Northern Chinese dumpling hotspot XI Home Dumplings Bay in Spitalfields is launching London’s first range of ice cream ‘bao-wiches’ in celebration of National Ice Cream Day (Sun 19th July).

Created in collaboration with artisan ice cream brand and Spitalfields neighbour Darlish, the desserts will put a Chinese twist on the classic ice cream sandwich, making for a crispy, creamy and ultimately delicious new dish adding to London’s dessert scene.

Available from 19th July until the end of August, the bao-wiches will feature a golden and crispy, freshly fried bao bun, filled with a scoop of artisan ice cream.

The range:

– Orange Blossom & Pistachio (Darlish x Xi Home) £8 – aromatic orange blossom ice cream studded with earthy pistachios, inside a freshly fried bao bun.

– Black Tahini (Darlish x Xi Home) £8 – visually striking jet-black ice cream with the toasted nuttiness of premium black sesame tahini, inside a freshly fried bao bun.

– The Xi Home Rich Rice (Signature In-House) £8 – made in-house at Xi Home, this velvety ice cream with flavours of toasted rice pairs perfectly with the crispy bao exterior.

– Mango, Sticky Rice & Sake Kasu (In-House) £8 – we’ve upcycled leftover sake kasu (sake lees) into a brilliant dessert. Mango and comforting sticky rice notes are elevated by the umami kick of the sake* kasu.

The collaboration celebrates the creativity of two independent Spitalfields businesses, blending XI Home’s expertise in Chinese comfort food with Darlish’s Great Taste award-winning approach to artisan ice cream. The result is a nostalgic yet unexpected dessert designed to be shared and enjoyed throughout the summer.