On a short walk along 2nd and 3rd Avenue between 26th and 32nd Street there are more ice cream and frozen yogurt shops than bodegas, an essential NYC staple. In search of simple deli-cut sandwiches, cold drinks and other quick-grabbing grocery store items, this neighborhood advertises sweet treats of vanilla, chocolate and taro swirls across multiple ice cream franchises.
In Kips Bay, NYC, five ice cream shops offer more than your usual comfort flavors. From dozens of soft serves and scoops to liquor-infused delights, Kips Bay is a go-to destination for the best indecisive problem you’ll ever have.
Having worked in an ice cream shop for almost two years, cotton candy and blue raspberry scooped with confetti sprinkles are the weird flavors that cookies and cream lovers may find questionable. (For the record, cotton candy is the ultimate sweet-tooth satisficer.)
However, shops like Surreal Creamery and Van Leeuwen have even weirder menu items like Bunny Chow Cake Jar or Glass Onion. If you’re wondering where to go or what to try, here’s your guide to some of the weirdest ice cream flavors in Kips Bay to treat yourself or with friends this summer.
Southeast Asian-inspired Floateas and Monster Celebration
📍Surreal Creamery – 538 2nd Ave
Floateas are one of Surreal Creamery‘s most unique menu items that you won’t find in the other four Kips Bay ice cream shops. This split dessert and beverage combination is customizable from 10 different bubble teas and 12 different soft serves.
One of their on-screen Floatea menu items is their earthy-colored Thai Milk bubble tea & Vietnamese Iced Coffee ice cream, topped with a Biscoff cookie.
For $12, the ice cream sits on top of the long drinking cup like an oversized star on a Christmas tree. The serving size is large enough to share between three people and requires both a spoon and a wide boba straw to dig in.
The Floatea has prominent black tea-like notes from the Thai Milk boba and semi-sweet, mocha-butteriness from the Vietnamese coffee-flavored ice cream. The complimentary Biscoff cookie was the star of the show being the bite of “added sugar” with its gingerbread and cinnamony flavor.
Thai Milk & Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream Floatea review:
- Flavor: ★★★★✰ (Perfect for tea and coffee lovers, but wish it was slightly sweeter.)
- Price: ★★★★★
- Instagrammable: ★★★★★ (Floateas belong on #Foodstagram.)
Kaili Lantigua tried Surreal’s Monster Celebration Ice Cream Cake Jar for the first time. As an avid chocolate dessert fan, Monster Celebration was out of her comfort zone due to its vanilla flavor.
For $9.25, this signature ice cream (mini) cake jar is a dreamy combination of Breaking Batter‘s vanilla cake, blue cookies and cream frosting, Monster Cookie soft serve, and rainbow sprinkles. Oh — and the Mason jar is yours to keep.
The blue ice cream on top, I don’t really know how to explain it but it doesn’t give like a vanilla texture, but something that’s like very nostalgic to me and it’s really good.
Kaili Lantigua
Despite forgetting to ask for no sprinkles, Lantigua was satisfied with how put-together the ice cream cake jars were. First, the ice cream, then the vanilla cake, and the “creamy and buttery” frosting at the bottom of the cup.
Usually with blue-flavored frosting, sometimes you still taste the food coloring, but in this case, I really didn’t taste it. I tasted the actual frosting by itself.
Kaili Lantigua
She was also pleased with how “nice and fluffy” the vanilla cake was. Preferring chocolate over vanilla, “the only thing that I would probably change the next time is to ask if I can get a chocolate cake instead. But if I can’t it doesn’t matter, it was still a really good cake.”
Lantigua’s (mini) Monster Celebration Ice Cream Cake Jar review:
- Flavor: ★★★★★
- Price: ★★★★½ (A little pricey, but filling.)
- Instagrammable: ★★★★★
Black Sesame and Strawberry Lychee
📍Soft Swerve – 379 3rd Ave
An Elsa-blue-colored joint, Soft Swerve is “New York City’s whimsical soft serve ice cream shop” specializing in Asian-inspired flavors. With five locations across NYC and varying menus, this location offers soft serve ube, Thai tea, frozen hot chocolate, and vanilla.
Yet, more than their name suggests, they serve eight hand-scooped flavors and 20 different toppings, as well as milkshakes, soda floats and pints.
