Cash only. However, the best ice cream in town! Plenty of flavors to choose from and great for munching while on the go as you explore Chinatown and surrounding areas!

A small cash only ice cream place with several varieties of Asian flavors. You’re allowed to split one scoop.We got the egg tart, pandan, lychee rose, and almond cookie. My favorite is the almond cookie, and it tasted just like one.They give a lot of ice cream, but it costs about 6 for 1 scoop and ~11 for 3; being relatively pricey compared to other shops or franchises.

Cash only!! But very delicious ice cream. Has plenty of options which they will let you try a sample for the flavors Ive never even heard of before. I had the Don Tot which is described as light creamy Chinese egg custard. It was perfect! I recommend getting two scoops, the first scoop goes for $6.50 while two scoops go for 8.50. Get a flavor you like and know and then try one of their flavors.

You realize this place is special the second you walk by because it’s line is out-the-door! The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has some incredible flavors from Durian to Almond Cookie to its most popular, Lychee. They allow sampling, which is great but makes your selection even harder!It’s crowded inside this small spot but that doesn’t take away from the overall amazing experience. Also, the artwork is adorable!

A GEM of a place in the heart of ChinatownMaybe for a while I was Alice in Wonderland, but I somehow magically stepped into an ice cream factory right in the heart of Chinatown!!! I had no idea such a place even existed. There was a line of people falling out the door as I patiently waited my turn and once inside the first thing to grab my attention was the deep green pistachio ice cream. The employees who work there are really cool by the way.The store has a long history, having been established since the late 70’s and with that a huge customer base. There are so many flavors of ice cream here that you will keep coming back for more. They also have some nice merchandise that is sold at the store.Some of the very popular flavors are Taro, Lychee, Almond Cookie, Mango, Black Sesame, Pandan, Red Bean, Green Tea, Pistachio, Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chip, Mocha Chip, Strawberry, Pineapple, Vanilla Fudge, Coffee, Pumpkin Pie, Banana, Coconut and even Coconut Fudge.

Very unique flavours. I wish Durian was available. One scoop should be sufficient. Highly recommend getting the waffle cone.

I asked if I could try 2 scoops as 4 flavors, each a half scoop. Told no but able to do 2 scoops as 3 flavors (1 full and 2 half scoops):Taro - very good. I noticed I especially like the mid-swallowing taste. The taro connoisseur I shared it with said that taro products usually taste fake, and this does not.Almond cookie - basically marzipan ice cream. FunLychee - my least favorite tasting of the 3, but still good, and it does in fact taste like lychee

I loved that they have a great variety of flavors. Eccentric flavors and great quality. Also, the shop is super cute! However, I think the price is a little too much. We spent $17. And it is cash only.

Love the wide variety of flavors that range from Asians-inspired to the classic vanilla and chocolate. The ice cream all have a distinct eye-catching and saturated color. There was a line outside but the service was speedy and we didn’t have to wait long. The egg tart flavor was subtle but pleasantly similar to the real thing. I love the green tea and cookies, in which the tea flavor came through without being too bitter or sweet.

Super cute ice cream shop in the middle of China town!Love the variety of flavors. Exceptional flavors, hard to decide. If you can’t decide they let you try which is amazing.The only reason I don’t give 5 stars is that I think $6.50 for once scoop is quite steep. Even though the scoop is huge.

Insanely good ice cream with many exotic fruit flavors. The fruit flavors clearly stand out in an enjoyable fashion, texture is very good and the sweetness is just right.Their top-selling lychee and taro are both absolutely amazing and are must haves.Their durian is also quite decent.They also allow samples. The prices are a bit higher but it is definitely worth it for the exoticness.

Really nice mom and pop ice cream shop. They have a lot of flavors like lychee and black sesame that other chain shops wouldnt carry. The ice cream is on the pricier side but their portions are huge! Cash only though.

Lot of original and Asian flavored ice cream. One of the best places!

Cash only!! Amazing ice cream! This place has some of the best ice cream Ive had in the city. Green tea, taro and many other traditional flavors are good but dont skip out on the cookies and cream or chocolate and cookies!! They definitely dont skimp on the cookies. Make the stop for the ice cream. Couple times the waffle cones were not super crunchy, get a different cone or cup instead.

