IC Hot offers new spin on ice cream, becomes Kennesaw’s “hot” spot

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Bahaar Esfahani

The ice cream rolls come packed into a cup with a delicious array of fruit on top.

Bahaar Esfahani, Reporter, Photographer

Serving Asian ice cream at a decent price, IC Hot, located on Bells Ferry Road between Pep Boys and Publix, opened in mid-October of 2016 and feels homey with a taste of different culture.

The menu offers three main categories of ice cream: ice cream rolls, acai bowls, and a “build your own” option. Menu items include berry, banana, strawberry, and vanilla flavored rolls and bowls.

Upon first walking in, the effect of the modern and brightly-colored atmosphere takes immediate effect.

On one side of the wall, a large black board depicts the menu, handwritten and emitting a feeling of coziness. The other side, covered in an array of different Post-its, contains comments and jokes from customers, coupled with a unique layout exposing the counter and kitchen, visible to customers. At the counter, a couple of Sharpies and Post-its lie in front of the cash register along with a box to leave suggestions.

After waiting in line for five minutes, I ordered a Berry Crunch Blast acai bowl and the Berrylicious ice cream rolls. Out of the 29 options for ice cream roll toppings, I chose raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry.

Bahaar Esfahani
The acai bowl resembles a smoothie with granola and fresh fruit.

Despite the long line and waiting time, the funny decals all across the kitchen and back wall, along with the Post-it notes on the side, kept me entertained. The real entertainment began, though, once the staff began to make the ice cream rolls right in front my eyes.

By taking a bowl of liquid ice cream and pouring it onto the iced surface, the staff member began to mold the creation into separate lines that he rolled and placed in the container, topping it all off decoratively with my choice fruit.

Only a glass screen separated me from the magic in the open kitchen, and I immediately felt pleased that I decided to order the rolls.

The acai bowl, or rather cup, tasted rather bland and too icy, but the fresh fruit and granola at the top made up for the lack of berry flavor.

However, the real treasure lies within the ice cream rolls. Not only captivating to watch during the creation process, they also packed an abundance of flavor for an unbeatable price. The texture, satisfying to eat but also scoop up, felt like ice cream with a pleasant twist.

My cost totaled to a little over $13, the acai bowl clocking in at $6.99 and the ice cream rolls at $5.99. The acai bowl did not impress, but the ice cream rolls exceeded expectations, with the amount-to-price ratio falling in the customer’s favor.

Overall, my experience at IC Hot left me satisfied and craving more; it represents a family-oriented environment perfect for a kid-friendly outing, yet quaint enough for a last minute study session. Now one of my favorite sweet treat destinations, IC Hot will remain the new “hot” topic of Kennesaw.

The Chant’s grade: A-