Lulu And Mooky’s Liquid Nitrogen

I welcome technology, especially if it’s something as delicate as ice cream.
Using Liquid Nitrogen and pure extract to create these concoctions, Lulu + Mooky swear that it’s healthier since fruit mix-​ins never have to be frozen. The texture is similar to that of «Dippin-​Dots» It’s okay. Stick with the chocolate-​y /​traditional flavors.
Pretty cool to watch, but that’s about it.
After an ok– ice cream experience, I tried to see the whole thing as a $ 5 liquid nitrogen show, but still, it fell short.

Cool concept, not so great product.
First off, the flavor selection was confusing. It’s great that they give customers the option to basically combine whatever crazy flavors they’d like, but it would have been nice if they had some «most popular» list for the indecisive to choose from. There was also the choice of whether you wanted the flavor to be from a syrup or purée, and the guy behind the counter wasn’t very helpful in helping me choose.
After years of watching shows like Top Chef where the nitro tank was used on food in inventive ways, I was excited to finally be able to try ice cream that was made that way. Super cool to watch it happen before your eyes.
The ice cream itself was not so good, and on a hot summer day, it melted into a gooey soup really quickly.
So it definitely was one of those things to try that I had on my list, but I probably won’t be back.

K love sweets, so we naturally had to go somewhere for some icy treats. il laboratorio del gelato was closed so K went in to panic mode — I advised K to calm down… I remember there was another ice cream place near here and I used Unilocal Mobile to confirm and voila.
We arrived at this place and I found it hilarious to see Unilocal reviews blown up and posted on the wall here.
Cutes…I see Joolie T.‘s reviews — Ha!
Liquid Nitrogen — I believe this is the only place in New York but someone out there in Cali already discovered this novelty idea. The owner there did this project for her business model and decided to make it into reality by opening up her ice cream store using liquid nitrogen. Her store is 10x bigger than this place but hey we’re in NY.
Though this place is tiny… the ice cream flavours here still packs a punch!
K got the pistachio and ginger that was suggested on the chalkboard.
I, of course got the Fruit Purée — PASSION FRUIT PLEASE!
Even though both of these flavours looked exactly the same… they sure didn’t taste the same.
So good and has a less dense texture than regular ice cream.
I am a total fan… if this place started using corn husks as spoons and do the whole eco friendly bits — I would give this place 5 stars!

Before meeting up with my friends for a late dinner, I had a lot of time to kill. So I went wandering around LES and walked right in here for some ice cream.
I stood in front of the white board for a few minutes deciding on which flavor I want. Finally, decided on the pistachio ginger. It was pretty interesting watching the guy work his magic with the nitrogen and the ice cream maker. Poof a sudden cold air of nitrogen fills the counter and ice cream was made! Pretty interesting.
I got my ice cream and happily ate it there. While I was eating I noticed a huge glass frame on the wall with reviews from our dearest Unilocalers. I saw a few names that I recognized and I smiled to myself. I thought it was really cute that there was a wall of fame of Unilocalers who gave this place a good review.
So how’s my pistachio ginger? Um… it was just okay. For some reason the ice cream looked crumbly. The texture was smooth. I felt that the pistachio overpowered the taste of ginger. There was very little hint of ginger taste to my ice cream. They do have a bunch of unique flavors blended together, which I would come back to try another time.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Take a good, long look in this here blender. With the wave of the wand, watch as the liquid magically becomes… dun dun dun dun! Ice cream! (Of course, the magic is all in the liquid nitrogen, but that’s just a little secret between the two of us, right? *wink*)
It’s all a very cute little trick that happens to make for a rather pretty show.
SIGHT
It’s a little bit funny. As part of their décor, Lulu and Mooky’s Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream has deemed it fit to print out 4 – 5 star Unilocal reviews and create a framed collage of them. Sitting on the bench across the way, I could make out Wing’s and Joolie’s reviews (or at least I recognized their avatars). How funny!
I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed with the décor — with such a fun and wonky name like Lulu and Mooky’s, I was hoping that the place would be branded in a more upbeat, light-​hearted way. But the branding was barely there… maybe that’s just their style. It could be super cute though…
TOUCH
Obviously, the ice cream here hasn’t been slow churned or air injected, but rather blended. As a result, the texture is rather flat throughout. I prefer my ice cream to have that creamy, blended consistency which was sorely lacking in my scoop. It was already ¹⁄₈^th melted less than 1 minute after the guy handed over my cup — and I stayed inside. Meh.
TASTE
You can combine any of the flavors on their board, but it is suggested that you go simple. I went with one of the «popular» flavor combos on the chalkboard — the burnt sugar and pumpkin spice. It was all right, but there’s a definite undertone (or maybe overtone) of artificial flavoring. I wasn’t really a huge fan of that. Alas, it was suggested to me AFTER I had gotten my scoop that the fruit flavors are supposed to be better. Maybe next time…

