24-Karat Gold Ice Cream Shakes Up Houston’s Soft Serve Scene — it’s a Shanghai Sensation

Houston’s gone soft. The city has turned into a spectacle of all things soft serve, especially in Chinatown. With flavors such as black tiramisu, matcha, lychee and more available, it’s no wonder.

SomiSomi. Aqua S. Twisted Love. They’re all in on the soft serve craze. And now a newcomer’s hit town. It’s Nobibi, which is opening up at 1035 Blalock Road. (Eater first reported the opening).

The Shanghai-born confectionary is a global brand that’s already spread to California. In addition to its new shop on Blalock Road, Nobibi has set its sights on a sweet Sugar Land spot for its second Houston area location and also plans to open in Austin.

It’s sure to be a fan favorite — or at least an Instagram one — since Nobibi is pure gold. Literally. One of its creamy creations is topped off with gleaming flakes of 24-karat gold foil. That you eat. Really.

Other Instagram-worthy garnishes include cotton candy, strawberry, Oreos, caramel popcorn, brown sugar, bursting boba balls and beyond, making for colorful photos bound to get a bevy of likes.

Nobibi boasts tons of pre-made combos, served with your choice of flavors. The Magic Lamp is tossed with freeze-dried sprinkles and served in a black cone. The S’more comes with toasted marshmallow kettle corn, and the Ninja is all about pop candy.

But the menu isn’t all soft serve, all the time. Think sparkling coolers filled with fruit pulp in flavors like graprefruit and sakura blossom, teas like superfruit, and best of all, cheese teas and ice milk blends.

It’s not the kind of cheese you’re thinking. Instead, it’s a silky sweet cheese cream that Nobibi either serves atop jasmine green teas and the like, or blends with milk.

So, are you going to get your sugar fix? Soft serve’s up.