavors I’ve had recently, so I’d consider trying something else, or, going elsewhere in the future.

TIME FOR REECES

"A childhood classic and smooth flavor that tastes just like the Reece’s Pieces candy."

A companion went for the Time For Reece's, and he loaded it up appropriately chocolately: brownie bites, chocolate covered waffle cone, chocolate drizzle, and a torched marshmallow.

I had a bite of his, and it was pretty fabulous, as it is hard to go wrong with the peanut butter and chocolate goodness that is Reece's.

Original Review, October 2018

Rolled ice cream.  I've seen it for a few years now, particularly in Sydney, where the Asian dessert influence is strong.  But I'll admit it.  I thought it was all just hype.  Just for looks and show.  Why ... why would I want my ice cream, uh, rolled?

But I finally tried it, and I feel silly for judging it without trying before.

"Visit one of our many locations for the ultimate ice cream experience. Our handcrafted ice cream is made daily using nothing but the freshest fruits and ingredients around.
Each bowl is made right in front of you. All you have to do is select one of our custom flavors from our menu and our ice cream baristas will roll up your ice cream bowl.
Join us with your friends and family for a light, refreshing and delicious frozen treat. Don’t forget, we have unlimited toppings for you to choose from!"

My introduction to rolled ice cream comes from Icicles, a Bay Area chain (up to 10 locations now), with a shop right next to the Westfield Mall (where there used to be a self-serve froyo place I frequented).  I've passed by it since it opened, but I always glared at it, angry it replaced my froyo shop, and thinking it was just a silly trend that would go away.

But it lasted.  And when I finally looked at reviews, they were all quite strong.  Really strong.  I still thought it was just trendy, written by silly Instagramers and those who were into the whole show (its made to order).  "Ice cream baristas", I scoffed.  And then I saw they had taro flavor.  And ... unlimited toppings included.  Those two things were enough to draw me in, as I adore taro, and I adore toppings.

The Process.

The ordering process is a bit involved, but the staff are friendly, signs are clear, and, when I visited, the place was entirely empty, so there was no rush.

From their Q&A:

Q: How does the process work? 

A: We start by pouring a liquid base cream onto our freezing ice pans and mix in fresh ingredients. Then you wait for it to freeze and then we roll up the ice cream. After, you get to add your choice of unlimited toppings and drizzles.

So, you pick your base and pay, watch the base get made to order, and then move on to toppings.  The entire process takes no more than 5 minutes end-to-end.

And then you enjoy.  And enjoy we did.

Menu.

"We have a wide variety of custom flavors that available. Each bowl is made to order to give your taste buds a mouth-watering experience."

Icicles has a menu of named suggestions, with a couple mix-ins that get added to make a flavored base, and then toppings to pair.  But you can also make up anything you want, adding any options available to form the base, and then of course, your unlimited toppings.

Vegan options also exist, called "fruit roll ups", and some seasonal flavors as well.

All creations are a single size.  No kids size.  No cones.  Just a bowl, for a whopping $9.25 (again though, unlimited toppings).  If you dine in, it is even more, as tax is added, making it $10.04. If you get togo, the tax isn't added.  Discounts are given during Happy Hour (M-F 12-6pm), or with student ID, military ID, or proof that you work within 1/2 mile.

However, they *do* allow you to split one between two bowls, each of which gets unlimited, unique toppings.  No extra charge.  This is not mentioned on the menu anywhere, but I had read the tip in advance, and I'm glad I went in with this knowledge.

Ube Everywhere Base.

"Need a ride? Hop on and get a taste of Ube Everywhere. Mixed with ube, taro and coconut flakes."

To get the process going, the person preparing your creation goes to fetch the base and mix-ins.

I selected the "Ube Everywhere" flavor, so he came back with a cup with the custard cream base plus purple ube milk, and a side of coconut flakes.

He set up the station, scraping the anti-griddle clean before starting, and got ready to craft my treat.  The shop is basically a line of these anti-griddles, with a glass viewing area.  Uh-huh, I was here for the "show".

Ube Everywhere: Step 1.

The liquid was poured onto the anti-griddle, and the coconut flakes added on top.

Since mine didn't have much for mix-ins, this was a pretty simple step, but others are far more elaborate.

Strawberry Fantasy: In Progress.

"Fresh strawberries mixed with graham crackers and our classic custard base mixed to form this wonderful fantasy  for your taste buds."

One companion selected the more involved base "strawberry fantasy", with fresh strawberries and graham crackers mixed in, so his was more interesting to watch.

The server started with the fresh berries and whole graham crackers, chopping those up first, before pouring on the liquid.

Mixing it Up.

Next, the mixing process, again, in my case, quite simple, just mixing the cream, ube milk, and coconut.  Other creations required chopping and more extensive mixing.

Chilling it Down.

 After it is mixed, it is then spread out into a thin layer on the anti-griddle.

Rolling!

Then comes the fun part, the mix is scraped into the signature rolls.

The mix made 7 rolls, and since we were getting a split cup, I laughed when he cut the smallest one in half, very deliberately, and made sure they were totally even.

The rolls are placed into the cup (or cups, if you split), and then you move down to the station I was most looking forward to.

Toppings Sign.

 "What makes us special is our vast selection of toppings to add on your ice cream. Customize your special dessert any way you please."

Yes, toppings!  Unlimited toppings!

All listed on a sign with pictures for easy browsing.

Some of the Toppings.

Dry toppings are easily visible at the station, while fruits and chilled items are in a refrigerated area.

