Got the miso biscoff ice cream & ube soft serve. I don't even like Biscoff cookies that much, but I could eat a pint straight of the miso biscoff ice cream. It was genuinely perfect and when we had a taster of it we were speechless. I also personally thought it tasted really well with the ube soft serve. Will so be coming back unfortunately. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Soft swerve is up against some tough competition in the area. The flavors were lack luster compared to its competitors but at least there's seating I tried to get the most unique flavor available which was miso biscoff. It tasted more like biscoff and was overly sweet. I hated the almond cookie only because I'm typically not a fan of the chinese almond cookies anyways. It felt like vanilla ice cream topped with almond cookies chunks- nothing special. At least there's seating! read more

Soft Swerve is a modern ice cream shop that specializes in Asian-inspired soft serve and ice cream flavors that go beyond the typical vanilla and chocolate offerings. We walked into a bright, playful space with a clean, minimalist design that matches the colorful desserts, the kind of shop where the visual appeal of the ice cream is as much a part of the experience as the flavors themselves. The interior is compact and inviting, with a few seats scattered near the counter, but the setup is better suited for a quick stop rather than a long sit-down visit. The menu is centered around rotating soft serve flavors like ube, Thai tea, black sesame, matcha, Vietnamese coffee, and other seasonal creations. We ordered the ube soft serve, the signature item for good reason, and found it had a rich, natural flavor and smooth, creamy texture that did not taste overly sweet, the ube coming through clearly without being masked by sugar. Other flavors like black sesame and Vietnamese coffee offer bolder profiles, with the black sesame providing a nutty, earthy depth and the Vietnamese coffee adding a strong, slightly bitter contrast to the creaminess. Fruit-based options provide something lighter and more refreshing, and there are plenty of toppings available, including mochi, sprinkles, and waffle cones, allowing you to customize each order without overwhelming the ice cream itself. One of the things that stands out most is the texture. The soft serve is exceptionally smooth and creamy, and the flavors are well balanced without relying on excessive sweetness. The menu also includes vegan options, making it a good choice for groups with different dietary preferences. While there is some seating inside, it is fairly limited, so many people end up taking their ice cream to go, especially during warmer months when the shop gets busier. Soft Swerve is one of the better places in the city for creative soft serve. The combination of unique Asian-inspired flavors, excellent texture, and high-quality ingredients makes it feel different from a typical ice cream shop. If it is your first visit, the ube soft serve is an easy recommendation, but the rotating seasonal flavors make it worth returning to see what is available next. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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I brought my mom to Soft Swerve to try three of my favorite flavors and she was obsessed with the ube one! Their ube soft serve is my absolute go-to and I order it every single time. They also craft a variety of asian-inspired ice cream and soft serve flavors like thai tea, miso biscoff, green thai tea, and more. They used to have a hong kong milk tea ice cream that tasted exactly like hk style milk tea. Manifesting that they bring this flavor back one day. ＊Ube Soft Serve $7 *** It instantly reminded me of the filipino ube ice cream pints I loved as a kid, which is high praise, because we all know filipino makes the best ube desserts. The flavor was rich and never tasted artificial. For my lactose intolerant friends, they even have vegan ube ice cream! ＊Black Sesame Soft Serve $7 The pale gray color didn't look very rich at first, but the flavor was actually nutty and lightly sweetened. I sometimes find black sesame desserts to be overly sweet or grainy, but this one was perfectly smooth and creamy. ＊Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream $7 The scoop was huge!! We were warned that this flavor was "very strong in caffeine," and he wasn't kidding lol. If you love a bold coffee flavor, this one's for you. I usually find coffee ice cream too sweet, but this one was perfectly bittersweet. But texture-wise, we preferred the soft serve as it was smoother than the ice cream. ** waffle cone +$1.5 read more

