When it comes to ice-creams, Scoopi Café has upped the game from child’s play to designer dreams. Living in Dubai, you get used to everything big, bling and exorbitant, and just when we thought we’ve seen and heard it all, Scoopi Cafe’s founder and owner, Zubin Doshi creates headlines with Scoopi’s Black Diamond Ice-Cream.
Priced at AED 2,999 a scoop, this has to be the world’s most expensive ice-cream indulgence! The Black Diamond has an exotic Madagascar vanilla ice-cream base. It is infused with the world’s most expensive Iranian saffron and ‘black diamond’ black truffles, and garnished with 23 carat edible gold. If that wasn’t enough, this dreamy, elite blend is aptly served in a designer Versace bowl along with a matching designer spoon which the buyer can take home as a keepsake.
It took Zubin 5 weeks to come up with this lavish recipe, and when we met him at Scoopi Café this week, he tells us he has sold 17 cups of the Black Diamond so far!
No, I’m not one of the 17 *sigh* but I did have the pleasure of trying out two of Scoopi’s newest creations.
Being a huge fan of chili heat, I was intrigued by Scoopi Cafe’s Chili and Rose Ice-Cream, and had to check it out. It comes in a cup with a large scoop of rose-flavored ice-cream at the bottom, and a smaller scoop of chili ice-cream on the top.
I was expecting the rose to be a pretty pink, and was a little taken aback by the bland simplicity of the presentation. The rose ice-cream was nice and creamy, and had the delicate flavor of rose running through it. If you like the taste of rose, this scoop is for you. The essence of rose is unadulterated and pure, but on its own its a little too light on the palette for me. This cup comes to life with that scoop of chili!
Like the rose, the chili ice-cream is a very innocent looking pale white. A few finely chopped pieces of green chili act as garnish on top, but the hit of chili really took me by surprise! It is hot and spicy yet characterized by the unmistakable freshness of green chili. The scoop of rose added as a respite from the chili heat, and the two flavors work beautifully together.
The other newbie on the Scoopi Café menu is Zubin’s personal favorite, and I could see why. This is Scoopi Cafe’s Sea Salt & Caramel Ice-Cream served with popcorn that has been dipped in liquid nitrogen, and drizzled with a decadent caramel sauce.
Salted caramel has to be one of my favorite things ever, and to have it in the form of a very rich, absolutely creamy ice-cream that has been freshly whipped up in-house is an absolute treat!
I was having spoon wars with my daughter over this one, and she managed to clean up the entire plate (not a popcorn morsel in sight!) which is a rare feat for the fussy eater that she is.
My husband had a cup of Scoopi’s Banana Foster. This comes under Scoopi’s ‘warm’ ice-creams, a warm banana split if you please!
The banana has been cooked in brown sugar and butter with added hints of orange zest and cinnamon heat, and served with a cold scoop of Madagascar vanilla ice-cream. I am not a huge fan of bananas, but Hubby devoured his cup and went on to say that the texture and creaminess of the freshly made ice-cream at Scoopi is far more superior to the commercial scoops we have been having.
Here is what makes Scoopi ice-cream different:
- Everything is made freshly in-house.
- The ice-cream base is made of liquid nitrogen. No eggs are beaten into the mix (founder Zubin Doshi is a staunch vegetarian given his Jain lineage).
- New out of the box flavor combinations are added to the menu on a regular basis.
- You can even think up a crazy concoction of your own, and get Scoopi to make it for you!
- Scoopi offers events catering, and even has a traditional ice-cream trolley that can be used for your very own party!
Scoopi Café is located on Jumeirah Beach Road and is aptly close to Burj Al Arab! The café itself is very small and narrow, but you can spot the funky signage a mile away.
Like the exteriors, the ambience inside Scoopi Café is fun and frivolous. Clever ice-cream and chocolate quotes are splashed around the walls, the lighting features a bold, new-age bulb design and the seating consists of high swirling leather chairs in red and black.
The café only has two tables indoors, and a few more seating spaces outside. However, Zubin tells us the majority of his clients haven’t even been inside the café. Most Scoopi regulars line up the driveway and order on the go.
Apart from ice-creams, Scoopi Café also offers a much coveted chocolate range. This range of assorted flavors is made of very premium French Valrhona chocolate by employing the artisan techniques of Belgian chocolatiers. I didn’t get a taste of these beauties, and plan to be back soon to try them out.
If you have a serious sweet tooth, Scoopi Café is a must-try. And do let me know if you get around to trying the Black Diamond. From what I had, I would highly recommend the Sea Salt & Caramel ice-cream. Trust me, you don’t want to share this one!
The Tezzy Files 