Established in 2021, Good Taste shares where to raise your chopsticks, forks—or, in the case of this week’s fresh frozen treat index, spoons—in the Bay Area.
San Francisco doesn’t necessarily need a seasonal excuse for a frozen treat, especially when so many fun options abound around here. However, three particularly good places have opened up in the first half of the year that should be on any frozen dessert lover’s hitlist.
Yuja
A large, airy, and quiet cafe that serves large savory bowls with a variety of Asian ingredients, but Yuja is getting particular attention for dessert: sweet-tart Chinese frozen yogurt. Good Taste is here to confirm that it’s incredible, and that no drop will go to waste. The chocolate cherry honey almond topping hits all the right textures and notes, but the lemon curd and blueberry sauce topping is also impossible to put down. There’s also the option to top the froyo with a chocolate shell or honey almond. Starting at $4.50, with toppings costing $1.50 (or $2.50 for the chocolate cherry honey almond), there’s no danger of loading up a $20 cup at one of the self-serve froyo places around town. 396 Harrison Street, SF. www.yujakitchen.com
Polly Ann Ice Cream
The Sunset District’s Polly Ann Ice Cream, unknown to most of SF since 1955, has opened in the Financial District. Old-school flavors including Bumpy Freeway (aka Rocky Road with walnuts) and Star Wars (now a blue birthday cake with marshmallows) share space with new trends including Dubai Chocolate and Boba-Milk Tea. Polly Ann has long excelled at Asian flavors. If it’s hard to decide what to get or you want to take a chance, spin the wheel and your scoop of whatever it lands on may be free. 120 Pine Street, SF. www.pollyann.com
Tokyo Cream
A family-owned matcha, hojicha, and dessert shop from Roseville opened a second location along a competitive stretch in SF’s Sunset. Hokkaido milk powder from Japan is incorporated into the quickly-melting soft serve cones and sundaes, which imparts a deep and memorable flavor. And Tokyo Cream’s Kouignigiri (a Kouign-Amann pastry shaped like an onigiri) and Croquant Choux are too good, especially when dipped into the soft serve. Hey, it’s summer! 1838 Irving Street, SF. www.tokyocreamusa.com
