By KATHERINE NGUYEN
Staff Writer
You’ve seen it before, be it in an Instagram video or in a passing booth at the OC Night Market – it’s the ice cream rolls! And lucky for you, I went ahead and tried it so you wouldn’t have to. (Spoiler alert – you still should; they’re pretty bomb. And pretty!)
The first time I was exposed to the idea of ice cream rolls was during a trip to my local night market during the past summer, and the idea always stuck in my mind because where else could I experience this again?
But lo and behold, just in these past few months, STAX Cookie Bar, which is conveniently located at the University Town Center, adopted the concept into their menu. The store itself has an old-fashioned vibe, with hanging lamps decorating the bar and metal tables and chairs for the customers. Well known for its cookies and ice cream sandwiches, the dessert shop is now taking a greater leap into pop culture as it tackles one of the big “foodie fads.”
Their cream and yogurt rolls are priced at $6.25 for single flavor rolls and $7.25 for duo layer rolls. Each flavor has the option of being made from ice cream or yogurt, and they all come with a single topping.
I chose to have my cream rolls done as strawberry ice cream with cheesecake bites and whip on top. Not only am I a big fan of strawberry, but I also felt like it was a universal flavor that could be compared to other ice cream shops. My total came out to be $6.75 and I would say with about 80% confidence that it was worth it.
Half of what you’re paying for is essentially watching the ice cream be created, but that joy was unfortunately taken away from me. Their creation station (That’s not what they call it – it’s a name I just made up. But if Stax wants to use it, go ahead. Just make sure to credit me.) was located behind the bar and away from consumer eyes.
But when I got my order, I was too much in awe to have any negative thoughts. They packed the rolls neatly in a colorful cup with cheesecake bites evenly sprinkled on and a neat swirl of whipped cream on top. The cup was much bigger than the palm of my hand, and it managed to satisfy both my friend and me.
My overall opinion? If you got some bucks to spare, go for it. For about $7 you get a good amount of ice cream that’s well decorated and a fun experience with memories to leave on your Instagram and Snapchat.
