A new ice cream shop in downtown Burlingame is offering a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream, serving up soft-serve varieties in unique Asian-inspired flavors like black sesame, matcha, and red guava—each with significantly less sugar than typical American ice cream. Buena’s Organic Soft Serve, founded by Buena Rinchin, is designed for those who crave a sweet treat without the usual sugar rush.
“I want people to know that ice cream can taste really good without all that sugar,” Rinchin said.
Rinchin’s organic soft serve contains only 7 to 11 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving, depending on the flavor—about a quarter of the sugar found in most traditional American ice cream. The sugar-free approach extends to the house-made cereal cones, which also contain no sugar. Rather than using sugar substitutes like monk fruit or sucralose, Rinchin simply omits the sugar altogether, allowing the natural flavors to shine.
“It doesn’t affect the texture at all,” Rinchin explained. “Soft-serve ice cream is supposed to be airy, fluffy, soft, and tasty.”
Originally from Mongolia, Rinchin moved to the U.S. at 17 as an international exchange student. After settling in Millbrae in 2018, she opened Buena’s Organic Soft Serve in the former Pressed Juicy location. The launch of her first food venture came after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes two years ago, a turning point that inspired her to rethink her approach to desserts.
“I was diagnosed two years ago, and I love dessert and food in general, but American ice cream options offer really full sugar,” she said. “I used to take my kids to Salt & Straw, and I could just feel the sugar flowing through my body after just one scoop.”
The idea for the shop came from a desire to recreate the soft serve she remembered enjoying in Mongolia, but with a healthier twist. After noticing a lack of high-quality soft serve spots in the area, Rinchin decided to make her own.
To source her ingredients, Rinchin partnered with Valley Ford Creamery in Sonoma County for organic milk. The menu features six rotating flavors, though four staples—chocolate, vanilla, matcha, and black sesame—are always available. The two additional flavors change weekly or biweekly, with past offerings including dragon fruit, taro, strawberry, and raspberry.
Soft serve is served in cups or cones ($7.99), with one topping included—options range from milk chocolate flakes to coconut flakes, Oreo dust, toasted almonds, and even cotton candy cake crumbs. For an added treat, customers can upgrade to a mini croffle ($2.99) or a full croffle or crepe ($10.99-$12.99).
Rinchin is also proud of her crepes, which she believes stand out due to the care she puts into the batter. Unlike many places that use a basic water-based mix, her crepes are made with organic milk, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and a touch of salt, ensuring a rich, flavorful base that doesn’t rely on toppings for taste.
In addition to soft serve and crepes, the shop offers a variety of other items, including kids’ breakfast sets (peanut butter toasts with fresh fruit and organic milk), deli sandwiches, and espresso beverages. Rinchin is also planning to introduce affogatos and is considering adding savory breakfast crepes if there’s enough customer demand.
Although the shop itself is small, with only a two-seat table inside, outdoor seating is available for 12 patrons.
Looking ahead, Rinchin has big plans for her business. “My goal is to be on every main street and scale this because I think that having an organic, healthier option of ice cream should be accessible to people when they want it,” she said. “We should all start getting into watching our sugar intake, and it has to start somewhere.”
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