Ice Cream Lab

I had the ICL in Beverly Hills bookmarked but never made it out that way, so lucky for me they opened up a store in Pasadena! I stopped by last year with Laura S. for dessert after grabbing dinner nearby. The location is so convenient because they are right next to my favourite Old Town Pasadena public parking garage on Fair Oaks and Green. The concept here is that they create made-​to-​order ice cream for you using liquid nitrogen. They always have the most interesting flavour combinations! The great thing about using liquid nitrogen is that they can make it for you fresh on the spot (but you do have to wait a little bit) and it is cool to see… but the downside is that you can’t sample all their flavours to see what you would like best! If they happen to be making a flavour for another customer that you are interested in, then you can sample that flavour… but otherwise you just have to guess what might become your favourite: P
I was able to sample their Banilla flavour (Fresh Bananas and Nilla Wafers) and it was delicious! However, I decided to go with Salt Lick Crunch (Salted Pretzels, Caramel) for my ice cream. It was also really good! The salted pretzels complimented the sweet caramel well in the ice cream and I liked having that crunch.
The only downside to this place is that the waiting area is a bit small so if there are a bunch of people waiting for ice cream it can get really crowded. But once you get your ice cream you can happily be on your way so the inconvenience is pretty short-​lived. There are plenty of dessert options in Old Town Pasadena but ICL is a solid choice!

For me it was just okay, I got the small cup salted caramel pretzel. The girls there seemed unfriendly. When my order was ready they put it on the counter without telling me. The small cup was very expensive! They put a little bit caramel, it was gone! I was scraping the cup for the caramel. Lol! When I asked them for napkins the didn’t make the effort to put more napkins because there was only two left. They seem to be doing well so continued success for them, but not for me anymore!

This is not your typical ice cream parlor. It’s a fun concept and kids really seem to enjoy the show. The ice cream is great but the menu is a little confusing and the options are minimal.

I love ice cream! This is my second time at a nitro cream process. The samples were good an I decided on salt lick crunch since I was feeling salty/​sweet. Our server April was a true professional and answered my barrage of questions with poise. We had to wait to get our ice cream while she dealt with a rude customer but we were not neglected at all. I only gave 4 stars due to no restroom and a bit pricey but overall good experience and I am sure I will be back soon as the weather is heating up.

I have tried this type of method of making ice scream in other places and this business is able to do its job! I was a bit scared because you can either make your own type by choosing your own toppings or ordering the ‘pre made choosings’. I gave the Salt Lick Crunch a chance and LOVED IT. and my Momma T loved it as well and she is hella picky!
Up to this date I am still scared to try their other pre made options or even to do my toppings but will do some day when I come back, which I will soon because summer is coming and i’ll probably be here ²⁴⁄₇.
TRY their WAFFLE thingy its Bomb! and its better here than in their Little Tokyo location!

Delicious and cute concept! However this does take some time to make so not a good idea to come if your in a hurry.
We had the blue velvet ice cream and a free waffle cone with a Unilocal check in!
The ice cream was not too sweet, just right amount of goodness! Never would’ve thought to mix an actual cupcake into the ice cream.

I’ve had ice cream lab before. I tried the salted cream, and I thought it was pretty good. I felt like there was just too much pretzel in it. I used my free Unilocal check in for the free waffle bowl, but the waffle bowl was pretty bad itself. The service was pretty good and quick! Park in one of the structures for free 90 minutes!

