Have you ever imagined eating ice cream out of a giant waffle cone shaped like a fish? Or having your ice cream “fried” and served in little rolls? Neither have I, however, this is what On Yogurt is doing and it’s amazing.
On Yogurt is Vancouver’s first “ice fried” ice cream, frozen yogurt, and gelato destination. It “fries” its ice cream with a special flash freezing machine, which involves no actual heat or oil, just really cold temperatures. They’re also the first ice cream shop in Vancouver to use a fish-shaped cone. Bonus: their ice cream is actually made from yogurt that is sourced from local and organic farms in British Columbia.
I had been spotting these fish-shaped cones stuffed with ice cream rolls and topped with other dessert effects on social media for a while now, and I finally decided to track the ubiquitous fish cone down. Better known as taiyaki, these fish-shaped pastries are a delicious Japanese dessert filled with red bean paste. It’s usually made with a pancake or waffle batter, but On Yogurt chooses to use a croissant mix.
On Yogurt is located off of Smithe and Beatty Street near BC Place Stadium and I decided to visit the location on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the little shop is how bright and pleasant it is! The walls are painted a light, calm green to match On Yogurt’s logo, and my eyes took in a piano covered with cheerful plants, mounted fish bowls with colourful Siamese fighting fish, illustrations of animals, a wooden table with board games, and postcards, lots of postcards! The shop is extremely cozy and welcoming, making it the perfect place to enjoy some ice cream while being sheltered from the rain.
I treated myself to the Chocolate Nutella Taiyaki Ice Cream. This involved the notorious fish cone, stuffed with chocolate ice cream at the top, filled with Nutella at the bottom, and topped with a marshmallow, a wafer, and a signature lemon slice.
The ice cream is unquestionably photogenic! However, for the price (almost ten dollars), I was a touch disappointed. The dessert was more cone than ice cream when I was hoping for a balance. It didn’t take me long to finish the ice cream portion of it, after which I was just eating croissant, until I finally reached the Nutella-filled part near the bottom. I suppose with this kind of dessert you really are paying for the aesthetic.
Don’t get me wrong, the taiyaki cone ice cream with its flaky croissant texture, mixed with warm nutella and chocolate ice cream is a delicious treat. However, I think that next time I would just go for their ice cream in a cup because it’s ice cream that I crave. Their ice cream has an amazing consistency. Their special ice frying technique leaves the outside layer slightly crisp and the inside layer creamy. There are tons of flavours to go back and try as well, like matcha, peanut butter, early grey, Italian espresso and salted caramel!
Stop by On Yogurt if you’re looking for a unique twist on a classic treat with plenty of photo opportunities for the ‘gram.
Karolina is a Vancouver-based writer. You can catch her thinking about her next meal and grooving to house music, often at the same time.