Blue Marble | Just Vanilla

🍦 WHAT: 1 Cone of 1 Scoop of Just Vanilla!
🍦 Vanilla ice cream

📍WHERE: Blue Marble
Upper West Side
2578 Broadway
New York, NY 10025

WHIT’s scale out of 5:
Creativity: 😉😉😉
Presentation: 😎😎😎😎
Taste: 😋😋😋
Texture: 😜😜😜😜😜
Value: 😄😄
Overall Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

📝 SHORT & SWEET: Just Vanilla from Blue Marble, is, well, just that! Just vanilla. While the flavor is somewhat underwhelming for me, I did like the texture and consistency in the scoop I had. Value-wise, shelling out $7 for one scoop is a bit on the expensive side and not entirely ideal.

📝 STORY: We were running errands up and down, and as we approached 97th street and saw Blue Marble’s storefront, I couldn’t help myself but to tell J, “I want to get ice cream there xD”. J looked at me like I was crazy for a number of reasons. One! It being almost dinner time (I think it was around 5 pm) and we hadn’t had dinner yet. For two - it’s winter and it was cold LOL. But hey, anytime and anywhere is ice cream time, right? Those reasons went entirely out the window and I happily went inside Blue Marble, excitedly thinking about my ice cream ^_^

After arriving inside, I went straight to the display case and perused available flavors, while the customer ahead of me was getting her affogato. Which looked good, but not for me today!

When it was my turn, I decided to start from basics - Just Vanilla.

It looks like a pretty decent vanilla from the picture, right?

💭 THOUGHTS: It was overall better than I expected, but not mind-blowing. I had perceived this ice cream to be sort of “clean” or “organic” in its taste, however the vanilla flavoring wasn’t like that. It was “Just Vanilla”, but not “just good ol’ vanilla”…it was just standard. And not very memorable.

I’d pass on getting it again, and move on to another flavor.

I did find the ice cream to be very creamy and super lickable. There were one or two itty-bits of ice chips in the ice cream though, but the texture was overall well-churned ice cream overall, like super thick frozen yogurt.

Also, not related to the ice cream itself, but the cone was nice and had just the right texture - crunchy without it being too crisp or soft.

ENCORE: Hold the applause for Just Vanilla. But yes to coming back to try other flavors!

———————————

Other random (architectural) notes:

Inside the storefront, they also have a display area featuring others’ merchandise like apothecary items and plushies. I like that this is a mini market.

The size of a single scoop is a tennis ball. Love the very clear graphics lol!!

Zai's Dessertery | Mac Chip Ice Cream

🍦 WHAT: 1 Cone of 1 Scoop of Mac Chip Ice Cream!
🍦 Vanilla ice cream
🔶 Macarons, various flavors

📍WHERE: Zai’s Dessertery
Upper West Side
468 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024

WHIT’s scale out of 5:
Creativity: 😉😉😉😉😉
Presentation: 😎😎😎😎
Taste: 😋😋😋
Texture: 😜😜😜
Value: 😄😄😄😄
Overall Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📝 SHORT & SWEET: Mac chip ice cream is Zai’s signature flavor, which is fantastically gluten-free! Both vanilla & various macaron flavors could be stronger. In terms of texture, the vanilla ice cream was fine, however macaron mix-ins were a little on the hardened and somewhat crispy side. Value-wise, it’s a great deal considering one scoop is $4.

📝 STORY: We were shopping around our neighborhood, and happened upon Zai’s! Not Zai like bye, but bae! Hey baeee!! ;)

I thought about just getting bubble tea, as the sign outside advertised bubble tea among various desserts - the place being a dessertery after all. So originally I thought I was going to get bubble tea! Then we entered the space, saw the menu, and was surprised to see ice cream being offered! Therefore I decided in ADDITION to bubble tea, I would try their ice cream!

I saw cookies & cream in their selection and was about to get it - Except I noticed they had a signature flavor, mac chip ice cream. According to a placard thoughtfully placed above the ice cream display, Zai’s described this flavor as a vanilla ice cream combined with macarons that didn’t make it to the display shelf LOL.

I think that’s pretty awesome that these unsightly macarons aren’t wasted, and get incorporated into ice cream. Yay no waste!

💭 THOUGHTS: So! What did I think? I think it was alright! Overall it tasted similar to cake frosting. The macaron bits ended up being on the hardened side and was a little crispy. I wasn’t able to taste too much vanilla flavor. I’d maybe increase the vanilla flavoring so there’s more flavor overall

ENCORE: Yes! I would come back, to try other flavors! Namely cookies & cream. Or vanilla. Or both.

Other random (architectural) notes:

Super random, but as an architect I found this amusing.

I would have personally placed this signage somewhere else, maybe at the eating areas towards the back where you can take photos with it. The space in front of this wall was very little, about 3 to 4 feet - not enough to take a good selfie haha.

Matcha!

🍦 Long funny story short, yesterday my friend & I ate only ice cream at a Japanese ramen restaurant. 😛 also, #GreenTea lovers, this one's for you 😉

Earlier this week at dinner with friends, my roommate described to us a really delicious green tea ice cream that exists only at a Japanese ramen restaurant. Yesterday, YX & I were in the vicinity so we went & tried it out!

WHAT: Green Gelato Ice Cream
Topped with red bean paste & sobacha (crispy soba noodle bits)
WHERE: Jin Ramen @ 125th St

Creativity: 😉😉😉😉
Presentation: 😎😎😎
Taste: 😋😋😋
Texture: 😜😜😜😜
Value: 😄😄😄😄
Overall Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THOUGHTS: Green tea ice cream was good - more authentic than typical green tea ones I've had. It's more bitter, tastes like tea, and is less sweet. Red bean paste I liked, would have preferred it to be integrated in ice cream more. The sobacha was a bit weird though. After eating it with the ice cream, the soba noodle aroma came out strong as an aftertaste. I like this ice cream without sobacha :P