Spotlight | The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Throughout the month, Broadway Stages will feature and celebrate exceptional people, businesses, and organizations of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. We invite you to join us in recognizing their accomplishments and contributions! Today, we shine the spotlight on the world-famous Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

Chinatown has changed a lot since the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (CICF) opened in 1978, and so has the ice cream shop. In addition to selling ice cream, the shop housed an arcade and sold candy. But today, the ice cream is enough to keep the crowds lining up.

Christina Seid’s father, Philip, opened the CICF a few years before she was born, so she grew up working in the shop. Later, after college and a year as a teacher, she came back and took the reins from her father. While she grew the business substantially, she is adamant about keeping the shop true to its origins.

“When I see some small businesses opened by young kids, and they call each other CEO, it sounds crazy to me. This is a very traditional Chinatown small business,” said Seid. To this day, all 30-plus flavors are made in-house and taste great in an oversized waffle cone.

And those unique, diverse flavors are the key to their success. I assure you, you will have to seek wide and far to find a shop with durian ice cream. Walking in, you are greeted by various brightly-hued ice creams in flavors like lychee, don tot (Chinese egg custard), red bean, ube, and ginger. A scoop of almond cookie comes with cookie crumbles from the Golden Fung Wong Bakery. Another favorite “zen butter” includes toasted sesame seeds added to a peanut butter base. Is your mouth watering yet? 

One customer suggested mixing flavors, “My go-to’s are the pandan and lychee flavors since they pair well together. The pandan flavor is rich and strong, which complements the light, lowkey fruitiness of the lychee.” Another comment echoed this, “So many flavors to choose from. I chose the matcha cookie and taro, which was a staff suggestion…it was so good.”

But they also cater to the traditional ice cream fans with the tried and true “exotic” Western flavors (all made in-house) like chocolate, vanilla, and pumpkin pie. Keep an eye on their Instagram and Facebook pages for special appearances of flavors like Banana Durian and Caramel Cheesecake.

We encourage you to take a look at their menu. If you are not sure what flavor you want, the staff will be happy to get a sample for you to try. One patron said, “The staff was friendly and let us try as many flavors as we wanted, which we were thankful for because we had such a hard time choosing.” An out-of-town visitor said, “One of the best ice cream places in New York City (and the world), offering flavors that you will find at few other spots.” That said, luckly you can find these distinctive flavors and dedicated service in two other locations. Ever the savvy businesswoman, Seid has expanded the Ice Cream Factory to Flushing and the Lower East Side.

While many customers are tourists who venture to eat at CICF, they still have plenty of locals who appreciate a scoop of Zen Butter. “I want to make the store a community where everybody feels welcome, a community where a bartender hugs you and comes to your wedding. There are some restaurants that used to be like that in Chinatown,” said Seid.

Broadway Stages loves ice cream. Who doesn’t? But we are also partial to family and minority-owned businesses, especially those wit confident, innovative leaders at the helm.  Please venture to Chinatown, Flushing or the Lower East side to savor the amazing flavors offered at the Ice Cream Factory. And when you get there, be sure to tell them that Broadway Stages sent you!