The first liquid nitrogen ice cream shop in Indonesia is here!

The liquid nitrogen ice cream craze has finally infiltrated Jakarta, with LIN Artisan ice cream recently opening its door in Kemang. For those unfamiliar with the term, this is a form of molecular gastronomy technique that takes merely 5 minutes to produce a cup of fresh gelato by mixing the ingredients with liquid nitrogen. Be surprised by this fact: although liquid nitrogen ice cream is a recent phenomenon, the creator, Agnes B. Marshall, invented it about a century ago, in the year of 1901! Who would have thought that the commercialization of the technique would take a century long.

I loved the look of LIN – a blend of minimalist furniture within an industrial style setting. The wooden furniture is a good touch to the gelateria as it gives off the warm and cozy feeling. This gelateria has an open kitchen concept where you can watch how the ice cream are made – which gives a laboratory feel to the shop that will definitely attract curious customers like myself.

LIN offers 2 types of ice cream – sorbet (made of fruits) and gelato (made of milk). Although I came to the place with the intention to try out both options, my friend and I just could not resist its more interesting choices such as beer pong, smiley baileys and of course, the hazelnut crunch (who in their right mind would not love a Ferrero Rocher flavoured ice cream?).

I was glad to have ordered the hazelnut crunch. I absolutely adored it; its flavor is just right, though my usual late-night-dining friend found it too sweet. Instead, she was in love with the smiley baileys – smooth and creamy and it has the right amount of baileys flavour; the alcohol taste was neither too strong nor weak.

However, our more adventurous choice, Beer Pong, was not spectacular. It feels like a eating a soft and velvety semi-solid beer and it left a fizzy sensation on my tongue. I suspected that it was due to the bubbly nature of beer but my friend thinks that it is the result of too much nitrogen.

I was overall quite impressed with the ice cream but I do think that it tasted rather similar to other good Italian gelatos out there. Would I come back for more? I think so. I like how they are opened till late at night and the waiters/waitresses still serves you with a smiling face.

I am also very fascinated by its other flavors, particularly the strawberry and cheese, although the hefty price tags (Rp39k – 69k) on some of its ice cream are something I would rather ignore. Get ready PrincessFiona and FidoDido, for I am going to share my calorie intake by inviting you to a fattening ice cream tea party the next time I would like to visit this place!

Food: |***  |          Ambience: |**** |         Price: |$$$$ |

Opening Hours: Everyday (11 am – 11 pm)                      

Location: 1 Taman Kemang No. 6, South Jakarta

Phone: (021) 71794393

Posted by AliceinWonderland