Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur and Nyisha Weber [The Chin Chin Laboratorists]
When someone refl ects, ‘In retrospect, that was either brave or stupid,’ they’re usually remembering a fl ash of inspiration that bore plump fruit. Ahrash is discussing the day that he turned to his wife Nyisha and said, ‘I think we should put all our chips on a nitro ice-cream parlour.’ That was less than two years ago. Now, with their careers in
the City and the art world far behind them, they are nestled in London’s Camden Lock in their laboratory-cum-home of Chin Chin. Here, they don thick gloves and goggles, and mix sweet, creamy ingredients with liquid nitrogen to create the instant ice cream they claim is smoother than the regular kind. And best of all, it comes with a showy puff of white nitrogen gas. Add to this a range of fl avours that would make Willy Wonka proud (peanut butter malt or Easter-egg sorbet, anyone?), and it’s no surprise that a near-constant crowd of customers fi lls their laboratory. ‘Ice cream has a perception of being a kid’s treat, but we’ve
made it an adult’s treat,’ Ahrash says. ‘Next, we want to bring all that childishness, nostalgia and invention to the cocktail world. The Chin Chin Laboratorists is just the start of it.’
The Chin Chin Laboratorists is located in Camden Lock, NW1, open from Tuesday to Sunday. Visit their website to discover the special fl avour of the week. chinchinlabs.com