On the way back from a stuffed dinner from Grimaldi’s (we decided to make the long walk back to Murray Hill to burn off some calories), my girlfriend and I ran into this small shop along the way. We were intrigued by the concept of using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream; it vaguely reminds me of some science experiments I did back in elementary school where we made our own ice cream. We ended up ordering chocolate and pistachio flavors, and I won’t lie — it was pretty neat seeing the ingredients get mixed in the blender, and then all of a sudden, the guy pops open a pitcher of liquid nitrogen and fill the entire bowl.
That being said, if only the coolness of the ice cream-​making translated over into taste. The chocolate is rich enough, but because it doesn’t stay frozen very long, you could end up with a lot of melted syrup on your hands. Speaking of syrup, the pistachio flavor came in that form — and it stood out as being too sweet and clearly artificial in the ice cream flavor. Last, but not least, it set me back $ 5. I could get better ice cream at a generic Haagen Daaz for less. This store is a cool concept, but the ice cream simply doesn’t back it up.

Ok. Awesome that you can make your own flavors! Mine was banana and caramel! Tasted good! The consistency is creamy and savory.
ADVICE: get a savory flavor combo over the fruit combos.
But for $ 5 for a 2 small scoops… eh. I wish the cups did come in different sizes. Also, it’s made from unnatural syrups… I’m not an organic natural nut, but I don’t like my banana icecream made from a banana tasting syrup from jersey… HOWEVER it still tastes so good, not syrupy or unnatural.

I went to Lulu and Mooky’s with friends and sampled what they got because I didn’t see dropping $ 6 on an ice cream. In the end I came out ahead as I was spared the bitter disappointment, if not the stomach ache, that followed the experience.
One of my friends asked repeatedly if the fruit ingredients were from real fruit or not and was told *repeatedly* that indeed all the fruit was 100% natural. Then he ordered peach and vanilla ice cream and watched as the man making his ice cream took out some thick syrup made in a lab in New Jersey and poured it into the mixing bowl. Only when questioned after the fact did the guy concede that the peach was not fresh – or, for that matter, fruit.
I sampled the final product and found it to be overly sweet and chemically tasting. Have you ever sampled straight vanilla extract? It isn’t delicious. That’s what the ice cream tasted like, but with some cloying, manufactured peach undertones.
Points for creaminess? Yeah, sure. And they had some loyal customers in there singing their praises. Maybe we went on an off night? Perhaps, but at six bux and six minutes a pop, I don’t know how many chances one can afford to give this place. Especially in a nabe that has tons of other consistently good ice cream and gelato options.
I say skip it. Or, peek in and watch them make a few if you need a liquid nitrogen fix, but spare yourself the ordering, paying and eating parts.

Once the novelty of it wears off, which it does, you tend to focus on the taste of the ice cream. Yes you will be amazed when the liquid nitrogen goes into the mixer, yes ooh ah all you want. take pictures and break out your flip camera.
And moments later there is your ice cream in a cup, cold and ready for your tongue.
You can create your flavor combo, but I’ve learned that with the ice cream here its better for a savory flavor as opposed to fruit. The cream in this ice cream is very strong, so fruity flavors tend to get lost. Carmel and the other savory flavors taste better.
This place is small, and there’s one guy working there. So cut him some slack, he can only make as fast as the 2 mixers go. There’s only 1 table there so you can go outside if its a nice day to eat your ice cream.

If you even think of ordering chocolate ice cream at Lulu and Mooky’s, you don’t deserve to be here. This is one of the coolest things I have ever eaten, and perhaps the most New York thing I’ve ever done. It’s magic, pure and simple. And, it’s magic you can customize.
Here’s what I got: pear and cardamom. It was heaven on earth. Think of the weirdest flavors you love, try to figure out how you can combine them, and then order it at Lulu and Mooky’s in ice cream form.

Since the idea is so neat, I was prepared to find, and overlook, mediocre icecream. Instead, I appreciated their quality products and could therefore devote 100% attention to planning a
Hints to eating here:
1) Allot plenty of time: My friend and I spent one hour here — not because there were lines but because we had to pick just the right combinaitons.
2) Plan to get 2 – 3 servings: The first combo i tried (kiwi purée, bananna and caramel) didn’t work because their purees are stronger so I couldn’t taste the caramel. My second combo (blueberry, Peanut butter and salt) was much better and i could taste all 3 flavors.
3) Be adventurous: You don’t come here for the best vanilla ice cream; similarly, you are missing to point to do typical combinations like vanilla, oreo, bannana. Be adventurous (this is more reason why you need to try multiple servings).
Bring a chef with you: If you aren’t an experienced, how the well are you going to now if rosemary and peach, for example, go together? Prepare and make sure you bring someone knowledgable.

