In life, many paths lead to the same outcome. Take ice cream, for example, which almost always starts with the same base recipe or technique. The flavours may change, but the first few steps are largely the same. Except at Chin Chin, which certainly takes the road less travelled on the way to incredible ice cream.
Taking principles more akin to a mad scientist than ice cream makers, Chin Chin uses liquid nitrogen to hand-churn their delicious concoctions. The process is simple, and yet somehow metal AF – pouring liquid nitrogen over their inventive mixes, and hand churning them into glossy ice cream. And for an inventive technique, they’ve got equally inventive, wacky, and wonderful flavours. The results are truly outstanding.
They kicked off their delightfully sweet journey in 2010 when they took over “a small, crumbling shop in Camden”. Now they have locations in Soho and Camden, and even an international site in Bahrain. And they show no signs of slowing down any time soon!
The Ice Cream at Chin Chin
Ordering requires navigating a behemoth of a menu – but we’re here to help. It all starts with their classic flavours, which elevate nostalgic favourites to new heights. Their Tonka Bean, for example. is vanilla on steroids. Meanwhile, the Valrhona Chocolate takes your expectations of chocolate to a richer, deeper place, and Burnt Butter Caramel adds depth to the typically saccharine-sweet flavour.
Other flavours of ice cream include Pantyhose Thai Tea, Guinness & Marmite, Coffee & Olive Oil, Banana Miso, and more. Be sure to visit both locations to explore the weekly-changing specials and the chef’s special flavours. And keep an eye out for their frequent themed specials for special occasions.
They even recently launched a potato peel soft serve, which comes served with potato peel glaze and salty potato stick chips. In their own words, it’s “like dunking fries in your favourite milkshake but better”.
Image: @chinchinicecream, via IG
But it doesn’t stop with the scoops (or the soft-serve if that’s your choice). There’s also a frankly ridiculous range of toppings. These include everything from Bee Pollen Honeycomb to Truffle Crumble, Pandan Whipped Cream, Hazelnut Sand, Marshmallow Fluff, Chocolate Crack, and more. You can even have your sweet treat served in a tub, a brownie cookie sandwich, a marshmallow-stuffed waffle cone, or atop a bowl of griddled cookie dough.
The sheer number of times you’d need to visit to try every combination is a delicious, albeit wallet-emptying, prospect.
But wait, there’s more…
All that and we haven’t even mentioned Chin Chin’s glorious hot chocolates, about which we could probably write a whole separate article. Molten hot chocolate is topped with gooey marshmallow fluff and blowtorched until it evokes the taste of toasting marshmallows over a campfire. It’s the stuff of legend at this point.
As if all that wasn’t enough, there are all manner of other desserts to complement their frozen delights. (So it really is never too cold for a trip to this ice creamery.) You can get everything from ice cream cookie sandwiches to sticky toffee pudding sundaes, tiramisu, brûléed banoffee pie, and more.
Kitchen wizardry and delectable sweet treats are truly de rigeur for Chin Chin. Deliciousness awaits whatever you choose to order… But we understand if you need a minute or ten to decide!
📍 Chin Chin Soho: 54 Greek Street, W1D 3DS. Chin Chin Camden: 49-50 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF.
Find out more on their website.