Cream of the crop

We can do it! We really can! (This exultation is not about 100 storey buildings in Malaysia.)

Rather, it is the fact that we have gotten one small thing right and delivered something good to the masses. And that is good ice cream at a fair price.

Laydeez and genteelmen, I hereby confer on iscream, the Greediguts We Can Do It medal.
Iscream is a new ice cream kiosk at Tropicana City Mall on the Ground floor at the mouth of the escalator. Lot G-11 to be specific. Its brands itself ‘the most affordable premium ice cream at RM3.50 a scoop’. While not very punchy or clever, I am thrilled to say it delivers! Yes it does!

While it lacks breadth of choice (the two freezer compartments mirror the selections, so ice creamers only have about a dozen flavours to choose from), it holds to another important marketing element: do what you do well.

There was an opening promotion where a purchase of either a two or three scoop entitles the buyer to a free single scoop of their choice. I went for the Delightfruit (good try at punny), Goma Indulgence and Strawberry Bites. I got a free scoop of their coffee based ice cream (I don’t like coffee so I forgot the name!).

Delightfruit is iscream’s version of rum and raisin, I think. And it’s lovely. A rich vanilla bean flavour infused with rum essence and plump golden raisins. The raisins get a bit annoying after a while, but that’s to prove there are quite a few of them.

Sesame ice cream has never been a strong point for Kit. It’s his least favourite thing on a Japanese menu. I like it, and I like iscream’s version as well. Traditionally what makes black sesame or goma ice cream so expensive is the quality of the sesame seeds use. The old fashioned, traditionalist method is to dry roast black sesame until the oils within the tiny seeds escape the hull, making them shine with a silky patina. The moisture generated is used to help crush the seeds into a paste which is then added to ice cream for an authentic goma dessert.

I don’t think iscream uses this traditionalist method as it is very labour intensive and uses no preservatives (oil derived like this goes rancid very quickly), but it is nonetheless a great treat, though I must say it is a tad bit sweet.

The Strawberry Bites with its fruit bits is a close runner to a leading premium brand, though I am sure my ice cream connoisseur friend Yazrul would beg to differ. It’s a tangy confection, just tart enough to be real strawberries, and not garishly pink.

All in all it’s a great effort at better ice cream for the Malaysian public. I’d like more flavours, but I do understand the need to keep inventory lean for a bit. I hope they’re a local company and I hope they do well, cause everyone needs a bit of a scream now and then.