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Super yummy black sesame flavor. Wanted to do a swirl with matcha but they were out of matcha. They also let you taste their hard ice cream flavors, which were really good--have to come back and buy them! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Black sesame - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Soft Swerve in the Lower East Side tends to get all the attention, so seeing this smaller, sleepier, and newer location in Chinatown proper (#1), was enough for me to want it. Less crowds means more ice cream for yours truly. It's kind of impressive they were able to squeeze in any seating at all, as the interior is tiny. There is just enough for a small group of 5 and some counter space that overlooks Bayard; a perfect opportunity for some people watching. I'd be remiss if I didn't comment on the well thought out decor, which pays homage to old Chinatown. They did a fantastic job with some of the retro pieces and it elicits a kind of nostalgia that is becoming eroded by the day. The ice cream is sweet and satisfying, even though the portions feel a bit a skimpy with the price. Toppings obviously add up but it's hard to pass up condensed milk in any scenario. The ube and black sesame are still my go-to's and continue to be some of their most popular flavors. The team of youngsters behind the counter are friendly and professional and overall do a good job. I appreciate their efforts to keep the lines minimal and the place clean. ____________ (#1) Chinatown and the Lower East Side are not mutually exclusive. read more

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Pros: - service is always great, haven't had an issue yet - I enjoy their flavors, especially the Almond Cookie, and the Green Thai Iced Tea - I love the interior design of the place, and it gives both modern yet traditional vibes (to me) Cons: Comments: - I usually go after 8PM, it's usually not too busy but could get a little crowded on the weekend, especially since the location is small read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Green Thai Tea Oreo Ice Cream. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Excellent ice cream. Ornery grouch doling it out. (How can one be such a grouch at AN ICE CREAM STORE?!) Yeesh. 5 stars otherwise. Pardon me for wanting to try the ice cream you are selling. read more

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My go to place for soft serve. If I can't get Carvel, I come here. My fav is vanilla and ube. Staff is friendly and I never had any problems with the service. I love to come at night when the crowd dies down and after a long day of work, I come get me some ice cream and sit quietly enjoying my soft serve before heading home. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Soft Swerve has been on my list of ice cream parlors to check out, and so happy I finally made it. They did not disappoint. Soft Swerve has premium handcrafted vegan ice cream and was made with tons of love. From the first taste I knew instantly only the finest ingredients were used to bring me, and my family a delicious twist of ice cream. The fact that it is vegan made it even better, loved every delicious bite of my Ube purple yam flavor with cereal marshmallows that made the ice cream taste like my childhood cereal lucky charms with a better twist. Whether you're a classic vanilla lover or seeking out something bold and adventurous like their Ube Purple Yam, Matcha, Lychee Dragon fruit sorbet, you can not go wrong with any choice. The location in Chinatown is small, whimsical, but there is some seating, but be prepared to take your order to go. The atmosphere is upbeat, with super friendly staff. Could not ask for a better experience. Highly recommend Soft Swerve as your go-to destination for a delicious scoop that will bring joy with every swirl! read more

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We were craving ice cream after a yummy dim sum. Growing up as kid in Chinatown, all there was Carvel, Haagen Dazs and Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Now there is so much more options! Today we step foot into Soft Swerve, a cute little shop. It has a few tables for seating as well as a bench right outside. They serve soft and scoop ice cream. We had the frozen hot chocolate and strawberry lychee ice cream. So good! Service was friendly and efficient. I thought the prices were a little high. Worth a try! read more

So cute and clean inside ! Definitely had a dessert craving after eating in Chinatown and nothing was better than having the Asian exotic flavors, ice cream, and soft serve. My goat to here is now the Matcha & ube soft serve stacked. It was Valentine's Day so they offered us free red waffle cones, which was a nice treat. It's small inside, but we were able to get seats and enjoy our dessert. read more

