Summer (…Almost)!

The temperature has dipped around here. But for a few fleeting days it actually felt like summer would make an early appearance.

A few days ago, I stepped out to experience some new places in the city and discovered Arctic Bites on Baldwin Street in downtown T.O.

Some of my best times in the summer are associated with ice cream. So, I thought why not try an ice cream roll? The icy treat is inspired by street food from Thailand. I ordered a blueberry lavender ice cream roll with crumbled waffle bits and a drizzle of condensed milk and blueberry syrup  The experience combined food and theatre.

It was a visual treat to watch the ice cream artist splash blueberry syrup on a flat, frigid surface. Then her colleague brought over a white liquid — the ice cream — and she blended it with the blueberry syrup.

The liquid  ice cream transformed into creamy ice shards on the cold, flat surface. The artist then rolled the mixture flat and cut it into long vertical strips. Her colleague then rolled it up into individual ice rolls or Arctic Bites and placed them in a cup garnished with whipped cream, and a bamboo stick with three blueberries.

My Arctic Bite tasted of ice milk with subtle flavors of lavender and blueberry. I enjoyed it! And I particularly enjoyed eating my ice cream rolls while sitting outside on a bench in the not-quite summer sunshine.

Arctic Bites, 21 Baldwin Street

To find out what’s on the menu at Arctic Bites, visit the website here.

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Words by HB