I really want to like this place, but it needs some work before I’ll give it more stars.
I will start by saying it’s a very delicious product. I ordered just a plain old burnt sugar ice cream and it really was absolutely delicious. Now on to the two big problems…
First, you walk in and there are scattered menus. Organization is a big problem. It needs one coherent menu showing you the exact charges.
Second, and I think this is a big one, size matters. There appear to be no size options. The biggest problem with this is that the one size they offer is pretty big. Considering how rich this ice cream is, a smaller size would be a very welcome addition. It’s really an ideal size for two people, but that means you would have to agree on what to order. With so many options, who wants to compromise?
So if they can get some sizes and more organization going, I will up my score. Really, though, the product was very, very tasty and certainly worth trying for the original flavors. Try the burnt sugar. Tastes like crème brûlée.

The ice cream here is a really neat, fun experience. There are lots of flavors to choose from, including eggnog, ginger, and cinnamon.
I was the only one in the store at the time. The person working there jumped out of his seat to help. (Had it been slow that day?) I ordered ginger, and he got to work. I wish I knew what all the stages were, but it involved lots of pouring liquids into a bowl, a bowl inside a bowl, blending, and lots of nitrogen.
In the end, my ginger ice cream was so smooth and rich. Two scoops ($ 5) was more than I could handle alone!
I’m glad I tried this, but I would definitely bring friends next time to share. The performance of making the ice cream was very fun to watch.

I stopped by here on the way to a friend’s get together which was only a few blocks away. I have been curious about this place since I read about it from a article online.
Very small place. Pretty much walk in and order from the counter which is a only few steps from the door. There is a list of main ingredients located in front of the counter in which you could mix and match. There are some flavors made from real fruit. Those ingredients costs a dollar more. Add on are 50 cents extra.
Since it was my first visit, I decided to play it safe and just have ice cream made from real peach. The guy behind the counter took the ingredients, measured it in a cup, put it in the pink mixer, poured in liquid nitrogen when mixing, and in a puff of smoke… ice cream.
There was a add on that sounded and looked interesting to me which was the crystal ginger. I thought it was something that you sprinkled on top of the ice cream since it looked like sugar crystals but the guy told me that for this add on, it was to be put into the ice cream before they froze it. Too late for this one, maybe next time.
The ice cream tasted different from your everyday fare. It tasted smoother, more buttery, and definitely light. It also tasted less creamy compared to regular ice cream which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you like it.
Mango was pretty good but I could understand how if you don’t know what you are doing and combine flavors willy nilly, it could end up a disaster flavor wise. But that would be your own fault. Asking for advice from the people that works there before playing mad scientist might be a good idea. Cotton candy flavored root beer with hot sauce anyone?
One thing though, the ice cream melts really fast. It was in the low 50’s outside today and it started to melt little by little within a minute and was dripping down the side of the cup and my hand. Can’t imagine how long it would stay in a cold state before it becomes a liquid puddle during a heat wave in the summer months.
It wouldn’t replace the best made traditional ice cream or gelato, but its a good alternative for those that are looking to try something different once in a while.

A fascinating concept disappointingly hampered by a lack of organization, high prices, and flavors that aren’t necessarily distinct.
My friend and I stopped by and couldn’t quite get our heads around the menu. 10,000 possible flavors — awesome! Horrible spelling and flavors written that even the owner didn’t know about? Annoying.
We made our decision. My friend got about four flavors all mixed together, notably ginger and pumpkin spice. I can’t quite remember.
Me, I got Irish Cream, Eggnog, and Burnt Sugar. I had no idea that they’d all be combined into the same ice cream concoction instead of separate scoops. Unfortunately, this is what made them all so indistinct, and the main flavor that came through was that of extract (which is indeed what is used to flavor most of the ice creams.) Texture-​wise, it holds its own for the first few minutes, until it begins to quickly melt into a pool of flavorings and cream base
Watching the liquid nitrogen work its magic was certainly a treat, but the several minutes leading up to it were on the brink of excruciating. The man behind the counter, who turned out to be the owner, took forever to find the extracts and put the whole thing together. I had assumed he was hired only the day before.
I understand the shop is very new and needs some time to work the kinks out, but I’d expect things to be at least somewhat better at this point. Perhaps I’ll give it another try, but at the moment I’m not very motivated.

