Donut Ice Creams

I took a break from going to chick-a-licious this week and decided to finally try out the new Momofuko Milk Bar.  Momofuko (for those of you who don't live in NY) is the newest restaurant empire in Gotham.  David Chang owns four establishments with different concepts: Momofuko Noodle Bar (um, noodles), Momofuko Ssam Bar (sort of like Asian sandwiches), Momofuko Ko (that's the fancy, expensive one with online reservations that are almost impossible to score), and now the Bakery and Milk Bar.  Chang has been embraced by critics and the public alike.  So I was eager to try his newest concept.

One of the draws of the Milk Bar, besides the interesting and kitschy pies (like crack pie), is their soft serve ice cream.  Since they opened, they had been touting the unusual flavors of cereal milk ice cream (you know that flavor after the cereal has been soaking in milk for a while?).  As of a few weeks ago, the theme has changed and now all the ice creams are modeled after donuts - old fashioned, jelly, bavarian cream, chocolate donut, etc.  Interesting idea.

I decided on the jelly and my friend got the old fashioned donut.  And we added some interesting toppings - I got the coffee crumbles (coffee grounds and sugar).  My jelly ice cream was surprisingly pretty cloying and almost inedible.  I was expecting the whole experience of a jelly donut and I basically just got the filling.  And I didn't find it to be exactly that either - it reminded me more of a very strong thick raspberry sorbet.  It wasn't at all what I wanted.  So I actually brought it back and asked for a different flavor.  That's something I never do, but I was not going to be able to get through the cup.

I ended up with bavarian cream, which was easier to eat.  But to be honest, it was nothing special.  It tasted creamy and it was very rich, but I had a hard time signifying the donut flavor. I almost didn't finish this one either because it was so rich.  I like my soft serve a little less heavy I guess.  And if the flavor is going to be so unique and specific as a donut, I want to feel like I am eating a donut.  

I guess the Milk Bar is primarily a take-out spot or a place to hang out while you're waiting to get in to the Ssam Bar (they two spaces are connected).  The big flaw here is that there is no seating.  There are just long bar areas where you are supposed to stand.  I guess this conserved space and gave the place a hip setting, but I don't want to stand after a long day of working.  I'd like to relax and take a load off, you know?

Overall, I was pretty disappointed.  I would try another one of their kitschy, gimmicky ice cream ideas down the line - hoping that I'll be able to at least taste the gimmick. But for now, I will definitely be going back to chick-a-licious when I am in the East Village.