Asian Art Museum Partners with Humphry Slocombe to Create Museum-Inspired Ice Cream Flavor

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2015—What’s a birthday without ice cream? The Asian Art Museum turns 50 next year. To celebrate, the museum has partnered with another San Francisco icon, Humphry Slocombe, to create a unique ice cream flavor—Adzuki Almond Cookie—offered exclusively at the museum’s Cafe Asia.

Humphry Slocombe chef and co-founder Jake Godby created the unexpected sweet, savory and irresistible new flavor after being inspired by visits to the museum. The ice cream is made by hand, one batch at time. The result is a beautifully textured adzuki bean ice cream that is rich and creamy with almond cookies in every bite.

You can scoop up the new flavor beginning Wed., Oct. 28, 2015 at Cafe Asia, located inside the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin Street in San Francisco’s Civic Center. Museum admission is not required to visit the Cafe or the museum store.

The ice cream starts with heritage adzuki beans from Bob’s Red Mill. Specifically chosen for their firm texture and nutty flavor, the beans are soaked overnight then are sweetened with a house-made simple syrup. Finally they are pureed and blended with organic milk, cream, eggs and sugar for the ice cream base. Adzuki beans are often used as a filling in Asian pastries.

The almond cookie is Humphry Slocombe’s version of a classic Chinese almond cookie. Godby uses thinly sliced almonds that are “frosted” with egg yolk and sugar for a lightly sweet taste as his twist on the classic recipe. These are crumbled and folded into the ice cream as it is spun.

“The San Francisco creamery Humphry Slocombe is known for its high-quality, inventive flavors, and the Adzuki Almond Cookie is a star,” said Cafe Asia’s executive chef Melinda Quirino.

About Cafe Asia

Cafe Asia’s delivers authentic Asian food experiences, allowing visitors to continue their journey of discovery in an inviting and relaxed setting. Though it’s the perfect complement to a museum visit, the café is a destination in its own right and is popular with neighborhood locals.

Cafe Asia is open from 10 AM to 4:30 PM Tuesday to Sunday. Admission to the café is free. During the spring and summer, the café is open for dinner on Thursdays until 7:30 PM, after which they serves beverages, desserts and grab-and-go items until 8 PM. Like the rest of the museum, the café is closed on Mondays.

The Asian Art Museum—Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is one of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renowned collection of more than 18,000 Asian art treasures spanning 6,000 years of history. Through rich art experiences, centered on historic and contemporary artworks, the Asian Art Museum unlocks the past for visitors, bringing it to life while serving as a catalyst for new art, new creativity and new thinking.

About Humphry Slocombe

Humphry Slocombe—a San Francisco hot spot and a definitive trendsetter in ice cream innovation—combines unconventional flavors with ultra premium ingredients. Rethink everything you know about ice cream! Besides favorites such as Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Secret Breakfast (Bourbon and Cornflakes), we constantly dream up unique irresistible flavors that change with the season. Come in and sample a dozen unique, irresistible flavors everyday.

But wait—there’s more! Must-have treats like Bourbon Caramel, Frosted Almonds, and Bacon Peanut Brittle are offered daily. And pick up a copy of the Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book to guide your own ice cream making adventures at home.

Where did the name come from? Inspired by their love of British comedy, Co-Founders Jake Godby and Sean Vahey named Humphry Slocombe after the two lead characters—Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe—from the 1970’s sitcom “Are You Being Served”. Ask to see memorabilia from the show they keep in the shop.

Welcome to the bizarre, delicious, frozen universe of Humphry Slocombe.

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