Malai

Their ice creams are really really good. They have such unique flavours like Passionfruit cilantro, Cinnamon Honeybun, and Saffron. Love their twist on traditional ice creams. We got the trio scoop of their Cinnamon Honeybun, Strawberry Pie, and Mango and Cream. My favourite of the three was Strawberry Pie. So rich and flavourful. The fennel in it really popped and as a south asian, I loved that. My favourite out of all was the saffron soft serve. The flavour balance was so good and the soft serve was so creamy. I didn’t really enjoy the mango and cream. The flavour was kind of muted and I was expecting some more mango flavour. Not pictured here but I also got their passionfruit cilantro another time which was also SO GOOD. That has to be my favourite ice cream I’ve had ever. So my recommendation is Saffron Soft Serve or the Passionfruit Cilantro.

Some of the best ice cream l've ever had. Malai hits the spot with its own unique twist on classic Indian flavors. Very excited to have Malai in Philly! I got the pistachio and saffron soft serve swirl and it was incredibly creamy. The flavors of both were coming through and blending nicely. For opening day the staff kept it smooth. They also have pints, pops and ice cream sandwiches available!

Great ice cream! Came in around 8:30-9ish on a Friday night. There was a bit of a line but overall it moved quickly. They also let you taste up to 4 flavors as well. There’s some indoor seating but it’s also close to the park to walk there after.

I visited Malai with some friends on a Saturday afternoon we spent in the city. The staff was very friendly and had great suggestions about the flavors and pairings of the ice cream. There are many unique options when it comes to ice cream flavors here and it was very interesting, and it was great that I was able to sample up to four different flavors. I ended up getting a scoop of the Pineapple Pink Peppercorn, which was perfectly sweet. The scoop was also a great size for the price, in my opinion. I also really appreciated that many of the flavors were Vegan, and in turn dairy free. The scoop I got was Vegan and dairy free, yet still had a wonderful consistency and creaminess. Overall an excellent experience, and I look forward to returning to try more flavors!!

Awesome, delicious, unique flavors with many vegan options! Staff is friendly and place was very clean with a good atmosphere. It’s a small place with not too many seating options and not wheelchair accessible but we got ice cream to go while we walked around rittenhouse. I highly recommend the cilantro mint flavor and will definitely be back to try more.

Natural flavors, the pairings are different from other ice creams and the line wasn’t too long. I liked the visit and will definitely come back. Near rittenhouse and a not pets allowed policy unless it’s a srvice animals. The vegan choices are good.

My son visited Malai in Washington and was super excited that Malai opened in Philadelphia. We visited this ice cream shop for the first time and it’s clean, bright and roomy. The servers were very nice and very accommodating when we wanted to try a variety of flavors. The ice cream is delicious and the variety of flavors amazing. We are so happy that Malai has opened here in Philadelphia. My son had the lemon cardamom and I had the cinnamon honeybun.

Wonderful flavors!! Loved the Rose Almond flavor and the Saffron Pistachio flavor. Highly recommend both but I believe you can't go wrong with any flavor based on how amazing those two were.

It was one of best ice creams that I have tried in the world. From today I will be visiting this shop every day before I leave, to explore all creations and flavors of these unique tastes

It is great to have an Indian ice cream store right here in Philly. I was familiar with Malai from their original Brooklyn location. I am happy to see them expanding to new areas. There was a long line of people waiting to get in. It was a warm summer day so everyone was craving some ice cream. When we entered we were happy to smell the great ice cream flavors and great air conditioning. They have several mixed flavors such as Tulsi and Cardamom. You have your regular flavors with an Indian mix. You can always grab a kulfi on a stick and enjoy it as a treat. Some of the highlights I saw were the gulab jamun ice cream cake and the ice cream cake with coffee cardamom and orange fennel ice cream. It was interesting to see the American/Indian mixtures in the ice cream flavors. I only tried a couple flavors but will be back for more. Usually I only go to Van Leeuwen down the street for ice cream but this provides a new option. Everyone should go to Malai and check out the new flavors when they get a chance.

