Taro, panden, hojicha and sesame mochi - typically, I’d be pretty apprehensive about ordering from a menu that requires Google searching half of the ingredients, but looking at the colourful ice cream counter at Lazy Sundae, I just want to grab a spoon and tuck into each one.
The dessert shop has quickly made a name for themselves in the Northern Quarter through their Instagrammable souffle pancakes and bubble teas, as well as milkshakes and ice cream floats in an array of unusual global flavours.
Now, the popular travel-inspired dessert shop - which opened on Tib Street in 2021 - are set to open a second city centre branch in the Arndale Centre this summer.
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Lazy Sundae has gained a huge 14.4k Instagram followers through sharing their picture-perfect products and pretty peach pink decor on social media, and so, with pancake day on the horizon (February 21), and a second branch coming soon, it felt only right to go and see what all the fuss is about.
To find Lazy Sundae, you’ll have to walk quite far up Tib Street - past Just Between Friends and Queer Lit - but you’ll spot its millennial pink branding on the right, its hanging sign a beacon of the worldwide flavours and taste of summer you’ll find inside. Inside, the pink theme continues, and on the back wall - as is customary in spots like this - a foliage wall complete with neon signage.
The venue seats around 25 people, and during my visit on a Thursday afternoon, it soon began to fill up. It’s easy to see why they’ve agreed to take on a 1,305 sq ft unit on a 10-year lease in the Arndale, as I imagine weekends and sunny days see this place packed out.
Browsing through the menu, I did have to search what a number of the items were, but felt pretty confident about ordering some of the creme brulee souffle pancakes. At the counter, I asked for recommendations on what I might enjoy, and the helpful customer assistant gave me some little taster samples of some of the ice creams to help me make my choice, opting for a Taro Coco Float, costing £5.50.
The vibrant purple drink arrived first, complete with little bubble tea bobas and a scoop of the pastel ice cream. Taro is a root vegetable that’s similar to a sweet potato, and is a food staple in African, Oceanic, and South Asian cultures, it tastes sweet and a little bit nutty with earthy undertones, which may sound unusual for a dessert - but it works.
The ice cream floats come in four other flavours too, including brown sugar, pandan, hojicha and sesame, and are perfect if you can't decide between ice cream and a drink, as you get both.
Their drinks menu is their most extensive, with lots of different styles to choose from, such as fresh milk teas, cheese foam drinks, lazy bottles, milkshakes, iced teas, fresh fruit teas and hot chocolates, all available in at least three unique flavours.
Meanwhile, their souffle pancake menu sees five fun flavours topping their huge, fluffy pancakes. Lazy Sundae consider themselves Manchester’s ‘original souffle pancake store’, and they are pretty impressive.
Pistachio Rose looked amazing for those wanting to get that perfect social media snap, while Miso Lava Biscoff will delight Lotus fans, but I went for the Creme Brulee pancakes, served with a custard creme, caramelised sugar and strawberries.
The two pancakes came loaded with toppings, you’d think they’d have sunk under the weight since they’re as light as air, but they held up well. These jiggly, Japanese style treat is very cute, cooked low and slow for about 20 minutes to get the perfect pancake.
The flavours were tasty, and a world away from your average lemon and sugar, or nutella and banana - if you’re feeling adventurous, these are some combinations you can really explore with.
Unfortunately, Lazy Sundae aren’t open on Tuesdays, so if you are hoping to make a visit for Pancake Day, it will have to be the following day, with the store open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 10pm each week.
Before leaving, I couldn't help but take out one of their ice cream cones, too, choosing the two flavours I'd enjoyed most when taste-testing before ordering - cereal milk and earl grey Biscoff. I ordered them on a waffle cone adorned with Lucky Charms, so it really tasted like breakfast in ice cream form!
The ice cream and dessert store will open their second branch in the Arndale Centre in the coming months, adding to the centre’s diverse food and drinks offering, which ranges from coffee shops and cafes to international restaurant chains including Slim Chickens and Tim Hortons.
A spokesperson for Lazy Sundae added: “We are very excited to be joining Manchester Arndale. The site will form the flagship store for Lazy Sundae as part of our nationwide expansion plans. Customers will be transported to far corners of the world through our travel inspired offerings.”
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