Rolled ice cream, bubble tea and Indian fusion. This north Columbus restaurant has it all
You might think of ice cream when you hear the name Ice Queen. And you’d be right — partly.
The sweet treat might be what draws you in for that first trip. But it’s the north Columbus restaurant’s fast-casual Indian fusion entrees that will bring you back again and again.
Mohammed Wasay; his father Mohammed Ather; and his mother, Anees Khatoon, took over the former rolled ice cream and bubble tea shop in March 2020 with their sights set on rebranding. But the COVID-19 pandemic stopped those plans, forcing the family to do what they could to keep their new business afloat.
The past few months have been better, and Wasay, 28, said they have big plans.
The food
For those with little or no introduction to Indian food, Ice Queen (6600 Whittlesey Blvd.) is the perfect place to explore and experiment.
The ordering process is similar to a place like Chipotle — customers pick a base protein or primary ingredient for a rice bowl or wrap. The wraps are served with fries, and the rice bowls lend themselves to more customization.
After diners pick a rice and masala option, next comes greens and sauces. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. All of the meat is halal, meaning it meets Islamic dietary standards and guidelines. Other classic Indian entrees are also offered.
I’ve eaten at Ice Queen twice over the past couple of weeks. The first was a trial run, and the second was for this article. During my first visit, I ordered the Chicken 65 rice bowl.
The fried chicken bits were covered in a complex red paste that starts spicy but mellows, owing its flavor to kashmiri chillies and curry leaves. The fluffy rice and soft naan bread became the vehicles to sop up some sauce. The mint yogurt sauce was there to cool things down when I needed it.
On my second visit, I got the haleem, a classic 18th-century dish. It’s a stew that features beef, lamb, pounded cracked wheat, lentils and spices. It’s a thick consistency, but you won’t find big cuts of meat. The beef and lamb are cooked so slow and so long that only barely visible shreds remain. It’s a dish that touches nearly every corner of taste, from a little heat to the slow descent into sweet and savory.
Make sure you get a tea from Ice Queen’s vast beverage menu. I ordered the passion fruit black tea with strawberry popping boba. The iced drink is perfect on a spring or summer afternoon, and getting the thin, gel-like flavor bubbles to pop in your mouth during or after a sip is a lot of fun.
If that doesn’t sound appealing, maybe the milk teas, fruit slushes, milk slushes or other teas might satisfy you.
If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth, then the rolled ice cream is for you. I’d recommend the Pink Lady, a vanilla base with strawberry and cheesecake mix-ins. It’s topped with whipped cream, white chocolate chips and a drizzle of strawberry sauce.
The fusion aspect of Ice Queen’s model is influenced in part by Wasay’s own experience. His family moved from the southern Indian tech hub of Hyderabad to the Albany, Georgia area in 2006.
When cooking for his younger siblings, Wasay would take his mother’s pre-made food and add a little American flair. For example, he found sauteed Indian veggies are good when covered with American cheese and put between pieces of bread.
It’s a place that covers all food corners like Wasay and his parents had hoped for when they opened last year. But the journey to this point has been anything but easy.
How Ice Queen got its start
Wasay and his parents took over Ice Queen just as COVID-19 began to take hold in Georgia.
They were told they weren’t eligible for federal coronavirus aid. In the early days, they were traveling from their then-home in Albany to Columbus each day, and they didn’t want to get a new place to stay in Columbus because they weren’t sure what the next day would bring.
Money earmarked for the planned rebranding was needed just to keep the doors open, he said.
“You never knew in the next week, or even the next few days, if you would be able to stay open or have to shut down the store,” Wasay said.
Aggressive online advertising, word-of-mouth recommendations and the use of delivery platforms helped see the business through those rough months, he said.
“It was kind of hard,” Wasay said. “But at the same time, you would have days where you’d get a couple of customers ... and they’re completely happy and, you know, excited about trying something new. It was kind of fulfilling to make people smile during those times.”
He plans to keep the fusion spirit alive as the restaurant evolves. The new planned name is Spice and Ice, to reflect the dessert and Indian fast-casual fusion dishes. The menu will expand to include burgers, tacos and other dishes that will prominently feature Indian spices.
But for now, the Ice Queen name remains. The restaurant, even without the planned expanded food menu, is a must-eat. Wasay and his family are onto something genius.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 6:00 AM.