It is absolutely magical inside. The interior design has such thought and the peach colored walls are so warm and inviting. I will definitely be coming back to try each creative flavor. I want to pick up the gulab jamun ice cream cake for a special occasion in the near future. We got a mango soft serve and then a cardamom soft serve. Wish we knew that we could get a swirl of them both. Both flavors were good but I think I'd personally prefer one of the dairy options in a waffle. Got the iced chai, it isn't that milky. The masala used for it is really intense, it's all the spices you could imagine in a chai exploding in your mouth. it might not be how you make chai at home but still a good drink overall. When we went to pay, the staff member did not even look up to acknowledge us, she just asked the scooper what we got.

The famous Indian ice cream shop that had roots in Brooklyn and came to Washington DC finally opened up in Rittenhouse square. It is located less than a block from the square and there was a big line to get in. The outside was a townhouse shaped building in an interesting orange color. There was some seating inside. The place sells pints of ice cream as well. We ended up trying a ton of flavors. They also have a mango lasso soft serve I am dying to try next time I visit. The flavors did have an Indian vibe to them. Reminded me of when my mom used to buy ice cream at the Indian store. I did like how it tasted more Americanized than the indian grocery store ice cream. The only flavor I wasn't a big fan of was the curry leaf creamsicle. That must be an aquired taste. Ended up getting the rose with cinnamon roasted almonds and mango with cream. I really liked how the rose tasted just like the rose milk my mom made when I was younger. I also liked the use of roasted almonds. The mango with cream was ok. I felt like it was pretty basic. It tasted like mango pump juice mixed in with vanilla ice cream.

I really wanted to like this place because I love the vision it has being born in Sri Lanka. The quality of the ice cream is top notch, no argument there. What lacked is the flavor. It's such a shame too because the flavor combinations are so creative and have so much potential but your tastebuds are searching hard for even a smidge of what it's supposed to taste like. I ended up getting the mango & cream and the rose after sampling quite a few flavors. I hate to say this but I wouldn't come back, and honestly there's much better ice cream spots in Philly. If they were to hone in on the flavors more, it would've been a home run for me.

We were here on a hot weekend looking for some great ice creams. We had heard a lot and were very excited to try it out. We were not disappointed. We ordered rose ice-cream and Tulsa chocolate chip ice cream. The rose was nice and easy to eat. Tulsa chocolate chip was regular chocolate chip, missing the wow factor of Tulsi flavor. Overall we thought the ice cream were nice but nothing that we would rave about. The service was polite and ambiance was casual. The place is small with limited seating.

Malai is such a cool little ice cream spot that takes Indian-inspired flavors and absolutely nails them. I got the saffron soft serve and the masala chai ice cream -- both were amazing. The saffron soft serve was creamy and floral in the best way, not too sweet, just really elegant. The masala chai ice cream had that warm, spiced flavor you'd expect, like a scoop of cozy in the summer heat. Also tried the tulsi tea and it was super refreshing -- herbal, clean, and just the right thing for a hot day. The sitting area is small but cute, and it's right next to Rittenhouse Park, so you can easily grab your treat and chill nearby. Service was super fast too -- they had four people behind the counter, so we didn't have to wait at all. Can't wait to come back and try more flavors.

Had a great experience in Malai! Stopped in while it was pouring rain so only two other people were in there - probably why the workers let us sample more than the listed limit, they were very kind and chatted with us! It was perfect for someone indecisive like me. I ended up getting the lemon cardamom and masala chai but everything else was unique as well (tulsi chocolate chip, passionfruit cilantro). Ice cream itself is nice and creamy, slightly sweet but worth it for the flavors. I'm still dreaming of the saffron soft serve I sampled! And awaiting the next time I'm in a city blessed with a Malai location.

A new ice cream spot offering some fun, unique flavors! I went in the afternoon on a weekend and there was no line - it seems like it might have just been that opening rush the weekend before. The rose ice cream was fantastic! Really enjoyed that one. The cinnamon honeybun, the Philly flavor, wasn't as good - there was too much cinnamon for my liking and the one piece of cinnamon roll that was in it was dry and hard. I had a tough time choosing flavors as there were several others I wanted to try, like the lychee, mango & cream, strawberry, etc. I got the split scoop with two flavors and could not finish it. There are a couple of tables and chairs within. They do ice cream sandwiches, cakes, and pints to take home (each pint is about $12.50).

