Last Friday, Salt & Straw released its new flavors for June. Last year’s theme was Summer, while this year’s lineup is the Chef Series, featuring five indulgent new ice creams: Cheesecake with Salted Yuzu Curd, Hong Kong Milk Tea with Toasted White Chocolate, Chocolate Caramel Smoked Budino, Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble, and a vegan Caramelized Plantain with Spicy Pecan Brittle.
While scrolling through my feed, I came across Salt & Straw’s New Flavor Friday post, and as a devoted Salt & Straw enthusiast, I immediately rounded up some friends to sample each one. As soon as we parked, the smell of freshly made waffle cones greeted us, and I already had a feeling I would enjoy this month’s lineup. The scoopers, as always, were incredibly friendly, even when we asked to sample every seasonal flavor.
Before trying the new releases, I was convinced that the Chocolate Caramel Smoked Budino would be my favorite. Surprisingly, it ended up being my least favorite of the bunch. The candied hazelnuts added a satisfying crunch, but the smoky flavor of the budino overpowered the entire bite. The lingering aftertaste was almost alcoholic, making it difficult to appreciate the caramel and chocolate notes underneath. “It wasn’t that great, honestly, and I thought that the aftertaste was too weird to get a full scoop of it,” junior Lily Eastmond said.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was the Cheesecake with Salted Yuzu Curd, which was easily my favorite flavor. Large ribbons of bright yuzu curd were folded into a rich vanilla ice cream base alongside pieces of Japanese soufflé cheesecake. The citrusy tang balanced the sweetness perfectly, making it feel light, refreshing, and ideal for summer. I ended up ordering a split scoop of it alongside the Hong Kong Milk Tea with Toasted White Chocolate.
The Hong Kong Milk Tea was another standout and was actually our scooper’s first choice out of the seasonal flavors. “It has a strong, quality black tea flavor,” junior Sara Sakai commented, and the bold black tea flavor had just enough sweetness to keep it balanced. The slight bitterness of the tea complemented the creamy base, while the feuilletine crumbles added a delicate crunch to the ice cream that elevated the texture.
Another highly regarded flavor was the Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble. Its flavor was subtle, somewhat similar to ube but a touch lighter. Although the sweet potato base itself was mild, the buckwheat Florentine crumble added depth and “a nice texture to the smooth base,” junior Katharine Stone remarked.
Landing squarely in the middle was the vegan Caramelized Plantain with Spicy Pecan Brittle. Despite its name, the strongest flavor was star anise rather than spice or plantain. While not unpleasant, it lacked the memorable qualities that made some of the other seasonal flavors stand out, making it difficult to justify choosing it over stronger offerings.
In addition to the new ice cream flavors, Salt & Straw also introduced a Strawberry Short Cake cone. My friends and I expected a subtle strawberry presence, but the cone smelled and tasted unmistakably like strawberries and had a light pink color that added to the experience.
Overall, this month’s seasonal lineup was comforting, creative, and surprisingly refreshing. Although not every flavor was a hit, the Chef Series offers several standouts that a wide variety of people would enjoy, making it a strong start to the summer season.
