Trio of Indian-inspired flavors from Koolfi Creamery (Bay Area, CA)

There’s a place not too far from me that makes Indian-inspired ice cream flavors in San Leandro, CA. (I think they have a pop-up store in San Francisco as well.) I’ve gone a few times, and I thought I’d share a review for folks who may be in the Bay Area.

I tried the Rose and Lotus last week. It contains ghee-roasted lotus seeds and rose ice cream with pistachios. I love floral flavors, but they can easily become overpowering. I thought the rose was adjusted to the perfect level; I could taste it but it wasn’t like drinking a bottle of perfume. The ice cream itself was airier than I expected. I normally prefer “dense” ice cream; however, I think the lighter style worked better with the rose flavor. The only drawback was that I would have liked for there to be more pistachio pieces. They added nice texture, and their flavor is a great balance with the rose. Overall, I’d rate it as a 4/5.

I dug into the Banana Pudding with “Indian Donut Holes” Gulab Jamun earlier today. The banana flavor was very pronounced. I personally loved it. It also didn’t taste at all artificial, which was much appreciated. Unlike the Rose and Lotus, this ice cream was more “dense.” There were a good amount of gulab jamun pieces, and they tasted fantastic. My main critique is a bit nit-picky. The pint wasn’t mixed all that well, so most of the “donut hole” pieces were near the bottom. I’d likely mix it myself next time to make sure everything is better incorporated. I’d rate this one a 4.5/5.

I’m holding off on trying the Klassic Koolfi. I need the save some room for the pie I’m planning to eat later this week. I’ll post a comment here with my thoughts once I get to it, in case anyone is curious about it.