While I sleepily browse my phone just north of MacEwan Residence, a white rabbit comes by fretting he’s going to be late. I chase him down his rabbit hole and go on a trippy adventure involving a talking doorknob, a cheshire cat and these weird twins who talk in rhyme.
Maybe it was a dream, but either way, I end up in a wonderland of frozen treats at White Rabbit Ice Cream’s new shop (and after hanging out with this super-chill caterpillar, I really had the munchies). This establishment is serious about being cute, with charming decor, adorable rabbit branding, and pastel aesthetics that match the palette of its unique assortment of small-batch, gourmet ice creams.
White Rabbit’s selection grows curioiser and curiouser, starting with classics like mint chip and strawberry before delving into the less familiar flavours like London Fog and Lemon Cookie. The most experimental choices are White Rabbit’s feature items which aren’t as mad as a hatter but are certainly peculiar — like the current White Rabbit Milk Tea.
We stand for a long time, glazing our eyes at the menu before making our decision. Like Kind Ice Cream’s famous Real Deal Strawberry Flavour, White Rabbit uses real strawberries in its own batches, so naturally, we have to see how it stands up. But we didn’t come here for just the old favourites, so we also try the London Fog, which uses Edmonton-made Earl Grey tea from Vintage Fork.
The two scoops are served on a crisp waffle cone which can only be described as snickerdoodle-like in nature but isn’t too sweet to overload the whole experience. The strawberry flavour is thick and densely packed with bits of juicy bits of fruit. Just like The Real Deal, it adds that extra freshness to the decadence of the heavy cream, which balances the flavours.
When getting two scoops, it’s always good to pair your choices intentionally because you can get an entirely different animal when it blends in the middle. As the strawberry melts into the London Fog, it brings just the right amount of fruity acidity and sweetness to the fragrant tea flavour. Suddenly we’ve created a new flavour altogether, which tastes like we’re having high tea with strawberry cake in every bite.
After finishing the heavy scoops, we are stuffed. It’s clear that this little ice cream shop will be a hit with the nearby MacEwan University crowd, but it definitely can stand on its own with other local giants of small-batch ice creams like Kind and Made By Marcus. Also, this White Rabbit might be able to lead the charge down a curious and bizarre trail of unique ice cream experiences.
White Rabbit Ice Cream
Queen Mary Park | 10546 110 St NW | whiterabbiticecream.com |
