Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream
| Cuisine | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Price | $ (under 15) |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Last Visit | Nov. 3, 2024 |
| Location | SFBA: San Francisco: West |
General Notes
Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream serves some of the best gelato I've had. You will actually cream your pants trying their gelato. The story behind this place is really interesting -- the lore goes that a Chinese guy was really inspired by gelato, so he studied in Italy for a few years to learn to make gelato. He then came back and opened his own gelato place. It's a very weird juxtaposition to see "Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream" on top of a bunch of Chinese characters. And apparently this place has been around since 1982, so I'm not sure if it's still the same person running it, or if it was passed down. Either way, whoever makes the gelato really knows their shit because it's absolutely incredible. What really stands out are their wide array of unique flavors (especially for gelato, which tends to emphasize European flavors), all of which are absolutely delicious. The first time I came here, I split a large with a friend, and we got the pistachio, guava, lychee, and pandan leaf. The second time I visited, I also tried their durian (which is excellent). The texture of the gelato is also incredible; it's got that perfect characteristic chewiness of gelato. I will definitely be returning to try their other flavors; I'm especially interested in trying their mangosteen, taro, and sesame.
Positives
> They have a really wide array of incredible flavors, with a lot of Asian influences. Some such flavors include: lychee, mangosteen, guava, jackfruit, durian, taro, black sesame, soursop, etc. My favorite was the pistachio, but honestly they're all really, really good.
Negatives
> The line can get VERY long, particularly during peak hours. It's sort of a hidden gem, but also definitely not -- it's popping here.
more gelato
