In High School, Science was never a favourite subject for me - memories of pretending to know what I was pouring into my conical flasks mixed with my constant struggles with the damn Periodic Table.
Ice Cream, on the other hand, is a subject I'm absolutely passionate about and in all honesty, believe I sort of excel in. I excel in the consumption of Ice Cream, so to clarify. Upon hearing about the opening of a new gelateria that uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, I decided it was only relevant that I popped by N2 for a visit. Or maybe two.
N2 Extreme Gelato is the new ice creamery/hot spot in Chinatown, situated at the upper end of Dixon Street and right next to Twisted Noodle House. With the magical element of liquid nitrogen (N2), fresh ingredients can be frozen within a short period of time and voila, you've got yourself some ice cream!
Upon walking in, I found myself face to face with the ice cream scientists - clad in lab coats and glasses, the experts stood behind glass cabinets filled with conical flasks, beakers, and liquid nitrogen. I loved the atmosphere of N2: despite the laboratory-like ambience, the black tiles, colourful decor and bright KitchenAid mixers made the place fun, playful and intriguing.
What makes N2 different from your ordinary gelateria (apart from that cool nitrogen stuff) is that the place boasts a quirky and exotic blend of flavours that will make your tastebuds ponder and wonder with absolute curiosity. Apparently they keep things fun by changing the flavours every now and then on their blackboard. I've been two times and it's actually true - different options on both occasions! (Sorry for the blurry photo!)
On our first go, M ordered the Oreo Creampie ($6) and I opted for the much-raved-about Caramel Infused Earl Gray ($6). The fun started AFTER we ordered! We quickly gathered in front of the counter and watched as our gelatos got churned by liquid nitrogen.
The Oreo Creampie was just amazing! I couldn't believe how silky smooth the texture of the ice cream was. Large chunks of oreo biscuit amongst every bite here and there. It was a cookies and cream sensation :D Cone and cup are same price!
The Caramel Infused Earl Gray was just divine. The flavour was well balanced yet still irresistibly delicious and creamy. I can understand why it's one of the best sellers! Definitely coming back again for this one :)
On our second visit, we tried out Sour Cream Chocolate ($6) and Mango Sorbet ($6). Yes, I admit, initially I was a tad worried about the whole sour cream mixing with chocolate idea. HOWEVER, I was reassured by the staff that the sour cream was barely noticeable and would taste yum!
And indeed, the Chocolate delivered. GOD IT WAS SO CREAMY AND LUSCIOUS! A must-try for chocolate lovers like me.
The Mango Sorbet was also very tasty! It resembled the Weis mango ice cream with its full fresh mango flavours and I'm sure it will prove to be a bigger hit as the weather warms up.
On the whole, I would give N2 Extreme Gelato the absolute thumbs up! Although many criticise the fact that $6 a scoop is quite expensive, I seek to disagree. The proportion they give you is bigger than you think and probably equates to your usual 2-scoop at some other gelateria. Plus, you're paying extra for that cool quirky nitrogen factor :P
I love how on their menu they only indicate the price for one scoop and next to the option for two scoops, it claims: "YOU DON'T NEED IT". I think there are also options for shakes but lets face it, we're here for the ice cream!
I am definitely looking forward to trying some other new flavours at N2, and with summer fast approaching, I think I just may become a regular here ;)
P.S. Maybe because of the nitrogen or some fancy science theory, the ice cream melts quite fast, so avoid chit chat with friends and just gobble it all up asap! :D
N2 Extreme Gelato
43/1 Dixon Street
Sydney NSW 2000
http://n2extremegelato.com.au/
Labels: Dessert, Gelato
