Indigo Cow

In Japan, where traditional confections such as mochi date back hundreds of years, ice creams are a comparatively recent dessert, thanks in part to the country’s historically limited access to dairy products. Milk production began on Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido in the mid-1800s and kicked off in earnest in the 1870s, using now famous processes to preserve a rich, distinctive flavor based on 3.6% to 4.6% fat content and no additives. Because of the fat levels and use of ultra-high temperature pasturization, Hokkaido milk commonly develops a lightly caramelized, butterscotch-like taste that accompanies its natural creaminess – reasons fans continually and preferentially seek it out as an ice cream ingredient.

Founded in Seattle by a former Hokkaido resident, Indigo Cow spent five years selling ice cream based on imported Hokkaido milk – and expanding to two LA locations – before arriving in Orange County. The original Seattle version debuted as an ordering window at Yoroshiku, the owner’s izakaya, and the 2026-vintage Costa Mesa location similarly occupies the right front window at Ramen Tatsunoya. There’s a single table outdoors with two chairs, and no interior seating for Indigo Cow guests; you’re generally supposed to order a cup or cone from very limited options, then go elsewhere with it.

While some Indigo Cow locations offer three portion sizes, Costa Mesa’s has only two, “small” ($4.50) and “regular” ($6.50). You can choose from two flavors, basic Hokkaido milk or matcha (+$1.50), and swirl both for an added $1. The default is a cardboard cup, but you can opt for a black waffle cone for $1.50 more, and add toppings ranging from mochi or matcha sauce ($1) to black sesame and yuzu sugar ($2) or a triple-matcha “centric” combination or warabimochi, sauce, and powder for $2.50. On our visit, a “limited” option – a cup of Hokkaido soft serve with yaki-imo sweet potato paste brulee on top – was available for $6.50 (small) or $9.50 (regular).

A brief note on this article’s timing: We visited Indigo Cow months after it first soft-opened inside Ramen Tatsunoya – on its official grand opening weekend, when any quality/production-related issues should have been sorted out. Moreover, we’ve been highly familiar with authentic Hokkaido milk ice creams for quite some time, including more recent variants such as Cremia, a silky, high-fat version that’s currently quite popular across Japan, and know that some local connoisseurs (such as Papi’s Gelateria) have been careful to distinguish gelatos made with Hokkaido milk candy from ice creams made with actual Hokkaido milk. So given Indigo Cow’s “Hokkaido milk soft serve” branding, we were genuinely excited to see how close it came in flavor and texture to versions we’ve enjoyed over the years.