15 Below, a Thai-insprired ice cream shop, just opened up on the West end of the Ithaca Commons. I worked at an ice cream shop called King Kone for four summers in a row so, naturally, I had to scope out the new ice cream shop and see what all the hype was about. While it’s hard to compare Thai-style “fried” ice cream to King Kone’s soft serve ice cream I still like to think that I know what I’m talking about. So, here’s a little bit about my experience:
At first, I walked in and was a little caught off guard; there weren’t many decorations and barely any color on the walls. But, I soon realized that the 15 Below experience isn’t about the ambiance; it’s about the preparation and creamy, delicious, ice cream.
The employees pour liquid cream onto a cold plate and let it freeze as they spread it into a thin sheet. After it’s completely frozen, they scrape the ice cream into rolls and serve them in a cup. This technique is what makes their ice cream so smooth and creamy and Ithaca residents are loving it.
Photo by Dani Weinstein
Anna Earlandson, a student at Ithaca College, said, “I ordered the ‘Matcha Made Heaven’, I thought the texture was really smooth and I loved the preparation; I’m definitely coming back”.
Photo by Dani Weinstein
They had two ice cream flavors: vanilla and green tea. There were 7 combinations you could choose from with different toppings, or you could choose to make up your own. They were all around $5, which after trying mine, is definitely worth it.
Photo by Dani Weinstein
This style of ice cream has been trending in New York City ever since the opening of 10 Below in Chinatown.
Check it out at 107 East State Street on the Downtown Ithaca Commons.