2021
Tea flavoured gelato has long been on my wishlist, so I was beyond excited when I discovered Ice Kirin Bar had recently opened in Burwood and marketed itself as an ‘Asian-inspired tea gelato specialist’. We picked up six of their flavours in two boxes to enjoy in the comfort of our home.
A 1.5 L tub ($33.00) contained four flavours.
Hōjicha & Kuromitsu — The gelato is made with Ito En Premium Houjicha and Tanuma Tokusen Kuromitsu. The enjoyable smokiness of the hōjicha came through boldly, while the combination with the kuromitsu amplifies the gentle sweetness of the hōjicha and delivered an overall richness that is balanced and complex with a creamy mouthfeel. We prefer this version over our previous favourite from Max Joy Co.
Genmaicha — The gelato is made with Marukyu Koyamaen Genmaicha. The resulting flavour has the fragrant, nutty aroma of brown rice with a refined vegetal quality to the green tea flavour and creamy mouthfeel but without unwanted dairy undertones. It is easily the best genmaicha ice cream we’ve enjoyed in Australia and comparable to our favourite in Asakusa, Tōkyō.
Peach Oolong — The gelato is made with Lupicia Momo Oolong Super Grade, one of my favourite tea brands and flavoured oolongs. In gelato form, the flavour was much like a creamy latte made with the looseleaf. The peach notes have a refreshing floral quality and give the gelato and overall lightness in contrast to the previous two flavours, while the ground looseleaf delivered a fleeting grittiness.
Earl Grey — The gelato is made from Twinings Earl Grey, and delivered fragrant bergamot notes at the head of each bite that persists throughout even as the sharper black tea notes emerge gently in the body. The bergamot gave this gelato a similar lightness to the Peach Oolong and also has a similar brief grittiness from the looseleaf ground into the gelato.
This 500 mL box ($16.50) contained two non-tea flavours.
Yuzu Sorbet — The gelato uses Tonami Yuzu Juice and delivered a salivatingly bright yuzu flavour that has an enjoyable zestiness and balanced sweetness, with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. It is as good as the delectable versions from Chanoma and Max Joy Co.
Black Sesame — The gelato uses Kuki Black Sesame paste, which delivered a super creamy and rich black sesame flavour that’s comparable to the version at Max Joy Co and without the grittiness of the version from RivaReno.
Lychee Black Tea — The gelato had the same taste one would expect from the addition of the ground leaves from a lychee black tea, and likely what they did as there was a slight (yet enjoyable) grittiness to the otherwise smooth creaminess. The dairy notes were subdued with the lychee flavour coming through bright and holding its own against the black tea, whose fruity base paired well with the lychee.
Jasmine Milk Tea — The gelato surprised us with the intensity of its bright dewy floral flavour that complemented the freshness of the green tea base. As with their other ice creams, the dairy notes took a back seat to the boldness of the tea flavour.
Tie Guan Yin, or Iron Goddess Oolong — The tea came through in the ice cream with its roasted, gentle honey, floral tones. This was in contrast to the less oxidised, fresher and more vegetal notes in the Peach Oolong base. Again, the dairy notes were subdued and while we enjoyed this tea-infused ice cream immensely, we would not choose this one over the bolder quality of the other tea flavours on offer.
While ice cream is their main focus, they are also the retail point for Flour-n-Butter. This is the Hōjicha Cream with Chestnut Roll Cake ($8.50). We hoped for an ethereal lightness to the sponge, but unfortunately, the sponge is quite dense. Texture aside, the hōjicha flavour was well captured in both the sponge and the cream, with the cream adding moisture and sweetness.
They also sell dacquoise from Hanlip Desserts, but they will feature in a separate post as they also have a physical location.
The owners of Ice Kirin Bar are certainly tea gelato specialists, and I would stick with the gelato over the other treats on offer.
2022
We returned to Ice Kirin Bar, our favourite gelateria in Sydney, to try a few of the new flavours they’d released in late summer/early autumn. Their tubs are available in 500ml ($17.00, up to 2 flavours), 1000ml ($28.00, up to 3 flavours), 1500ml , ($33.00, up to 4 flavours). We always get the 1.5 L for takeaway.
