Conveniently located next to a dental office, Kuma opened their second location in the Shaenfield Ranch Center (7915 W. Loop 1604 N) is open for those winter ice cream fans. Along for some late-night dessert was my mother, (who arrived early and drank an entire Thai tea by herself), and my cousin Stephanie (@sandfoodieball), who as a fellow foodie just so happened to need some new pictures for her Instagram.
Walking inside the very modern and clean atmosphere, if one ever thought to find an “Instagram-able” spot, Kuma has delivered. A plush green wall adored with tiny plastic spruces has the word, “hella fresh” neatly displayed in the middle of it. Across from the green wall is a plethora of golden geometric pots hanging in rows. It seems no matter where you decide to have a seat at this establishment, a background for your ice cream is always present, as they also had a bright neon pink sign that stated, “It Aint Gonna Lick Itself!” The smaller children who came in were enchanted by the “furry” wall of fake plants and memorized by the neon sign. Three large chalkboards are plastered on the wall above the cashier explaining the flavors, instructions on how to order, as well as giving options on the different kinds of teas they have to offer.
Ordering is quite simple since you have either a choice of ice cream or a drink. The break down of the ice cream ($7.50 per cone) is made into three easy steps:
- Choose a flavor
- Choose four different toppings
- Choose a sauce
Since I’ve already visited their original location (6565 Babcock Rd.) I decided to go for my staple: unicorn ice cream piled high with rainbow mochi, fruity pebbles, two adorable chocolate panda cookies, a large roasted marshmallow on top and finished with a light drizzle of strawberry. My cousin took a less fruity route by getting chocolate brownie ice cream smothered in almonds, strawberries and chocolate pocky. She decided to adorn hers with a golden-brown roasted marshmallow as well, but finished with a chocolate drizzle.
While waiting to pick up our creations, the aroma of the freshly made bubble waffles cones contrasted amazingly with the cold in the air giving for a delightful warming sensation. My mother graciously shared the last of the Thai tea she had ordered and proudly showed that she asked for every single sinker they had to offer which included: boba, popping boba, mixed fruit jelly and lychee jelly—each sinker added was 50 cents. Luckily I got to taste her Thai tea, and considering all the colorful shapes that were present the tea was shockingly not overly sweet.
Quick service and a simple ordering system made the late-night ice cream run effortless and tasty. Though I would be fine with dollar ice cream cones, experiencing something unique with the bubble cones and the amount of food you receive is definitely worth the time and price. Having a variety of different mixtures to chose from makes it easy to see why Kuma was able to open another location, as well as being a great place for those late night boba tea runs. If cold creamy desserts are your niche during the winter (or spring, or summer, or fall…), I’d recommend some cold sweet perfection at Kuma’s.
Sign up for the SA Flavor Newsletter for all the best of SA without the spam! And be sure to shop the SA Flavor Store for the best Fiesta Medals, stickers, shirts and more!
