Kōri Ice Cream Hawthorn — Attraction in Melbourne

Ice cream is subjective, but I can confidently say this place deserves the crown for the best ice cream. Super creamy, not too icy and it doesn’t melt quickly. Perfect sweetness and plenty of aroma and fragrance that hits the spot.

They have an endless range of flavours and you really can’t tell unless you have a taste test. The staff are super quick and attentive, and they help you narrow your choices by giving you 2 free taste tests to try.

Got the Hojicha, White Sesame and Fuji Apple after trying out a few diff flavs (had a taste of the Milky Peko Chan which I definitely want to come back for).

Hojicha (4/5): delicious! Strong aroma and has a great earthiness which is such a great option after a long day. I realised, however, that I’m not a fan of hojicha or matcha whilst majority of my other friends who have tried this flavour rate this the most.

Fuji Apple (4.75/5): this was so good. It has actual apple shavings which was so fun to eat. Although it is plant-based and is more of a sorbet, the taste was super creamy. Wasn’t too sour, and it was so addicting and refreshing.

White Sesame (5/5): our favourite from our selection. Move over, black sesame, this is literally 10 times better and I love black sesame. It’s not as heavy tasting as black sesame, unless Kori know how to make icecream super light and deadly addictive. Pairs really well in their cones.

Cannot forget about their cones. It is on a whole another level in terms of quality. How it breaks, how it tastes - super crunchy, buttery, and so fun. It doesn’t steal the spotlight from the crazy ice cream flavours.

Also tried their matcha pistachio, strawberry sudachi and miso. I personally prefer pistachio on jts own, the strawberry was a bit too sour, and miso is super interesting but idk if I could eat an entire scoop and not second guess haha.

Of course I’ll be returning, gotta try their Tofu Vanilla, Caramel Purin, Mango Kinako and a full scoop of the Milk Candy one! Or maybe all… this is so hard…

Food: 4.5/5 Value: 4/5 Ambience:...

Had a great experience at Kori! We went on a weekday around 2pm and it was very quick to get served. People trickled in but there was barely any wait time by the time you decide what flavour you want. Staff were friendly and meticulous when filling the tub we ordered - it was amazing watching them take so much care into filling it so precisely. I love how there are so many options and Asian flavours to try! The only thing is it is an indecisive persons nightmare - good thing is we can come back again and try more. The quality is definitely there and bold flavours based on what we tried.

My opinion on flavours I have tried so far.... Nori was really unique - definitely worth trying even if it's just to test the flavour. Initially it has a surprising roasted tea like flavour to it and the after taste of seaweed comes through. Houjicha flavour was great - strong green tea taste. Definitely worth getting a tub! Genmaicha was sweeter than the houjicha so depending on what you prefer. I preferred a stronger tea taste which is why I liked the houjicha more. White sesame blew me away. I heard good things but I didn't want to get my hopes up. It is indeed worth the hype. Fuji apple tastes just like the sweet crispy apple. If you love apple then this will be for you. It literally tastes like apple. Carmel Pudin is great for the sweet tooth. Too sweet for me but if you like Asian pudding and sugar you'll like this one.

They also have a sink for guests which is great. The space is small which is why the queue can get long so if you're in a hurry come during a weekday, otherwise bring some company and you can discuss the flavours in the queue. You'll probably need that amount of time to figure out what you want anyway.

Wish I could try all of them!...

It is expensive. Too expensive? Only if the promised flavours are missing and I'm eating plain ice cream equal to a good commercial brand.

Usually, in ice-cream there is too much of everything: swirls of sticky sweetness, a cacophony of competing flavours.

So 'Japanese-inspired' is good. I like subtle, and I applaud the less intense sugar approach of Japanese sweets and drinks.

Here, as in so many other hand-crafted promises in nice packaging, we are let down by skimping - not on pink shop-paint but on ingredients.

"Kōri feels temporary and playful" the marketing team writes - the flavour was so temporary it was gone before reaching my taste buds.

I don't believe I simply chose the wrong flavour profile. We know what to expect from "Decadent chunks of Hokkaido cheesecake" and "Hit of citrus". At first, I feared it might be the equivalent of the Shibuya scramble. Phew... a nice mouth-feel first spoon followed by ... some rare crumbles of sand. The citrus? Sudachi/Yuzu? Lemon will do. Not even a hint was tipped into the churn.

I kept digging into the 480 ml tub hoping that it was only the first spoonful that was empty... or the seventh. No, it was all of it.

I ended up sprinkling in my own matcha powder because, frankly, the plain ice cream was unremarkable.

If I'd stumbled earlier on the website/branding/inspiration for this ice creamery being the hyperpop movement and kawaii culture I would've understood instantly that I wouldn't be paying...