Mont Blanc Chestnut Cream. This was inspired by the classic Italian/French Dessert that is very popular in East Asia. Here, it was made with candied chestnuts and topped with chestnut cream.
The chestnuts came through with their characteristic buttery sweetness that’s reminiscent of a sweet potato. The mouthfeel was immensely creamy (without bold dairy notes), while the initial flavour was subtle and came through elegantly when eaten on its own but was lost when paired with another flavour. The addition of crushed candied chestnuts would have elevated this flavour with enjoyable texture and pops of more intense flavour. As it was, the subtlety of the flavour was too easily overwhelmed.
Osmanthus Oolong. The flavoured tea itself was one of my favourite drinking teas, and here, gave an overall flavour of a floral green tea ice cream. The lightly oxidised oolong gave the distinct vegetal qualities of matcha without bitterness and with its floral notes heightened by the osmanthus. The flavour was elegant, both at once subtle and distinct, and for that same reason also best appreciated when enjoyed on its own without interference with other flavours.
Mango & Coconut & Grapefruit Sorbet. A vegan sorbet inspired by the contemporary Hong Kong dessert, mango pomelo sago, the brightness of Australian mangoes paired remarkably well with the creaminess of the coconut milk, while the pomelo flesh was generously distributed for pops of acidity that balanced the mango very well. We’d enjoy this sorbet even more if it added the gentle chewiness of the sago.
Pomelo & Jin Xuan Tea. Also known as milk oolong, the notes of the Jin Xuan tea came through boldly with its sweet buttery, roasted vegetal and floral notes while leaving a creamy, milky aftertaste. The characteristics of the oolong made it a natural candidate for turning into gelato, while the addition of the pomelo added pops of subtle fruity acidity and texture that accentuate the freshness of the gelato.
Earl Grey Milk Tea. Their previous Earl Grey flavour featured ground tea leaf in a milk base, which gave it a cream colour with specks of black tea leaf. This version seemed to be the new and improved version, with a completely smooth mouthfeel that delivered the same fragrant bergamot citrus notes with the rounded fruitiness of the black tea base. This was very enjoyable without overt dairy notes.
Vietnamese Coffee Mocha. This flavour had been on their menu for quite a long time before we decided to take a break from the tea flavours to give it a go. Here, the coffee flavour was very present, yet tasted much like freeze-dried instant coffee, to give an overall flavour that recalled coffee-flavoured cream in Asian roll cakes. That said, it was enjoyable, with the choc chips adding texture, depth and gentle sweetness to the coffee flavour without being overly sweet like actual Vietnamese coffee.
Japanese Yuzu Sorbet ($6.50 for single scoop, +$1.50 for daifuku).
This flavour wasn’t new to us, but it was the first time we’d enjoyed it in daifuku form. The bright floral zestiness of the yuzu remained as salivatingly tart and creamy with small chunks of zest for extra pops of yuzu, but the texture of the mochi skin paired better with the creaminess of the dairy gelato flavours.
Kinako and Kuromitsu Daifuku ($6.50 for single scoop, +$1.50 for daifuku).
I was sceptical of this flavour initially, but the warm nuttiness of the kinako (roasted soybean) came through beautifully, balanced by the rich, clear sweetness of the kuromitsu. The mochi skin added a delicious mochi mochi texture with incredible stretch and but it was difficult to eat as it did not cut well with the spoon.
Kinako Shake ($9.00). This shake captured the rich nutty warmth of the roasted soybean well. It had a pleasant sweetness, and while being mixed with milk to make the ice cream more drinkable, the kinako notes remained dominant with the dairy notes well-masked.
Hōjicha Shake ($9.00). Much like the previous, the deliciously roasted quality of the hōjicha was front and centre in this shake, with an enjoyable thickness yet without overt dairy notes. It tasted like a liquid version of the ice cream.
While Ice Kirin Bar has exploded in popularity since our previous visits — partly due to their mochi daifuku offering — we’re pleased that the flavours remain top-notch.
2023
Ice Kirin Bar opened a second store in the Sydney CBD at Regents Place Shopping Centre in early 2023.
