Sugar Koi
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I WISH I HAD TAKEN MORE PHOTOS HERE, but got too busy stuffing my face in the absolute delight that was their ube flavor. So this one will have to do for now until I'm back! Sugar Koi is one of those rare spots where the experience is just as good as the ice cream. It's locally owned, and the owner is genuinely the sweetest human, remembers customers, and makes everyone feel welcome. Exceptional customer service and just... good vibes all around. Now the ice cream: the ube is the star. It's the best I've had in years. Perfectly smooth, not overly sweet, real ube flavor, and absolutely addictive. Their other flavors are great too, but the ube alone is worth the drive. If you're in Cary (or honestly anywhere nearby), this is a must. Support a small business, eat incredible ice cream, and leave happier than you arrived
Cute place...I had seen some pics of their ice cream creations online somewhere and wanted to try it. I had no idea there was anyplace local to get an affogato (espresso over ice cream). They have fish cookies that they can put on top of ice cream so it would be an especially great place to take kids for a memorable ice cream experience.
The BEST ice cream and the nicest most accommodating owner and his cute assistant who is likely on his first job.
You will have a whole family of returned customers whenever we're in town because the older gentleman working was just the sweetest and their icecream was delish! We've had Taiyaki/Bungeoppang with icecream before, so we were expecting red bean inside but it's just the pastry itself, no complaints but I also love the sweet red bean too. They have a lot of variations of how you can make your combo, I truly liked the rice mochi topping the most. I had the ube and blueberry icecream with fruity pebble toppings. I did not realize what a combo this was until that day! My kiddos also enjoyed theirs, zero complaints. We did come at a very busy time, so the tables and sitting area weren't the cleanest but given the zero downtime they had between customers I'd give them grace. The place itself is small, not much room but I would not skip trying out Sugar Koi!
This is one of my FAVORITE local ice cream places in Triangle. Their seasonal/rotational ice cream flavors make you want to visit them all the time *sigh* - If you are looking to try uncommon Asian ice cream flavors, this is where you should go! Additionally, I absolutely love the owner Nat. He is super friendly and always makes small chats with the customers. The vibe inside Sugar Koi is also welcoming and friendly. I only have good things to say about this place!
Updating my review since my original review was years ago from when they were still in Durham! SugarKoi remains one of my favorite ice cream shops in the triangle (might be THE favorite anywhere really)! I always get one or more flavors of Nat's Asian ice cream / sorbets with a koiyaki which is made fresh in-house. He does rotate through flavors regularly so I recommend following SugarKoi on Instagram for the new flavor drops. They also have pints you can bring home! While I'm sad SugarKoi is no longer in Durham, the current Cary location comes with ample seating indoors and a nice parking lot for easy parking.
The customer service was wonderful. It was a line with 1 person working, but he was friendly and efficient. I went on New Year's Day. The shop was very clean and offered seating. They offer a variety of flavors. My favorite are Ube, Honey Dew, and Muscadine Grape. I selected the Koiyaki dessert. It comes with the fish shaped cone, 2 scoops, a topping, and 2 treats. It was so good. The current price is $8. The flavors switch every so often. I can't wait to see the next line up. They have plenty of parking. They also sell points of ice cream, coffee, tea, etc. THIS IS A MUST GO TO FOR YOUR ICE CREAM!!!
The ice cream and toppings were great! The service was quick and the employees were very kind. It's a very family friendly place but also a good hangout or date spot.
Stopped in for a milkshake. Put the milkshake ordering to the side for a minute because I was so blown away by all the options of flavors that they had for ice creams, which also can be choices for milkshake flavors. Nat allowed me to try many flavors, all of which were delicious and unique! They were all very much true to taste with the description of each. It made the decision hard of what flavor to choose! I ended up choosing the purple yam flavor and then decided to also get a key lime pie milkshake for a dessert at a later point in time too. Upon checkout, I saw he had some baked goodies that they actually make in their own kitchen. They also have unique bottled drinks you can purchase. At this point, I then realized that there were more specialty drinks and they had holiday flavored specials. I ended up getting a toasted marshmallow latte as well. Everything was really good and it did not take much time to make all 3 orders at all. Nat was a delight to chat with. Will definitely be back!
first time here, the koiaki dessert is a must get! the ambiance was so cozy! The staff was so nice and let me try all the flavors before deciding on one!
Heard this place was good! So I had to go there myself. This is a famous ice cream store too. There are various ice cream and sorbet. The server was nice and answer all the questions and let have samples!!! I didn't want ice cream and decided on the dragon fruit sorbet!!! Very nice place and had seating inside. The guava ice cream was delicious too!! So if you're In the area. Stop by and give it a try!!!!
Small shop but the flavors were great. They have two sets. The first set contained classic flavors and the second set had more variety that i would expect. All the samples we tried were great and not overly sweet. The koi fish on top is served warm.
