Jamaica – Devon House “I Scream” (Best Ice Cream in Jamaica)

Restaurant: Devon House “I Scream”
Cuisine: Desserts/Ice Cream
Last visited: October 8, 2011
Location: Multiple locations in Jamaica
Address: Multiple locations in Jamaica
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Multiple locations
• Premium ice cream chain
• Famous for ice cream
• “Best in City”
• Local favourite
• 27+ flavours

**Recommendations: Blue Mountain Coffee Ice Cream, Sweetsop Ice Cream, Coconut Ice Cream, Butter Almond Ice Cream, Grape Nut Ice Cream

What happens when you let me roam free in Jamaica?! I find ice cream! I had an ice cream fan with me so the two of us set out on a hunt for ice cream along with our local driver. It wasn’t just any ordinary ice cream I was looking for, but it was a very specific one. Now where is it?!

There has to be one here! I know the factory is in Kingston, but they must distribute to other cities in Jamaica right? Right?! It’s Ocho Rios! A touristy city, it has to have “the best ice cream in Jamaica”and I was determined to find it.

Oh wait! Is that it?! That’s it! That must be it! Stop! It’s the ice cream parlour!

Devon House “i SCREAM” and SCREAM I did!

I was invited on a culinary tour of Jamaica and the itinerary read “Devon House Ice Cream Tasting”. I was looking forward to it even before I got to Jamaica because I’m a huge supporter of anything in the frozen treat department and particularly falling into the cateogry of ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt.

You can imagine my disappointment when we ran out of time for the Devon House ice cream tasting in Kingston and it got written off the itinerary. I almost cried. Nonetheless where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I was going to find a way.

Devon House “I Scream” is a house hold name and one of their pride and joys. It’s known as the best ice cream in Jamaica. There was no way I was going to leave Jamaica without trying the supposedly “best ice cream” in the country. Of course “the best” is always debatable, but it has to earn its reputation in some way, and I wanted my scoops!

It was perfect timing too because I had just come from a spicy meal of Jamaica’s best Jerk Chicken at Scotchies followed by lunch #2 at their only Irish Pub. When most were ready for a nap, I was ready for dessert. I can take a nap at home, so let’s go find ice cream!

This was the closest place selling Devon House I-Scream and it was a tiny ice cream parlour located about 5-10 minutes from our hotel. I mentioned in my Juici Patties VS Tastee Patties post yesterday that I had eaten 6 scoops of softball sized ice cream before even getting to taste those authentic Jamaican patties. Well backtracking to that event, this is where I was before that experience. In a couple hours I would need to prepare for a 5 course wine and dinner pairing at Le Papillon back at the Sandals resort, but it was doable. I’m game!

On the table:

Devon House “I Scream – 4/6

• 12 oz cup $420JMD = $4.88USD
• The ice cream is known as “the best” in Jamaica and it really was delicious ice cream.
• It’s not all natural though and usually for ice cream the fewer ingredients the better.
• It was thick, creamy and sweet with no greasy aftertaste and the quality was very good and comparable to premium ice cream brands in North America.
• For a mass produced ice cream I liked it better than Breyer’s, but it’s maybe not as premium as Häagen-Dazs.
• I enjoyed it more than Marble Slab or Cold Stone Creamery, which I’m also not keen on because I find it too heavy and sweet.
• I was impressed, but on a global scale it wasn’t the best ice cream I’ve had, but it was solid.
• If you get a chance try the Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee ice cream and sweet sop ice cream flavours, which are unique to the brand.
• Generally, it’s a good sign if you’re at a restaurant serving Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee or Devon House I-Scream. Each are more or less the premier brands in their perspective categories in Jamaica.

Vanilla Ice Cream – 4/6

• It’s plain jane, but it’s the ultimate test.
• There were no vanilla bean seeds which is sad, but it was still intense with floral vanilla flavour and I think natural extract.

**Grapenut Ice Cream – 5/6

• This was another unique flavour and it was like Grape Nuts cereal in ice cream form. I love nutty flavours so I loved this.

**Butter Almond Ice Cream – 4.5/6

• It was rich, creamy, thick and sweet with little bits of almond, but I wanted much more almond.
• It was buttery, but not greasy and it had some almond extract.

Mango Ice Cream – 4/6

• I expected it to be like pure mango pulp since I was in Jamaica.
• It wasn’t the most mangoey tasting ice cream although it’s more than the average mango flavour.
• It was made with real mango, but it was on the sweet side .

Guava Ice Cream –3/6

• The pink colour threw me off and it was unnatural.
• It was a bit too sweet and the flavour was floral, but a bit artificial.
• The ice cream is still good though.

**Coconut Ice Cream – 5/6

• This actually had little bits of coconut and I’m sure it was made with coconut milk.
• Being in Jamaica, coconut is a flavour they do well, so I’m glad this delivered.

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