Australian Homemade
115 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave & Ave A
New York, NY 10009
212-228-5549
australianhomemade.com
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street between Mott & Elizabeth
New York, NY 10013
212-608-4170
chinatownicecreamfactory.com
I had the distinct pleasure of trying out two different ice cream joints this past week. First up was Australian Homemade, which according to Wikipedia is based in The Netherlands, not Australia. Guess Dutch Homemade wasn’t as enticing. But the homemade part is not misleading, as the creams are made on the premises and are completely natural. I sampled the apple sorbet (just like biting into a granny smith!) but went with a scoop in a cup of mocha. If you have weak chompers, you might consider coming to Australian Homemade as the ice cream is soft, whipped into submission. It was a little too mushy for my tastes and the mocha was heavy-handed with the chocolate, too little coffee. Darn, should have gone with the apple sorbet. If you’re not into ice cream, never fear, as Australian Homemade also serves fudge and waffles, among other things. There are a couple of tables in the store if you’re lucky enough to snag one.
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory’s line sorta ebbs and flows: it’s never blocks long and if there is a line, no worries because the line moves with non-American governmental precision. There is no seating inside, so most folks chill on the sidewalk amongst the trashbags, noshing on their treats. Since it was busy, I didn’t sample anything which was sad because I wanted to try pandan; you’re allowed two samples. If you like Asian flavors, you are in luck. I ordered a single scoop in a cup of black sesame ice cream which looks like black pepper. The flavor was not wimpy, and the black sesame seeds added a crunchy texture to the ice cream which wasn’t too soft. Zen butter and taro will be for next time.
Winner: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