Classic cups and scoops are $8 and toppings average from $1.75 to $2.25 each.
One of their Asian-inspired ice creams is Black Sesame, a light charcoal gray scoop embedded with black freckles mimicking the grainy seeds.
If you’re looking for an ice cream that’s not sweet like an orange creamsicle, this might be for you. Made with ingredients sourced from Japan and advertised as a “nutty robust roasted flavor similar to peanut butter or tahini,” this gluten-free ice cream is for customers with a mature palette.
As someone who prefers vanilla-y, caramel-y, cookie, and cake batter flavors, Black Sesame ice cream proves to be the exact opposite. Aesthetically, it looks like charcoal — and at first bite, it kind of tastes like it too. However, the more you eat it, hints of that peanut butter “nutty robust” flavor and a spontaneous “hello!” of vanilla touches your palette.
Black Sesame review:
- Flavor: ★★✰✰✰ (Unfortunately, not for me.)
- Price: ★★★✰✰ (Pretty expensive for a small cup.)
- Instagrammable: ★★★★✰ (Has the “unusual” factor and would stand out more with toppings.)
Another Asian-inspired flavor that’s on the fruitier side, Lantigua tried the Strawberry Lychee scooped ice cream. As an irresistible topping, she also added Fruity Pebbles.
Strawberry Lychee is the day to Black Sesame’s night. Visually, the off-white and light pink swirled scoop lives up to strawberry and lychee colors. The additional Fruity Pebbles look like a frozen treat version of cereal and milk.
Based on the description, Lantigua said this Strawberry Lychee doesn’t exactly scream “the essence of summer” in every creamy bite. However, its flavor is likely best for those with an acquired floral taste.
Lantigua’s Strawberry Lychee review:
- Flavor: ★★★✰✰
- Price: ★★✰✰✰
- Instagrammable: ★★★★✰
Soft Swerve’s delectable ice cream, red waffle cones and rainbow toppings are enticing eye candies. While these two flavors weren’t as promising, their Ube milkshake is absolutely worth getting.
Churros & Fudge, Marionberry Cheesecake and Planet Earth
📍Van Leeuwen Ice Cream – 432 3rd Ave
While it may not always compare with Ben & Jerry’s “Phish Food,” most of Van Leeuwen’s flavor names are self-explanatory enough to make your mouth water.
Marionberry Cheesecake is one of Van Leeuwen’s classic flavors. Marionberries, only grown in Oregon, are a type of blackberry. Produced into a jam, the light red-violet ripples with a creamy off-white color base.
$7.35 for one flavor, the slightly tangy but semi-sweet richness of the cream cheese was like eating an actual cheesecake. Mixed with graham crackers and marionberry jam, the experience of all three flavors is a clashing trio.
Shayna Hanig tried Marionberry Cheesecake ice cream for the first time and appreciated the “graham cracker-y crust” bite. As a cheesecake lover, the graham cracker flavor and texture is “true to cheesecake,” Hanig mentioned.
It’s so marionberry. If you’re more like a tart kind of sweet person, that’s for you.
Shayna Hanig
Even though the graham cracker and standard cheesecake flavor was redeeming, the actual marionberry overwhelmed the experience with its super tart flavor. Regular blackberries are a sweet, fruity flavor, but the marionberry jam in this ice cream is a lot more “pungent” as Hanig described.
Hanig’s Marionberry Cheesecake review:
- Flavor: ✰✰✰✰✰
- Price: “Sucked.”
- Instagrammable: ★★★✰✰ (Kaili, who gave it a 4/5, said the ice cream’s name gave her “Queen Elizabeth, Bridgerton vibes.”)
Churros & Fudge is one of seven of Van Leeuwen’s vegan flavors. Made with oat milk, dark brown sugar, vegan cinnamon ice cream, vegan churros, and vegan chocolate fudge, this flavor was one of their best sellers in winter of 2019.
Visually peeking out the cup like a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, Churros & Fudge has a light brown base with various chocolatey brown speckles creviced into it.
At first bite, Churros & Fudge has a baker’s quality of fresh churros and cinnamon rolls with extra cinnamon sugar.
