The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory Reviews Summary

Price

Pros:

• "Price is a bit high but well worth it since they are very generous with the portion sizes."
• "Even though it's a bit pricey for one scoop ($6.50) it's definitely worth it."
• "Prices were a lil steep at $7.95 for three scoops, but it was worth it as a treat."
• "Prices are very reasonable for NYC standards."
• "Prices are high but worth it."
• "The price for a good portion of ice cream was also fairly cheap."
• "Prices are pretty standard as well."

Cons:

• "It is quite pricey...$8 for one scoop."
• "Their ice-cream is super pricy now and it is like $7-$8 for only 1 scoop (as of May 2022)."
• "A tad overpriced."
• "Overall, pretty good Asian flavours but $8.99 for two scoops is really overpriced imo."
• "The portion is generous, especially for the cone but $7.50 is still a super high price for ice cream."
• "Only thing is it is quite pricey."
• "It's pretty pricey-- around $10 for 2 scoops."

Service

Pros:

• "Service can be a little rushed but is always polite."
• "The staff here is very friendly."
• "The service was speedy and we didn’t have to wait long."
• "The staff are always incredibly friendly and service is very quick."
• "The staff were great they allowed us to sample the flavours before choosing."
• "The staff was incredibly helpful and friendly, allowing us to sample several flavors before making a decision."
• "The service is great and they give you a large amount when you're sampling."

Cons:

• "The service is un-higenic: the same person scoops the ice-cream and later counts the cash."
• "The customer service is absolutely horrendous."
• "Service was mediocre - had to ask our female server 3 times to sample 1 single flavor, and we ordered 7 scoops in total."
• "Workers seem sad. Almost like they don't want to be there."
• "Service could be better but otherwise great spot."
• "Service is a bit all over, but understandable for all the rush around."
• "The staff who appeared to be the daughter of the owner was arrogant and rude."

Flavor & Variety

Pros:

• "All three flavors were delicious, and I liked how they put a pocky stick in each of our cups."
• "Insanely good ice cream with many exotic fruit flavors."
• "Amazing Chinese inspired flavors such as Lychee, Black Sesame, Durian, Egg Custard."
• "The flavor selection is great."
• "They serve more than traditional ice cream they have flavors such as Thai Iced Tea, Taro / Ube, and Chinese egg custard."
• "The creamy lychee ice cream was another highlight, boasting a velvety texture and a refreshing lychee flavor."
• "They have so many ice cream flavors the I am sure you will need to return to try some more!"

Cons:

• "The colors of the ice cream look so fluorescent which for me means whole food coloring so I've left the place without buying."
• "Pandan - 3.5/5-- a bit too artificial for my taste."
• "The pistachio didn’t really taste like pistachio."
• "Dan Taat - 3/5 -- creative thought, but flavor was too mellow and tasted almost like just a typical vanilla flavor."
• "Blueberry lavender just tasted like cotton candy and the rose lychee had a very floral flavor but didn’t taste much of the lychee."
• "Unfortunately found the ice cream to not be very flavorful — mostly vanilla / cream flavor as opposed to the pineapple and lychee flavors we ordered."
• "The black sesame, however, was gritty. The flavor was on the mark, but ice cream should not be gritty..."

Location & Ambiance

Pros:

• "It's close to the train of canal street."
• "A classic dessert place in Chinatown."
• "Yummy yummy yummy ice cream in the core of Chinatown on Bayard Street."
• "Great little ice cream shop."
• "A GEM of a place in the heart of Chinatown."
• "Ice cream shop in the middle of chinatown."
• "Super cute ice cream shop in the middle of China town!"

Cons:

• "The shop is small and cramped and the lines often stretch outside the store."
• "It is a tiny, cramped, hole in the wall - with a crowd!"
• "No where to sit.. so get your cream and slide."
• "Talk about the super tiny play that can feel claustrophobic simply with four people."
• "It’s crowded inside this small spot but that doesn’t take away from the overall amazing experience."
• "Very small shop, so it's not a place where you can sit down."
• "It's a very tight space so don't expect to hang out there."

Payment Options

Pros:

• "They also don't accept credit card, but have a QR code you can scan to venmo so it's super easy to pay."
• "They take cash and Venmo only."
• "Please note this shop only accepts Venmo and cash, which was a surprise to us."
• "Cash or venmo only."
• "They only took cash or Venmo as a payment option when I went."
• "They do not accept credit cards."
• "They accept cash or Venmo only."

Cons:

• "Beware that the place is cash only."
• "They only take cash, btw."
• "Cash only but worth it."
• "Its a Cash Only business as well."
• "There is no seating inside and seems to be cash only."
• "Cash only though."
• "Cash only!! But very delicious ice cream."