Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery — Restaurant in Toronto

Every single time I come to this place, I keep forgetting that I’ve been to this place. I came here when I was literally a child, then again in high school, and now in University. Somehow I keep forgetting that I’ve been here, and I always feel happy to know that I ended up in this place.

I worked at a gelato place, so I don’t really crave ice cream anymore, and if I do, I usually go for gelato. But man this place is really good.

Even before Asian flavours were trending, this place was doing it. Back when the only popular flavours were extremely sweet, caramel, or double double chocolate, these people were doing something different. Including the cookie ice cream sandwiches. I think it’s really cool that you could choose both your cookie and your ice cream.

I haven’t really gotten one recently, because I like to eat clean, like in a cup, but I can definitely speak for the taste of the ice cream. From here, I really like to get their milk tea flavour with tapioca. I think it’s so innovative to have tapioca on the ice cream it’s so good.

Do you know when your ice cream starts to melt a lot and doesn’t really hold a lot of shape? Then you just eat it with the tapioca is so smart and innovative. I normally get another tea flavour to complimented, such as matcha, but I can’t eat a lot, so I really appreciate being able to split a cup into two flavors. It’s the perfect portion size.

On top of the flavors, there’s also texture which is really important for ice cream desserts. You can easily go wrong, and make it too hard or soft, but these were perfect. They’re always perfect.

I’d like to when they try other flavours but I’m not much of an adventurer, but we’ll see.

This is completely unrelated to this store, specifically, but if you like dogs, come to this area because holy there are so many large dogs. They’re also cute. Oh my goodness.

For the atmosphere, it’s always so CUTE! I’ve loved the inside and how they display the menu ever since I was a kid. They were really ahead of their time it’s kind of insane. Their menu and outside is also very well decorated, especially with their use of a small space.

I can’t speak much to the service as it’s just an order and give service. But they seem nice and sweet and work efficiently.

100% coming back here, as I always seem to come back here even when I...

If you’re planning to visit Bang Bang Ice Cream Parlour, be ready to stand in line for at least 15 minutes. This place is always packed, which tells you how popular it is. And honestly, the ice cream flavours here are worth the wait.

What I loved most about Bang Bang is that their flavours are very different from other ice cream shops. They don’t just stick to the usual chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. They offer bold and unique combinations you won’t find anywhere else. For example, I tried their lychee, raspberry, and rosewater flavour – something I’ve never seen before – and it was absolutely amazing! It's a tropical mix that feels so refreshing, especially in the summer.

I also had the mango pudding custard flavour, which was just as delicious. These two are now my top favourites, and I’d go back just to enjoy them again. The fruity and floral flavours are a perfect match for warm weather.

On top of that, I also tried one of their famous cookies with two scoops of ice cream – one with coffee flavour and the other with hazelnut. Both flavours were fantastic, and each had its own unique taste. The coffee was bold and rich, while the hazelnut was smooth and nutty.

However, there are a few things I didn’t enjoy. First, they don’t allow sampling. When I asked the staff, one of the ladies said, “We don’t allow samples, but I can tell you how each flavour tastes.” That didn’t make sense to me – how can someone explain a taste without letting you try it? Thankfully, I liked the flavours I ordered, but I might have been disappointed if I didn’t.

Another issue is the portion size. For the price, the scoops are quite small. It’s definitely on the expensive side for what you get.

Also, I noticed the staff wasn’t very friendly. One of the workers was being rude to other customers. I didn’t have to deal with her personally, but I saw her being short and impolite to people who were waiting inside, especially because it got a little chilly. She kept asking people to step outside in a way that didn’t feel kind or welcoming.

Overall, I would still go back – mainly because the flavours are so unique and tasty. Especially that lychee-rosewater-raspberry combo – it’s unlike anything...

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO HERE:

They have lots of different flavours, and they are ultra busy all of the time so the staff are quite knowledgable on their products in terms of favorite sellers and popular combos. You can taste test as well if you're feeling unsure.

The wait was about 20 minutes to order. Considering it's a tiny little shop... 'line up, order and get the hell out of there' type of place, that's quite a wait BUT it is totally worth it if you're looking for some delicious, premium ice cream. The cookies were way too rich for my tastebuds, so I could only finish half of one out of 4 halves. The Dulce de leche was my favourite out of the 4 flavours between me and my friend, I could easily recommend that if you enjoy caramel flavours.

This is not a place you take a date . There is literally no sitdown area as the place is tiny. You could try to nab a seat one one of the nearby benches on the street, but they're usually full already. It's a place to go to if you have a craving for good icecream. Next time I go there I will not be getting the icecream sandwich though, because the cookies are too rich and don't hold well with the icecream. My icecream melted so fast and it was leaking through the paper tray that they served it in...I should have just used a cup. My hands were so sticky from trying to eat the icecream sandwich in a conventional manner, but I ended up just using one of their tiny free spoons. By the time I went back to get napkins they were out, they should really place the napkins at the front counter only.

Even with all the little annoyances, I still wanna give this place 5* because taste is king. The presentation was on point also. I could easily recommend this place to anyone to who likes icecream. And that should be everybody. Unless you're that random person that doesn't like icecream then you basically read all of this for...