However, Lantigua couldn’t taste the promised fudge advertised. “There was more cinnamon to it,” Lantigua said. “I don’t mind that — it really reminded me of a cinnamon bun, which is great. But I would really want to taste that fudge. I really want to taste that contrast in each other.”
Churros & Fudge review:
- Flavor (from Hanig): ★★★★★ (“Too cinnamony,” Shayna said, but it was her favorite of the three.)
- Price (from Lantigua): ★★★★✰ (A little pricey, but standard for Van’s franchise.)
- Instagrammable: ★★★★✰ (Inviting, but has a regular brown ice cream look.)
Planet Earth is Van Leeuwen’s current “special” vegan flavor. The franchise often features weird limited-time flavors, such as Ranch and Mac and Cheese.
Sierra Blackshear works at Van Leeuwen and recalled “Uber” being their weirdest flavor at the shop last year, describing it as a “spicy honey with barbeque and cornbread.” To her surprise, she said a lot of customers ordered the chaotic flavor due to the collaboration hype with Uber One.
But aside from BBQ-flavored ice cream, Blackshear says Planet Earth, a blue raspberry ice cream with matcha cake, is one of her favorite vegan flavors.
“The honeycomb and pistachio are our unique flavors, so I think those are the better ones,” Blackshear said, referring to Van Leeuwen’s competition. She also said that “people have called every day, every single hour” for their most popular Peaches & Cream.
Planet Earth “literally looks like planet Earth,” says Lantigua. Never having matcha before, the matcha cake neutralizes the blue raspberry flavor.
For anybody who is Hispanic and has drink Coquito in certain holidays and stuff, this is the certain vibe that you will get when you eat that. It’s the immediate taste that I got.
Kaili Lantigua
A blue-toned periwinkle base with milk-soaked matcha cake crumble, the blue raspberry flavor has a nostalgic Trix yogurt flavor, but matured better for all ice cream lovers to enjoy.
Planet Earth is the best vegan flavor at Van Leeuwen, compared to the ones we tried. Hanig mentioned that the “portions are big for one scoop” and said she would pay for the quality of this ice cream, even though you’d get more ice cream for your buck at the supermarket.
Planet Earth review:
- Flavor (from Lantigua): ★★★★★ (Both flavors compliment each other very well.)
- Price: ★★★★✰ ($7.35 without toppings, but would buy it again.)
- Instagrammable (from Hanig): ★★★★★ (“Pastel, Instagram, dream girl vibe,” Shayna said.)
Hanig said a trip to Van Leeuwen’s is for special, treat yourself days. “This is not ‘we’re going for a sweet treat after dinner,’ this is ‘I deserve this, I’m having the best day, I just want an award and treat myself.'”
This is like a special day. Sometimes ice cream runs can be just the spur of the moment. I think this is a planned day: we’re coming for the Instagram worthiness, we’re coming for high quality ice cream, we’re coming with a plan and catching up.
Shayna Hanig
Tipsy Scoops’ Boozy Flight
📍Tipsy Scoop – 217 East 26th Street
For ice cream lovers of legal drinking age, Boozy Flight is Tipsy Scoops‘ four “shots” of liquor-infused ice creams or sorbets.
For $18.50, this is a perfect sharing size for friends or if you’re indecisive between their 18 hybrid flavors. Tipsy Scoop “blends the magic of an artisanal, hand-crafted ice cream with the mastery of a perfectly mixed cocktail,” as mentioned on their website.
A few of their menu items include Vanilla Bean Bourbon, Tequila Mexican “Hot” Chocolate, Strawberry White Sangria Sorbet, Mojito Creamsicle, and Caramel Swirl Mudslide.
Your four choices are delicately presented on a “Boozy Flight” wooden board. Each flavor is decorated with sprinkles, syrups, candy toppings and more with added accessories like flags and long spoons.
Cake Batter Vodka Martini is a white base topped with rainbow sprinkles and a signature mini Tipsy Scoop flag. Hanig said the ice cream was “stringy and the sprinkles “overpowered any other flavor” she could’ve gotten on her first bite. However, she enjoyed the texture, “It’s so creamy, it doesn’t want to lift apart from itself,” she said.
The actual cake batter and vodka flavor falls short — only tasting like plain vanilla. “I feel like the flavor comes from the sprinkles. Without the sprinkles, it doesn’t taste like anything except cold,” Hanig said.