I wanted to try this place like many others because Indian inspired ice creams are not widely available. Apparently this place has been on Gold Belly but understandably, I didn't want to pay for the extra shipping. The place will do well in bigger cities. Eventually, LA will have a place, probably Chicago, maybe Austin, and maybe Baltimore. This place opened two Saturdays ago I believe, and there was a line at least one block long when I arrived. I had the passion fruit cilantro, cinnamon honeybun, and strawberry pie. All the flavors were fine but it wasn't that extra flavor punch I was hoping for. I am not sure if cilantro mixes with passion fruit the best but it wasn't bad by any means. The cinnamon honeybun, I wasn't tasting much cheesecake, cinnamon, or honey. The strawberry pie had a few nice frozen strawberries but I didn't taste the jam, anise, or crust enough. I also had the Jalisa Iced tea and the Indian spiced flavoring was too faint for me to feel it was different than a regular tea. The hibiscus frosted loaf- I enjoyed the frosting and the spiciness of the loaf but I would've wanted more of the frosting on the loaf. Is that too Americanized for me to say? lol. Staff is friendly here.

Malai has some delightful flavors, a bright space (with a few tables), and a terrific staff. The person who helped us let me know that the Strawberry Pie has an anise note, which surprises some orderers--as someone who doesn't like black licorice, I appreciated the heads up! I ended up ordering half scoops of the Cinnamon Honeybun and the Tulsi Chocolate Chip, which were great. Looking forward to trying other flavors on my next visit!

Congrats on the opening day! With inconsistent ice cream textures and scoop sizes I would probably give the experience a 3.5/5 Hope the staff can figure out best way to manage the line and freezer temp while giving more attention to scoop sizes! ICE CREAM: Apricot Mace was fairly melted when it was scooped off to us already (photo right side bright orange scoop). It looked to be a full "fresh" freezer tub too. It was also the smallest scoop compared to the other two we got from the same staff. Flavor is fruity and a bit too sweet (3/5 ) Cherry Black Cardamom was partially melted but a medium size (photo front light pink scoop). Flavor was a creamy ice cream with a light smokiness and a semi tart sweet cherry jam (4/5) Passionfruit Cilantro was the best flavor, a real scoop, and good texture. The flavor of passionfruit is very bright and fruity and the end of a bite is a light earthy cilantro -- I appreciate the creative flavor and great execution of a vegan option (5/5) SERVICE: I don't even count waiting an hour in line for the opening day as staff seemed to move along. The blond female staff member with a bright smile who helped us seemed to give inconsistent scoop sizes compared to other staff that customers who walked away with scoops as tall as the cup. Receiving three scoops of varying sizes itself that appeared smaller than some other customers, AND having two fairly melted textures was more disappointing. ENVIRONMENT: The shop itself is really cute with bright lights, colorful wall mural, and decent amount of table seating as an ice cream shop. It gives cafe vibes to easily hang out and enjoy. Worth visiting when the opening days rush subsides to normal business levels.

New ice cream spot opened a Philly location just south of Rittenhouse square. Quite busy on their opening weekend with a line down the block to try the unique flavors. Inside has a few tables and chairs, and the line moves fairly quick. Had the black cherry cardamom and mango cream flavors. Black cherry cardamom had a nice standout flavor. Mango and cream was quite subtle. Both melted quite quickly, more so then other places. They also sell a few other things like cakes, ice cream sandwiches, and pints in a freezer. I'd go back and try different flavors as there were a few other interesting ones. I think Malai will be another decent ice cream option as it competes against the others right around Rittenhouse with its unique flavors. Thanks

I'm so happy to see a Malai has opened up in Philly! I have been going to the Brooklyn one for years but my bf lives in Philly and now we can enjoy it in both our cities :) The flavors rotate pretty regularly but my favorite is this spicy chocolate one they make. It's sooo good!

I came in craving a fruity and light sweet treat after lunch. The workers were patient as I tried different flavors and helpful in describing them as well! I decided on the apricot mace. In my opinion, apricot is a pretty subtle flavor and the combination of flavors ended up making it taste like mango instead. But I wasn't mad about that! It was nice and refreshing. There was a few tables and seating around. Cute and vibrant place! I would check it out if you're around.