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Delicious ube soft serve, I got the Woodside with toasted coconut and mochi and it was DIVINE. Loved all the textures and I'm just a sucker for anything ube. My friend got the Strawberry Field and thought it was delicious. It's kind of a cute little place with lots of curios in glass shelves lining the seating area. Great spot to grab a sweet treat after some noodles. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ambiance - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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I had high expectations for Soft Swerve based on the reviews at the LES location, but felt it was just meh. The soft serve was good, but nothing really stood out about it. I had the matcha and ube flavors, and added mochi and rainbow sprinkles. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but I wasn't overly impressed. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing friendly service. High quality soft serve! The place is so cute and tiny with a great seating. Very very clean. Staff clearly cares read more

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Cute, small and cozy ice cream shop. Ordered their most popular flavor ube ice cream which was sweet, nutty and satisfying. The mochi and toasted coconut added to the flavor too. Will return for the matcha and black sesame ice cream. read more

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This location may be a small space, but they've managed to fit in surprisingly ample seating for such a cozy spot. The staff were super friendly and welcoming, and our ice cream came out really fast, which was a nice bonus. I tried the Strawberry Field, and it was absolutely delicious! The flavor was rich, refreshing, and perfect for a treat. If you're in the area, Soft Swerve is definitely worth a stop for unique flavors and a quick, friendly service experience. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Strawberry Field - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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I am reminiscing the Carvel softserve of my youth. This nice shop in the heart of Chinatown brings back those comforting vibes. I was served quickly and without fuss. There is some seating with tables in air conditioned comfort, although there is a bench seat just outside. I like it. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Very good soft serve - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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Glad to see them open a location right in the heart of Chinatown so that it's a lot more accessible than their LES location. I usually get their soft serve flavors. The black sesame is great. Ube is a classic, especially when it's available as a swirl with another flavor. I've also had their Hojicha flavor, which is becoming one of my favorite ice cream flavor. I usually don't get toppings as I enjoy the flavors by itself. Will have to try their hand scooped ice creams another time. read more

I'm always glad to discover a location of Soft Swerve, though my experience at this one did fall a little short of the usual quality that they are known for. I went with the ube soft serve in black chocolate waffle cone with cereal marshmallows. 5 stars for the ice cream and cone, but minus 1 because the marshmallows were super stale. I get those as a topping almost every time, so it was noticeable. Won't keep me away, though! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ube - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

My recent visit to Soft Swerve was the best experience I've had in a long time with Asian-inspired flavors. The portions are generous and offer great value compared to other ice cream shops that often serve less. The flavors have also improved since my last visit, which made this trip even more enjoyable. Thank you, Jason, for your transparency and care. It is clear this small business is worth supporting. I've also visited their other locations and have consistently enjoyed the quality. I highly recommend trying the taro, Thai tea, and strawberry lychee. For anyone vegan, their menu is especially exciting since vegan and Asian-inspired ice cream is rare to find. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Taro, Thai Tea, Strawberry Lychee - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

UMMM AMAZING! Ube flavor is incredible and loved being able to add a few unique toppings like mochi! Will def be back. Absolutely loved it! Service was quick. I think more could be done for the atmosphere inside: really plain inside. Has a lot of potential. I think more people would stick around if the interior was more welcoming to sit inside and enjoy your ice cream. Maybe in the future! Highly recommend @mspickynyc on Insta. follow me! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ube Purple Yam Ice Cream Cup - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

