Nitrogenie

Speaking frankly, I’m usually an easy sell when it comes to glitz and glamour. Sprinkle some flashy, eye-​catching accents on something, and more times than not you’ll piqué my interest. So, when I heard about the new nitrogen ice cream shop opening in Ala Moana’s Ewa (Bloomingdale’s) wing, the question wasn’t if I’d try them out, but rather how soon it would be before you’d see me in line lol. Also, my friend has been raving about this nitrogen ice cream shop she visited while abroad (London represent!), and she was eager and hopeful to have something similar here in Hawaii. With our mutual intrigue in line, we made a plan to check it out on opening day.
However, as much as novelty might get me in the door and spending my money, if there’s no genuine substance, good luck getting me to come back. And that in a nut shell is my gripe with Nitrogenie. Sure the rising white clouds from the liquid nitrogen pouring into the mixers is cool (pun not intended), but you gotta at least make great ice cream, damnit!
Anyway, enough subjectiveness and let’s get on with the review.
The menu isn’t your typical ice cream options, which is a way they differentiate themselves from competition. Selection is a bit limited in this aspect, but no docked points for trying to be creative. However, if you’re going to only offer a few handfuls of flavors, your product really oughta be outstanding in its quality, and I was very, very underwhelmed. My friend and I shared the lemon meringue and the salted caramel and honey cheesecake flavors, and although both were serviceable, neither wowed our taste buds. Presentation, on the other hand, was something I felt they did well… or rather, could’ve done exceedingly well if things held up. What I mean by that is the lemon meringue ice cream came with this mini «syringe» of tart, lemon sauce, which is quite a unique sight on an ice cream. And with the torched meringue top, it definitely looked the part. But, it started deconstructing and melting almost instantly. We’re talking the moment the server placed it on the counter for us to take. It barely survived long enough for us to take a picture. Because, you know, the proper way to eat anything is to Instagram it first haha.
I will give them credit for generating buzz, a very polite staff, and consistently long lines of customers. But, I don’t think the value equaled the amount we paid; $ 5 for a really teensy, tiny cup! So yeah, I honestly don’t see myself going back anytime soon if at all.
*side note*
Ugh I absolutely HATE the name, Nitrogenie. It’s not witty or clever or funny! Just stop… STAHP! /​rant

First time here and had to see what the hype was all about! Was I happy with it? Yes. and no.
We came after stuffing ourselves at Gyu-​Kaku for my primas birthday. Line wasn’t terribly long, and I think we only waited less than 3 minutes before actually getting in the doors.
From what we noticed, they only let certain amounts of people go in at a time. Which I thought was pretty good so it doesn’t get crowded in there. Once we got in, the cashier is on your left … place your order, give them your name and move to the right.
You can watch them make it, which wasn’t as exciting as I thought it was going to be. You can’t really see what they are doing with the liquid nitrogen, you get the cool ‘special effects’ of the smoky fog going on. but then the bowl is given to someone else who ‘mixes’ your ice cream. And really, all that is, is scooping it into a cup. I’m not trying to sound harsh, but this place really is all hyped up with the smoke clouds and neon lighting.
The ice cream its self is terrific. And well, I’ve been there twice so far now and really have only gotten the Nutella Cornacopia. Because, Nutella …
The menu changes weekly, so unless your a Nutella lover like me, your favorite probably wont be up there all the time.
Oh … and it does melt faster than the norm, as other Unilocalers have said. Which was meh, that’s what napkins are for!
My second visit there the girls behind the counter were talking about how the cashier might be pregnant :| Seriously? This small tiny girl (the supposed pregger one) was sitting on the floor behind the register with her head down. Someone else took our order. Where was the manager or shift leader?
Would I come back? Eh … maybe, if I’m in the mood for it, am at Ala Moana and am by Bloomingdales. Other than that, I’m not going to go out of my way to go there. They got 4 stars because of the delicious ice cream!

Yeah Nitrogenie is expensive but so is everything in this new ‘Rodeo Drive’ section of Ala Moana. If you want taste AND value drive to Via Gelato in Kaimuki and you’ll be happy. But if you like gimmicks like liquid nitrogen wafting over a frozen bowl of ice cream and you like innovative flavors then Nitrogenie is worth trying. I’ve been her a half dozen times and I’ll keep coming back because it’s fun and tasty!