Service was wonderful! I had a split scoop in a waffle cone and simply could not finish but it was delicious I had the rose and the saffron pistachio

For a place where I had to stand in line for an hour+, Malai can count me as a captivated audience of their creamery product as I loved the scoops that I ordered. At first, I was set on getting a scoop of the Lemon Cardamom ice cream. But then, after trying their Passionfruit Cilantro out of curiosity, I had to change my mind. The refreshing citrusy flavor was satisfyingly good along with a scoop of Lychee to balance out its tartness. On a warm summer night, the combination was awesomely good. As a cherry on top, since it's their grand opening day, my friends and I scored $3 a scoop. It remains to be seen how this place stacks up to the other ice cream places, but I wouldn't mind a revisit for a taste of a different flavor.

Some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Malai hits the spot with its own unique twist on classic Indian flavors. Very excited to have Malai in Philly! I got the pistachio and saffron soft serve swirl and it was incredibly creamy. The flavors of both were coming through and blending nicely. For opening day the staff kept it smooth. They also have pints, pops and ice cream sandwiches available! Editing to add Indian aunty approved! I came back 3 days after opening when my mom came into town and we got rose cinnamon and tulsi chocolate chip. My mom loved the rose cinnamon and she doesn't even like cinnamon things. The tulsi chocolate chip had the crunchy texture from the chocolate chips that I love and a mild earthiness from the tulsi. It was so good. Line was still long but it moved quickly.

came here on a whim because i really wanted ice cream and was curious about this semi new place! flavors were unique and samples tasted delicious. i really want to try the icecream sandwich! i got the soft serve and it was very sweet and delicious and refreshing :) would love to try more flavors and cant wait for soft serve rotations

Was crowded when walked in. The lines were disorderly but moved fast. They limited samples to 4 but ppl tried many more. The layout is similar to other ice cream shops but filled with many light pastel colors. Unfortunately, the flavors were okay, not fantastic compared to other Philadelphia ice cream options. We chose the mango & cream and rose & pistachios split scoop. The mango was creamy with hint of dairy farm-like flavor. Had to dig in to scoop out the mango concentrate. The rose ice cream was light with a hint of rose. These flavors were okay but not some place I would return to.

The hype is real and the vibes are elite! This was a great option for a warm weather sweet treat. My wife and I were looking forward to checking this place out and we happen to be in the area! We took the short walk over from dinner to Malai. We love how close it is to the park - can definitely see us grabbing a cone and strolling through Rittenhouse. Inside it's a well lit, clean space. There's small tables to enjoy the ice cream indoors. The flavors are so creative and they limit to 4 tastings to keep the line moving so choose wisely and plan to come back! They also have sandos and even pints to go! Malai just take my money already!

Half my group thought it was decent but not that flavorful or as the flavor-name advertised. But this is my review and I personally had no complaints & am easy to please. I ordered the "rose with cinnamon roasted almonds". Delightful and would order again. Upon first sampling it wasn't the biggest fan, but eating a scoop it grew on me and enjoyed how salty it was. I already know I'd like vanilla, pistachio, etc. so i sampled the more unique flavors -- very strange! fun & happy for a new spot to diversity all the repetitive ice cream options. good new spot for the ice cream perverts

Looove that they have different flavors for soft serve vs the usual vanilla and chocolate. I opted for the pistachio and it was super creamy and not floral-tasting like some pistachio icecream can get. Their mango lassi is good but not the best (leaves an aftertaste in your mouth probably from the quality of mango that i dont care for) - though i cant fault an icecream place for that. Excited to try their other unique flavors soon!

