As hot summer days approach, I highly recommend taking a trip to Paleta Planeta, a dessert shop in downtown San Jose, that truly transports you to a new world with its hybrid flavors and space-themed decor.
Paleta Planeta, which translates from Spanish to “Popsicle Planet,” is a family-owned business operated by two brothers, Mauricio and Luis Salazar, who incorporate both creativity and culture into their desserts and snacks.
The dessert shop opens daily at noon. Many of its customer-favorite ice cream flavors were already selling out, such as Cookie Monster, a bright blue vanilla base mixed with Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies.
The moment I stepped into the dessert shop it felt like I had entered a cosmic dream, with the galaxy-covered painting, playful astronaut references and a moon wall display to truly bring the space theme to life.
At 2 p.m. the store felt empty, but like many dessert shops, this one was more of a grab-and-go destination.
While the menu was fairly straightforward, I had trouble deciding what to get. There were so many paletas, ice cream and toppings to choose from.
Rows of paletas were neatly lined up behind a glass shield and all priced at $4.95. Cups of ice cream were priced between $4.95, $6.95 and $8.95, depending on the number of scoops.
Planeta Paleta charges 75 cents extra for waffle cones. The generous scoops were worth the price.
One of the owners took my order. He was very polite and consistently checked in with my friend and I, making sure we were without wants.
I ordered two paletas: Fresa Guanábana (Strawberry Soursop) and Jamaica Fresa (Hibiscus Strawberry), along with a Mango Horchata ice cream in a cup. I had seen their secret menu topping called the “Campfire” while scrolling on social media and given the positive reviews, I knew I had to try it. The treat is layered directly on top of the ice cream.
It starts with a drizzle of Hershey’s chocolate, followed by graham cracker crumbs and then a sweet swirl of melted marshmallow. To finish it off, the staff torch the topping mixture to the customer’s liking. In total, the three desserts cost $15.10 with tax.
The Fresa Guanábana tropical pairing instantly transported me to summer paradise.
Surprisingly, the two strawberry and soursop flavors were beautifully balanced. The soursop’s pungency lingered just enough to refresh your palate and made me want to savor each bite.
Next, I had the Jamaica Fresa, which blended the sweetness of strawberry with the floral, yet slightly sour punch of hibiscus, a flavor deeply rooted in Mexican culture.
I had high expectations for this familiar flavor, but this one fell a bit short for me. I had a hard time tasting the bold tangy notes of Jamaica, which was overpowered by the strawberry. It was still a tasty paleta, but just not the nostalgic blend I was anticipating.
For the finale, I had a Mango Horchata ice cream with the “Campfire” layered topping. When I bit into the dessert, the gooey and messy texture brought back warm memories of campfires and making s’mores with family and friends.
Unlike their popsicles, which are mostly water-based and more fruit-driven, their ice cream tends to be creamier.
Horchata, a traditional Mexican drink, is not my favorite. The flavor was paired with a fresh and light mango flavor.
I expected a cool balance, but the dessert was overwhelmingly sweet and I could barely taste the mango. The horchata flavor dominated, and the texture felt too thick — almost gummy, sticking to the roof of my mouth, which made it hard to enjoy.
The topping made the dessert even sweeter. The strong taste of cinnamon did not combine well with the mango. The topping would have paired more nicely with a simple ice cream flavor, such as vanilla.
Although the flavors were enjoyable, they didn’t always meet the expectations set by their impact in Mexican staples. I’d definitely return, especially for their affordable prices and to further explore their menu.
Rating: 4/5
