The very sight of the fog and people in white lab coats may lead you to believe that you have stepped in a science laboratory. But those guys in white coats are just busy preparing ice cream. To be precise, it is an ultra-modern form of ice cream that has just arrived in Pakistan. Icepresso, now open at Islamabad in Jinnah Super market, is city’ first café to freeze its ice cream using liquid nitrogen that flash freezes everything in a matter of minutes.
“We have introduced an exciting experience for the ice cream lovers” claims Syed Ali Azhar, co-owner of Icepresso café. “At Icepresso, you won’t find ice cream that has been waiting in a freezer too long. The ice cream here is made to order freshly prepared using liquid nitrogen right before your eyes.” Explaining the process, he says, “Fresh ingredients are mixed using liquid nitrogen which instantly freezes it creating a fresher, and creamier scoop with almost no ice crystals. And all this takes about less than 10 minutes!” Ultra-cold liquid nitrogen is in fact is colder than a chilly minus 190 degrees Celsius (or minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit).
Icepresso, celebrated its soft opening recently with a red carpet hosted by wonderful model, Natty, while the event was managed by Rezz Events. The young and ambitious owners of Icepresso, Syed Ali Azhar and Syed Zuhad Sultan, were all excited to offer Pakistan its first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour that offers a large variety of flavours, mix-in choices as well as sugar-free ice cream.
Icepresso, a blend of hot and cold, offers a rare combination of ice cream and coffee under one roof. Located in the heart of Islamabad at Jinnah Super, the café offerings include over 20 original flavours of ice cream, and 16 blends of Nespresso coffee, an Italian coffee brand. The café that also serves a variety of snacks, sandwiches, and baked goods, has quite small seating area, and is primarily for take away.
Shireen Arshad Khan, ex-MNA and designer, visiting the launch of Icepresso, believed it was a delicious new addition to Islamabad’s emerging café culture. “The making of ice cream is like a show with all the fog and seeing your ice cream made right in front of you is a worthy experience. But as soon I took the first bite, I found it really the creamiest ice cream I’ve ever had” she said sharing her experience.
Inspired by few of international known ice cream parlours that use liquid nitrogen to freeze ice cream, while working in Sydney, Azhar and Zuhad (owners of Icepresso) decided to introduce their own brand of ice cream in Pakistan. “We use high quality, premium ingredients including all organic ingredients” says Zuhad.