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Beat the lockdown blues with treats from a gourmet ice-cream brand that is now open for home delivery

Food Review
FFood: Appetising
Packaging: Neat
Cost: Reasonable
Verdict: 1.05/4

Four months ago, we didn't hesitate to call off a plan to simply hang out by the Carter Road promenade and tuck into ice-cream with friends on a Sunday, in order to chill at home. Of course, we ended up regretting the decision days later, as the world shuttered. So, when the Vile Parle-based Icestasy Projects — which is run by Parag Chaphekar and Sanmish Marathe, and supplies gourmet ice-creams to restaurant chains across India — opened for deliveries, we thought we'd make up for that wasted Sunday with a few scoops, since heading to the seaside wasn't an option.

Looking for the menu was a bit of a task since we couldn't find them on Swiggy, and the link to another platform on their Instagram page was down. So, we rang them up and were promptly sent the deli menu that has over 30 options, on WhatsApp. Having heard a lot about their traditional and premium treats, we strayed from conventional options to settle on cutting chai biskoot, salted caramel popcorn, lemon sorbet, besan laddoo (all of them Rs300 for 450 ml tubs), and avocado and honey (Rs375). While we were happy to note that they pack everything fresh and hence take 48 to 72 hours to dispatch orders, we requested them for an early delivery since our flatmate had to step out. We were quickly assured that our order would reach in a day and were also sent a sixth tub of Chikkamagaluru coffee ice-cream (Rs300) for free.

Avocado and honey

The order, as promised, was delivered within less than 24 hours, in sturdy, white tubs that mention the flavours and the expiry date (some, with shelf lives of over a month). It would help if they could print a label with the breakdown of ingredients, either on the tub or the menu for those watching their calories. While the menu mentioned the quantity would be worth six scoops, we were glad to see it was much more.

As someone who fixates over her masala chai, we tucked into the cutting chai biskoot sceptically. In a couple of spoons, we were instantly reminded of dipping Parle-G into our favourite college-wali kulhad chai, that's spiced with elaichi, ginger and generous amounts of sugar. Like our friend pointed out, "It's a yum option for someone looking for kadak chai in summer." Not the biggest fans of avocado that Icestasy claims to import from New Zealand and Peru, we tried it next, only to be pleasantly surprised by the creamy texture that combines the best of the fruit — the butter — with the mild sweetness of honey. Throw in some fruits if you're in the mood for a yummy smoothie.

Each ice-cream flavour comes labelled, along with the expiry date

Having run out of salted caramel popcorn, Icestasy told us we could try Yorkshire butterscotch. True to its name, it was buttery and almost smelt like a popcorn tub in a movie theatre, but was a tad too sweet. However, we found ourselves reaching for it through the day, in small quantities, possibly because it's a real mood upper. To cut through all that sweetness, we decided to scrape off some of the lemon sorbet. Tangy at first, followed by a refreshing sweetness, it was spot on in terms of flavour, but got a bit foamy to our disappointment, once it melted even slightly.

Since we like our coffee sweet, the slightly bitter taste of Chikkamagaluru coffee didn't appeal to us much, though we enjoyed the heady aroma. Our caffeine-loving friend dug the specks of coffee in it, too. We saved the best for last. The besan laddoo was creamy, and yet retained the grainy texture of the laddoo. But our favourite bit was the roasted aroma of the besan that reminded us of the laddoos made at home, and this would have us ordering in for some sweet respite in these troubled times.

Call 9324590822 to order 48 to 72 hours in advance
Log on to @icestasy_projects on Instagram

Artisanal treats

. Sucres Des Terres is known for its eggless, vegan and gluten-free ice-creams.
Call 9920985880

. Check out Coppetto Artisan Gelato for traditional Italian gelato and sorbet.
Call 9653487078

. Order in from Bono Boutique Icecream for hand-churned scoops.
Call 9819758593

1/4 Exceptional, 3/4 Excellent, 2/4 very Good, 1/4 Good, 0.5/4 Average. Icestasy Project didn't know we were ordering for a review. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.

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