Along this corner of the previously unassuming Seapark, is this stretch of road near the flying wantan stall, and the nasi lemak bumbung guys, that's now home to about four hip (hipster? it's okay, we can say gentrifiers, we're all friends here) eateries that I do enjoy, because what's the point of being brought up with petit bourgeoisie pretensions if I don't also develop the class-appropriate tastes? It's one thing when Burgerlab first showed up, then Pizzalab next door. Pretty soon Inside Scoop, one door away, opened its Seapark branch of The Ice Cream Bar. (or so I've been informed, that this is from the IS people). Upstairs is Abba, which is some kind of faux-Korean hotpot. I don't take pork, so we'll see one day if the menu has anything for me. But in the meantime--
The main attraction to the shop (other than the cheeky in-store text which I'm beginning to understand and happy to observe to be a particularly Malaysian style) is it's ice-cream selection, half of which is unrepentantly boozy. Don't ask me about those, I was going to drive myself home, so I stuck to a scoop of pistachio along with buttermilk waffles. The variety did look interesting, if fairly standard range of liquor that goes well with ice-cream - so you've got your rums, your basic whiskys, the inevitable Guinness...
Upfront, I'll admit it'll be an unfair review, mainly because I'm not actually a waffle person. Conceptually, yes, but not in execution. Or to be more accurate, the typical serving size for pancakes and waffles is often too large for me to have in one sitting.
That said, the buttermilk waffles here (I picked the original/plain flavour) were light and crispy, not at all the stodgy starchiness you tend to find. It's almost like I'm eating corners and air, though don't get me wrong, the struggle was real by the last quarter. But while I still could, it was a pleasant combo of warm, crisp waffle with the rich ice-cream. I personally would've liked some actual pistachio crunch, but that's because i'm nuts for nuts. If you're a waffle fiend, the other varieties on the menu looks interesting, though for my own sake, i'll stick to a scoop in a sugar cone instead.
If I live nearby, I legit would go for the nasi lemak bumbung first, then nip over for some ice-cream and then walk home. On cool nights, the neighbourhood is pleasant enough to walk, with enough human activity that it doesn't feel like a bad idea. Of course, caveats apply for the 1970s urban planning legacy, which means if I'm being honest, that was only good advice for the able-bodied.
The Ice Cream Bar (Seapark branch)
Jalan 21/22, Sea Park
Price $$
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Trivia:
Did you know that technically 'Seapark' is incorrect? Officially it's Taman SEA for Taman South East Asia (hey, ASEAN pride, you know), so it should follow the other conventional translation like for other neighbourhoods and be 'SEA Gardens', but that's what happens when the first wave of residents weren't strong Malay-English speakers. Much like 'Taman Megah', which by now is usually pronounced as Taman Mé-gah because it's quite apparent people knew the English 'mega', but not 'mē-gah', which is Malay for 'pride'. A common word but also complicated by the fact that Malay actually has two 'e' vowels but we were colonised by the British and not say, the French, so no colony of them will ever taint themselves with... diacritical marks. Citation: the fact that the old PJ/KL neighbourhoods were named after a positive attribute in Malay (or once were, and never again recalled per Lucky Garden in Bangsar, lol), and uh, poor Za'aba's romanisation efforts.