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When fish sauce and pho enter the world of ice cream.
For a long time, fish sauce and pho have been considered two symbols of Vietnamese cuisine – but what if they were recreated… in the form of ice cream?
La Creme is a pioneering name that dared to undertake such a bold experiment. Fish sauce ice cream, a treat that initially sparked hesitation, has become one of the most popular flavors since its launch. The "shocking" recipe is actually very calculated: 100% fresh anchovy fish sauce, carefully cooked, reduced in salt, and concentrated into a smooth, creamy sauce, is mixed just right with a rich, white ice cream base. For each batch of 20-30 kg of ice cream, only 1 liter of fish sauce is used, enough for the flavor to spread without overpowering it. Instead of a taste shock, it's a surprisingly refined combination.
Fish sauce ice cream has a subtly sweet and salty flavor that is both delicate and rich.
Pho ice cream will transport diners straight from the ice cream shop to… a breakfast spot. Instead of toppings like beef or herbs, this version uses pho broth, cooked with aromatic herbs like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom, then blended into the ice cream base to create a warm and distinctive aroma. As the ice cream melts in your mouth, the pho flavor emerges slowly, strangely but captivatingly. This is an ice cream dish completely unprecedented in Vietnamese cuisine.
With these two innovations, La Creme is not only making ice cream but also opening up a new territory of flavors for Vietnamese cuisine.
Ingredients for making pho broth used for pho ice cream.
Over 100 flavors: a journey of unlimited creativity.
La Creme has now developed over 100 ice cream flavors, each a creative interplay of fruits, spices, and memories. Many flavors feature unexpected combinations of traditional ingredients and imported spices.
Unique and unusual ice cream flavors are displayed at the ordering counter for customers to browse.
Like mango ice cream and chili sauce: using only sweet, refreshing Cat Chu mangoes, combined with a rich Mexican salt sauce, it recreates the childhood feeling of dipping mangoes in salt but elevates it in the form of an international ice cream.
Lavender ice cream with wild honey uses real lavender buds, no artificial flavors, creating a light and airy texture like being in a field of purple flowers, and a sweet honey flavor. Oreo salt ice cream combines the sweet and nutty taste of Oreo cookies with the subtle saltiness of sea salt. Many other unique flavors are created from matcha, such as matcha with black sesame cookies, matcha with strawberry jam, matcha with roasted rice milk, along with many unusual ice cream flavors like rum raisin ice cream, olive ice cream, pineapple and red dragon fruit ice cream...
Ice creams with novel flavors and eye-catching colors take diners on a culinary journey.
La Creme divides its menu into three categories: Signature menu, featuring best-selling and always-available flavors; Must-try menu, comprising unique and exclusive creations hard to find elsewhere; and Seasonal menu, updated every three months, changing according to seasonal harvests or the creator's inspiration. This constant change keeps customers engaged, curious, and eager to return to explore the world of flavors in each scoop of ice cream.
3 types of menus available at the restaurant
Accompanying meaningful events
La Creme is not only a meeting place for young people who love unique flavors, but it also appears on many special occasions, from elegant parties to community programs.
La Creme ice cream has been a staple at many wedding receptions. Currently, one couple even ordered 30 boxes of La Creme ice cream to be shipped to Mang Den to serve guests at their wedding instead of traditional cakes or desserts. At a reception hosted by the Indonesian embassy, this ice cream brand was also chosen as a special treat to showcase modern Vietnamese culinary identity.
The shop staff packed boxes of ice cream to send to a customer's wedding reception.
Furthermore, La Creme once opened a free ice cream stand as part of a community program at Military Hospital 175 to serve terminally ill cancer patients. Those refreshing scoops of ice cream were not just a treat, but also a gentle, quiet, and warm expression of support for those battling the disease.
A unique space with its own distinct personality.
Both La Creme locations have their own unique charm. The spacious and bright location at 19 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, with its striking red and white striped umbrellas, is a favorite spot for young people. The location at 84 Pho Duc Chinh, District 1, is smaller but centrally located, making it convenient for visitors to combine their visit with a trip to Ben Thanh Market and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
Location: 19 Tran Ngoc Dien Street, Thao Dien
The premises are located at 84 Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1.
The shop has many cute details designed by the owner herself: from traffic lights shaped like ice cream cones to door handles shaped like waffle cones, display shelves showcasing La Creme ice cream boxes, and decorative teddy bears. The open, clean, and tidy preparation counter allows customers to easily observe and enjoy their refreshing ice cream.
Despite its small size, La Creme still exudes a sense of sophistication and personality, reflecting the unique flavors they create.
They innovate every day, experimenting with each ingredient, combining seemingly impossible flavors, from traditional fish sauce to Western lavender, from the herbs of Vietnamese pho to the salty taste of Mexican salt. All are transformed into unique ice cream creations, reflecting the essence of many countries while still appealing to the familiar Vietnamese palate. On July 20th, at the Thao Dien Ice Cream Festival, La Creme plans to showcase all their newly created flavors, allowing customers to enjoy unlimited new tastes.
Ms. Thao Nguyen, a chef who studied in the US, is the founder of the La Creme brand, known for its innovative ice cream flavors.
The ice cream festival, scheduled for July 20th, will offer customers the chance to sample over 100 of the shop's ice cream flavors to date.
With La Creme, a scoop of ice cream is not just for cooling off, but also a way for Vietnamese people to journey through culinary cultures, on a sweet, creative, and limitless adventure.
