Kem CoBa – Delectable ice cream in Mile-End
This tiny new ice cream place on Fairmount in Mile-End is so good and the people there are so nice. I think it deserves its own thread.
I've been there twice in the last week, and I've loved every flavour i've tried. The peanut ice cream is like frozen peanut punch. Not heavy and very flavourful. The almond ice cream is wonderful. Hibiscus is delightful and refreshing. The current soft serve offering is coconut and mango. It's also very good.
Really I can't find fault with this place. If you're in the area, you should give it a try. I wish them great success and hope they'll be around for a long time.
Address, opening hours and other info are available on their facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kem-CoBa/158923114173515
See here for previous discussion of Kem CoBa on the Restaurant Openings thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7559...
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Guess business not good enough in winter -- when I went to kem coba it was all papered up with small sign on door to come back for Easter period.
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re: mangoannie
SnackHappy
Feb 12, 2012 05:05 PM
That was their plan all along. Close at Christmas and reopen for Easter. It's what they told me in the fall and what was announced on their Facebook page.
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TheSnowpea
Dec 13, 2011 04:11 PM
Oh dear. Kem CoBa just announced on Facebook they are offering bûches de Noël, serving 6-8 people for 28$
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb... -
They seem to be thriving despite cold weather. I forgot to ask what is flavour of soft ice cream but did a tasting of the new clementine/passion fruit sorbet which was good. There are new flavours of cakes, guess they rotate and people were placing orders for their christmas logs which serve 8 (22$; ice cream, sorbet or combo of two, duo flavours and all attractively decorated). I had a small hot chocolate for $2; it was rich and delicious! Such a nice, friendly couple-- owner came around to open door as I had some parcels.
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The hours are different, see fb and they now have small counter against window with stools. I brought home a green tea cake which has glaze and green marbling. It was delicious! They have other varieties, brownies, hot chocolate, cereal mix.
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re: mangoannie
Here are the winter hours for those who have resisted the siren call of facebook:
mercredi, 12h-18h; jeudi et vendredi, 12h-19h; samedi et dimanche, 12h-18h
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The facebook page doesn't seem to have been updated since the soft-serve went back to...almond milk and sour cherry (griotte)! Back by popular demand, I guess. I missed it last time so was happy to be able to try it tonight. Delicious! Great combination of flavours.
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re: stak
I went today, and she said it was back by popular demand and I missed this flavour before so quite enjoyed it. There were quite a few people enjoying the hard ice cream including some tourists. Then I zipped over to Wilensky`s (circa 1932) for the first time ever for their deli special and a cherrypineapple milkshake-everything from another era even the prices. I think the three with the bagel place might increase business for each other although wilensky closes at 4pm.
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re: kpzoo
not sure kp who you are referring to, but if me i reposted as dates had changed on facebook and wouldnt want anyone to turn up for no reason as a result of earlier post (I had turned up not knowing they had closed)! I think it is solely a couple operation.....I have been checking it out to find out the new flavour....but rest assured I have no contacts or connections in any of these businesses, just a customer like everybody else
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re: mangoannie
SnackHappy
Oct 19, 2011 05:28 PM
kpzoo was replying to you, hence the "re: mangoannie" in the post.
It's a good idea to use quotation marks when quoting other sources, It's also a good idea to give some context. mtlmaven replied to your post thinking that you were the spokesperson for Kem Coba.
Another good idea to avoid any confusion in the thread is to avoid replying to the last poster when adding to a thread. If you're not specifically replying to a certain poster, you should use the "reply" button in the original post or the "Reply to original post" link right under the last post.
Sorry for the posting lesson, but you seem to still be getting used to using Chowhound. Hope this helps you use the site better.
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Kem CoBa will continue staying open through fall/winter? Plenty of home-made ice cream places in Montreal close during these seasons(still a couple weeks of summer)..
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re: BLM
maybe ask on their facebook page but ice cream in the winter does not appeal to me.....they announced a new flavour of ice cream to try: lemony yogurt
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re: marblebag
some hot chocolate or hot apple cider drinks would go nicely with the baked goods on a blustery day. How about roasted chestnuts or marshmallows as an extra treat.. Or even homemade flavoured marshmallows! Last winter they had fires in cans in old montreal and they sold cheaply branches and bags of marshmallows to roast, delicious! Christmas logs are a good idea maybe also individual portion size ones to enjoy on site. Guess we will have to wait and see, thats the fun of this cute place anticipating what comes next..
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re: mangoannie
SnackHappy
Sep 12, 2011 06:55 PM
"to enjoy on site"
I don't see how they could accommodate such a thing. There's no room in there for tables. A couple of stools maybe...
