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    Malai

    4.6 (20 reviews)
    Closed • 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Malai Takeout or Delivery

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    Josephine L.

    Mmmm, Saffron Soft-Serve. Me like bright buttery yellow frozen treat that tastes like kesar peda. Also, it's about time Indian ice-cream was a thing in NYC. It's embarrassing how the most flavorful cuisine in the world--literally the origin of most spices--has been overlooked for so long in favor of countless bland gelato spots. Go Malai!

    Mango Lassi flavor and Masala Chai
    Jazmin C.

    Malai was such a delicious unexpected treat for me :) I stumbled across this place in west village after a fundraiser hosted on west8th street! All of the flavors are house made and South Asian inspired. I tried the Masala Chai and Mango Lassi and it was genuinely the best combination of flavors. The service was really friendly and fast / I actually feel bad for the people who work here bc they have a huge sign that states you can't try more then 4 flavors - and the 2 girls in front of me did exactly that kept asking for flavors and literally one girl didn't purchase anything at all and the other got 1 scoop of sea salt vanilla ...... Ambiance is cute, small shop light and fresh minimalist but still decorative and cute

    mango cardamom swirl
    Sravya V.

    I had been looking forward to trying this place ever since hearing about it on social media! Thankfully the hype was met. The food was cheap but good quality, and came out quickly! My favorite was the steamed buns (so much so that I bought some frozen ones to take home), which were big, fluffy, and juicy. The pork and chive dumplings were also juicy and flavorful. The fried versions had the same exact filling, but had a crispy fried skin that I really enjoyed as well. Unlike some other cheap dumpling spots, they had plenty of seating available. I will definitely be back!!

    Single scoop, Ginger Root
    Michelle T.

    Malai means cream of the crop.. and their ice cream is CREAMY without feeling overly rich or heavy. With unique flavors inspired from South Asian ingredients, you will want to sample a few flavors before deciding what to order... and they encourage you to taste a few. I sampled the ginger root, cherry black cardamom and passion fruit cilantro. I would have been very happy with a full scoop of all of them, but chose the ginger root, which after talking to the owner, is one of the first flavors they created. The passion fruit cilantro was a fun and refreshing combo. This ice cream stands out as a unique option among all of the fabulous ice cream in NYC. I cannot wait to go back to sample the other flavors and try their soft serve which some others rave about. This shop is currently under scaffolding, so it could be easy to walk by without noticing it if you're not looking for it on Christopher Street. $7.25 for a single scoop. Portion felt generous and perfectly round.

    Split scoop
    Vy T.

    Loved this place! We were walking by and in the corner of my eye I noticed that the flavors seemed so fun and unique. We sampled a few and ended up getting two amazing flavors - sweet corn saffron and saffron pistachio. They were excellent, especially together! The service was quick and there were a few chairs inside to sit. Vibe inside felt clean and pleasant. Unique, fun ice cream place.

    Wendy C.

    Malai is a fun spot in the West Village that serves South Asian-inspired ice cream flavors you won't find anywhere else in the city. The ice cream was genuinely delicious. The only downside is that it's a tiny space with one AC unit that was fighting for its life, and a single staff member handling everything on her own with a line out the door (thus defeating the purpose of the AC). Didn't get to try the soft serve this time, but that'll be for next time.

    Black cherry cardamom and baklava!
    Ronni S.

    Delicious and unique flavors. We enjoyed the black cherry cardamom and baklava flavors. I'd definitely go back.

    Anthony P.

    Been wanting to try Malai for a super long time ever since I heard about their original location in BK. So glad they've finally posted up in WV and are much more accessible for people who live in Manhattan. Really love that they are one of the few spots making south asian flavored ice cream and making that public for people who are both less and very familiar to enjoy. I got the masala chai ice cream and though I enjoyed it, felt it was a bit icy in texture. It wasn't too sweet though, and would definitely come back to check out some of their other flavors. They also sell pints for you to take home. Best of luck Malai! Really want to try the guava flavor next. Gonna have to bring friends to try more flavors all at once. The staff were friendly. It's cute inside, but not toooo many places to sit if that was the vibe you're looking for.

    Parita A.

    Stopped by Malai and was seriously impressed. I had a split scoop of the guava chili and pineapple pink peppercorn, both happened to be vegan, but you'd never know. The texture was more like a sorbet, super refreshing, with a sweet start and just the right punch of spice at the end. Perfect treat on a hot day. The person behind the counter was really helpful, and the space itself is lovely, clean, thoughtfully designed, and inviting. Always love supporting a South Asian-owned spot, especially one that brings such unique flavors to the table. Can't wait to go back and try more!

    Evonne H.

    Went to try their tulsi chocolate chip and it was pretty good very strong spices flavor... will come back try their soft serves

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    3 months ago

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    13 days ago

    Malai is a fun and unique ice cream spot. It incorporates some South Asian flavors and does it well.

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Service was quick, staff was friendly, and the ice cream was good. They have unique flavors.

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    1 year ago

    marvelous inventive ice cream flavors, both dairy and not. great texture too. recommended.

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    4.2(3.8k reviews)
    1.2 mi•Koreatown, Midtown West
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    So after having lunch in New York's Chinatown and taking a stroll through little Italy, we took a…read moresubway ride to New York's K-Town or aka as Korea Town. Upon arrival we noticed the difference in crowds. Not as busy and packed sidewalks. Also it was a lot cleaner than Chinatown. Since we just ate at C-Town, it was time to find a good dessert place in K-Town. So we walked and we walked until I saw a banner sign showing shaved ice desserts. Then I noticed the name of the business is Grace Street. How fitting, because that is my wife's name. So we went in and what caught my eye was a mango shaved ice with mangoes, mochi, strawberries, and condensed milk, however I was over ruled by my wife and we went with the black sesame and mochi and condensed milk. It also had red bean, but that had to be on the side, since that gives me gout. Such nice staff taking orders and we went into the dining area to find a seat. What a large spacious area with many tables. Our order came out and it looked so good. The black sesame shaved ice or snow as it's also referred to as, was perfectly sweetened by the condensed milk and the chewy mochi. Definitely cleaned my pallet from our Chinese lunch and it helped cool me down from the New York heat. We got water, but there was no ice offered, so I asked one of the workers and he was kind enough to get me some. We are through that dessert like, if we didn't finish it fast, it was going to melt. We did not give it a chance to melt one bit. The staff here are efficient, as they saw we were done, they asked to clear our dessert bowl away. It was a nice experience even if it was just dessert. They definitely had more dessert options to offer, but i

    A classic Ktown cafe that has withstood the test of time, serving up solid Asian and Korean…read moredesserts to locals and tourists alike. I really enjoyed their matcha basque cheesecake with a prominent, deep matcha flavor. The texture was pretty smooth and loved how it wasn't too sweet. The Ho-Dduk has the lovely combo of sweet brown sugar/caramel flavor and creamy vanilla ice cream. When its hot, the dough is super chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. The mango bingsoo had a good mango flavor; wasn't too tangy nor too sweet. Mangoes were fresh for the season. The elixir or the matcha bingsoo was solid too, but I still preferred the strong matcha flavors from the cheesecake. Lines sometimes are long but it also moves fast! After ordering, you get a buzzer that will tell you when your desserts are ready. Lots of seating options from tables to high tops.

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    4.3(1.7k reviews)
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