WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – A once-mysterious new ice cream shop has officially opened in downtown Walnut Creek — and it is serving far more than traditional scoops.
Milky Flakes is now open at 1399 N. Main Street, taking over the compact storefront formerly occupied by A-1 Shoe & Luggage Repair.
We first reported on the family-owned business while its exact concept was still largely under wraps (join our free 925 News newsletter for more scoops of the news, not ice cream, variety). Now that the doors are open, it turns out the shop’s unusual name offers a fairly good clue about its signature dessert.
Milky Flakes specializes in finely shaved frozen milk, a light and fluffy treat inspired by Korean bingsu. The delicate flakes can be paired with toppings and flavors including mango, strawberry and ube.
If shaved milk is not your thing, there are plenty of more familiar frozen treats.
The shop serves Hokkaido milk soft serve, which has a richer and creamier flavor than the bog-standard Strauss stuff served at most Bay Area joints, as well as matcha soft serve. Customers can add toppings such as freeze-dried strawberries, fruit and cheesecake bites.
I tried the matcha soft serve, which has an intense green tea flavor and comes dusted with matcha powder.
The Hokkaido milk soft serve has a rich, custardy flavor and a lighter texture.
Milky Flakes also offers what it calls “soft scoops” in a rotating assortment of flavors. Early selections have included ube, roasted coconut, Alphonso mango, cherry cheesecake, espresso, pistachio, strawberry and salted caramel.
Even the display is unusual. The ice cream containers rotate beneath individual clear covers, giving the counter a sleek, almost futuristic appearance while allowing customers to see the available flavors.
Automatic churns periodically start spinning and moving the ice cream around, keeping the “soft” texture intact.
These soft scoops have an incredibly intense flavor. I tried the Alphonso Mango flavor, and it feels like someone has directly hit your taste buds with a piece of fresh mango. The flavor reminded my son of the light and fluffy fruit cakes at Tous Les Jours bakery.
The business says its desserts are handcrafted from scratch.
Milky Flakes arrives during something of an ice cream boom in downtown Walnut Creek. The neighborhood already has numerous places for gelato, soft serve, frozen yogurt and traditional ice cream, with still more dessert businesses preparing to enter the market.
That makes standing out especially important. Milky Flakes appears to be betting that its combination of Asian-inspired flavors, shaved-milk desserts and polished presentation will distinguish it from the city’s more conventional scoop shops.
The opening also brings a dramatically different use to a storefront that longtime residents may remember as a shoe and luggage repair business. A1 moved around the corner and is still operating.
Milky Flakes is located at 1399 N. Main Street in downtown Walnut Creek. Because the business is still new, customers may want to confirm its current hours through the shop’s social media page before visiting.
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