Unsurprisingly, that store had more flavours available than their Burwood store.
The flavours clockwise from the top were:
Heavy Roasted Oolong (brown). The ice cream’s darker hue and deep roasted notes distinctly set apart this flavour from the lighter oolong options available. However, the roasted undertones within the oolong flavour lacked the nuanced, subtly sweet chocolate-like depth found in hōjicha, a roasted green tea. Nonetheless, the taste resembled that of a heavily roasted oolong, and while it’s a noteworthy choice as a tea, the infusion of added sweetness in its gelato rendition evoked a flavour reminiscent of sweet cookie dough over time. The experience was enjoyable, yet the superiority of hōjicha remained apparent.
Japanese Sencha (green). This flavour adeptly captured the verdant, grassy nuances inherent in Japanese steamed green tea. Exhibiting a fresher and lighter profile compared to matcha, the subtle touch of bitterness played a harmonious role in counterbalancing the sweeter elements within the trio.
White Sesame & Honey Macadamia (white). As a fervent enthusiast of black sesame, a flavour that has become a mainstay in numerous gelaterias across Sydney, this iteration harnessed the sweeter and more nutty flavour of white sesame seeds, further elevated by the inclusion of honey macadamia. Fragments of the honey imparted a delicate brittleness, contributing intermittent moments of crisp texture alongside the buttery crunch of the macadamia. This flavour was delectable.
Soba Sencha. The subdued and comforting flavour of soba (buckwheat) introduced a gentle warmth that mitigated any lingering traces of bitterness in the sencha, all while preserving its delightful vegetal characteristics. This amalgamation stood apart from a genmaicha due to its lesser prominence of popcorn rice flavour, presenting an alluring and innovative variation on a fundamental classic.
Ruby Black Tea ($6.50, Burwood exclusive). This flavour used Ruby 18 tea leaves sourced from Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake, known for its distinctive profile featuring hints of cinnamon and eucalyptus, and whose name derived from the light red hue it takes on when brewed, akin to a ruby gem. Upon tasting, we encountered a subtle graininess in the texture, and the most dominant note was the robust, nearly overwhelming cinnamon flavour, which almost felt amplified with the additional cinnamon infusion. Each bite concluded with a gentle cooling touch of mint. Overall, the cinnamon elements were a tad intense for our personal taste.
Black Sesame Shake ($9.00). We enjoyed the distinct black sesame flavour present in the ice cream, which carried over into the shake. Despite the addition of a touch of milk, the flavour remained impeccable, highlighting a sumptuous creaminess that effectively preserved the prominent black sesame flavour, without being overpowered by any excessive dairy notes.
2024
In the latter half of 2023, Ice Kirin Bar expanded across Sydney, adding locations in the CBD and Chatswood, and relocating its original Burwood store to a larger space opposite Burwood Chinatown.
This is a round-up of flavours sampled during 2024.
Lychee & Pu’erh Tea (Burwood exclusive) — the deep brown ice cream presented with a smooth, dense structure. On tasting, the initial contact delivered both lychee and pu’erh with equal clarity. The lychee contributed a light, floral sweetness, while the pu’erh introduced earthy, woody notes with a mild nuttiness. Through the mid-palate, the two profiles remained balanced, with neither dominating. The finish carried both elements evenly, with a clean persistence.
White Sesame & Honey Macadamia — presented with a creamy off-white base and visible inclusions. Initial contact delivered a sweet, nutty sesame profile, distinct from darker sesame variants. Through the mid-palate, the honey macadamia introduced a caramelised sweetness alongside a firm, buttery crunch. The sesame contributed a smooth, tahini-like richness, supporting the overall structure. Texture combined a dense base with intermittent crunch.
Pink Salt & Sicilian Pistachio ($6.50 single scoop, +$1.50 crushed pistachio coating; Regents Place exclusive) — the ice cream presented with a uniform pastel green, dense and creamy structure. On tasting, the initial contact delivered a nut-forward pistachio profile, enhanced by a subtle mineral salinity. Through the mid-palate, the salt sharpened the pistachio, increasing perceived intensity and contrast. The finish carried a combined sweet–salty profile with a pronounced nutty persistence.
