SkyIce Sweet & Savory, Park Slope

You notice the sign hanging outside – it simply says “SKYICE.” A quick peek inside the open door reveals what is most definitely an ice cream counter.  Perhaps you glance a family sitting in the window, enjoying colorful scoops of ice cream or sorbet. In less than a minute you may think you have the place all figured out.

But take a closer look. Inspect the full name of this Park Slope joint, printed across the front windows of the shop.  SkyIce Sweet & Savory: Northern Thai Home Cooking. Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts. Venture inside and look beyond the ice cream counter, into a compact but busy kitchen. Read both sides of the menu and discover that SkyIce serves up a full selection of savory Thai dishes in addition to the frozen treats implicit in the shorter version of it’s name.

I recently had the pleasure of feasting over at SkyIce, where I was won over by both the sweet and savory offerings. Starting with the latter, let’s see if I can tempt you to do the same.

SkyIce’s snack menu features an assortment of savory bites including the (Non-Fried) Chicken Curry Puffs, Chicken and Shrimp Satay, Steamed Mushroom Dumplings, and Kanom Jeeb chicken and shrimp wontons. Between Mr. Yummy Brooklyn and I we tried them all! As a mushroom lover, the steamed ‘shroom dumplings were my favorite. They were homemade and tasted very fresh and light, which is a bonus when the next round includes a bowl of noodles. The satay skewers were also perfection, especially when dipped in a luscious peanut sauce.

We tried two entrees next. The Northern Thai Curry aka Khao Soi was a special treat as it rarely appears on Thai menus along with the usual Penang and Massaman curries. Khao Soi means “cut rice” and the dish carries this name because of the noodles it is traditionally served with in some areas. Though it is a popular street food in Northern Thailand, it is not served as frequently here, which is too bad! SkyIce’s Khao Soi was a delicious and generous bowl of curry, laden with tofu and veggies and served over a bed of delicate egg noodles. The curry itself was reminiscent of massaman with more of an edge. It had a nice kick and came with fun garnishes of pickled cabbage and onion.

The other dish we enjoyed was the No-Carb Pad Thai, which featured all of the trademark Pad Thai flavors without the noodles. In place of noodles? Slivers of papaya! This healthy spin on a crowd favorite was fun to eat and it’s a great option for those looking to eat a bit lighter without sacrificing flavor.  I’ll order it next time if I can tear myself away from the Khao Soi…

I thought it was cool that many of the dishes were served on a banana leaf and parchment paper, to signify the traditional Thai wrappings of banana leaf and newspaper. Plus, what wasn’t served in this manner was dished out on eco-friendly tableware. This makes SkyIce even yummier in my eyes – every little bit counts you know!

Speaking of little bits, how adorable are these mini scoops?

Ice cream and sorbet are common enough, but when was the last time you tried flavors like Black Sesame Seaweed, Rasberry Cilantro, or Thai Tea? We tried a sampling of 6 flavors, all of which were super yummy. It was the perfect follow-up to our savory, spicy, hot meal. Raspberry Cilantro sorbet was my favorite with it’s deep pink hue and unique combination of  tartness and herbiness. The Thai Tea flavor tasted exactly like a Thai Iced Tea, which is a very good thing. The Cucumber Lime and Mango were refreshing and light, while the Chocolate and Black Sesame flavors were richer, but not overpoweringly so.

And in case these icy scoops aren’t tempting enough for you, read the rest of the extensive dessert menu. From dessert sushi to crepes to sundae-like creations, SkyIce has something for every sweet tooth. And there’s sticky coconut rice  - an amazingly creamy little treat that pairs perfectly with mango.

So now you know there is so much more than meets the eye at SkyIce! Ready to experience the sweet and the savory for yourself?

SkyIce Sweet & Savory
63 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn,NY 11217
718.230.0910
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View all pictures here.