Willy Wonka + ice-​cream = Nitrogenie.
It was like walking into Willy Wonka’s factory. First you have the cool ice-​cream being made with Nitrogen and then… Willy’s workers. White suspenders and colorful shirts. They just need green hair. It’s pretty cool.
I went to check out Nitrogenie on a Saturday night close to closing. Thankfully they let us in. Note: they will not let you in after a certain time. Once in, we were greeted with a ton of energy. I chose the vanilla flavor and watched as they made the ice cream. It looks pretty scary to be handling the Nitrogen.
In terms of flavor, it didn’t have the strong vanilla flavor I’m used to. I do have to say that I was very creamy. Beware! It melts really fast, so be sure to eat it fast. Don’t get a brain freeze!
If you haven’t tried them, be sure to check them out.

True, I’ve never met ice cream I didn’t like (well, except Coffee flavor, barf!), but I didn’t find anything particularly novel or interesting about this place.
However, the final product was delicious. I ordered the apple crisp and my daughter and her friend both ordered the Nutella. We ordered ‘large’ for each of us, but I swear it was the same cup as the ‘small.’ Perhaps they added a little more on top, not sure.
At any rate, it was a costly experience at $ 6.99 each. After tax, that was a more than $ 20.00 investment. I think we would have enjoyed something like Menchies more, and for less money.
It was tucked toward the parking structure, adjacent to the new Magnolia Bakery. If you like ice cream, you’ll like this place, but you likely won’t enjoy the wait or the cost!

We’ve walked and driven by this new Ice Cream place at Ala Moana, saw crowds, admired the very mad scientist looking method of making ice cream using nitrogen, heard some the comments about how it’s just a fad, finally had to see for myself.
Food: Lots of different flavor combos to choose from. don’t feel pressured if you don’t know what you want. because you’ll have a while to decide as you wait for your turn to order. We tried the Nutella and the Lemon Meringue Pie. Both were good in their very different flavor profiles. Very creamy as advertised, smooth almost like a gelato, fresh rich ingredients. Yum… this isn’t your average ice cream.
Service: An interesting model, each serving is custom made after the order is placed. while this is cool to watch and you know everything is fresh. it does not result in the fastest throughput. On this evening, they had 3 of the 5 or 6 mixers going. I’m not sure how long we waited but must have been at least 20 minutes and line wasn’t even out the door in the shop. I can’t imagine waiting in line for 20+ minutes for ice cream every time, perhaps if they had more mixers going but it doesn’t seem like it’s very efficient.
Atmosphere: Very hip and cool with all that nitrogen smoke pouring out of the mixing bowls. It’s almost hypnotic standing there watching the smoke fill the counter. that’s probably why you don’t notice the wait!
Value: So how do you make up for slow throughput in your business model? You charge more for each product sold! $ 4.59 for a small cup, $ 5.79 for a large. and it’s not a big cup. I will say though that the small looked pretty small but they fill that sucker up and it was more than enough. Plus it’s so rich that most folks will find the small cup just right. I guess $ 5 isn’t too much for ingredients this fresh and it’s on par with some of the gelato places around town but some folks may balk at the price.
Overall: Ice cream was good, I’m okay with the price point. it’s the wait time removed a star for me. It’s cool the first time but I don’t know if I’d be willing to spend that much time waiting for ice cream.