With our impending wedding date, my husband and I continue to search for ideas that can make our nuptials a fun and unforgettable evening. The idea of having nitrogen ice cream served to our guests fits the bill quite perfectly, so we decided to stop by the Ice Cream Lab and give it a try. The result was mediocre at best, and I am being generous.
It was a Tuesday night around 9:30 PM when we walked into the shop and found ourselves intrigued by the smoke that’s coming out of the apparatus atop of the counter. Truth to be told, we’re no stranger when it comes to consuming edible ingredients that’s concocted by liquid nitrogen. Just go to any Michelin starred restaurant or even The Bazzar, one can order a cocktail that is crafted by the magic of liquid nitrogen easily.
We waited patiently since there was only one girl manning the entire shop and there were 4 people ahead of us. When it was our turn, Steph informed us that the «blue velvet» had just ran out. Given the hours of the day I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise, so I opted for «salt lick crunch,» stood back, and let Steph do her thang. I thought it was a very interesting contrast that her name tag has a smily face that says «my name is Steph» while she looked like the life had just been drained out of her body. I felt bad for the girl. She must be overworked and exhausted, juggling so many tasks at once all by herself.
The presentation was definitely enticing I must say. The taste, however, was not. Other than the smoky show we witnessed, the ice cream itself tasted quite ordinary. Honestly, it’s really no different than any other ice cream that one can get from the supermarket. However, if one’s willing to spend $ 8-​$ 12 a pint at Whole Foods, I believe there are brands out there carry an even creamier texture with unique flavors.
To me, the Ice Cream Lab is really just. an Ice Cream Lab. Sad for me to say that unless they can come up with even more dynamic flavors, one is simply just paying extra money to stand in line and learn about basic chemistry. I added one extra star to salute Steph’s hard work.

Cool experience and great ice cream! Especially the «Banilla» (Vanilla + banana + wafers… yes.)
Friendly staff that help you order something that you will enjoy. The location in Old Town is quite convenient if you’re out for a meal or shopping.
I definitely recommend checking out Ice Cream Lab!

Food: The ice cream texture is commendably creamy and thick. The taste of it is somewhat interesting in that I could really pick up on the «milkiness» in it compared to other ice creams where you pick up the taste of sugar and added flavours. Personally, I reckon that their fruit-​based ice creams (i.e. Banilla, Strawberry) were the best tasting but the Blue Velvet fell flat. I was allured by the pretty blue colour but upon taking one spoonful, it was nothing more than a simple vanilla ice cream with flavourless bits of cake.
Service: We came here on a Sunday night and granted, there was a small late-​night group from prom revelers, there wasn’t much of a queue but we did notice that the wait time was inordinately long. Even people who were at the shop long before us did not get their ice cream until 15−20min had passed after our own entry.
The cashiers are not necessarily unfriendly but they won’t go out of their way to help you or explain the menu. The added wait time did not add to a positive impression either despite the fact they had a full staff complement.
Ambiance: The mad-​scientist theme is cute and plays well into the usage of liquid nitrogen in the ice cream. Anyone who is familiar with organic chemistry might grimace over the incorrect (and quite frankly insensible) usages of figures but it doesn’t matter, it’s just an ice cream shop.

Let me tell you. This place is HYPE. It was my first time trying this place and not only were the ice cream flavors new to me, but simply their concept of using liquid nitrogen to make it. Blue velvet never fails to satisfy and I’m sure I’m pretty hooked on it since I know exactly what I will be getting the next time I come here.
However, the menu is very limited so this may be an issue for other customers in regards to the variety of choice. I am not sure if they ever had this before, but according to some of my friends who have been to this place a few times already, the new fronut is now on the menu! It’s not the typical ice cream between two glazed donuts, but rather in between a pound cake-​like bread. It was actually pretty decent, but I would not get it again.
Overall, their ice cream is great and if you haven’t tried it, you definitely should!

Banilla ice cream FTW!
I’ve been wanting to come here since they opened but I am never in the mood for ice cream when I’m in Old Town. A co-​worker stopped by for ice cream after lunch and after one bite of hers, I was hooked!
Banilla ice cream contains vanilla ice cream with bananas & nilla wafers.
Another popular one is the blue velvet ice cream. They literally crumble mini blue velvet cupcakes into the ice cream — frosting & all.
One downside is the time it takes to prepare. Since they use liquid nitrogen to make this, they are literally making the ice cream in front of your face.
On a recent visit, there were 3 to 4 people ahead of me and only one employee working so i had to wait a bit.

