iHalo Krunch — Restaurant in Toronto

Charcoal Ice Cream took over Instagram and Facebook here in Toronto. I had the chance to go and check out Ihalo with my girlfriend to see what the hype is all about.

A few tips before I begin: for those traveling outside of Toronto, there is free parking around the neighborhood if you're willing to look/wait long enough.

My girlfriend and I went up on a weekday and there was already a line up. I dropped her off so she could line up while I park. In total we waited about 30 minutes to get our Ice Cream. The staff were really kind and accommodating that they were giving out water bottles to waiting patrons. Also, when we got to the register and paid for our cones, they were waiting for more Charcoal Cones to be made. Because of that, they allowed us to sample every flavor essentially and kind of regretted not getting the matcha (which tasted really good btw)

What my girl and I ordered was the "Black on Black", which is the Charcoal Soft Serve and the Charcoal Cone, and the "Ube Nut", which is the Charcoal & Ube Swirl Soft Serve. Overall they were extremely good, it wasn't too sweet and not too bland where you can really taste the coconut of the Charcoal Soft Serve and the Ube. The cone itself has a grittiness that I'm really fond of and has some marshmellow fluff at the bottom of the Charcoal Cone which was a nice surprise. Each cone was $6.50 on the dot, where me and my girl spent $13 exactly

Personally I think that the lineup is worth the wait, the price is somewhat pricey but that's usually the price you would pay for any good Ice Cream. My girl and I had a great experience there and would come back and try out the other combinations (really regretted not...

WHAT TO TRY?

Without question, the charcoal coloured coconut ice cream in their charcoal coloured cone!

I don't think you would not try it even if I didn't recommend it right? It's the hype going around that has the Toronto community on fire about this ice cream shop!

Of note, it's not the burnt charcoal that they add in the ice cream but the activated charcoal, a powder.

I didn't have to wait long before I got in because I went on labour day! The line goes pretty fast though because all they have to do is dispense the ice cream from the ice cream machine like the soft serves.

I got ube nut and matcha bean in their black cone! I really liked the coconut flavor though which is the black ice cream. Matcha tasted like matcha too but I couldn't really taste the bean flavor or the ube (purple yam) flavor though. The only thing I don't really like was the texture. At times I thought it was grainy but the ice cream texture did remind me of sorbets so I assume it's grainy because of the way the ice cream was made and the proportions of sugar to milk to cream to ice. I thought it was also nice how they added something more to the waffle cone. Not only is it black but at the bottom last bite of the cone, you get some marshmallow to finish off! Overall, loved the ice cream!

LAST TIP?

You can mix and match cones! So you don't have to have the whole cone just one flavor. You can have half half which I did!

Beware...other than your tongue and lips turning black, when you go for #2 in the bathroom in the morning or the next day, you're going to see the poop in black!!! But don't...

This is a very popular ice cream shop and for good reason. They have an interesting selection of flavours and even the cones are crispy and delicious. I ordered the Black on Black cone, which has an intense coconut flavour mixed with an interesting charcoal texture that enhances the experience. My friend ordered the vanilla bean cone, which she loved as well. The ice cream is light and creamy, and it's a perfect treat on a hot summer night (or day or morning really). The only downside is that the ice cream melts, so you will want to eat it quickly or it will start to drip all over. I spilled a bit on my shirt, but the situation was easily resolved with a little soap and water.

Customers seem to be struck by a compulsion to take selfies with their cones on the way out. This provides an amusing opportunity for some people watching as you wait for your chance to get some ice cream.

Day after update: I highly recommend ensuring that you have access to a functioning, high performance toilet during the 24 hours after eating this delicious ice cream. The charcoal apparently has a detoxification effect, which sounds really cool but be prepared for the reality that accompanies this detox. You may experience some powerful and oddly coloured excretions afterwards. I found myself rushing to a Loblaws restroom the day after when the charcoal decided that it would no longer require the services of my intestinal tract. Plan your day after accordingly: the detox experience can last for a day. On the plus side, it's way cheaper than a...