United Paleteria y Neveria

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Who would have ever guessed this small Mexican dessert spot in an obscure strip mall would be so popular?  It's not even summer and the weather has barely started heating up and the constant lines of this small shop amazed me.

It reminds me of a Mexican Baskin Robbins with all sorts of goodies.  It's a little hard to decipher the menu, but looking around most people tend to order the same things.  They have a lot of crazy flavors of ice cream, like rose and corn, but it seemed like pistachio and coconut were the popular choice.  Oddly enough, I've never seen a place in San Francisco that served some of these items.

Almost everyone who came in order at least one of these mangonadas.  There are only two things that make up this brightly colored dessert.  Mangos and chamoy.  Chamoy sauce is one of those sauces where you either love it, like you are obsessed about the taste, or you just don't care for it.  Its a tangy, slightly sour, spicy sauce made from apricots and chilis.  Here its prepared with a scoops of mango sherbet and topped with freshly cut mangos and then drizzled with chamoy sauce and powder.  A straw is stuck in so you can actually sip the mixture, but for the ultra obsessed, the best part is the chamoy covered straw.  I used to like chamoy sauce a lot, but lately my taste buds don't seem to be as entertained with extreme flavors.  That being said mixing up everything does provide the best balance of sweetness from the mango flavors and the tangy chamoy.  If you love that sweet/sour combination, on a hot day, this is probably a satisfying option.

Another items that appears in almost everyone's hand is the tostilocos, which reminds me of a Mexican frito pie.  This Tijuana street food is made with salsa verde Tostitos chips and topped with pickled shaved jicima, pickled pig skin, soy coated peanuts, chopped cucumbers, and then mixed up and topped with chamoy sauce, lime juice, and hot sauce for even more punch.  I've never had anything like this.  Its possibly the craziest combination of tastes and textures I've ever had, all in one small chip bag.  Your tastebuds are given this indescribable flavor explosion.  Its got crunch.  Its got tang.  Even the sweet and spicy combo.  Its really interesting, but not my thing.  Way too much going on for me to enjoy.  Also, another item a chamoy fanatic would love.

Address:                 United Paleteria y Neveria
                                410 S. King Rd.
                                San Jose, CA
 

Type:                       Mexican/ice cream

Popular chomps:     mangonada
                                 bionico
                                 tostilocos

Chomp worthy:        mangonada