Their seasonal unique flavor, Guinness Lucky Sundae is a light brown base topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Surprised by the first taste, Hanig said “it has a punch-you-in-the-face flavor that you have to like Guinness to like.”
A little bitter, you can taste the alcohol in this one compared to the Cake Batter Vodka Martini. After the first bite, the potency settles down and becomes more enjoyable to eat as you go.
Spiked Hazelnut Coffee is another light brown base but topped with Cookie Crisps and chocolate syrup including their iconic spoon. The chocolate syrup is where the alcohol flavor really shines through.
The coffee and hazelnut flavors are hidden, but the Cookie Crisps and syrup compliment the subtle sweetness and give your palette the “wow” factor.
Their Mango Margarita is a thick, golden sorbet decorated with red syrup and topped with a gummy lemon fruit slice. “Immediately, yes,” Hanig said. “The Strawberry [taste-tested sorbet] and the Mango are my favorite because they have a unique specific flavor.”
The “refreshing” fruity flavor stands out more than the alcohol and syrup in this summer-vibey sorbet shot. If mangoes are one of your favorite fruits, this sorbet’s quality lives up to every mango lover’s expectation.
Boozy Flight review:
- Cake Batter Vodka Martini flavor: ★½
- Guinness Lucky Sundae flavor: ★★★✰✰
- Spiked Hazelnut Coffee flavor (from Hanig): ★★✰✰✰
- Mango Margarita flavor: ★★★★✰
- Price: ★★★★★
- Instagrammable: ★★★★★
Bonus flavor: Raspberry Limoncello Sorbet
With its eye-captivating berry pink color, the Raspberry Limoncello sorbet packs an even sweeter, fruitier punch than Welch’s fruit snacks. Outranking the past four boozy flights, the strong raspberry harmonizes with a bubbly Sprite flavor to create a “fresh” taste and satisfying smooth texture.
All three of Tipsy Scoops’ sorbets are some of the best menu items they have to offer.
Raspberry Limoncello review:
- Flavor: ★★★★★
- Price: ★★★★★
- Instagrammable: ★★★★★
If you’re looking to try more of their flavors, Tipsy Scoop is the place to visit if you want the experience of both a bar and an ice cream shop combined with outgoing, friendly customer service. Don’t forget your ID or your cravings to enjoy their celebratory decorated glass jars or small sweet shots.
Nurungji and Prickly Pear
📍Sundae’s Best – 4 East 32nd Street
In Koreatown, Sundae’s Best’s Nurungji gelato and Prickly Pear sorbetto are just two of two dozen handcrafted, Asian-inspired menu items. From fruity to bakery-style flavors, their “artisanal ice creams are meticulously crafted to capture the essence of Asian culture,” as mentioned on their website.
Nurungji, also known as scorched rice, is a Korean dish that brings out a toasted-bread flavor and a crunchy roasted chickpea texture.
The Nurungji gelato is a white base topped with pieces of puffed rice. This gelato tastes like half unsweetened milk and half toasted crunchiness. It’s like a toasted waffle cone flavor and the puffed rice resembles a Nestlé Crunch chocolate bar without the chocolate.
I wouldn’t recommend this flavor for sweet brownie, cookie dough cravers like myself. If you like Black Sesame there’s a chance you may like Nurungji too.
Prickly Pear, on the other hand, is a cactus.
Its natural bright magenta color and sheen make you wonder how there’s no artificialness in it.
$6.95 for two flavors, Prickly Pear is a light, juicy and tart sorbetto that contrasts Nurungji’s rice-milky gelato. It’s similar to a kiwi’s slightly tangy, yet naturally sweet flavor.
A fruity and silky treat, this would pair well with other fruit sorbettos like mango, white peach, or guava.
Nurungji and Prickly Pear review:
- Nurungji flavor: ★★★✰✰
- Prickly Pear flavor: ★★★★★
- Price (1 small cup, 2 flavors): ★★★★★
- Instagrammable: ★★★★★
The Barbie-pink aesthetic of Sundae’s Best makes the shop visually memorable when walking through K-Town’s never-ending rush hour. From the colorful array of gelatos and sorbettos to stacks of wearable merchandise and outdoor seating, Sundae’s Best is a must-go for the vibrant experience.
