Mention soft-serve ice cream and the first thing that comes into people's minds would be the sugar-laden versions sold in malls and convenience stores. I did like them when I was younger, but things are different now that I've added a few years to my life. South Korean soft-serve joint Milkcow aims to change that – with its use of organic milk and natural honey.
Milkcow's location at Eastwood Mall opened in December 2014 at the former spot of an establishment selling soymilk and sweet bean curd. Despite its small space, it proved to be a popular destination for the business park's visitors.
Milkcow used organic cow's milk from South Korea, vanilla, and pure natural honey from Australia and New Zealand for its ice cream. However, Milkcow did not limit itself to ice cream and also offered macarons, croissants, and hot coffee drinks.
Milkcow utilized the limited space it occupied in Eastwood Mall to promote its use of cow's milk. Black and white colors mimicking cow spots littered the space, while the tables and chairs in brown provided a pop of color. It had two doors that allowed customers to enter at one door, buy their ice cream, and exit through the other. Raw honeycomb blocks and a variety of macarons – locally made, mind you – were displayed for patrons to see.
The very first soft-serve creation I tried from Milkcow was the Macao Dream. It consisted of the signature soft-serve ice cream with almond slices and a chocolate macaron on top. The rich ice cream jived well with the almonds and the chocolate macaron rounded out the medley. The macaron was exceptionally crafted, suiting the entire mélange very well.
Meanwhile, the Cookies and Cream was essentially that: soft-serve ice cream with crushed Oreo bits. This reminded me of a richer and healthier version of McFlurry. Macarons could also be purchased as an extra topping -- which I did exactly, picking the Salted Caramel Macaron to go with it. The crunchy cookie bits and chewy macaron provided texture to the otherwise smooth ice cream.
On the other hand, the Snow Drop was a child's dream come true. It featured candy shop specialties such as cotton candy and jelly beans on top of Milkcow's signature soft-serve. I found this too sweet for my liking, but a former partner appreciated it more. In addition, I also found the amount of toppings rather overwhelming. But to each their own.
The establishment's popularity soared until around 2017, when its normal customer base started dwindling. I last visited the establishment that year, and noted to the staff member on duty that Milkcow no longer had the same volume of customers since it first opened. The staff member nodded in agreement. Soon after, Milkcow's Eastwood Mall branch permanently closed its doors. Another ice cream establishment– Cara Mia Gelateria – took its place in early 2019.
This ends my rather short review (and retrospective) of this now-defunct Milkcow branch. Until the next review, bon appetit.