Holla Mode opened quite awhile back but every time I went to try it the line seemed a mile long. Now I finally know why! I figured it was because of the food truck’s location, on restaurant row on Barton Springs and the last stop before Zilker park, but now I realize they custom make the actual ice cream for every single customer!
First, you pick your base, the organic coconut is totally vegan, then you can pick your flavors like green tea or almond butter or vanilla etc. Then you pick your mixins (pictured above I chose almond butter ice cream with strawberries and blueberries because they were out of a ton of stuff). Then the ice cream maker pours the base on freezing cold plate along with whatever you chose and stirs it up until it becomes ice cream. When they make it the process kind of looks like stir-fry and so in Thailand and South Asia where the technique was invented they call it Stir Fried Ice Cream, but it’s the opposite of frying, really. Once it becomes ice cream they scrape it up into rolls and plunk them in a cup and at that point, you can get other toppings like fruit or nuts or Oreos.
When I tasted it at first it reminded me of dippin’ dots (aka ice cream of the future aka freeze-dried ice cream) because it was so cold and had a delicate texture but as it melted it tasted like regular old delicious ice cream. I didn’t think I’d be able to eat the whole thing when I saw the giant portions but by the time I finished….I kinda wanted more! They also have a trailer on Burnet but it’s only open March through September. There is a second business called Ice Scrappers that is the same concept as Holla Mode and it also has vegan options up by the Drag. Let me know if you’ve tried it because I want to go there too! And what kind of flavor combinations to get! I have to try the Thai Tea next I think.