Somehow, it has already been a little over four years since I first stepped foot into this anime-themed ice cream shop called Tsun Scoops. As a guy who has worked in jobs that involve number-crunching for over a decade, I think there's something poetic about me writing this review four years in.
To modify a catchphrase from the the popular '90s pro wrestling faction, the New World Order (nWo), "When you're Tsun Scoops, you're Tsun Scoops 4Life."
In order to attain this level of commitment from a customer, I'd say a business needs to have 4 qualities:
1) Excellent Leadership
2) An Aesthetically-Pleasing Presentation
3) Elite Products
4) Staff who are All In on the mission
Tsun Scoops has all these qualities in spades!
At the top, you've got the owner, Huy, who is the architect of this shop! There's a saying, "Measure TWICE, cut once." Huy started this venture with a dream. He diligently envisioned all the components needed to create a successful business. Then he put that plan into action!
The moment you walk into Tsun Scoops, it is as if you are entering a Utopia of anime bliss. You have original characters like the green-haired, ice cream-with-a-cherry-on-top-beanie-wearing Cream-chan, along with popular characters from various collaborations like Hatsune Miku. I apologize that I can't name all of them, but trust me, you get a good variety of characters that make you look forward to seeing how they will be presented in each new collaboration.
Huy makes his ice cream from scratch, creating unique names to go along with them. As a Filipino-American, one of my favorites has always been the uwube (Ube flavor). With that flavor, I get to experience a taste that is familiar to my palette while getting back in touch with the more innocent and cutesy side of my personality. Yup, I'm not ashamed to say that, because at Tsun Scoops, "Your inner otaku is not just welcomed, it's allowed!" (Modified quote from retired Greek-Filipino pro wrestler and current actor Dave Bautista.).
Other reviews would have already covered this, but the idea behind the name "Tsun" is from the anime term "tsundere" which is a compound word. "Tsun" represents the dark side of a character, while "dere" represents the affectionate side of a character.
Tsun Scoops separates their ice creams with Tsun (non-dairy) flavors on the left side and Dere (dairy - it's a pun, which, as a Filipino-American, I can appreciate since we make puns all the time) flavors on the right side.
My favorite thing is to get the best of both worlds by ordering a double scoop with one flavor from each side.
If you really want to have the tsundere experience, select your first scoop from the Dere side and your second scoop from the Tsun side. So you'll start eating from the Tsun side and gradually unlock the Dere portion of your personality.
But you know, you can do it however you want!
Huy also adds limited-time unique flavors for each collaboration event. So even if you're a regular who has tried all of the usual flavors, the collabs will keep you coming back for something new!
Finally, I have to give a shout out to the staff. Often times, with food service jobs, you can recognize when people are just there for a paycheck. They could care less about the business, which may detract from a customer's enjoyment of the business.
But that's not the case at Tsun Scoops. The staff are All In with their commitment to their role. They serve as an extension of the owner Huy's warm and enthusiastic demeanor. Having said that, each staff member maintains their own level of individuality. So just like a good anime, you get a good mix of personalities who add to the story and enhance your enjoyment of the Tsun Scoops experience.
To quote a song by the K-Pop group TWICE, Tsun Scoops is truly "One in a Million."
If you love ice cream, you'll love Tsun Scoops.
If you love anime, you'll love Tsun Scoops.
If you love ice cream and anime, you'll be in for TWICE the fun.
And if you also love TWICE, Tsun Scoops will give you the chance to find your moment to be "Like Ohh-Ahh" in a way that's genuine.
And don't forget, "When you're Tsun Scoops, you're Tsun Scoops 4Life!"
Enjoy the experience! read more