What’s Black and White… And Creamy All Over?

The paper-wrapped ice cream sandwiches instantly drew me in with nostalgic thoughts of school vacations, running through the sprinkler and being bribed to get out into the yard with an ice cream that would make a mess of me instead of the house. Looking to relive a bit of summer sweetness, I quickly ordered one of the black-and-white creations from Nola’s ice cream case.

These dessert sandwiches (RMB 30) consist of a slab of vanilla ice cream between two thick, cakey chocolate slices. At Nola, the sandwich “bread,” best described as a brownie, is much thicker than that of the store-bought brands. The ice cream is speckled with vanilla bean bits whose flavor comes through in each bite.

It’s best left to warm up before eating; dive in too soon and you’ll get a mouthful of cold more than anything else. But as the sandwich thaws, the brownie becomes gooey and chocolate bits begin to melt, making the overall consistency a bit more fudgy. The ice cream also softens up. Luckily, its slower melting speed will allow you to indulge in the childhood treat without looking too much like a messy kid.

If an ice cream sandwich is too much of a “meal” for you, a scoop (RMB 15) of one of the more grownup ice creams, like Southern Comfort (tagged “Soco”) or Mint Julep, isn’t a bad choice either as you head off into the warm night.

Nola. Mon-Fri 8am-11pm, Sat-Sun 10.30am-11pm. 11A Xiushui Nanjie, Chaoyang District (8563 6215) 朝阳区秀水南街11号

By subway: 750m west of Yonganli station (Line 1)

Click here to see the Beijinger August issue in full.

Photo: Sui