I love soft serve ice cream, but they typically only come in chocolate or vanilla, so I was excited to find Asian inspired soft serve flavors. Since this place has been featured on a few social media pages, it was a bit crowded, but the wait wasn't too long. The workers looked young, around high school or college age, but they were fast with getting through the long line of customers. Like a lot of Chinatown food spots, the place was small, so there were not a lot of tables to sit down at. These are the flavors I tried: * Ube and Black Sesame Soft Serve - 10/10 - The ube flavor was pretty sweet, but I was balanced perfectly with the nuttiness of the black sesame flavor. The ice cream itself was creamy and didn't have any ice chunks. * Vietnamese Coffee - 8/10 - If you're a coffee lover, you'll love this flavor. The coffee flavor is apparent, but not so strong that it tastes bitter. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ube and Black Sesame Soft Serve - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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Soft Swerve, especially the Chinatown location remains one of my favorite ice cream shops here, and I'll happily go on a little stroll from the neighboring borough over to Chinatown just for some of the ice cream here. We especially love the ube soft swerve, whether it's on it's own or with the whole shebang--I love their combo with the coconut and mochi. The other standout is the lychee strawberry flavor. It elevates both flavors with an incredible balance that's refreshing and light. There's none of that artificial fruit flavor here--which I find myself grateful for. The staff are always nice and it's nice that there's not only a couple tables to sit inside and chill, but also a bench outside if you feel like you just wanna eat your sweet treat and people watch the street. The fact that this place closes late as well makes it quite a powerhouse. I love that they also do pints to-go too, even the soft serve, which they freeze in advance! read more

I've been wanting to try Soft Swerve for a long time. When I finally went in, I didn't realize it was so small inside, but there's still a few tables for patrons to sit at. I decided to go with black sesame ice cream and it was really good! Creamy and veryyyy smooth. The staff seemed nice. I would go back here again. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Black Sesame Ice Cream Cup - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Love their black sesame and my husband loves the ube too! This combination comes in a swirl so that's great too! They also do matcha green tea, cones and have toppings you could add. I personally like mine plain in a cup with a sample spoon :) Have never tried their hard ice cream, but the flavors look good! The location in Chinatown is much more convenient (though not for parking lol) and close to other dessert places making a dessert crawl easy and necessary! This location is adorably decorated as well and has cute benches if you want to sit. Will definitely be back to this location. read more

Stopped by this shop during a hot day in Chinatown on a Saturday and wanted to try it to stay cool during the heat. We ordered the ube ice cream with cereal and moshi balls. It was delicious and not sweet but melted relatively quickly. Service was good and the place is small. read more

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Came inside to this super cute clean ice cream shop in Chinatown. It was the perfect pick me up for me and my elderly dad. It was air conditioned and had great vibes. We had the matcha and ube. It truly is one of the best soft serves that I've ever had. And give a shout out to the server who was super helpful and friendly. What a hidden gem in Chinatown. Glad we stumbled upon this shop. read more

So glad the night I stopped by they had hojicha soft serve! Very rare to have that flavor. Pretty authentic flavor but melted fast :(

New location in Chinatown with decor reflective of old school HK teashop. Ordered the Ube Purple Yam Scoop and Lychee-Strawberry scoop. Due to a slight mix up with the cashier was charged an additional fee; brought this up with the counter staff; in which she quickly apologized and re-adjusted the total. Ube Ice cream tasted so creamy and smooth- I'm buying the whole tub on my next visit. The Lychee-strawberry had bits of lychee in the scoop and also a bit on the sour side- tasted good. Overall, a great ice cream shop (not enough seating); benches in the front were also occupied as well. read more

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I have been to soft swerve's location on Allen street a few times before but this is my first time visiting their Chinatown location! My go to used to be their matcha soft serve but I decided to try their ube flavor today. The soft serve was very creamy and the ube flavor was very intense. The portion that they gave was massive and it can be shared between 2-3 people. I paid extra $1.75 for the waffle cone and the total was around $9.5, which is not too bad if you're sharing with other people. One thing that I didn't really like is that they used a bit too much food coloring and it dyed my lips a little after eating the ice cream. Overall, I like this place and will definitely come back in the future! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Unique flavors like almond cookie, strawberry lychee and Hong Kong style milk tea. I was expecting the strawberry lychee to be more of a sorbet flavor but it is made as a tub of half strawberry and half lychee ice cream and it's combined while it's scooped so the flavors were distinct. The Hong Kong style milk tea was really good and tasted as if you were having the drink. It was 7.08 after tax for one scoop but it was a very large scoop. You can get an additional scoop for $3 more and I'd recommend sharing. Loved the interior and there's seating to enjoy your ice cream. read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Hong Kong Milk Tea Cup - 1 Scoop - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Passed by this place twice in a day and decided give it a try and so glad we did. The decor inside was reminiscent of old Hong Kong the Ube ice cream is exactly how I thought it should taste like. The matcha is better than most I've tried. We paid $9 for a chocolate cone with the 2 flavors, we think it is worth it but many $6 is more reasonable. read more

