VANCOUVER, WA – This isn’t your Grandpa’s ice cream shop. In fact, the newly-opened Flash Freeze Dreamery offers much more than ice cream in a very sleek, modern, entertaining venue that’ll be a hit with your taste buds.
The shop, located at Lacamas Crossing (Costco shopping complex at 192nd Avenue and First), is based on the concept of liquid nitrogen ice cream.
So, what does that mean?
“The creamy part of the ice cream with flavor is put into a mixer and we zap it with liquid nitrogen, which is super cold,” says Flash Freeze Dreamery owner and concept designer, Gabe Ohms. “It’s mixed and the nitrogen evaporates out of the bowl while it freezes the ice cream.”
The nitrogen evaporates into the air leaving the ice cream “flash frozen” – and delicious.
“Generally ice cream that’s been purchased has typically been sitting there for days, and it’s the same with frozen yogurt,” Ohms adds. “What we’ve done here is taken fresh cream (from Alpenrose Dairy), added some flavor, and within a minute or two we create the freshest ice cream. Our product has the smoothest texture.”
Flash Freeze does this with French custard, Italian gelato, and frozen yogurt. They also have non-dairy options available.
So, how does it work?
When you go to Flash Freeze, and trust me, you want to GO to Flash Freeze, you first select your size of treat (small, medium, large), select your base (ice cream, French custard, Italian gelato, frozen yogurt, etc.), and then choose your flavor.
Customers can choose from a “favorite” flavor combination from the menu, or pick a flavor that’s available. You can also “dream” your own.
It’s really a lot of fun, and incredibly delicious.
Once you order, Flash Freeze staff get right to work, and it’s fun to watch. They first add the cream and flavor combination (based on recipes crafted by Ohms), then it’s off to the Kitchen Aid mixers that are retrofitted with dosers, which are connected to massive liquid nitrogen tanks. The custom-made doser valves control the flow of the liquid nitrogen.
Workers mix the ingredients to perfection, and then place the mixer bowl into water to separate the ice cream from the bowl. The fresh product is then placed into a bowl and served fresh.
And all the flavors come out at once. You’ll love it.
“Using liquid nitrogen isn’t new to food processing,” said Ohms. “But it’s new to ice cream. This is really the ice cream of the 21stcentury.
Ohms has wanted to do something with food for years, but then he saw a TV show about using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. So, about eight months ago, he began preparing for what would become Flash Freeze Dreamery.
“We’ve created something here for everyone,” his wife, Jessica added. “The kids will love to watch how the ice cream is made. And everyone will enjoy the experience.”
You’ll enjoy favorite menu options like Cherry Chocolate Fudge, which contains cherry flavor, cherries, and chocolate fudge; or Birthday Cake, with cake batter flavor, birthday cake pieces and sprinkles.
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| Ordering is as simple as 1-2-3. |
Cotton Candy Carnival is a favorite, with cotton candy flavor, marshmallows, and cotton candy crunch.
Other options include Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Cookie, Coconut Joy (my favorite), Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Smores, and more.
There are dozens of other flavors and toppings, and you can dream up your own mixture.
Flash Freeze opens at 11 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and is located at 155 NE 192nd Avenue, Suite 107, Vancouver.
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| Teal Fielding serves a finished dessert. |
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