Like a genie out of a nitro tank, from a puff of dry smoke, your ice cream appears! Incredible. With some colorful names, new flavors makes this bottled genie the hit of the town.
It’s fairly early, just opening up for business when I walk into the establishment. Very hip and trendy with vibrant colors create an inviting ambiance for a young crowd. I’m not part of that crowd but I am still curious. I asked what is the best seller.
Lemon Meringue, Large Cup $ 6.99
Okay, I will take a large. That’s a hefty price. A new batch had to be made and I got to watch the process. The ingredients are added and the mixer goes into high speed churning the ingredients while the nitrous quickly cools down the mixture. As the process continues, magical smoke appears catching everyone’s attention. It’s like watching a magic act. The ice cream is scooped into a cup. The whip is added on top and burned for that nice golden caramelized color and taste. I take my first bite delighted in the taste. Wish I had a wafer cookie to go with this. I see around the cup the ice cream has been melting. Not a considerable melt but very noticeable.
Let’s roll it back and understand the basic concept of making ice cream. The traditional makers do it very similar using large vats that can produce several gallons. All the ingredients are placed in and then sealed. Then the churn (turning of the bladed) begins. It is kind of fast but not the super speed Nitrogenie incorporates in their process. What is happening here is the mixture is being mixed, folded and stretched to capture air. That’s right air. This is what allows the ice cream to get that soft creaminess we all love. Now, your cheaper ice cream will be light because they have lots of air. Your better, true quality ice cream will have less air. Your cheaper ice cream loses the soft creaminess being more like frozen ice milk.
How can you tell quality ice cream from the rest? If you leave it alone, quality ice cream after you scoop it and place it in a cup or cone will not melt within a minute. If it does begin to melt then you know your scoop has a lot of air churned into it.
Going back to this nitrous process. The churn has to be fast because of the nitrous cooling it down very quickly. IIn doing so it is capturing more air into the cream. That will cause it begin melting sooner. Hence, why I noticed the ice cream melting along the side of the cup in less than a minute.
Okay, hopefully I explained that well enough for you to understand so you can make your own call. There are other factors involved, ingredients used can play a factor too. To come to a complete conclusion cannot be done on one scoop either.
However, for me, imho, I feel this is more fluff (in this case «air») and is a nice fad pulling us in with smoke and mirrors. Will I go back? Sure, and I may try a flavor if it sounds interesting enough. Yet, this is not something I am going to want every week or every month for that matter. It is over priced for what you get. Maybe that’s where it needs to be because nitrous is expensive? I don’t know, but I believe this is just a fad. Enjoy it while you can. I will. May try a nitroshake.
Just thought of something… will they be marketing a commercial model in the near future so we can make our own at home? Be nice if I could install a portable model in my car and use the nitrous there. Hmmmm hahahaha

One day on my day off from work I stepped foot into Nitrogenie for the first time. There was only one customer inside the establishment waiting on her cool down treat.
I noticed a total of four employees. One by the register. One operating the blender. Two waiting to dish out the magic made ice cream into the cups.
As I was looking over the menu board of different flavors it took the employee by the register a few minutes to greet me. I was debating between the Mango of Summer or the Chocolate Oreo Cream. I went for my weakness… Chocolate Oreo Cream. I do love chocolate and Oreos. I opted to get the $ 4.99 cup… next time I’ll go for the bigger cup. Paid for my transaction and waited for my dessert to be made.
I missed out in watching the mixing process of the magic ice cream. I did watch the male employee scoop my Chocolate Oreo Cream into the cup.
After receiving my small (medium) cup of ice cream I left the establishment and enjoyed my ice cream at the nearby sitting area. The Chocolate Oreo Cream was absolutely delicious.
Nitrogenie is a clean environment and they passed the Department of Health inspection. I’ll be back to the establishment the next time I want to have dessert to end the day.
³⁹⁄₂₀₀

New ice cream shop in town! Great location. Very convenient. Definitely had to try this one out BUT don’t be surprised or expect anything too out of the ordinary from your normal gelato, cold stone creations.
INSIDE: Fun, bright, menu is in comic colors, attractive to the eye. Flavors are unique in names. Kinda overwhelming. The staff wear these cute bicycle caps. You can watch them make your ice cream thru the clear glass and see the dry ice. Pretty cool. They use a metal spatula like cold stone to round the top.
ICE CREAM: Nutella Cornucopia: Taste is creamy, not too sweet. Got the small size. Very rich in flavor BUT with all the hype about nitrogen made ice cream bla bla. It wasn’t any different. I actually mentioned Cold Stone and they insisted «oh no no» we’re different. Making the ice cream, yes. Taste not so much.
All in all, would I come back. Probably not. But glad I tried it out. Maybe I’ll try the other flavors if someones treating lol.

