:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60384645/Screen_Shot_2018_07_16_at_1.05.16_PM.0.png)
St-Laurent dumpling restaurant Harbin is now in the ice cream game, with a Thai-style rolled ice cream shop named -20°C Crèmerie open adjacent to its location on the corner of Villeneuve. It’s one of just a handful of places doing the style in the city, which became popular in recent years (St-Henri’s Pandan was the first on the scene) — liquid ice cream is poured onto an ice-cold metal surface, then rolled up with a scraper and served in a cup, topped with anything from sticky rice to M&Ms or berries; there’s a range of ice cream options that lean slightly towards tropical flavours.
Over on Rachel just east of St-Laurent is another newcomer, Chocostyle. An import from the Laurentian town of Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré, it’s officially a chocolate shop, known for (among other things) making chocolate high-heeled shoes, but the ice cream options are notable. The main option is a waffle cone with chocolate inside, and soft serve on top and a ganache “injection” into the soft serve. Those ganaches go beyond the standard chocolate, including passionfruit, blueberry, and some wilder options like champagne or jalapeno. Those with an intolerance, take note: Chocostyle also claims to be the only place on the island offering lactose-free soft serve.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/11697475/32253059_10155448388497337_3248741068312674304_n.jpg)
Lastly, Quebec City chocolate-makers Chocolats Favoris have been muscling into Montreal of late, including with a new location on Mont-Royal (as well as others in Kirkland and Rosemont’s Angus sector). The most summery options on the menu are the dipped ice cream cones: soft serve dipped in melted chocolate and topped with various frozen-dairy-friendly items from cookie pieces to nuts — similar in form to the Montreal-founded, entirely dip-based chain La Diperie. Yes, it’s not strictly an ice cream shop — it’s officially a chocolate shop, and fondue is a key offering, but melted chocolate is perhaps a better option for a cooler day. The nearly 40-year-old company has been on an expansion binge in recent years, now counting locations around Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau, and Vancouver.