JJ Hings Ice Cream & Things
Just off the canal, tucked into a quiet side street, I stumbled upon JJ Hings — a colorful little spot with big windows and the name splashed across in bright, quirky letters. The vibe? Playful and a bit chaotic, in the best way. A handwritten menu sets the tone: limited choices, but each with a bold personality and names that could just as well be indie film titles.
Place: JJ Hings Ice Cream & Things (→ website)
Adresse: 46 Rue Bichat, Paris, France 75010
Chef: Julia
Price: 6€ for two flavours
Date of visit: 21.06.2025
My note: 1 (→And this means what?)
The flavors of the day:
Fraise Dispatch (a dreamy strawberry sorbet)
Match-ado About Nothing (matcha + raw cream parfait)
Fraise Sanchez (raw cream/lemon base with strawberry-rhubarb compote)
A Whole Lotta Abricotta (apricot ice cream, apricot compote, cone crunch)
Plus soft serves like lemon lait and flour de sureauand. and ice cream sandwiches — coffee caramel.
You immediately feel the New Zealand influence at JJ Hings. I had to read the menu three times to really understand what I was looking at — but honestly, that’s part of the fun. I chose a cone (homemade!) with Fraise Sanchez and A Whole Lotta Abricotta. I pay 6 €.
First impression? Fun, generous, eye-catching, but flavor-wise… things got confusing fast.
The two scoops blurred into each other from the very beginning. Even after the first few bites, I couldn’t tell which was which — and sadly, I couldn’t find the strawberry or rhubarb notes I was hoping for. The apricot came through more clearly, but felt overwhelmingly sugary and heavy. As for the “crunch” ? Not quite. The texture was soft, without the contrast I was expecting — but to be fair, the flavor of the cone was lovely and well-made.
I get the concept — it reminds of the New Zealand-style approach to ice cream: mix-ins, layers, surprises. Ice cream as a maximalist canvas. But for my taste, there was just a bit too much going on, and not enough clear direction.
Overall, I wanted to love it. The vibe is cool, the menu intriguing, and the concept full of personality. But for me, the flavors didn’t quite land — too many elements, not enough clarity.
That said, I’d give it another shot. There’s obvious creativity here, and maybe next time, I’ll find the scoop that truly sings.
Creative but too noisy. 1 out of 3.
JJ Hings is an ice cream shop founded and operated by Julia Bell and Guillaume Kern. The project began in 2023 as a pop-up opened by Julia, and later grew into a permanent location near the canal in Paris.
Julia is of Chinese and New Zealand origin, and Guillaume is Alsatian. Both are trained pastry chefs with international experience. Before opening JJ Hings, they worked in Australia, Canada, and France, which helped shape their approach to flavors and product development. (Julia Bell is the former pastry chef at Ten Belles.)
The ice cream at JJ Hings is based on the “New Zealand style”, which typically includes rich ice cream mixed with various ingredients like sauces, compotes, and crunchy textures directly in the scoop. It’s a playful, layered style that reflects Julia’s childhood ice cream experiences in New Zealand.
In addition to scoops, JJ Hings offers ice cream sandwiches, floats, and soft serve, with a small, rotating selection of creative and seasonal flavors. The menu often features original names and combinations inspired by the owners’ travels, backgrounds, and favorite ingredients.
More Information about the vistit
Place: JJ Hings Ice Cream & Things (→ website)
Adresse: 46 Rue Bichat, Paris, France 75010
Chef: Julia
Date of visit: 21.06.2025
My note: 1 (→And this means what?)