$ 4.99 for the regular size and $ 6.99 for the larger size. Drinks are also available.
Ok, every kid age 1 – 92 that sees all that magical nitrogen, interesting flavors and presentation will stop. Hence, the ongoing line.
The flavors change weekly. I had my heart set on the honey cheesecake or salty popcorn caramel, neither were available. I wished that they kept the most popular flavors on always and rotate the rest.
Fun concept! Most of the waiting happens outside. You order, pay and move to the right where the magic happens. Watch as the dairy product goes from liquid to frozen in minutes. Somehow, the flavors were not memorable. The names are great and what goes into it sounds good but you take a bite and say that’s cool. This technique has been used in fine dining where every bite ends up being so delectable that only a spoon size is served. Hmmmmm… so we lose something in the mass production of this style ice cream.
Concept great, taste ok. Price a bit steep as once the concept gets old the taste will not bring me back.

After waiting 1 month and half to try their famous ice cream all the way from Australia, I got the chance to try it with my bf this past Saturday night. Luckily the lengthy line was no more lengthy. Instead, there were only four other couples before us.
We tried early last month, but the line was too long and the timing was bad. The mall was closing in less than an hour and people wanted to know what the fad was all about so there were too many in line. There was a worker to cut off the growing line since the mall was closing so were they.
However, I did not like the fact that the worker open the front door and was trying to fit all the couples before us and me and my bf and two girls in back of us inside the store to order. I felt like it was too tight to be having that many people inside. Imagine if you stand behind a customer with really bad BO. How do you endure it while standing in line??? Don’t like their method :(
The ice cream was creamy and rich. We ordered the salt caramel popcorn, just one. If we ordered two different flavors and did not like one of them, we’ll be throwing it away.
They add popcorn to the ice cream. I got to admit the process of making the ice cream is cool but not shoving more people inside your store just to take their orders is not okay. I need my personal space.
Would I try it again? Probably not because I hate to spend $ 5.25 on the regular size which looks like a child’s ice cream cup and that the fact it melt so quickly. I can easily buy a container of ice cream at the market for that amount of money and still enjoy indulging it.

I had a much better experience coming the second time around. Opening day was packed with disorganized lines, and no delegation from the employees. I waited twenty minutes before I gave up lol. So when I revisited, the wait was about five minutes! Also, customers were let in a few at a time to keep it orderly.
I was ecstatic to taste the ice-​cream. It looked like magic as the liquid nitrogen was released into the air from the blender. The small clean shop offered various flavors, but my eyes were set on maple syrup macadamian nut. The price for a regular was around five buckaroos. The size was pretty minuscule.
I received my creative dessert within a minute after I gave my order. It was MAGIC lol. My ice-​cream was presented nicely in the cup. It was topped with little pieces of macadamian nuts that gave a nice crunch. The maple syrup was just right and not overly sweet. The texture was smooth and creamy. I was able to enjoy it in a timely manner, and not have to shove it quickly in my mouth. Lol
I’ll be back for their cheesecake!!!

Watching all the hype when it opened and wanted to try the place. Yet I did not want to wait in that infinite line that seemed to never end. I waited a few weeks for the buzz to die down and glad I did.
The serving size are perfect for me and for my kid. The different flavor’s are also a good treat and my son loved watching them make the ice cream. It looked like ice cream from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry dessert bar.
I got the Lemon Meringue pie and Nutella flavor for us. They were good and full of flavor but not flavor I would wait hours in line. It also melts faster than regular ice cream so the small size helped with that problem.
Overall it’s a place to try during slow hours and when you’re in the area to say you’ve been there once. It’s not going to be our new go to place for ice cream but we will come try their weekly new flavor’s.

Do they have good ice cream? Yes! Would I wait in a ridiculous line to eat it? No. Luckily, I’ve gone when there have been no more than 2 people in line. But trust me, this is rare. It is still new so the hype is huge and lines are crazy long.
The big hype about this place is really just because they’re style of making it. They use liquid nitrogen to create your cup of ice cream right infront of your eyes. Let me say, it looks almost like a science lab (in a cool way).
The staff is really nice. One of the workers helped me choose a flavor, and although I didn’t enjoy that flavor she was still really friendly. The only reason I didn’t like it is because it was called the After Dinner Minty (i think?), but it was a chocolate ice cream with just a mint frosting. Call me crazy, but I don’t like chocolate ice cream. For anyone who does, I think that would’ve been a great choice. I really liked the lemon meringue though! Looks and tastes great.
Overall, this is a fun place to have some ice cream but don’t wait in a ridiculous line for it.

