Ice Cream News

Artisan ice cream shop from Brooklyn is opening a location in Dallas

Their ice cream is incomparably rich and luscious.

Photo courtesy of Rice Village

UPDATE 4-27-2022: There's an opening date for the very first Dallas location of Van Leeuwen: Saturday, May 7. Aside from their 30 flavors of ice cream and vegan ice cream, the Dallas store will also offer ice cream sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, root beer floats, and milkshakes. For the May 7 opening, they will be offering $1 scoops all day.

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A cult favorite ice cream from Brooklyn is coming to Dallas: Van Leeuwen, whose New York ice cream shops have earned a dedicated following, is opening a location at Dallas' West Village.

The shop will take over the former Paciugo Gelato space, which closed in 2020; according to a spokesperson, the shop is slated to open by early 2022.

Van Leeuwen was founded by brothers Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O'Neill in 2008 as a food truck before expanding to a brick-and-mortar operation, with 17 shops across New York. In recent years they've executed an expansion, both opening new shops and making their pints, which are packaged in cool pastel-tinted cartons, available in supermarkets such as Sprouts and Central Market.

"The idea came out of our passion for artisanally produced foods," O'Neill told PBS. "We set out to make the best possible ice cream using only fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, egg yolks and the finest flavors ingredients from small producers locally and around the world."

They take an artisanal approach to everything including using ingredients from like-minded acclaimed vendors such as Intelligentsia Coffee. At their shops, they also feature pastries, cakes, scones, muffins, and cookies, using the same carefully procured chocolates, spices, nuts and fruits used in their ice cream.

They offer more than 40 flavors, including a robust vegan/nondairy selection, which they make from a variety of milks including coconut, cashew, and oats; with their super creamy texture, they're easily among the best vegan/nondairy ice creams on the market.

Shops typically offer 30 to 32 flavors, a mix of dairy and vegan, plus four special flavors every month, made, in the company's parlance, "without junk," from milk, cream, eggs, and cane sugar (or their vegan equivalents).

The distinct flavors come from an obsession with sourcing high quality ingredients such as Sicilian pistachios, cold-pressed Tahitian vanilla, and organic black tea from Rishi. For example, their Honeycomb flavor uses a honeycomb-shaped candy that's made in house.

The company made its Texas debut in May 2021 with the opening of a shop in Houston, where they have two more openings planned. Houston was their third market, joining New York City and Los Angeles, and they've since opened locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

They mark the second big name in ice cream to come to Dallas: Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream entered the market in February 2021 with a shop in Deep Ellum, and will host a grand opening of a second shop, this one in Addison, on October 28.

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Eric Sandler contributed to this story.

ice-cream desserts openings

Now open

Taiwanese restaurant in Frisco brings soup dumplings to 2nd DFW location

Photo courtesy of Kitchen Master

Kitchen Master's menu spans traditional dumplings, fresh sashimi, prime cuts, and house noodles.

A Taiwanese restaurant known for its handmade soup dumplings has debuted in Southlake: Kitchen Master is now open at 3311 E. State Hwy. 114, in the space previously occupied by Mughlai Fine Indian Cuisine, which closed in 2024.

The first restaurant opened in Frisco in 2020, followed by locations in Tamsui, Taiwan, and Suwanee, Georgia.

Kitchen Master is owned by Ian Peng, a Taiwanese entrepreneur who moved to the U.S. when he was 8 years old. He comes from a family of restaurant owners in Taipei and grew up working in the kitchen before moving on to Japanese restaurants and eventually launching his own concept.

While the original Frisco location focused on authentic Taiwanese cuisine, the Southlake restaurant expands into broader Pan-Asian influences, along with a deep selection of Japanese dishes inspired by Peng’s background.

Highlights of the Southlake menu include:

Mala Berkshire pork house soup dumplings
Szechuan Berkshire pork wontons infused with Chinese spices
Lamb chops with homemade chimichurri and lemongrass aioli
Hamachi crudo with strawberry vinaigrette and yuzu juice

There’s also a nigiri tasting sampler, described as a mini omakase experience featuring chef-selected fish and toppings.

Most entrees are priced under $30, while noodle and rice dishes stay under $20. The restaurant also features a raw bar with traditional sushi rolls starting at $10 and signature rolls at $16. For lunch during the week, an assortment of stir-fry options is available for around $15, each served with soup and a rice bowl.

“Our focus is on the best ingredients we can use," Peng says. "We elevated our menu with prime cuts and better meats that result in a more flavorful and delicate dish."

A full bar serves cocktails made with premium spirits, with an emphasis on artful presentation. A happy hour menu will launch soon, they say.

Craft cocktails at Kitchen Master feature house-made syrups, fresh garnishes, and premium spirits.Photo courtesy of Kitchen Master

Spanning 9,000 square feet, the Southlake location includes a raw bar, dedicated cocktail bar, spacious main dining room, and patio.

“For our new restaurants in Georgia and Taiwan, we introduced a more modern look and a relaxed eating environment, and we’ve brought that same vision to Southlake,” Peng says.

Hours are 11am-9 pm Tuesday-Thursday and 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

While the restaurant is already open for service, they are planning a grand opening event in September, they say.

asian cuisine openings southlake