No really, it was quite an intellectual debate.
Creamistry has a novel concept in that they make each batch of ice cream to order by use of liquid nitrogen. Each batch then, can be made with whatever addition you want, frozen right in with the custard base. I love their unabashed affinity for asian flavors: azuki (red) beans, black sesame, mochi, and taro are just a few of the asian-influenced flavors and topping you'll find on their menu. Other stand outs: condensed milk, nutella, and cookie butter. I wonder if anyone has calculated the combinations possible, because the list is almost overwhelming when you walk through the door.
R: Birthday cake L: black sesame with azuki and mochi |
In comparison to other ice cream places, my mother and Mr. Mochi brought up several good points.
First, Creamistry is more expensive than Baskin Robbins or Coldstones; the base price is about a dollar more than Coldstones at $5.50.
Second, the ability to customize is a selling point, along with the novelty of clouds of nitrogen puffing about the shop. But once you get past the novelty, how does it stack up to other ice cream purveyors? We all agreed that we found the ice cream superior, but if you added too many mix-ins the amazing creaminess was not as noticable. However, Mr. Mochi pointed out, even with a lot of mix-ins, Creamistry still rocked. Coldstones, for instance, has mix-ins as well, but starts melting insanely fast when you add in a lot of room-temperature items. Creamistry solves this problem by chilling everything together. I think that's definitely worth the extra dollar!
I tried the black sesame with azuki beans and mochi on top, cookie butter with marshmallow drizzle, Mr. Mochi went for the birthday cake with chocolate drizzle, and my mother tried coffee with health bar. If you notice, the health bar was in teeny pieces. I really prefer bigger pieces of candy, but I can imagine it would be way too hard and cold by going through the nitrogen process.
Toppings galore! |
Disclaimer: As mentioned above, Mr. Mochi and I were invited to a complimentary tasting. However, I was not required to blog about the event, let alone paid or pressured to write a positive review. I also visited the restaurant again as a paying customer before penning this, and will be returning again soon in the future. This review reflects solely my opinions, and the prices are at the time of publication.
Coffee with heath bar |
Creamistry of Corona
2150 California Ave, Ste 105
Corona, CA 92881
(951) 675-6566
Creamistry of Irvine
3972 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 777-6627
Interesting idea. I would try it if they opened one near me.
ReplyDeleteWhere can I purchase Nori Gomi Furikake?
ReplyDeleteYou can purchase it online through places like Amazon, or through your local Japanese American market like Mitsuwa or Marukai.
Delete