Koolfi Creamery

Very kool! (eh eh? OK I'll see myself out.)But seriously, Koolfi Creamery is such a gem. I've been wanting to check it out for awhile so when my friend and I were thinking about getting ice cream and trying something new, Koolfi was top of mind.Koolfi Creamery is located in a neighborhood part of San Leandro. There's plenty of street parking and we ended up parking in the neighborhood right around the corner. We stopped by on a cold evening and still the place was popular. Folks were dining in, enjoying ice cream with their friends. Others were waiting for ice cream to be packed in pints to take home. Obviously, they have ice cream available but if you browse their menu they also offer quite a bit of other desserts, drinks, and savory items. You can sample some of their flavors before decided to choose one. They also offer split scoops, if you can't decide, for just a dollar or so more. Or you can go in on a flight and enjoy multiple flavors.I went with their Mango Lassi. The staff mentioned it was a crowd favorite and I can see why. The sweet mango flavor hits the spot without being too tart. I also tried the bombay butterscotch and was having a hard time choosing between the two - that was so good too! My friend got the Kheer Rice Pudding - solid choice as well. Almost tasted like a horchata and I liked the additional textures of the raisins and almonds. I can see them getting busy during the warm months but it'll be worth the wait!

I discovered Koolfi creamery during a heat wave in October (gotta love the Bay Area) and persuaded my (reluctant) son and (enthusiastic) husband to make a family ice cream trip happen. We couldn't have been happier with the food and the service. We tried the mango lassi, salted pistachio, and garam masala peach ice cream -all yummy- and the chutney cheese toast, which tasted like a samosa and a grilled cheese sandwich had a baby. My only regret was that I wasn't able to eat more/ try more ice cream flavors but I guess that just means I'll have to be back. Oh well. Regarding the price point - yes, it's more than what you'd pay at a grocery store or a large corporate ice cream place, for sure, but Koolfi uses a high quality Strauss base for their ice cream and only the best ingredients. And their prices are comparable to places like Salt n' straw. Plus, we get to support a queer South Asian owned business and that's important if we want to live in a world of thriving small businesses. Regarding the texture - sure, it's not fluffy but it was very reminiscent of the kulfis I grew up eating. Maybe not for everyone, but it sure floated my boat. My only question is: when are you opening a shop in Hayward so I don't have to come all the way to San Leandro?

I was so happy to hear about this south asian lgbt+ owned creamery from my sister, and I have to say it did not disappoint. The service here was some of the best i've had. I could tell there was a lot of love and passion put behind this business. The various ice cream flavors are so inventive and unlike anything i've seen at any other ice cream shop and everything is made fresh in house! They also allow you to sample the various flavors before deciding on what you want, which was really helpful. Since it was my first time, I landed on a classic koolfi ice cream with chai affogato, which was so sweet and tasty! I will definitely be going back to try some of their other fun flavors soon.

Love the ice cream here, and eating in the courtyard on a hot day is the best. All the flavors I've tried have been delicious (shout out to Cardamom and Mango Lassi) but I'm partial to the Malai Koolfi, and they have hot fudge which goes so well with it! Great (strong!) coffee too. They have some Indian street foods such as samosas that aren't available everyday but I'm excited to try them.

I've had Koolfi Creamery bookmarked for awhile and was surprised that it was next door to the birria restaurant we were eating at! This establishment is LGBTQ+ friendly and POC women owned :)All of the flavors sounded so good and we were really intrigued! We couldn't decide what to get, so we opted for the sampler flight! It comes with your choice of 5 flavors and it was perfect for our party of two! We chose: watermelon mint, cardamom, malai koolfi, guava, and mango lassi. It was a hot day, so the ice cream was melting fast. All of the flavors were delicious and one of a kind! We enjoyed all of them! Our favorites were the Malai Koolfi and Cardamom.They have a hot foods menu and I would like to come back and try something from there as well. The also have a gulab jamun sundae, which sounded awesome! We will definitely be back again to try their other items and grab a pre-packed pint to take back home!

Great ice cream! I tried the Klassic Koolfi and the seasonal burgundy cherry and chocolate for my 2 samples. I ended up getting a scoop of the mango lassi ice cream, and it tasted exactly like a mango lassi so no complaints there. The flavors are forward, and the texture is creamy. I liked looking through the recipe books on the table in the back. There is a minimum $10 you must spend to use credit card.

Loved this unique international ice cream shop focused on Indian flavors. I tried the mango lassi ice cream in a sugar waffle cone which was perfectly creamy and the cone was amazingly crunchy! I also tried the Oreo milkshake and to my surprise - it was very light and not that sweet, it was delicious. Lastly, I tried the Kodak "strong" chai which was a punch of ginger flavor and so yummy! They also have many additional flavors of ice cream pints in the freezer if you'd like to take some home to try later. The sweet young lady working the register was very hardworking and professional - two qualities that are hard to come by at your typical ice cream shop. The store itself was also very clean and vibrant making you want to keep hanging out at!

I decided to stop by since it was along the way of my route on Wednesday afternoon. There were a few customers ahead of me, so it took at least a 5 minute wait to reach our turn. I was told I'm limited to only two samples, so I tried the raspberry black pepper, which I personally liked because it was sweet with a savory kick, and the mom's cardamom which was heavy on cardamom flavor. They had another butterscotch with cashew praline flavor that I wish I could've sampled.I ultimately decided to get a split single (which is $6.50 before tax and tip) of matcha and raspberry (a new flavor) and kheer rice pudding (also a new flavor, seasonal), and paid via cash since they have a $10 minimum for using credit card. The matcha and raspberry just had hints of raspberry that I couldn't really tasted and mostly tastes like matcha. It was still good if you like raspberry.I really liked the kheer rice pudding flavor, more than I like the actual dessert, as it was sweet and savory at the same time.I still enjoy their ice cream, and they offer various foods including sundaes, toast, and coffee. However, it seemed to me like the portions have gotten smaller relative to the price and they are not as generous with samples as they used to be.

Innovative flavors, loads of options, just the right chill vibe and your taste buds for the best ice cream in the bay! Koolfi is an experience that will bring you back time and again. We had the flight of 5 and personally the guava and gulab jamun were my favorite. Definitely going to try the sundae next time!Saturday has other savory options that make it a perfect pairing.

Stars: 3.5I've been eyeing this place and finally got to try it today. You get two samples per person. The ice cream shop serves unique Indian inspired flavors. I ended up getting one single scoop of the guava with hint of chili. I enjoyed the flavor and texture but it was the tiniest scoop I've ever had. I feel like I finished it in less than two minutes. I was sad that it was gone so quickly!You need to spend a minimum of $10 to use credit, so good thing my husband always carries cash. The staff helping us were friendly. The shop itself is cute and clean.