The Mission will soon get a taste of the “rolled” ice cream trend when Rolled Up Creamery and Café opens inside of V16 Sushi lounge, at 16th and Valencia street, in a month. This will bring the number of ice cream producers in the Mission’s 1.5 square miles to 11.
Rolled ice cream is made by freezing cream on the surface of a cold metal can, usually with toppings mixed in, then peeling off into thin rolls using a flat-edged metal tool that looks a lot like a paint scraper. The rolls are served together in a cup, and look similar to crepes.
It’s a trend that began in Thailand, said Rolled Up’s owner, Barry Lee. But the serving style has since gained popularity in San Francisco; Let’s Roll Ice Creamery in the Inner Sunset and Steep Creamery and Tea in SoMa both opened in the past three months.
Now Roll Up Creamery and Café will bring the rolled treat to the Mission.
Lee owns I-Tea Kearny, a Boba (bubble tea) shop in the Financial District. He said he was ready to try something new.
“[Rolled ice cream] looks pretty and appealing. I think it will fit the Mission District,” Lee said.
Roll Up Creamery and Café will use organic milk and cream, and Lee is planning specialty flavors, including Matcha and Ube – Filipino purple yam. He’ll also serve boba and soft-serve ice cream.
Although he’s planning a soft opening in a month, Lee said to look out for a grand opening event shortly thereafter.
He’ll face competition, thanks to the high number of other ice cream shops in the neighborhood, including CREAM and Nieves Cinco de Mayo within about a block. Also close by are Bi-Rite Creamery on 18th and Dolores, Garden Creamery on 20th Street, and the new Smitten Ice Cream on Valencia, which uses liquid nitrogen to make each scoop individually.
Even so, Lee is confident he’ll find his place. He is encouraged by the long lines he sees outside other ice cream stores whenever he passes through the Mission.
“There are always a lot of people,” he said. “They like ice cream there.”
A map of all the open ice cream makers with some of our earlier coverage.
Related coverage:
And now there are 10 ice cream makers in the Mission’s 1.5 square miles
In 2011, we served folks on the best flavor at Bi-Rite’s Creamery and Humphry Slocombe
Justino at Bi-Rite’s Creamery, 2012
La Copa Loca, 2012
Perfect (or Not), 2014