The full line up was:

• Fruit: Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Bananas, Cherries
• Asian Things: Popping Boba, Lychee Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, Mochi
• Cookies & Cakes: Brownie Bites, Cheesecake Bites, Oreos, Mint Oreos,
• Candy: Chocolate Chips, Caramel Cups, Rainbow Sprinkles, Mini M&Ms
• Crunchy Things: Pretzels,  Chocolate Waffle Bits, Roasted Almonds, 
• Cereals: Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Fluffy Things: Roasted Marshmallow, Whip Cream
• Drizzles:Condensed Milk, White Chocolate, Raspberry, Caramel, Nutella, Chocolate

You really could have quite a bit of fun at this topping station.  Which of course, I did.

Major points to Icicles for being *not* stingy.  "What else?" asked the server after my companion had selected only 5 toppings.  "Anything more?" my server asked me, even when I thought I had added a ridiculous number of things.

Ube Everywhere, with Popping Boba, Lychee Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, Mochi, Blackberries, Condensed Milk Drizzle, Roasted Marshmallow. (Split Size).

My companion agreed to split with me so he wouldn't need to make decisions.  Little did he realize that he'd get to pick his own toppings.  We had to agree on a base, but he could do whatever he wanted on top.  And with a toppings line up as extensive as Icicles, that meant ... many decisions.

He asked what I was going to get, and I gave my suggestions.

He went first, selecting all the asian toppings that I had suggested (Popping Boba, Lychee Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, and Mochi) to start.  When the server prompted him for more stuff, he randomly added on blackberry.

For a drizzle, he went for condensed milk, again, my suggestion.

His last component was a toasted marshmallow, which was actually toasted to order right then.

The split portion is a really interesting offering from Icicles, particularly as they do not charge more.  Sure, the ice cream portion is the same, and they do unlimited toppings anyway, but we clearly had substantially more toppings than someone who didn't split, as we had the same size cup, with just half as much ice cream, and he loaded them up generously.  And the extra cup does cost ... something.  While I'm giving away points to Icicles, I give them points for this too.  

Anyway, I love the split portion, as it is a far more reasonable size (it was more than enough for each of us), and I like the customization it allows.  If I was there alone, without someone to split with, I think I'd get it split anyway, and just do different toppings.

Ube Everywhere with Popping Boba, Lychee Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, Mochi, White Chocolate Drizzle, Whipped Cream, Rainbow Sprinkles.

For my creation, I went for the same asian toppings I recommended to him (Popping Boba, Lychee Jelly, Rainbow Jelly, Mochi), plus whipped cream (why not?), rainbow sprinkles (I'm silly, but I love them), and at last minute decided on white chocolate drizzle instead of the condensed milk I was intending to get, since I wanted to be slightly different from my companion.

My bowl came even more loaded up than his, I'm not sure why, but I had a very very full bowl of assorted jellies, boba, and mochi, way too much whipped cream, and a very generous "drizzle" of white chocolate sauce.

I took my first bite of just the ice cream, a rather hard feat given all the toppings.

Oh.  Wow.

It was ... shockingly creamy.  The texture was just absolutely amazing.  I couldn't believe how creamy it was.  This was not what I was expecting, at all.  Not icy, just smooth creamy perfection ... rolled up.

The taro flavor was decent, strong enough to taste, even once I started having spoonfuls with toppings.  I'd probably leave out the coconut flakes from the base in the future, they gave a bit of texture, but aren't really something I enjoy that much.

The popping boba were standard pink fruit based popping boba, I think strawberry.  Juicy, sweet, bursting with flavor.  I often put these on my froyo and regret it, and felt about the same way here.  Just a touch too sweet, a touch ... too much.  Next time, I'd leave these off.

I did love the jellies, I opted for both the lychee and rainbow ones, and I'm glad I did.  Slimy, sweet, and really the perfect compliment to taro flavor.  He added tons of these, and although I had bites that were all just jellies, mochi, and whipped cream, I didn't exactly mind.

The mochi were also very good, rainbow colored which I wasn't expecting, but great for additional color to my already colorful creation.  They were soft and perfect texture, clearly not stale nor old.

The whipped cream was good, but he did apply too much, even for me.  It took over everything!

And finally, the white chocolate drizzle was sweet and quite tasty, it reminded me of marshmallow syrup.  That said, there was quite a bit of it, and with my other sweet toppings, and all that whipped cream, it was a bit too much.  It complimented the taro well, but I suspect I would have preferred the condensed milk.

Oh, and the rainbow sprinkles were of course fun, more color, a bit of texture, and ... even more sugar.

I realized as I finished it off that this was what I wanted taro milk teas to be.  I love taro flavor, I love the mix-ins, but ... milk tea is never *really* the format I want.  But this is.  Easily enjoyable by the spoonful.  I'll never go for milk tea again!

Overall, I was quite pleased with this creation.  The ice cream itself was far more enjoyable than I imagined it would be, in both texture and flavor.  The toppings were generous, and for the most part, I was very happy with what I picked.  The split size portion was perfect, honestly, splitting it into three rather than two would also likely be fine, but that isn't an option.

Next time, I'd certainly split again, and go for taro base again, but leave out the coconut from the base mix-in.  For toppings, jellies and mochi for sure, perhaps a bit of fruit rather than the boba, condensed milk drizzle ... and maybe not the whipped cream?  Or, at least, I'd ask for less.  I might even consider adding mochi or marshmallow to the base, just to give it a little texture?  Or, uh, sprinkles in the base?  Yeah, now I'm being crazy ...

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