January 6, 2015 Updated review:
Wowzers! I totally enjoyed coming here again and my friend from Guam and I went here and we felt totally welcomed. We had an awesome time with the workers and theyre so nice and fun! I would always come back here to bring my friends and introduce nitrogenie :)
Im giving this place over 100 bazillion percent to da max! I really enjoyed eating and tasting My triple chocolate brownie and even my friend had the honey cheesecake. Wow! it was our first time ever!
This Ice Cream is made out of Liquid Nitrogen! Basically it freezes the ice cream real fast with clean air and it tastes so good!
At the entrance, it felt exciting as customers are busy lining up and also seeing workers making the ice cream, but all looked fantastic! Loved the colors and background of the place. I think its pretty epic and modern to me. Seeing nitrogen fogs flowing in the air was fun to watch! haha
Tasting the ice cream made me feel like I was taken to a new era of 2020s future… made me imagine the beauty of chocolate! hahaha i dont know if I made sense here but it was super delicious! My friend tried it also and he thought it was delicious as well. We both ordered the large ice creams.
The workers were very friendly and customer service oriented. The cashier was so awesome tonight and made sure to explain to us how its done and what the menus are. My, oh my… I totally plan to come back to try other flavors

This is a modern technology ice cream parlor if you will. It’s located in Ala Moana Center in Ewa Wing section. What makes this place so unique is the coldness in their ice cream. I’m not a chemist so I don’t know how to explain it. Sorry.
But I’m thinking during hot summer this is the place to get your coldest ice cream ever. We tried peppermint chocolate and mango. I couldn’t believe how cold my mouth turned after having few bites. I liked the peppermint chocolate better for its refreshing taste. Mango was on the milky/​pasty side. The flavors are on the board.
Another unique thing is ice creams are not premade. They make it after you order. They have several blenders to make ice cream so there may be a wait if the place is busy. It’s $ 5 for one single scoop. I think that’s about right especially if it’s made fresh.

Yes, Nitrogenie is expensive. Yes, it melts more quickly than normal ice cream does. Yes, your experience will depend on how long the line is and what flavor you choose. Did I have a good experience nevertheless? Yes!
I went with a friend yesterday after lunch around 1:30. The line was out the door but I was curious and we were already there. The line actually moved pretty quickly. There were maybe around 10 people ahead of us. We were in and out of there in less than 10 minutes.
Someone in front of us inquired whether they still had their mint but apparently flavors change here every Monday. I got their honey cheesecake because I love honey and the flavor sounded divine. It was wonderful! The actual ice cream part tasted just like honey (but not overly sweet) and the dollop of cream on top was heavier and tasted of cheesecake. Yum!
There are two sizes here – regular (4.99) and large (6.99). I got the regular and it did get melty after 5 minutes. I can only imagine how much faster you would need to consume the large.
Overall, Nitrogenie will be more of a once-​in-​a-​while treat than a frequent haunt for me because of the price but I am glad I checked it out!

The whole concept of how they make the ice cream is cool (using liquid nitrogen), and watching them make it is even cooler.
I was torn between the lemon meringue pie and the salted caramel with white chocolate. I sampled the salted caramel with white choc, but I thought it was too caramelly and sweet. It seemed like everyone in front of me had ordered the lemon meringue so I decided to go with that one. This was definitely a great choice. The ice cream had the perfect amount of lemon flavor to it, (not too citrusy and overpowering) and I liked how they topped the ice cream with a layer of cookie crumbs, and then on top of that was the light and fluffy meringue swirl. Then they lightly torched it on the outside to give it a nice caramelized finish. The combination of it all was delightful!
My husband ordered the peppermint patty chocolate flake, which he enjoyed, but I thought it was too creamy and pepperminty, haha. Sorry, that wasn’t very descriptive, but all I know is I didn’t care for his ice cream and I was glad that my ice cream was really good!
I do admit, this place is a bit pricey for ice cream– $ 5 for the regular cup, which is basically a small keiki cup. But considering the nice ingredients they use and the effort spent to make it (at least the lemon meringue one), I don’t mind spending that much.
Luckily for us we came here on a Sunday evening when the line had died down, so we only had to wait approximately 10 minutes. I definitely wouldn’t wait any longer for this place, and if I did I dunno if I would think it was worth it. The store is also cramped inside and the line is a bit confusing the way it wraps around inside. But people seemed to figure it out and no one tried to cut in front of us, which was good.