4 years ago
The ice cream here is amazing! Staff is always nice and the owner always has a smile on his face and is extremely helpful! They have unique home made flavors like red bean, black sesame, mango, ube, Thai tea and matcha and they are all great. The Koiyaki waffle is such a great touch and is always crispy and hot. I always get fruity pebbles and mochi as my toppings but they have so many choices for everyone. The Thai tea drink is really good also! Check out @raleating on Instagram for RDU Triangle food recommendations. read more
2 years ago
The environment was so relaxing, and in a beautiful historic downtown area. We traveled 30 mins to come here. It was well worth the drive.. I ordered a chocolate/Vanilla soft serve fishcone and a vanilla green tea. We we stayed and chatted with the owner and learned that he makes not only the fishcones from scratch himself, but the vanilla green tea and some of the other ice creams as well. I highly recommend this place. You will get not only top of the line ice cream, but maybe you'll be lucky to have a great conversation with the owner who will make you feel so welcomed the entire time! read more
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you Amanda.
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you Wendy!!!
5 years ago
What a gem of a spot! This really reminded me of a cool dessert place in Tokyo. I had the matcha-vanilla swirl with the fish cone. It's really delicious soft serve that is not too sweet and a good consistency. The fish cone had a great flavor and was light and fluffy. It just looked adorable too. The only critique is that the matcha flavor was lacking a bit for me, I really like a strong flavor. Will be coming back when I need a soft serve fix! read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so very much J E.
3 years ago
Nat at Sugar Koi is the sweetest and his ice cream flavors are the best! Love the Koi fish waffle, the Brown Butter Truffle, the Pandan and the Ube. Try something new!! Fun Asian snacks, shirts and toys to buy too. read more
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so much C H.
5 years ago
My boyfriend and I were referred here by a friend and it did not disappoint. By far my favorite ice cream place in Durham. The koi waffle cone was so sweet and delicious. It was exactly like a waffle not like a waffle cone, but it was perfect with the ice cream. I got the Thai tea ice cream with mini mochi and a pirouette stick. The mini mochi was so cute and delicious. The pirouette cookie was a mocha flavored one which didn't pair too well with the Thai tea ice cream. I can't wait to go back and try more! read more
4 years ago
Came for the Sugarfish, left with a happy belly My girlfriend got the chocolate soft serve with mini mochi and wafer while I had the green tea with the same toppings I just have to say that I didn't expect soft served green tea ice cream to be so good but it was! We got our sugarfish freshly made so it was still hot and it tasted like cinnamon, which I liked Definitely coming back with friends! Update: came back with the girlfriend and this time they had the green tea with chocolate swirl soft serve. EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! The fish still taste as good as the day I had it, cinnamony. read more
My mom asked what I had for dinner. I told her I had fish ;) she was so proud :) and I was so happy! Everybody wins! That's why sugarfish is so awesome! The fish cone was crisp and cakey just like a waffle and complimented the soft-serve perfectly. I would say more flavor choices would be the cherry on top (or should I say bait on the hook), but overall, it is a FINtastic idea. read more
7 years ago
I've been seeing Sugarfish on my Instagram a lot lately so naturally, I had to try it last time I was in Durham! The space is small and a little bit hard to find (keep going through to the back of the shops) but it's totally worth wandering a bit for a VERY tasty soft serve served in the cutest (and tastiest) koiyaki! I ordered a vanilla green tea mix with mochi and it was perfectly refreshing! The green tea wasn't too overpowering and the mochi was a nice extra street! Really the only downside was that the koiyaki itself got soggy pretty quickly, so I had to eat my ice cream pretty quickly (not that that was a problem- so tasty!) so that it wouldn't fall out the tail. I will definitely be back, as I didn't get the chance to try their coffee! So far i'm impressed! read more
You can't say too many ice cream places are unique but this one definitely is. The novelty is eating ice cream out of a cone shaped like a fish, although it is a little cakey and can get soggy if your ice cream melts too fast. They also offer unique flavors like matcha green tea, Thai tea and vanilla bourbon (the staff said it was their best seller). Make sure you go into Brightleaf Square to find them since they aren't visible from the center courtyard. read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you very much Aydyyn.
SO YUMMY! Not a ton of ice cream flavors, but the ones I have tried have been incredible. Most recently I got the mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cake cone, and it was so creamy and had a ton of chips. I finished it in minutes! Got a kiddie size, which was like 2 full scoops! The prices were pretty low and you get a lot for each serving. There are often lines when you get ice cream, so make sure you keep that in mind when going to Brightleaf. In my experience, the lines move quickly. Staff is very friendly and the location is awesome! read more
7 years ago
Great service and tasty ice cream! We got to the shop about 10:30 am and it was open. We were immediately greeted and shown the menu. I totally enjoyed the experience! Update! Went back and it's still delicious and the service is still good. Friendly manager he was happy to let us try a sample before we ordered too! read more
7 years ago
I stopped by to see what the sugar fish waffles were about and I had a chance to talk to the owner that day - a wonderful person and I had very good conversations with him. I loved the fish waffle cone! It was a hybrid between a cone and cake and I really loved it. The softy ice cream which I got In Chocolate+vanilla was alright. It could have been a little smoother/creamier. The day I'd gone , maybe a day or two since it opened, they said their softy machine was still being worked on so I'm hoping they've fixed it. :) In any case the other flavours that are not softy flavours look very interesting and I will head back to try it again. read more
Not gonna lie, was pretty disappointed by this place. The fish pancake itself was pretty dry, and they had no fillings as well. Usually in a fish pastry like that there is redbean or custard, but here they had none which was really disappointing. The soft serve ice cream was also really icey and didn't have a good texture or flavor. Like it was ok, but I've had a lot better. The price was also pretty high for the quality. Overall an ok place, but there potentially for so much more. read more
Found this little alcove tucked into Brightleaf by accident, but, man, was I happy to! I asked if they could make an affogato and was treated with "Of course!" I tasted the Brown Bourbon Chocolate Truffle, but decided on Butter Pecan, because I am a good Southern Gentleman who cannot pass up pecans in any fashion. It was amazing! Both of the flavors I tried were full, rich, and had big chunks of flavorings, not little wimpy specks and flavorings added. The espresso was bold in flavor with a nice crema that mixed with the melting ice cream to form a froth of flavorful fun! The perfect end to a great early fall evening. I'll definitely be back here! read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so much Emily.