If you check in on Unilocal,you’ll get a free Waffle Bowl!!!
I’ve been to Ice Cream Lab a few times and my go to ice cream is always the Blue Velvet…
Well not this time, baby.
I decided to shake things up and got myself the Salt Lick Crunch.
It was so beautiful and pretty. I love their concept on using liquid nitrogen because the ingredients are more natural, fresh, and it’s cool to see how your ice cream is made.
$ 5.50 will get you a medium ice cream!
Will I be returning? yes!
I’m hoping that they give us more options next time to choose from. Their menu is limited.
There isn’t a seating area… it’s more of a «grab and go» kind of place. I’m sure you’re able to seat yourselves on the chairs at The Coffee Bean. The employees there were nice and didn’t kick me out! :D

I love their concept and even enjoyed the taro ice cream + mochi topping that I got the last time I was here.
However, I had to lower the rating because of several factors:
1) Limited flavors. They don’t have much of a variety, but of the ones I tried, I really liked the Taro ice cream. The Salt Lick Crunch was pretty good, but nothing special.
2) Size of establishment and seating. This shop is so small. Be careful when you’re checking out the menu on the wall… you might get hit by the door if you’re in line. There is hardly any seating in there for you to enjoy your dessert after you get it. Best to take it to go and eat while walking around Pasadena.
3) Price. I don’t understand how places feel like they can charge $ 5-​$ 7 for one ice cream. I believe it came in two sizes… If I remember correctly, the small was about $ 5 and the medium was about $ 6. Yes, it is a little more time consuming to make with the liquid nitrogen… but in the end, it is still ICE CREAM.
4) Waffle cone. Don’t bother checking in on Unilocal for a free cone. The one I got was stale and NOT good.
I WOULD come back if I was in Pasadena and craving ice cream. However, given that Creamistry is closer to where I live, the chances are higher that I’ll be there instead.

Fun ice cream experience! Bring the kids for a science lesson, and lots of ooooh’s and ahhhh’s.
This location is super tiny inside though, so it’s more of a get-​it-​and go type situation. That said, it gets super packed on weekend nights so come mentally prepared to wait. After you order, it does take about 5 – 10 minutes to get your ice cream.
My favorite is the Banilla, which is banana and Nilla Wafers. The ice cream is excellent, very creamy. My sister likes the Blue Velvet, which doesn’t really taste like red velvet but almost tastes like a combination between cereal and a cupcake, delicious!

Nitrogen ice cream is always really cool to watch. My friend got the strawberry and I got the blue velvet. I tried some of her strawberry ice cream and I really like how they used fresh strawberries. I also really enjoyed my blue velvet ice cream.
Now onto the bad stuff. I didn’t like the server’s attitude; I could tell SOMEONE hates their job. Also, I honestly think ice cream lab is a bit over priced. A small cup of ice cream which they call their «medium» size is $ 5.50 :(After we got our over priced ice cream there was nowhere to sit while we ate because this location has no seats whatsoever inside or outside. I’m still giving it 4 stars though because I really liked my ice cream despite the cons.

Pros: It was really cool watching them make my ice cream using the nitrogen and my ice cream came out delicious. I ordered the blue velvet ice cream which looked pretty cool as it was sitting on my cup. All the blue cake pieces sitting around my ice cream. So delicious!
Cons: my only con would have to be the fact that it had a really awful smell as I walked in. I couldn’t really put my finger on it but it wasn’t a good smell.

Concept looked cool. Ice cream
And smoke and mirrors what could go wrong right? Well the credit card machine went down and we didn’t have any paper on us soooo… no ice cream for us… we’ll have to give it a go another night give the smoke with ice cream trick…

Ice Cream Lab a small place with no tables, so expect to get your ice cream and go. It is conveniently located right next to a parking structure that’s free for the first 90 minutes.
There menu is quite small with only seven different flavors, so I got a Medium Strawberry ($ 5). I liked that they had fresh strawberries in the ice cream which made for a refreshing dessert after dinner. The ice cream was good but nothing special. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back again, but it was nice to try!

This place is LIT!!! The blue velvet is INCREDIBLE. I really want to come back to LA for this :(
I’ve never tasted such interesting but DELICIOUS nitrogen ice cream.
ITS THE BOMB–
we were the only ones there on a random afternoon so no wait: D