Super cool spot in Chinatown!The ice cream is good and they have unique flavors! I loved the Red Bean.I would go if you’re ever in Chinatown.I’m planning on getting some merch haha

Delicious 😋 ice cream 🍦 I had cookie almond flavor 😋 my favorite there

So many flavors to choose from and all more delicious than the next. This place is worth a visit even as the weather gets colder in nyc. It’s definitely worth a visit! It’s a bit pricey but they do give you a very good portion. Definitely recommend this place!

Rare and delicious ice cream flavors. Even in SE Asia, I never had pandan and durian-flavored ice cream this enjoyable. The ginger ice cream was also exceptional.

Almond cookie ice cream was incredible!! We also loved the coconut ice cream. Pineapple was good not great. They give very generous portions for the price. We got over a pint size for $10.50- 3 scoops

Their “regular” flavours include: Almond Cookie, Black Sesame, Lychee, Pandan, Don Tot (Chinese egg custard), Ube/Taro, Durian (if you dare), Ginger, Zen Butter, etc., then of course they have “exotic” ones such as: Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, Rocky Road. For more about my fave ice cream places, check out my website Joy et Joie.

If you are ever in Chinatown, please please PLEASE do yourself a favor and stop in here and get yourself a cup of pandan ice cream. This place literally has the best pandan ice cream i have ever had In my life. Their other flavors are also very good and you can also find some strange and unusual flavors towards the end. This is a cash only establishment, as are most in the Chinatown area so keep that in mind.

Shockingly good ice cream in a place you would not culturally expect a dairy focused place. The ice cream is just the right texture - soft and scoopable, not rock hard from the freezer, and there is no hint of thickeners, just well churned cream. The Asian flavours are subtle but definitely present: the taro and lychee are excellent.

Has to be one of the best ice cream places I’ve ever been too. The flavors are unique and the staff are very helpful. They give generous portions too. Hope this helps!

The ice cream flavors were all good, however theres the line. Its worth the wait. Thanks

A classic dessert place in Chinatown. Definitely a must visit if you are visiting from out of the city. They have so many flavors it can be hard to choose, but what I love about the place is the variety of Asian inspired ice cream flavors. Ive had their lychee rose before which was pretty good. They also have other unique flavors like almond cookie, thai iced tea, and don tot (egg tarts). Of course, they also have the classics. I also really enjoy the thicker texture of the ice cream and they really fill up the cups over the top so even though its a bit pricey for one scoop ($6.50) its definitely worth it.The most recent time I visited, I tried the taro. Sweet, but not too sweet and definitely a good treat after eating some good Chinese food nearby.

Heard a lot about this ice cream place. Finally decided to visit. It is really small shop. Dont let that fool you. They have about 16 different flavors of ice cream you can pick from. My friend and I got green tea, which tasted like green tea. I did not like it that much. As green tea has bitter taste to it. The other flavor we got was coconut fudge 🤤. That coconut fudge was really delicious & had coconut shaving in it. Good thing about this flavor was that it was not loaded with sugar.Overall great experience. They also have some merch you can buy. I would recommend this place.

My favorite ice cream place in the world. The place to go if you like interesting flavors that are done well. This is the only pumpkin pie flavor Ive ever liked. Its so good and its not disgusting pumpkin spice. Combined with a scoop of the creamy flavors like egg tart or almond cookie is so delicious. But thats no surprise because every flavor they make is delicious and has perfect texture.

Great little ice cream place in Chinatown. They have some unique flavors to try and if they are not too busy they will let you try a couple before ordering. Cash only just like most places in this area.

This ice cream was a bit disappointing for the price! For over $6 for a small, I would have wanted the flavor to be amazing, but it was just average. They were also cash only, at least for small purchases. They get some extra points for having some flavors that you won’t find in most other places, though!

Go-to ice cream shop for Asian flavors in NYC. Not too sweet and the flavors on point! Egg custard is my favorite.

Nice, clean, cool, small, and awesome ice cream spot in Chinatown. Staff is super polite. Plenty of flavors to try, and even sample. Exotic flavors too. Wide variety of topping. Merchandise on sale here too. Definitely recommend trying them out!

Different favor ice cream only able to taste her. Very friendly staff, you can taste different favor before you buy.

My favorite ice cream store in the city. I’ve tried the majority of their flavors - they all taste so authentic and you can taste the ingredients, not just artificial flavoring. The texture is super, super creamy. Some of my favorites are matcha cookies, mocha chips, ube, durian, black sesame, and egg tart. Their ice cream is not loaded with sugar like most typical chains.You cant really go wrong with anything here as long as its the flavor you’d normally like.Cash only. But you can get 2 flavors for 1 scoop!

