An ice cream eatery has taken USF students by storm with its novel offering, ice cream rolls.
Icesmile opened in the USF area on November 18 last year. What makes it different from other ice cream joints is that Icesmile’s ice cream is based on a popular street food in Thailand, where the ice cream is rolled into cylindrical swirls.
Arriving at Icesmile, you are greeted by hundreds of overlapping post-it notes stuck to the walls (and even the ceiling). The sticky notes say things from the names of those who visited to memes to suggestive requests (hey, it’s located near a college and students probably make up a majority of its customers). When you walk up to the counter, you aren’t greeted by long rows of ice cream that had been sitting out for a few hours before. In fact, the ice cream isn’t made yet; you need to order first.
There is a wide variety of flavors with fun names, like Strawberry Beauty to Matcha Galore to Tropical Storm. You choose one of the flavors from the list and can choose up to three toppings for your ice cream. Toppings available include sprinkles, marshmallows, berries and Pocky, the popular Asian snack.
After you order, a dairy mixture is poured into a cup and the other ingredients for the flavor you ordered are prepared. The dairy mixture is then poured onto a round metal surface on top of a machine that freezes the mixture. Customers can walk around the counter and be entertained as the mixtures are poured out and the ingredients are mashed together as the ice cream slowly freezes.
The ice cream is then evenly spread out into a thin rectangle and is then rolled into six rolls by using a tool to roll one end of the mixture to the other end.sThe rolls are placed in a cup and your requested toppings are placed. At the end, a little cookie with a koala – the animal in the logo of Icesmile – is placed on your ice cream before you receive it.
The ice cream is pretty and delicious; it has a nice consistency and manages to enhance the flavors of its ingredients. It’s also surprisingly affordable at $5.50 plus tax.
You can also receive a coupon card to record a stamp each time you go. Eight stamps earns you one free ice cream. You can also get one free ice cream on your birthday, but you have to present an ID. They also call out your name when your ice cream is ready instead of giving you a number to listen for.
The only downside about the shop is the lack of sitting area. It is a popular place, especially when they have specials (a 15% off special just ended recently), and it can get extremely crowded. Depending on the day and time, lines can either be quick or require approximately a half hour of waiting. However, all that waiting is absolutely worth it, especially at such an affordable price.
Icesmile is located at 1512 E. Fowler Avenue and is open until 11 P.M. on weekdays and Sundays, and 12 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