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SnackHappy
Sep 10, 2011 07:29 AM
Tried the apple-cinnamon soft serve last night, and found it just downright wonderful. Tasted like frozen apple pie. I plan on having it at least one more time before they change flavours. It's truly exceptional.
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Just tried it as well after a bagel pick up. It is the best soft serve I have ever had!!!! He said he changes it every two weeks I cannot wait to taste the next special. This week it is blueberry honey. Havre aux Glaces is still great but its nice to try something new like the soft serve. And you are right the service is incredibly friendly and personable which adds a nice touch. Will most likely become a regular here for the remainder of my pregnancy. Does anyone know if it is only open in the summer of it is a year round place?
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re: SnackHappy
I agree they deserve their own thread-loved the range of flavours from green tea, hibiscus, peanut and honey (tried a sample and have to say was surpised that I like it, something like light peanut butter) and the soft flavour today was blueberry and honey. The flavour changes tomorrow. I had bilboquet mango topped by lemon in old port yesterday but this soft icecream of Kem KoBa was my favourite. Although there were signs outside I drove right by it so not easy to see maybe because of size. It is in location sandwiched between wilenskys and fairmont bagel but I was the only customer in sight. Hopefully some of the lineups at bagel place will meander over to icecream place for dessert!
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re: OliverB
I've been twice (both occasions on Friday evenings) in the past month and both times there was a line up with more than a few people milling around the street enjoying their ice cream.
Yes, the blueberry honey was very good but I don't think it bead the mango/coconut from a few weeks ago.
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re: cherylmtl
chefjeannine
Aug 29, 2011 06:56 AM
I'd say it's a tie between the dark choco/raspberry and blueberry/honey. It has come to the point where I plan to go back every 2 weeks so I can try all the soft serve flavours. I've become a Kem CoBa groupie.
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re: Glaff
I'm told they will have a contest every 2 weeks where they will post on Monday (their day off) pictures of the new flavors and X people can win a free cone of the soft serve if they guess correctly.
They don't have a twitter account but Patrice Demers sent a tweet about them. Search for him or "Kem CoBa".
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re: chilipepper
had the chocolate-raspberry, it was good but not my favourite so far but never keen on chocolate ice cream, new flavour to try for the soft cone:
apple + cinnamon
kind of seasonal it seems for those who want to guess the flavour of the week so I m thinking pumpkin might be coming up as out in the country this past weekend noticed pumpkin patches are a growing! Although peaches are still abundant in markets....
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re: mangoannie
Ooh thanks for the hours. I guess it depends on the crowds - tonight I went close to 8:30 and there were still lots of people.
It's still apple-cinnamon week! It's not so bad: bits of apple tang here and there, not much cinnamon, more sweet than anything. Blueberry still my fave!
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The only issue with Kem CoBa is that it's just too damn close to home ...
I have no excuse for not going!
Life is hard!
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The male co-owner used to work for Havres and co-developed all the flavors that are common. Their lime-mint sorbet is only missing the alcohol you could bring yourself for a sidewalk mojito.
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re: marblebag
Wow! I had the lime-mint sorbet as well as the mango sorbet and both were delicious. You're right the lime-mint was only missing alcohol. The mango tasted so authentically mango. Really good stuff. It was our first time there and I can't wait to go back and try out the other flavours.
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Food Tourist
Aug 3, 2011 03:38 PM
Last week, I had just enjoyed a hibiscus sorbet at Havre and then went to buy bagels at Fairmount when I discovered this place next door. On my must-eat list next visit.
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Thanks for starting this thread. The place is really lovely - such kind staff, good ice-cream, pleasant set-up.
Their ice-cream selection is relatively small, leaning more toward fruit and tea/chai flavours. All of the "hard" ice-creams (which aren't very hard - more like gelato) and sorbets are sourced from Hâvre-aux-Glaces, I believe, and someone said that Kem Coba is co-owned by one of the Hâvre honchos.
While Hâvre-aux-Glaces ice-cream is some of the best in the city - probably THE best, if you prefer "pure" flavours over chocolate-bar-like delights - for me Kem Coba's highlight is the soft-serve. It's home-made artisanal soft-serve, always two flavours available, which change every week or two. They're basically optimized for a twist - ie, get a cone with both. Almond/sour cherry, orange-banana/70% chocolate, etc etc. Every time I've had it, it's been just magnificent.
Prices are OK - not as cheap as Ripples or as generous at Bilboquet but still good value for excellent ice-cream.
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Bilboquet
, Montreal, QC H2Y, CA
