We tried the famous ice cream in Chinatown—a tiny store located on one of the busy streets. They offer a unique variety of flavours, and customers can taste the ice cream before making a purchase. Everything was delightful. I particularly love coconut, so both of us chose that flavour.
We ordered one scoop, and I was impressed by the size of it. Even though I initially thought it was a mistake, I asked the staff, and she confirmed that it was indeed one scoop.
Comparing it to Chinese sweet levels, I found it to be a little sweeter. Overall, both the service and the ice cream were good.
Expect a line when you come! Super popular because they have Asian-flavored ice creams.
Ordered: Coconut, Black Sesame, Red Bean
Vibe: Small, cute place. All the ice cream is on display and they have merch you can purchase!
Would I return?: 1000%. I really liked the coconut and black sesame.
The visit to the Original Ice Cream Factory in NYC's Chinatown was truly a delightful experience. The first thing that caught my attention was their unique and inventive ice cream flavors. Among the standout options was the "Tan Tart" flavor, a delightful blend of tangy and sweet that left my taste buds tingling with excitement. The creamy lychee ice cream was another highlight, boasting a velvety texture and a refreshing lychee flavor that transported me to a tropical paradise with every spoonful. The combination of these inventive flavors, along with the friendly atmosphere and welcoming staff, made my visit to the Original Ice Cream Factory a memorable one. If you're in the mood for some extraordinary ice cream in the heart of Chinatown, this is definitely a spot worth checking out.
Ice cream shop in the middle of chinatown. Always has a long line, so you have to be lucky to avoid it. The service is great and they give you a large amount when you're sampling. If you go later in the day, they start running out of flavors.
Dan tat ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: supposed to be egg tart but tasted more just like custard (which I guess an egg tart is). Super creamy and not too sweet.
Black sesame ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a more mild black sesame flavor compared to some others. The taste comes more near the end as opposed as a more direct punchy black sesame flavor.
Cash only!! But very delicious ice cream. Has plenty of options which they will let you try a sample for the flavors I've never even heard of before. I had the Don Tot which is described as light creamy Chinese egg custard. It was perfect! I recommend getting two scoops, the first scoop goes for $6.50 while two scoops go for 8.50. Get a flavor you like and know and then try one of their flavors.
I tried their Thai Tea ice cream and it was so good and creamy! 😋 Will definitely come back to this NYC staple to try some of their more unique flavors (lychee, taro, black sesame 😮, pandan).
I ordered the Pandan ice cream and it was about as delicious as ice cream can be. I'll be back soon to try more flavors. I was lucky to stop by at a not-to-busy hour, because often they have a line way out the door. Friendly and quick service.
The taro and lychee ice cream flavors were amazing. Definitely recommend stopping here for some solid ice cream. Very friendly staff that lets you try all their different flavors.
Mind blowing flavors - TRUE Chinese flavors! I've found these nowhere else and I can't stop thinking about them. The constant line is the real deal.
PRO:
- Amazing Chinese inspired flavors such as Lychee, Black Sesame, Durian, Egg Custard
- Creamy & delicious
CON:
- The only one I know (there should be one in every major city)
- Not cheap but worth it
SUMMARY:
A unicorn of an ice cream place. So special because this is their only location. There are no pics of the ice cream I ordered cause once I had my first taste, it was game over.
[CASH ONLY] The line is always pretty long, but the wide, unique selection of flavors and creamy textures of the ice cream make it worth it! It's pretty pricey-- around $10 for 2 scoops, but the scoops are huge and it's rare to find this kind of flavor variety anywhere else.
I got one scoop each of pandan and lychee sorbet. Both were delicious, but I personally preferred the pandan flavor more; both were fruity and tasted similar to the actual fruits. I wanted to get the durian flavor, but they were out by around 8pm. Would definitely love to come back to try their other expansive flavors.
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Price (relative to peers): 4/5
Food: 5/5
Ambience: N/A
Service: N/A
Overall Value: 4.5/5
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