Dried Rose & Turkish Pistachio — presented with a light tan hued, smooth, creamy base. Initial contact delivered a clear floral rose note, followed by a warm, nutty pistachio profile. Through the mid-palate, the two elements integrated into a rounded profile, with the pistachio adding body and reducing the intensity of the floral component. The finish remained balanced, with a soft persistence of both notes.
Fig Jam & Pistachio — presented with a light tan hue and visible inclusions. On tasting, the initial contact delivered a rich pistachio base. Through the mid-palate, the caramelised fig introduced a deep, earthy sweetness, with small seeds providing a light popping texture and slight chew. The pistachio added a subtle savoury note, balancing the sweetness. Texture combined creaminess with intermittent crunch and seed-based variation.
Heavy Roasted Oolong — presented with a darker hue and dense structure. Initial contact delivered pronounced roasted tea notes. Through the mid-palate, the oolong developed a deep, toasted profile, though without the cocoa-like depth typical of hōjicha. As the sweetness became more apparent, the profile shifted towards a flavour resembling sweetened baked notes. The finish remained warm and rounded, with sustained roasted character.
Overall, tea-, nut-, and floral-driven ice cream with balanced flavour integration, controlled sweetness, and effective use of inclusions for textural contrast.
2025
This is a roundup of flavours from Ice Kirin Bar in 2025, drawing from all four of their stores — Burwood, Sydney CBD, Chatswood, and Cabramatta.
Azuki & Kuromitsu
The kuromitsu imparted a deep molasses-like sweetness to the vanilla base, adding complexity, but the azuki presence was minimal. The result was a predominantly vanilla flavour profile lacking the earthy balance that azuki would have provided.
Pistachio Praline & Vanilla Bean
The pistachio pieces were enjoyable, reminiscent of the shop’s pistachio gelato, but too sparse. The rich vanilla base, while creamy, dominated the flavour, suggesting an uneven ratio between the two components.
Osmanthus Oolong
This flavour resembled a floral green tea ice cream, with the lightly oxidised oolong lending vegetal notes akin to matcha, though smoother and without bitterness. The osmanthus added subtle floral fragrance and a faint chewiness from the dried blossoms, creating a refined, well-balanced result.
Pu’er & Lychee
Aromatic and pleasantly grainy from the ground tea, the pu’er carried its characteristic depth, paired with a subtle lychee note that felt more scented than juicy. A touch of dried lychee would have provided texture and contrast.
Chestnut Cream & Sencha
The nutty, creamy chestnut contrasted beautifully with the fresh, grassy notes of the sencha. However, the chestnut presence was inconsistent, leaving some bites dominated by tea rather than the intended harmony of the two.
Irish Cream & Black Tea Latte
A standout combination. The Irish Cream contributed spiced, oaky undertones with chocolate-vanilla depth, while the black tea’s natural fruitiness added warmth and balance. Distinctive, smooth, and cohesive.
Jasmine Matcha Latte
Dewy jasmine led the flavour profile, meeting a bold matcha whose grassy character carried through to a mild bitterness in the finish. Both components retained their identity, delivering an elegant reinterpretation of jasmine milk tea.
Maple & Walnut
Walnuts were too few to shape the flavour experience, leaving a dominant vanilla sweetness with faint maple notes. The occasional walnut bite provided a welcome nuttiness and touch of bitterness, but stronger maple integration or textural variation (such as maple butter swirls or candied nuts) would have elevated it.
Passionfruit Calpis Water
Tangy yoghurt sorbet, refreshing and light, smooth and creamy on the palate, with passionfruit seeds for texture, but would’ve enjoyed more passionfruit pulp stirred through.
Salted Caramel & Ceylon Milk Tea
Very deep fruity quality to the black tea with the salted caramel imparted a rounded layered sweetness with the salted quality preventing it from being too sweet and heightening the floral notes in the black tea. Enjoyable but not one to repurchase.
