Cloudberry
Cloudberry isn't exactly a Toronto ice cream shop, but it's not a gelato, sorbet, or anything-else-that-has-a-name shop, either. Instead, it deals in frozen treats entirely of owner Christine Yeung's creation.
Perhaps most important of all, every swirl at Cloudberry is entirely dairy-free, and that's all by design.
A veteran on the frozen treat scene, Yeung owned and operated the Danforth location of iHalo Krunch, which resided in the very space that Cloudberry now calls home, for two years before she decided to split off and create her own venture.
"Did you know 40 per cent of Ontario's population is lactose intolerant?" she asks. It's a staggering statistic, and one that undeniably begets an alternative to ice cream that isn't trying to be ice cream. Creating one was Christine's mission with Cloudberry.
The soft serve at Cloudberry is essentially Dole Whip — which Christine is a vocal fan of — at its core, mixed with a rotating lineup of other fruit juices and nectars to create different flavours.
At the time of my visit, Christine's personal favourite was her cherry flavour, though she admits that her favourite changes all the time.
Available in a cup or cone, priced at $3.50 for a "shortee" or $7 for a regular, the soft serve has a surprisingly thick and creamy texture considering the absence of actual cream.
Certain flavours, like dragonfruit and mango, can be swirled, and absolutely should, if not for the wow-factor of the flavours combined, for the photo-worthy technicolour results.
You can also opt to top your Cloudberry with a selection of freeze-dried fruits, candies and sprinkles. Here, freeze-dried pineapple and dragonfruit add a satisfyingly tart textural element.
The soft-serve can also be consumed in float form ($8.50). The staff is happy to direct you towards pre-approved combinations, or you can go rogue and concoct your own from a selection of different sodas, soft-serve flavours, syrups and cold foams.
Here, we opted for watermelon soft-serve, Sprite, raspberry syrup, and vanilla cloud foam. To put it simply, it tasted exactly as its Barbie-approved colour would suggest.
Forego the soft-serve entirely, and you've got yourself a dirty soda ($6). As with the floats, you have full rein to create your own or choose from a menu of pre-existing combinations.
The Blue Daydream is a best-seller, with blue raspberry syrup, Sprite, vanilla cloud foam and foam clouds for good measure.
I'm, mercifully, part of the 60 per cent of Ontario residents unafflicted by lactose intolerance, but I'll be the first to say it: sometimes soft serve simply doesn't need dairy. You may not have ever caught me saying that before I discovered Cloudberry, but I'm on the soapbox now, and I'm never getting off.
Cloudberry is located at 602 Danforth Ave.
Fareen Karim
