Ice Cream Brand Featuring Indian Spices Opens Shop In Cobble Hill

COBBLE HILL, BROOKLYN — A new ice cream shop that opened over the weekend on Smith Street is anything but vanilla — literally. Popular ice cream brand Malai, which features unique flavor pairings inspired by Indian spices, has opened its first permanent storefront in Cobble Hill on Saturday.

The new "scoop shop," offering flavors like Turkish coffee or coconut tahini, held its grand opening at the 268 Smith Street over the weekend. The brand, started by owner Pooja Bavishi in 2015, had previously been available online or in stores like Whole Foods, Foragers and other markets, according to its website.

Bavishi decided to turn her love of experimenting with cooking and baking as a hobby into the ice cream business after she graduated from New York University's Stern School of Business.

"Pooja's interest in flavor development and fragrances of unique spices can be traced back to her childhood," her website reads. "On any given morning, you could spot Pooja taking long whiffs of her parents' chai often before they took their first sip, a practice that they patiently indulged. Although atypical, this was the first step into a lifelong passion for experimenting with aromatic spices, global cuisines and unconventional flavor pairings."

The business owner told Eater that she had been afraid at first how people might react to some of her flavors, since they are inspired by the way her North Indian parents season savory dishes, but found that the city embraced the unique offerings.

“New York audiences always prove me wrong,” she said.

Bavishi continues to craft all of Malai's flavors, a list of which can be found on its website.

The new store will also feature a seasonal option for March, which is made with sweet roti & ghee. Customers can load up their cone or cup with homemade toppings, too, the business said.