In a city that’s no stranger to ice cream fads — think rolled ice cream — there’s a new, refreshing option for cooling off on scorching summer days: Turkish ice cream spot Pink Ice Cream.
Located in Toronto’s St. Clair West neighbourhood, this ice cream parlour is helmed by Halil Gokce and his daughter Zehra, who bring the unique and delicious experience of Turkish-style ice cream to Toronto.
Inspired by Halil’s wife, Pink Gokce — the namesake of their store — the duo has recreated traditional Turkish ice cream with organic fruits and fresh ingredients.
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Turkish ice cream, known as dondurma, stands out for its unique texture and slow-melting properties, thanks to salep, a thickening agent derived from orchid roots. Salep is simmered in water for about five hours until thickened, then mixed with other ingredients in the ice cream machine. After chilling for approximately 24 hours, the ice cream achieves its distinctive firm and
slightly chewy consistency compared to Western varieties.
This unique texture allows the ice cream at Pink to be layered and stacked rather than scooped, offering a distinct eating experience that sets it apart from what is being offered at other ice cream parlors in the city.
Pink offers a rotating menu of flavours, with chocolate and vanilla milk as core offerings, inspired by traditional Turkish ice cream.Past varieties have included tahini, strawberry, lemon, matcha, chestnut, fig, raspberry, chocolate banana and banana peanut, made with whole ingredients and real fruit. Pink’s mango ice cream, for example, is crafted from just four ingredients:  fresh mango, water, salep and sugar.
At Pinkhey’ve also recently unveiled their newest offering: organic minty lime ice cream, a Toronto first, according to Halil.
Currently, you can choose from a variety of flavours served in combinations of two for $5.50, three for $7 or as many as you like that can fit in a cup or cone for $10.
Beyond ice cream, guests can also enjoy treats such as Turkish pumpkin dessert topped with ice cream, a Turkish milk pudding, raspberry or caramel tres leches and semolina halva, a Middle Eastern treat similar to fudge.
Pink Ice Cream is located at 666 St. Clair Ave. W. and is open daily.
