Introducing the delightful flavours of Turkish ice cream for the first time in Sri Lanka, the Twisting Scoops franchise at One Galle Face Mall (and soon, the Havelock City Mall) is the all-new go-to destination for ice cream lovers. With its unique texture and playful presentation, Twisting Scoops offers a one-of-a-kind experience that has customers coming back for more.

Twisting Scoops: Asia’s largest and first Turkish ice cream chain. It’s 2015 and two school friends, Kunwarpreet Singh Juneja and Manmeet Singh Batra, are on vacation in Turkey when they stumbled upon an idea for a new venture - Turkish ice cream with all its tricks and flair. In 2016, Twisting Scoops opened its first-ever store in Delhi, India and today, the brand has 50+ stores in more than 20 cities across Asia with its brand presence in India and Nepal and most recently Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The brand’s initial success was so strong that Twisting Scoops even made it to Season 2 of Shark Tank India.

What makes Twisting Scoops unique is their signature ice cream, made 100% with pure goat milk and all-natural ingredients combined with authentic ingredients from Turkey. While their Turkish ice cream remains the heart of the brand, they also offer a variety of Middle Eastern and Turkish treats ranging from Baklavas to Falafels and Turkish teas to coffees, making the store a one-stop shop for all things Middle Eastern. Twisting Scoops in  Sri Lanka The first Sri Lankan Twisting Scoops store was opened at the One Galle Face Mall early this year and was an instant trending hit among the public, the store going viral all over social media for bringing the famous Turkish tricks and plays to Colombo.

‘Selling the Scoop with a Smile’ is the motto for the store and anyone walking away with a scoop can certainly endorse it. What makes Twisting Scoops so special is that they make ice cream  FUN  and the trick is all in the play. When customers buy an ice cream from them, they can opt to participate in a playful presentation to receive their scoop. A trained ice cream vendor will perform a series of mesmerising tricks and manoeuvres on a fun game of ‘grab-the-cone-if-youcan’ by twirling the ice cream cone in the air or teasing the customer by letting them think they can grab it before effortlessly taking it out from their reach. The entire experience is not only visually entertaining but also adds an element of excitement and anticipation for the customers.

The Twisting Scoops ice cream range has a variety varying between the classics like Pure Vanilla, Chocolate, Coconut and Rocky Road to signature flavours the likes of Baklava, Rose and pistachio, Cinnamon and caramel and Mango Chilli Sorbet. Because the ice cream is made from 100% goat milk, with all-natural ingredients and no added preservatives, the texture is also very different - stretchy, creamy and smooth, with a hint of richness that sets it apart from traditional cow’s milk ice cream. Apart from serving Turkish ice cream, Twisting Scoops has a range of Middle Eastern savoury and sweet items such as open sandwiches, Kofta kebabs, Hummus with Pita, Lahmacun, Tajen and Falafel as well as Baklava and desserts, Turkish teas and coffees.

With very few Middle Eastern food spots in Colombo, Twisting Scoops is a great addition for those looking to explore the flavours of the region. We started our meal with an Apple Cinnamon Tea with silver tip tea, apple, pure honey and Sri Lankan cinnamon which was very cooling and relaxing. Their Turkish Chicken and Meat Lahmacun was filled with spice and flavour, the Lahmacun having a thin and crispy crust filled with a generous amount of flavourful toppings served with two sauces and fries. The Open Sandwich with Beetroot Hummus and Feta Cheese and the Chicken Musakhan Wrap were also delicious options, with the open sandwich serving simple flavours while the chicken mousaka was aromatic with spices.

We are big fans of the Middle Eastern kebabs and the Adana Mutton Seekh was a highlight of the menu. The kebab was perfectly cooked and seasoned, made with a blend of finely minced mutton mixed with spices, herbs and seasonings. For anyone who would want to taste a little of each, we would recommend their Arabic Mezze Platter which includes a mix of their mutton and chicken kebabs, Turkish pilaf rice, Lebanese Falafel, pita bread, fries, hummus and a variety of sauces ranging from cooling yoghurt to sitta paste, a spicy sauce made with Sri Lankan dry chilie and Kashmir chilie. We washed our food down with a chilled Mushmush Hindi (apricot-infused drink) and Rumaan Hindi (pomegranate-infused drink) and wrapped up our meal with a strong Turkish coffee. While we did come for their ice cream, their savoury dishes were also definitely one of their strong points - the food was incredibly aromatic and flavourful and the portions were generous.

Overall, we loved the concept of Twisting Scoops and quite evidently, so does the public. During our visit, the store was constantly busy. The playful tricks performed with the ice cream attract quite a crowd and almost everyone wants to have a go at trying to best the game - from little kids having a magical time to grown adults enjoying a moment of play, Twisting Scoops truly offers a unique experience for people of all ages.

Pics Kushan Pathiraja