«Mr. Freeze, where for art thou?»
Here it is, about a month after their grand opening and the long engaging lines are gone. The true test of any business is how well they do after the first month or so to gauge the public’s acceptance/​enjoyment. This is especially true for places that sell dessert/​beverage stuff like Nitrogenie.
When you come to see this place the first time it is quite fascinating to see the cold/​freeze process in action as the create the ice cream in the large steel bowls to be dished out. Pretty cool process– think Mr. Freeze in Batman. But after you have seen this once, the process becomes a non-​factor and then it becomes what you get and how much you pay to get it.
The ice cream is good but melts too fast. We had something called chocolate/​chocolate crunch which is basically a chocolate ice cream covered with crunchy chocolate bits on the top. It was delicious but started melting as soon as we left the store. Mind you this is in the evening so the sun was not mercilessly beating on your frozen treat. Their ice cream seems to melt faster than shave ice, that’s pretty fast in my book. This was a common theme for all the flavors as evidenced by the sticky seating area outside the store. (You gotta feel sorry for the maintenance crew– also watch where you sit)
The price for a «regular» is $ 4.99, the size of what most places would consider Keiki size. This seems a little steep, but the ice cream seems denser but still too expensive.
The crowds have died down. Here it is, about a week before Christmas at about 6:30pm, and we are about one of three groups waiting to fill our orders. With one group waiting to order. Not slow at all.
If you have not tried Nitogenie, it’s definitely worth a peek to see the process and give it a taste. But grab plenty of napkins Bruddahs and Sistahs ’cause da potential for a sticky mess is there. You know, melts in your hands, not in your mouth.
There are many frozen treat options in Ala Moana center, for the price and because the stuff seems to melt so fast, Nitrogenie would not be my first option for a cool treat.

I’ve always wanted a genie to grant me wishes! This is as close as I’ll get! I wish for ice cream right now! POOF!!! Nitrogenie is born! This new little ice cream shop does things differently than the regular ice cream places we know. The ice cream is made with liquid Nitrogen so it’s quick! POOF! you got ice cream!
The two times I visited, the line was so long. I decided the next time I was going to wait no matter what! It looked so cool! All the smoke coming out of the mixers! The ice cream scoopers with flame throwers. It just looked intriguing.
It took 40 minutes to get to the cashier and order. The place was looked modern, very bright and hip. I had two friends with me and we decided to order: honey cheesecake and the mango sorbet. A regular cup is $ 6.99 and a small cup is $ 4.99. The price steep for ice cream. Makes you think it’s going to be amazing when you get it! After we ordered, it took 9 minutes more before we finally got our ice cream. The line was really strange. you get into the door, you pay, then you wait on the wall inside. So there are two lines in reality.
We finally got our ice cream. My honey cheesecake tasted like ice cream with cream cheese on top. I did not like the cream cheese topping. But I liked the actual ice cream on the bottom. The mango tasted really fruity. As we walked out, our ice cream already started to melt a little faster than normal. So make sure you grab napkins!
Overall, it’s another creamy treat option. It’s not worth the long line and wait. It tasted creamy and delicious, like any other ice cream from shops I’ve had. The price was steep, but I get it, it’s the quick way they make it that makes it worth more. Would I go here everyday? Probably not. But it is fun to see them make it. The flavors are creative, but only a few are available. Do not expect 31 flavors. I would definitely come back, once the hype dies down. It’s a great idea and I’m glad it is here! Some improvements they might want to work on is getting that line down. They may want to think about switching to ordering, paying then picking up.