New restaurant brings unique taste to State College

It’s like hibachi, he says, but with ice cream. When bundled together in a cup, they crystallize into a sweet treat with a bit of flair.

Thai rolled ice cream is quickly unfurling its way across the country, becoming popular in cities and college towns besides a number of au courant foodie checklists. Though they look like they belong in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, their latest stop is 220 W. College Ave., the home of new sweets spot Momotaro.

Owner Ben Yu said the State College patisserie, estimated to open by the end of March, also serves a selection of coffees, teas, smoothies and baked goods. Though the ice cream rolls, handmade fresh, are a highlight.

“These days we see it’s the future,” he said. “Like sweet pastries will be the next trendy thing. Last year a couple places popped up in New York and California, like boom, boom, boom.”

Yu, who worked in the restaurant industry in Philadelphia and San Jose prior to coming to State College, said friends who went to Penn State told him about the opportunity in Happy Valley. The shop’s name comes from a slice of Japanese folklore, often translated as “Peach Boy,” hence Momotaro’s peach logo.

Yu said Momotaro also makes cakes, macarons, ganache and tiramisu, among other items. The Thai ice cream rolls are made fresh, like in the east and southeast Asian street markets where their vendors remain popular stops for market goers, as is the double-flavored mochi ice cream.

According to its Facebook page, Momotaro’s hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

More sweets

Dolce Vita Desserts, previously located on Pike Street in Lemont, recently completed its move to 2490 Commercial Blvd. in State College. The confectioner held a soft opening on March 1 and held its grand opening Friday.

The 4,000-square-foot shop features indoor seating and an event rental room for meetings and special occasions, according to a Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County release. The space also includes a party room for children’s activities.

The menu has grown with the size of the shop, which now serves fresh-roasted coffee, tea and breakfast items such as muffins and biscotti.

Owner Mary Hilliard opened the bake shop in 2011.

Games galore

A video game store opened Saturday in the Northland Center in State College.

Cartridges Galore, 233 Northland Center on North Atherton Street, is located next to Giant and takes the place of Cartridge World. But instead of recycling ink cartridges, Cartridges Galore buys, sells and trades cartridges containing video games.

According to a company Facebook post, Cartridges Galore moved from the Nittany Mall and will offer a larger selection of games and systems “from the original Nintendo all the way up through the new gen Xbox One and PS4.”

“Thanks to everyone from the State College area who has welcomed us into your community,” the post read. “We promise to deliver the highest quality video games, customer service, and childhood nostalgia for years to come.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2017 at 12:53 AM with the headline "New restaurant brings unique taste to State College."