Hōjicha & Dubai Chocolate
This flavour built upon the roasty depth of hōjicha, its warm, aromatic base carrying through each bite. Dark chocolate shavings were interspersed throughout, melting smoothly on the palate and imparting a rich cocoa flavour that complemented the tea’s nutty, toasted notes. The kataifi pastry was not immediately visible but added a faint crispness detectable on the palate, giving subtle texture. Any pistachio component was barely discernible. Overall, a sophisticated and well-executed pairing that balanced roasted and chocolate notes with restraint, and one we would gladly reorder.
Golden Buckwheat & Green Tea (bottom, pale green; alongside hōjicha & Dubai chocolate at top left, and white sesame & macadamia at top right)
This pairing leaned into a comforting, toasty warmth driven clearly by the buckwheat, which read deeper and more rounded than genmaicha, with a distinctly nutty profile. The sencha base remained deliberately restrained, providing a gentle vegetal underpinning rather than competing for attention, and finishing with only the faintest suggestion of bitterness. Light granularity from the buckwheat introduced subtle textural interest within the otherwise creamy base.
Overall, Ice Kirin Bar continues to demonstrate creativity and technical finesse, particularly in tea-based and liqueur-inspired flavours, though several options would benefit from greater flavour consistency and textural balance.
2026
This is a round-up of flavours from Ice Kirin Bar for 2026, which remains a consistent reference point for East Asian–inspired ice cream.
Gardenia Blossom & Oolong (bottom; green hue) — the ice cream presented with a smooth, dense structure. On tasting, the initial contact delivered a clear gardenia floral profile, comparable to a gardenia milk tea, translated into a thicker format. Through the mid-palate, the green tea base became more apparent, contributing a mild grassy bitterness that balanced the floral sweetness. The finish remained clean, with the florals tapering without becoming perfumed.
Japanese Purple Yam & Daija Taro (top right; white with purple chunks) — presented in a vanilla base with visible inclusions. Initial contact delivered a sweet, creamy vanilla profile. Through the mid-palate, the frozen chunks of purple yam and taro introduced a firmer, slightly chewy texture, alongside an earthy flavour that moderated the sweetness. The inclusions provided both textural contrast and flavour variation, preventing the base from becoming one-dimensional.
Mascarpone and Pistachio Praline (top left; cream with green chunks) — presented with a creamy base and visible praline inclusions. On tasting, the initial contact delivered a rich, smooth mascarpone profile. Through the mid-palate, the pistachio praline became more prominent, introducing a pronounced crunch and a deep roasted nuttiness. The praline provided both structural contrast and flavour intensity, balancing the sweetness of the base.
Earl Grey & Whisky Caramel (bottom; ochre hue) — presented with a uniform, mix-in-free structure. Initial contact delivered a fragrant citrus profile from the Earl Grey, with its sharper edges rounded by honeyed caramel notes. Through the mid-palate, the whisky caramel contributed layered depth without an overt alcoholic presence. The profile remained integrated, with tea and caramel resolving cleanly without excess sweetness.
Gardenia Blossom Oolong (top right; green hue) — as above.
Red Oolong Tea Latte (top left; brown hue) — presented with a uniform, creamy structure without inclusions. Initial contact delivered a pronounced, aromatic oolong profile characteristic of a heavily oxidised Taiwanese tea. Through the mid-palate, the profile broadened into a fruit-leaning sweetness, similar to black tea, with honeyed notes emerging towards the finish. A light roasted, caramelised aroma carried through, maintaining balance without heaviness.
Cinnamon Tea Latte & Chunky Apple Jam — presented with a uniform dark tan hue punctuated by translucent pockets of apple jam. Initial contact immediately recalled Turkish apple tea, with the cinnamon contributing warmth and sweetness without drifting into bitterness or powdery spice. Through the mid-palate, the black tea base carried a mellow fruitiness that reinforced the stewed apple profile, while the gelato itself remained dense and smooth. The apple jam pockets were somewhat sparse, though where present they delivered soft, almost gooey bursts of cooked apple compote that added moisture and contrast. Greater distribution of the jam, or the inclusion of firmer apple pieces for bite and texture, would have strengthened the overall profile further.
Across the range, texture remained consistently dense and smooth, with inclusions used effectively to introduce contrast and control sweetness.
Ice Kirin Bar is located at multiple locations in Sydney, Australia.