Really genuinely good ice cream!! I couldn’t decide between all the appetizing flavors so I got the Rainbow flavor which is a little of everything:) highly recommend

AMAZING! 10/10.I was waiting for my noodles and saw a line so I had to try. I got the mango and matcha cookie ice creams. I dont looovvee matcha... I actually kind of hate it but it looked so yummy and Im so glad I got them together. the sweetness of the mango complimented the tea aftertaste of the matcha and the cookie was a bonus. As was the poke decoration 🥰. Ice cream texture and flavor was unmatched. I had to wait but the line moved very swiftly. I didnt get a picture until I was several blocks away.

This was a childhood favorite of mine. I came back and the flavors hasnt changed at all. It is pretty cheap for how much ice-cream they give you.

A landmark of Chinatown, that cant be passed up. NOTE: CASH ONLY! (Also best to bring cash around our beloved Chinatown.) Try a double scoop of taro and matcha oreo. Every cup comes with pocky sticks! Yum! Enjoy!

I really wanted to try the ice cream but the only accept cash, I mean in 2021 how is that possible for a big place like this? Me and other family leave because of this,

Great flavors. there is a lot of variety. the shop itself is small but there are tons of people in just as a sense of how popular this place is. so many unique flavors like black sesame and egg tart and durian and red bean. tons of locals and tourists around. would come back. only thing is it is quite pricey. for just a few more dollars we were able to eat tons of food for lunch. its around $5 and some change for a scoop and $7 for two. in comparison to other ice cream places it is normal pricing.

Love the lychee ice cream! Not too sweet. There’s almost always a line but it’s worth a stop

The original location is 100 times better than the one in the Essex Market. 5 stars!

Been coming here since I was a child and still come for their delicious Lychee Sorbet! Their Green tea ice cream is great too!

Awesome little place! Tried the durian ice cream. It was weird but I liked it! Definitely had to try it. Zen butter was good too. Cute logo as well!

Cash only! Narrow entrance and exit! Delicious range of flavors. Cleanliness is iffy ...

Ice cream flavors youre unlikely to find at any other ice cream place. And even the common ones like Mango and Green Tea seem better. Good place to visit when in Chinatown @ Manhattan.Small location bustling with customers, which is good and bad. Bad because the staff seem overwhelmed and dont have time for a smile and want to move to next customer standing in line

Tried the durian ice cream. Was delicious! Would come back again (pro tip: theres another location in Essex Market)

Super cute ice cream shop in the middle of China town!Love the variety of flavors. Exceptional flavors, hard to decide.

One of the male workers was extremely rude to me, my total was 8.50$ and at first I pulled out 8$ thinking I had more singles but I didn’t so I looked for my 20$ and he made this face like he was really irritated and then pretended to yawn and look away basically ignoring me for a couple of seconds and then I give him the money In his hand just for him to throw it on the counter smh. Mind you there was a short line and it wasn’t busy .Idk if that guy was having a bad day but that was extremely rude, unprofessional and unnecessary from his partPlus the ice cream is just regular ice cream, it’s not all that don’t let tik tok gas up your head about most of these spots in the city.

Ice cream and Asian cuisine don’t jump off the page to me as a synergistic pairing but I’m delighted to say the ice cream at this shop is among the best I’ve had in NYC. Another perk if NYC food culture, you’re constantly learning about awesome flavor pairings, it’s the best. Anyhow, this cash only ice cream parlor in Chinatown doubles down on what it does well, delicious ice cream with excellent flavor profiles and creative variety. This shop boasts over two dozen flavors ranging from classics such as mint chocolate chip to flavors of Asian influence such as their Matcha tea or Dorian selections. I’ve tried a few flavors, albeit on the traditional side but they were all of high quality. Choose a flavor (or two) based on your adventurous scale and dig in! The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory does not disappoint, it’s rather a refreshing surprise to satisfy your sweet tooth. This is ideal choice for ice cream lovers to conclude your dining experience once you’ve finished off an indulgent meal at one of the surrounding Chinatown favorites.

You must checkout The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory when in the area! The friendly staff will let you try their exotic flavors of ice cream. I sampled a few and ordered a scoop of lychee rose... It was tasty! I look forward to visiting Chinatown again so I can try more flavors.