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Mamma Mia! It's a leaning tower of ice cream, and ice cream with a drizzle. The first time I ate at Soft Swerve NYC, I went to their Chinatown location, a small and quaint shop that can be found on a bustling street. I ordered their cookies and cream ice cream with a condensed milk drizzle. The ice cream was probably one of my favorite cookies and cream flavors I've ever eaten, and the condensed milk drizzle was the cherry on top. Neither was too overly or underly sweet, and it was a generous serving for one scoop at $6.50. The second time I went, I also went to their Chinatown location, ready to order their soft serve this time. I couldn't decide whether to get their matcha, vanilla, black sesame, or ube, and the employee was kind enough to let me try them all! I honestly loved the taste of all of them, but in the end went with a matcha/vanilla swirl. If you like matcha and earthier flavors (though this wasn't too earthy for a matcha), then you'll definitely love this. The vanilla added the perfect balance of sweetness to it, too. And look at how big it was! I ordered it in a cake cone for $6.50, and it was completely worth it! I'll definitely be back soon. Check out their locations in Chinatown and Kips Bay! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Cookies & Cream ice cream with Condensed Milk - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here for their Grand Opening! The store is camouflaged among other busy food shops on the same street. But where it stands out is its traditional yet modern neon interior. The menu display needs to have a shoutout, as it was super cute and easy to read. They serve both soft serves and scoops here, which is perfect for the undecided. I got the HK Milk Tea Serve ($6.50), which was BOGO for Grand opening. The ice cream consistency and texture is everything you are looking for in an ice cream on a hot sunny day. The HK Milk Tea flavor in particular was super creamy and full of tea taste, true to its name. It's sweet but not too sweet, where you won't get sick of the flavor the more you eat. I was surprised to see the amount of Asian flavors offered! With such a nice variety, I am definitely excited to come back to try more flavors! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Black Sesame Soft Serve ($6.50) - like tong yuan - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

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It was my first time trying the Ube flavor, and so I don't quite know how it should be. It was very similar to taro flavored desserts. The icecream was soft and creamy, but not quite the same as regular soft serve icecream. I like that they have a Chinatown theme at this location. We came during the week after dinner, and there were a few tables available. The staff was friendly. Overall I was very pleased with the experience. That purple icecream was just so photogenic. I don't know if I liked it enough to get it again though. I would definitely come back and try other flavors. It's a great hangout spot with a friend or two! read more

Soft Swerve - Chinatown - Ube soft serve - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - New York, New York

Cool vibes. Cool server. Good price -nice friendly crowd . I liked the merch as well as the music !

they have small space to eat in. Flavor: matcha, ube, tea, chocolate etc. They recently opened in Union Sq too. This location's decor is pretty. No bathroom. read more

A solid small ice cream shop that offers unique flavors that are harder to find and are done well. This shop is small but it packs a good punch in terms of flavors and offerings on its menu. Their soft serve is very creamy and decadent. But don't sleep on their hard ice cream flavors- I actually think this is where they shine the most. I had their almond cookie flavor and it was nutty and crunchy. It reminded me of the cookies growing up. I also asked if I could taste the Hong Kong milk tea (for future research) it was like I was drinking it at a cha cha teng- strong tannic finish with the creaminess of condensed and evaporated milk. My serving was more than generous. Yes their ice cream is on the pricier side in general but for the quality of the ice cream and the flavors that are very well made compared to a different ice cream shop down the block- hands down they are the winner. Staff were very nice too and the decor is cute. read more

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Ice cream was good but a bit pricey. A splurge one in a while is ok I guess to support local NYC Chinatown small business.