Find Cult-Favorite Indonesian Ice Cream in a Mermaid’s Grotto at Awan | Eater LA

"Vegan ice cream often gets a bad rap, but Awan, a coconut-based ice cream specialist, seems to have cracked the code: Indonesian coconut cream delivers the rounded fattiness you want from ice cream while adding nuance to scoops like Balinese Vanilla Bean (its base comes from Indonesian coconut water and coconut cream), and the vibey storefront feels somewhere between a green mermaid’s grotto and a Grecian cave, which heightens the experience, similar to dining in the cavelike Cento Raw Bar in West Adams. What to order: Chocolate Oreo, made with Valrhona chocolate and kluwek, an Indonesian mangrove seed that imparts a malted flavor, and packed with gluten-free Oreo cookies — it might be one of the only gluten-free cookies-and-cream-style flavors you can find in Los Angeles (ask for extra Oreos on top); Gaviota Strawberry; and Gula Jawa Salted Caramel, dusted with unrefined Indonesian palm sugar. Go for whatever the seasonal specials are, too: a fall Pumpkin Atole, made in collaboration with cookbook author Andrea Aliseda, imbues the earthy flavors of the Mexican hot drink atole with pumpkin-spiced kabocha puree and Awan’s Gula Jawa Salted Caramel base. Insider tip: the business is connected to Dayglow coffee; at the Venice location, you can get an espresso shot from the Dayglow next door to make an irresistible DIY affogato, and you can also find locations in West Hollywood and Larchmont. Best for vegan ice cream diehards who miss the real thing and non-vegan ice cream lovers who want some of the most unique flavors in town — my toddler actually danced when he had his first taste of Awan’s Gaviota Strawberry." - Nicole Fellah