It's a really warm day today and we'd been walking around Rittenhouse Square. Walking on the shady side of the street we came upon Malai. Great name. Looking inside from the street it looked inviting and so we checked it out. It's a relatively small store with limited seating. Lucky for us, there was no line and there were seats and a table for us to sit down. It has a cute but not cutesy decor with nice choice of colors. Definitely feels like ice cream store, but classy. The wonderful person behind the counter was helpful and patient. I prefer sherbet on a hot day and I liked both 'vegan' choices so much that I ordered both! The flavors are definitely not the garden variety that you'll find in other places. I enjoyed the cilantro mint, which was refreshing with a really nice balance of the 2 flavors-just enough mint and I could really taste the cilantro. But even more interesting was the Mango Chili. This was the most unique sherbet flavor I've ever enjoyed. I like fruit sherbet and love spicy food. This was an amazing marriage. The fruit is forward and then as I swirled the spoonful in my mouth, the chili arrived. Totally awesome. My wife enjoyed her soft serve swirl, but for me it wasn't nearly as satisfying. But she was very happy.

new south asian ice cream shop in rittenhouse square with fun flavors! i checked out malai on opening day, and while the ice cream flavors are fantastic, the overall experience was a little chaotic. many of the ice cream flavors were melted, and i would like to echo another yelper's comment that scoop sizes were inconsistent. i'll chalk it up to first day nerves/the staff being overwhelmed with how busy it was... i had a half scoop of the masala chai and a half scoop of the lychee. the lychee was practically liquid, but i did really enjoy the masala chai ice cream. one of my friends tried the cherry black cardamom and rose with cinnamon roasted almonds which were both delightful (albeit a little melted). my other friend ordered two scoops, one of the lychee and one of the masala chai but unfortunately staff messed up her order and gave two scoops of the lychee instead. she felt bad and said that it was okay, but we were a little disappointed that they didn't at least offer to correct it. once again, chalking it up to opening day chaos. the shop was pretty spacious for an ice cream spot and had limited seating. it was definitely packed to the brim with opening excitement, and i'll have to swing back around when the hype dies down. i love the unique flavors offered here, and i also appreciate that they rotate their flavors every two months. what an exciting new ice cream shop!

Unique flavors, friendly staff, and you can try up to 4 samples. The pistachio soft serve was the perfect custard consistency and the flavor was GREAT. Can't wait to go back!

This is my second time visiting this place and I got soft serve (saffron + pistachios) this time and Malai didn't not disappoint me!! I love that you could still see some saffron flower paddles in the ice cream The line wasn't that long this time when we got there around 6pm on Thursday. But there were no seats for us to sit down so we walk to RH square to eat our ice cream. We really hope that they could add more seats or outdoor seating Really love the colorful atmosphere!

4/5, I thought the pistachio and saffron ice cream swirl was pretty good! I've never had anything like it. The flavors complement each other quite well. Good service, they limit you to 4 samples based on the sign. They have 12 flavors in the case at one time and they rotate the flavors pretty randomly. The chai will be present a lot tho. I like the vibes and music. Staff were super professional and friendly! Would recommend. A good alternative spot for ice cream and vegan options too! My friend got the tulsi chocolate chip and thought she liked the flavors combo, but thought it could be creamier! I would recommend trying Malai in Philly at least once

If you're reading this and you haven't been to Malai yet... that's your red flag they have such unique flavors and they change every so often! I was kind of upset that they didn't have the pistachio soft serve anymore when I came back again. But they had a pistachio crumble hard ice cream flavor which was out of this world! I also loved their fig on fig flavor and THEIR ICE CREAM SANDWICHES ARE SERIOUSLY THE BEST ICE CREAM SANDWICHES YOU'LL EVER HAVE! I love love lovedddd the peach cardamom ice cream sandwich and it even had bits of fresh peaches inside!! Seriously my new favorite ice cream spot, you must go! I'm so happy they have other locations in New York and DC as well!

Yum!! Some of the most interesting and tasty flavor options I have seen. I got the two vegan options (can do split scoop). They also have soft serve (not vegan, at list this time). Right of the square so you can get ice cream and go sit in the park. There is also a decent amount of seating inside which is a good change from many of the smaller spaces for other nearby ice cream jawns. Staff are friendly.

First and foremost, this is the best ice cream in Center City!! The flavors are rich, unique and something you won't get anywhere else. Vibes are 15/10, proud to see Pooja living out her dream and bringing Malai to Philly. Waited 45+ mins on opening day (ask anyone, I'm not a fan of lines) but happy to share I was satisfied when I got to the end and the wait was well worth it. If you're considering getting sweets in Rittenhouse, give Malai a try. Highly recommend!