Popular ice cream joint located in Manhattan Chinatown. They serve a large spectrum of flavor that will accommodate everyones pallettes.There are multiple choices of sizes and serving variants.You will only get two samples so make sure you choose wisely and fast. Seems like they want you to move fast even if there is no one there.But quality of ice is always consistent and refreshing. And a fun little shop thats welcoming.

Good range of exotic ice cream flavors but they ran out of don tot ice cream which was something I really looked forward to. Disappointing.

The ice cream is so delicious! I got chocolate and green tea matches and I am craving to go back again soon.

Very delicious ice cream and super friendly staff. They let me try any flavor I asked. Definitely makes for a great stop when in the area or a date night

If you like ice cream and you like it flavors like Sesame, Red Bean, Mango, or Taro, this is the place for you. They will also give you small samples. Note that even with a small cup you can get two different flavors as they can do half and half. Know that they wont put sorbet with ice cream though. They also do cakes and other special orders if you give them enough time. And the Pocky sticks are a nice touch to garnish.

Yum! No pics, sorry, but great ice cream!Pandan was one of our favorites along with Pumpkin Pie👍♥️

The ice cream very fresh and a variety of flavors, they also have sorbet yes its awesome.

Yum ice cream - got the black sesame. Cash only!

Classic - deserves the extra bucks but you do wonder how you can spend 10 bucks on an entre next door or buy ice cream with it. Exotic flavors a must try - otherwise no point to going here.

Had the pandan ice cream and the matcha cookies and cream, both were excellent. The ice cream was the perfect texture, not freezer burned at all. Definitely worth a stop. They had all sorts of cones, probably about 20-30 flavors, and topping optons as well.

Crowded…and there was quite a line, but the wait is worth it! I got both lychee and green tea ice cream and both were great!!!!

Don’t let the not so fancy interior trip you up, this ice cream is 🔥 unique, good flavors. Worth the price!

There are so many ice cream flavors at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, and that is the reason that the line is always so long. The store clerks are extremely patient as many first-time patrons request for a taste of exotic flavor of ice cream. My personal favorite is the Egg Custard: it tastes just like the popular dim sum dish. Other perennial favorites are Taro, Black Sesame, and Green Tea. Personally, I dont think they add enough matcha powder in the Green Tea flavor, but its probably to appeal the flavor to a wider audience. Prices are very reasonable for NYC standards, but beware that the place is cash only. If you find yourself in Manhattans Chinatown (especially after a giant meal at a Chinese restaurant with the elders), stop by the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for an after-meal dessert.

I had pumpkin spice and taro. They were good. Small space. Good service.

Still one of the best Ice Cream places in Chinatown after so many years. This place is more known for their Oriental flavors than their traditional flavors so dont be afraid to try something new. My personal favorite flavor is black sesame. Its not pictured in this review. The flavors I chose this time were Don tot (Chinese Egg Custard) and Thai Ice Tea. There were both delicious. The store is a bit cramped but thats not what youre there for. You can also ask to try flavors before you decide on your purchase.

They had some very unique flavors. Didn’t want to get anything generic so I went with green tea Oreo, black sesame and rainbow mochi. I was a bit skeptical, but it was delicious! PS: CASH ONLY

Awesome ice cream! Great taste, staff are friendly and patience. They will give you free example and will help you. Nice trip to Chinatown!

The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory never disappoints no matter what flavor I choose to have during each visit. Normally, my favorite ones are mango, lychee, and taro. Todays flavor was almond cookie. The almond flavor was very apparent and you got bits of cookie with every bite.I am happy with the inclusion of the soft serve which offers different flavors each day. Todays were taro and vanilla but Ive seen mango and green tea also offered on other days.

Overpriced and werid ice cream texture, so sticky. Not recommend. I tried because of Mike Chen.

My all-time favorite ice cream spot. Must visit with each Chinatown visit! Of course, its almond cookie

Big variety! Soooo yummy. We had taro icecream with lychee bobas.

The creams good but you keep running out of coconut.Edit:Final got that coconut ice cream, tastes really good with mango

Lychee ice cream is just amazing!!!!

CASH ONLY! Awesome selection of ice cream flavors. Ordered the red bean and the brown sugar boba and they were both delicious.

While the ice cream is very good, I was disappointed this time. We ordered an ice cream birthday cake themed for the new year Year of the Pig with three flavors: Taro, Red Bean and Pandan, but when we started to serve the slices, we noticed the cake was predominantly Taro, we hardly noticed the layer of Red Bean, nor even tasted it, and the same with the Pandan. What was the purpose of designing a cake together with one of the employees when they dont follow directions???

