Malai Announces Grand Opening of Manhattan Ice Cream Shop

Brooklyn-Based South Asian-inspired Ice Cream Brand Expands to the West Village Ahead of Summer

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Malai, the Brooklyn-based South Asian-inspired artisanal ice cream company will celebrate the grand opening of its Manhattan location on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Located at 9 Christopher Street in the West Village, Malai's new scoop shop joins its flagship store in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, in addition to locations in Washington, DC and Philadelphia.

Malai's doors will open at noon. The first fifty customers will receive a free insulated bag with purchase. Customers will also enjoy discounted three-dollar single scoops all day.

Pooja Bavishi, winner of Food Network's Chopped Sweets competition, founded Malai in 2015 when she discovered that the same spices of her childhood—ginger, rose petals, saffron, and cardamom—could robustly flavor ice creams in a way that she had never tasted before. Today, Malai is available at four scoop shops and shipped nationwide.

Malai's first Manhattan location will feature a menu of fan-favorite scoop flavors including Mango & Cream, Masala Chai, Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds, and Red Chili Chocolate, as well as dairy-free/vegan Sorbet options like Lychee and Passionfruit Cilantro. The shop will have two rotating flavors of Soft Serve, starting with Saffron and Pistachio. There will also be a shoppable freezer stocked with signature Malai pints, ice cream cakes, kulfi pops, and ice cream sandwiches.

"After building a devoted following in Brooklyn, it has always been a dream of mine to expand permanently into Manhattan, where I first introduced Malai over 10 years ago at street fairs and markets like Hester Street Market and Fulton Market at the Seaport," shares Bavishi. "It's incredibly exciting to be opening our doors in the West Village and spreading the Malai love across the bridge."

Malai's hours are Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Malai, figuratively meaning cream of the crop, draws inspiration from South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and our founder's upbringing. Our ice cream is all eggless, handcrafted, and churned with very little air, resulting in purer, more robust flavors, as well as the creamiest textures you can find. Malai's unique desserts have been giving our customers joy since 2015. Learn more: www.Malai.co.

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SOURCE Malai