7 years ago
The ice cream isn't anything special but the fish cones are delicious! I ordered a green tea/vanilla swirl & couldn't really taste either flavor in the ice cream. It just tasted like a sweet cream. The fish cones are really tasty though! Unfortunately immediately after it was handed to me the whole thing tipped over & fell to the floor. I'm not sure if it was particularly melty or what but I hadn't tipped it or even started eating it. Thankfully they very graciously made me a new one while I cleaned up the floor. I had my dog with me & asked if they did pup cups & they gave me a little cup with whipped cream that he quickly woofed down. I wish they'd make ice cream sandwiches with their fish cone! The fish cones really make it. It was fun to go to once but I'd probably go elsewhere for a true ice cream craving read more
This ice cream place is unique. It has a Japanese influence by serving mini-mochi, Pocky sticks, and a cone shaped like a fish. The cone is tasty. It's thicker than a waffle cone. I'm glad we found this place since we are just visiting from Houston. read more
2 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so much Karina!!!
6 years ago
Sugar Koi is an absolute gem! The location is downtown Durham in a beautiful building and you can take a walk at night through the nicely lit Brightleaf Square. Wide variety of flavors including unique flavors like ube and matcha that you won't find in many ice cream shops. The owner is so sweet and I love supporting this local shop! read more
6 years ago
I don't believe they do the soft serve anymore, or maybe it was just on the day that we went. I was expecting the ice cream to be pipped into the fish waffle's mouth, so we can hold the fish waffle cone. Instead the ice cream was in a cup and the fish waffle placed on top of the ice cream. Regardless, the ube ice cream was still yummy. Hopefully they have the soft serve version next time. read more
I've always wanted to try a taiyaki cone, but all the places I've seen have been mainly in NYC or some other big city. So, I was super excited to see that Sugar Koi was selling them right in downtown Durham! I got the vanilla + matcha swirl soft serve with chocolate sprinkles, mochi, and pocky. I was pretty proud of my pairings - the chocolate sprinkles paired really nicely/ gave a more bitter accent to the lighter, sweeter soft serve! But the soft serve itself had an icy texture, and also their respective flavors were pretty subdued. I also just really like matcha, so I wished the flavor were a bit stronger, haha. Sadly the cone had a dry texture. The koi cone is a cute, aesthetic novelty in Durham, and I think if the owners could just make the cone a little more moist/ soft and the soft serve less icy, then it'd be a great special treat!! We got a 50% coupon from a leasing office also in Brightleaf right beforehand, and without a discount I probably would not get the cone again. Full price (without a coupon) it's around $7. However, not to knock Koi Fish completely! The owners were so cute, the woman gave us free Sugar Koi pins. It's such a cute shop, and they seemed to have yummy coffee options. I'm determined to come back again and try their coffee! read more
7 years ago
First, the staff is enjoyed friendly! They great you with a warm smile and give your the run down if you're a first time patron. Secondly! Holy heck! The ice cream selection they have is wonderful... you must try the oatmeal Cooke and the bourbon flavored ice cream! I love the selection of cones, especially the fish cone... it's like a waffle but like a cake lol basically it's a joyful bit! If ice cream isn't your thing... no worries! They have coffee, cookies and brownies! Check them out and then go for a walk around Bright Leaf Square! Follow my IG for additional pictures: @SipSipSpill read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you Subhajit !!
3 years ago
Nice workers and good ice cream. Overall good presentation too! Found them off a tiktok and went in to try when I saw it was local. read more
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so much Morgan!!!
4 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you Mary Ann!!!
3 years ago
Business owner information
Nat J.
Thank you so much Geneane.
7 years ago
the fishcone was just like bread, not crispy.. regular sugar cone was much better.. soft serve itself was just ok.. not worth of $5, but it's more than $7.. Ice cream was better than soft serve.. read more
5 years ago
One of my favorite spots to go! Great customer service with great attitude! love it every time! read more
More info about Sugar Koi
116 Kilmayne Dr
Cary, NC 27511
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(919) 757-2399
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http://sugarkoi.com
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