This is some god tier ice cream right here, really world class stuff

I can’t believe this tiny little ice cream shop serves more than 30 different flavors although sometimes they may miss one or some other flavors. The shop is often packed with long lines. If you like gelato liked flavors I wouldn’t suggest this place. You’d better stroll down to Little Italy. The flavors served here are more Asian typed like red bean, lychee, black sesame etc. The ice cream is so fresh with real ingredients in it without overly sweet!

Excellent ice cream. $6/scoop (more like the equivalent of 3).plenty of variety to choose and sample from all over the world - i.e., pandan, sesame, ginger, taro, matcha cookies. super friendly staff.

Get the taro and lychee ice cream. Unique flavors always bring me back here!

Small place with a lot of charm, so many amazing flavors! The staff are really nice and explain all the different kinds, my favorite is red bean, great stuff.

Still makes the best ice ice baby cream since I grew up! 🍦🍨🍧 This my goto secret spot in the summer summertime when the living is EZ!

This time around I had the Vietnamese coffee and coconut fudge. As I write this Im mad I finished it and now Im only living on memories.

Great asian ethnic flavors. The black sesame has a great nutty taste. Lychee is perfectly sweet and the green tea is fragrant and delicious.

The portion was huge. Got the taro and green tea oreo. It was super busy and a lot of people were hanging around enjoying their ice cream outside the shop.

Tasty ice cream with many exotic flavors. Worth a stop when in the area.

Tons of amazing flavors you won’t find elsewhere. Quick service. The matcha & cookies is a must try! Cash only. $6.50 for a small (about two scoops).

Our favorite ice cream in NYC, an institution some 60 plus years old. When we visit the city, we live in Ubud, Bali, we never fail to go for the ginger ice cream

A very tasty China town NYC icecream place. I like the Black sesame, The Almond/fortune cookie flavor. I asked to try the funny smelling Durian flavor. It had a musky scent. Lol. But, it was damn good tho.

Get the almond cookie flavor. You wont regret it.

I recommend black sesame and lychee combo ice cream

The lychee flavour is fantastic. Friendly and quick service.

Must visit place for delicious variety icecreams

Chinatown is worth a visit anyway, but make sure you go to the Original Ice Cream Factory and get a cone of one of their amazing flavours. Pumpkin Pie was delicious and I wish I could eat that everyday. If youre adventurous then ask for a taste of the durian fruit flavor....

Family business thats been around over 30 years. It sounds promising, but unfortunately I was bit dissapointed. It looks so cute and nice in the inside. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They have a lot of flavours to choose from. But this alone doesnt make it great. I tried about 5 different flavours and they all tasted quite the same. They were not distinctive enough. I expected something Italian gelato-like - wished for more intense tastes.

Finally no long lines..of course minus 30 degree wind chill might have something to do with that. Stopped by after grabbing a char shui bao and a cup of coffee to warm up across Baysrd St. Had a few bites of sons lychee and pandan leaf (pinescrew) combo...quite tasty ...lots of inventive flavors with the perfect asian infusions. Green tea and oreo ...asian answer to cookies and cream. Lychee had some nice pieces of lychee, always a treat.

Best ice cream this side of town. So glad to have discovered it during our 2nd visit to NYC. Our favorite ice cream place in Brooklyn is under new management. Ironically it is called Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. And we walked the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan and then back into Chinatown. And we discovered this jewel.

First timer in NYC. The location was easy to find in the heart of Chinatown. The shop has a variety of flavours to choose from that you would not be able to find anywhere else, such as Black Sesame. I tried the Pistachio and Strawberry flavours and they were both very soft and vibrant colours and tastes. Its a Cash Only business as well. This makes a good ending to a night out in Chinatown or Little Italy.

This classic Chinatown staple is a must visit for any ice cream lover. In a city with some great ice cream parlors this is my favorite. They have amazing exotic East-Asian flavors like durian, pandan, don tot, lychee, black sesame, red bean, taro, boba, green tea, and matcha among others. They also have old standards like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry for those looking for something more traditional. Either way you cant go wrong as everything is homemade and rich in flavor. The only problem is youll struggle to pass this place again without stopping in for a treat; you might even go out of your way to make that happen.If you do decide to visit just know its cash-only and the space is small so theres nowhere to sit inside. There might be a line in the summer but its well worth the wait.

Love the almond cookie ice cream!

Very cute shop with strong flavours! Cash only though.