On a cold winter’s day, I walked over to have some Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream. Lulu and Mooky’s is small, more of a take out place. They make your ice cream in front of you. You choose your flavors from a host of options, an overwhelming host of options. I have been there several times and I have tried Mango and Cinnamon and real strawberry, among other flavors. For about $ 5 you get two scoops.
The Ingredients you pick are poured into a bowl and then a man in a lab coat and gloves pours liquid nitrogen into the bowl. Then he mixes it… there is lots of smoke and beads of liquid nitrogen dance on the counter… when the show is done, which is in a blink of an eye, there is ice cream in that there bowl. It is scooped out and then you are allowed to eat the goodness.

geez! so many people have reviewed this place already! heheh.
well, i was here on a whim one cold/​windy afternoon with Nina C. she had discovered a spot with a silly handwritten sign saying, «Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream». i guess this was when they first opened up shop. still new, we decided to walk over there and check it out for ourselves.
it’s small and there’s only a table there for setting a few things down… but no seating. you can simply take your ice cream and cross ½ a street on Allen where they have the benches for patrons to sit on the island.
now, what to pick! there is copious amounts of extracts and flavorings to choose from. no one had ever tried the TRUFFLE OIL concoction yet and it was my instinct that told me i should go for it. best decision of my life! it’s bad enough that i’m one indecisive bitch… but in this situation, i have prevailed! i picked truffle oil and pistachio. oh… my…gawd… it was a party in my mouth!!!
watching my mixture turn into ice cream right before my eyes was exciting. i loved watching and taking photos of the whole experience. the owner of Lulu & Mooky’s paid a visit and asked us questions about what to add to the ever-​expanding flavors board and inquired about how good our ice creams were. i mentioned Balsamic Vinegar and he smiled at the idea. =)
this healthier option of ice cream is definitely my kind of thing. i actually like it more than the stuff from the freezer section at the grocery store. this is a great place to bring your kids and experiment with complicated and interesting flavors!

How can you not love the concept of this place and want to check it out just on the strength of that alone? Make up any flavor you can imagine from combining ~30 different ingredients, and have bespoke ice cream in minutes courtesy of the secret ingredient, liquid nitrogen!!? Awesome.
The texture is interesting — in the cup it is somewhat fragmented, but once you place a bite in yo mouth, it is perfectly smooth and creamy. I enjoyed this.
I love basil, so I opted for an apricot-​honey-​basil combo, perfectly discordant with the blustery 40-​degree weather outside. I liked the base flavor of the ice cream itself. And the honey was working. But the basil was way too faint. And the «apricot» had a persistent whiff of apricot oil. Perhaps the non-​fruit flavors may be the way to go?
Either way, there is something to be said for creating any flavor you wish (options include: hot sauce, burnt sugar, cotton candy, and root beer) then watching the magic process. I’d recommend and plan to go back. Portion size is perfect.
Note: This place is very much in the middle of opening as it was a little haphazard and disorderly. But the owner was saying they’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the response, so be patient as they try to catch-​up.

The nitro glycerin is a great idea– one of the benefits is fewer calories than standard ice cream. There are premium flavors (containing real fruit) and standard flavors. I tried the burnt sugar/​honey combo which wasn’t bad and the hot chocolate/​vanilla combo which was ok although the owner stopped by and said he’s not recommending the «hot chocolate» for now as the flavor hasn’t been tweaked. There are also many flavors they don’t recommend blending as one would overpower the other so my idea of combining chocolate +a fruity flavor was a nogo. I would like to see more flavors (they didn’t have any of my personal favorites– meringue, marzipan, violet, and saffron).
It’s nice to see each portion is created in front of you and the retro pink mixers are adorable. However with each serving taking 3 minutes the wait will be insane come summer.
The ice cream is tasty but still doesn’t come close to my favorite place Laboratorio del Gelato a few blocks away.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream just brings out the kid in anyone!
I walked in the small compartment sized laboratory of sorts and immediately my attention was drawn to the big tank dominating the back of the room. He navigated the room with precision like finesse and then he pours the ingredients into a bubble pink Kitchen aid mixer! I was like «are you serious?» However, 2.5 minutes and a cloud of smoke later, I had my first taste of ice cream made by liquid nitrogen! It was surprisingly smooth and light. There’s like 25 or so different flavors and it’s hard to narrow down just want you want. Hubby got the banana and I stuck with hazelnut figuring anything hazelnut is hard to go wrong. It was pretty good!
Seriously, if you’re a dad looking to impress his kids, take them here. You will be the coolest friggin dad EVER!