Nice concept for ice-cream with fusion Indian and unique flavors. Tried the mango cream and rose almond. Flavors were rich and accurate to the description of ingredients. Unfortunately, they were way too sweet for our taste so we could only have a couple bites.

I love that this place has so many Asian options and I was really excited to try it. Having said that, it is not my favorite. My expectation was for stronger flavors but after trying multiple ice creams (rose, chai, mango and cream), I felt that they did not have any distinct taste. Where was the rose flavor? The chai was very creamy but missing the chai flavor. Mango and cream was also missing the mango flavor -- it tasted more like popcorn. The sorbets did fare better. The passion fruit cilantro did taste like what it is named after, but it was too sweet. The one thing I did enjoy was the saffron soft serve, which had real pieces of saffron. It also was perfectly sweet. Some of my friends did not like it because the saffron can be too much for some people. Overall, it was lacking the balance and presence of flavors I hoped for.

I went on a Tuesday evening - the perfect night for ice cream. There was no line and there were 2 employees ready to help me out try a few flavors - I sampled the mango and cream, masala chai and rose with cinnamon almonds - all were tasty but I ultimately chose the rose with cinnamon almonds (which by the way they told me was going to be the only permanent flavor with the others switching out). I got it in a cup and it was a pretty good portion size! I was headed to do some errands so didn't stick around to enjoy the ambiance but noticed the fridge had some pints, popsicles and ice cream sandwiches of different flavor varieties, and there were a few cute tables to sit and enjoy inside. So the first time I went was a Saturday night and they were sold out of almost all the flavors, and this time they were only sold out of the pistachio soft serve which I realllly want to try so I'll have to come back.

I was excited to try this bc it's Asian owned but it was underwhelming, unfortunately. The spices and flavors are not very distinctive at all. I did not smell or taste the rose or even the cinnamon- it was very sweet as well :(

I will be dreaming about the lychee ice cream for a long time. Bright intense flavors, highly recommend!

I was excited to see this place opening up, but the experience is really 80% marketing and 20% ice cream. Big line, nice space, decent enough service, but the ice cream was just ok. The cherry black cardamom had potential, but something in there left an unpleasant puckery sensation on my tongue as I ate it. The rose tasted more like "pink", lacking the floral notes we would have expected and studded with soggy almonds. Overall, both flavors were dull, their flavors perhaps dialed back to avoid offending more sensitive palates, or choked by the relatively high fat content of the ice cream. This place will probably do well for a while, but I personally have no interest in returning. By and large there is no call for Philly to play host to any more Brooklyn imports that are more image than substance. Also charging $2 extra for a cone at an ice cream store is pretty daffy.

Looooove this place!!! The flavors are so good and ive never regretted anything ive had! Ive gotten normal scoops, soft serve, and their ice cream sandwich. Yum!

Genuinely the best ice cream in center city! The store features unique fresh Indian inspired flavors. The base is incredibly creamy and not overly sweet, allowing for the perfect after dinner treat. The best part - all flavors are eggless! I was able to try the lemon cardamom and mango and cream flavors. The mango and cream was good, but the lemon cardamom was the freshest, zingiest ice cream I've ever tasted. Great location too right off Rittenhouse square. Given all of the media buzz they were able to create over the past few weeks, there is consistently a line around the block, which the servers seemed slightly unprepared for. However, I'm sure the service experience will improve as the crowds begin to lighten. This shop will be a summer staple in the months to come!

Cardamom pistachio crumble was yummy (but it was a huge scoop and started melting on my waffle cone before I could finish). Next time I want to try the soft serve.

Tasty ice creams. Innovative flavors. Very Kind staff. So glad this opened up in Philly!

Waited in a long line thinking this place must be really good. Mediocre at best. Ice cream was really melty and stuffy. I guess the long line is just a grand opening hype.

Saffron soft serve and kulfi selection is to die for. The flavors are so authentically South Asian, it tastes like home. Easily the best ice cream shop in Rittenhouse right now.

Absolutely delicious! Everyone who waited in line for the Grand Opening came out looking satisfied and it was an hour wait. The interior and exterior were cute and colorful.