Though it’s been a rainy couple of days, the omnipresent Singaporean sun is coming back soon. When the time comes, you’ll want to keep this list of gourmet ice creams handy: restaurants and cafes are doing everything and anything to bring a fresh spin (or should we say churn) to the age-old dessert.
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That might mean coming up with contemporary flavours that boggle the mind – after all, it’s in vogue to mix savoury and sweet nowadays. Whether that’s the simple joy of mixing French fries in McDonald’s vanilla cones, to the machinations of 1-VU’s Ace Tan, resulting in a red-and-yellow-miso-spiked ice cream topped off with soy caramel.
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Else, there’s always how you’re making it: with the plant-based diet gaining traction, dairy (and therefore conventional ice cream) goes out the window in favour of coconut milk. This is especially relevant for those who are lactose intolerant. In the end, the frozen dessert’s versatility is what makes it so suitable for experimentation by ingenious chefs and creameries – which is why it’s the perfect time to whip out our silverware and dig in, rain or shine.
https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/gourmet-travel/gourmet-ice-cream-near-you/
Gourmet Ice cream
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Birds of Paradise is so much more than your usual Instagram-worthy ice cream shop (though it’s quite a looker, thanks to its minimalist, stark white approach to the storefront). Balancing the heavy aromas of herbs, spices and flowers into gelato while taking inspiration from treasured local flavours is no mean feat, but it’s an art that the artisans at the shop seem to have gotten down to a tee. While you won’t get your usual chocolate chip or rocky road here, they’ve got strawberry basil and white chrysanthemum that manages to delicately balance herbaceous and floral notes with sweet undertones. They’ve also got thyme-infused cones done a la minute, which lends an additional layer of olfactory delight if you’re willing to give it a go.
Various locations.
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For gelato, head to Da Paolo Dempsey, an Italian trattoria tucked away in the verdant Dempsey Hill. The birthplace of gelato is Italy after all – and Da Paolo Dempsey’s got thirty-one years of Scarpa family history behind it. The secret to gelato’s creaminess is its lack of air: it’s far denser than your typical ice creams due to a slight variation in the ice cream making process that sees the formation of smaller-than-usual ice crystals. At Da Paolo Dempsey, the gelato is made in-house (in consultation with gelato giants Chocolat Milano) with a selection of premium ingredients, though you won’t find any bacon bits in the gelato here: after all, Italians are real sticklers for the classics. What you can expect is an array of velvety-smooth gelato, best enjoyed in the quiet stillness of Da Paolo Dempsey’s veranda.
#01-13, Block 8, Dempsey Road. Tel: 6261-3128.
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Think of it as the dessert-focused arm of the Saveur Group, with items that are no less inventive than the fare you’d expect at their flagship French concept. They’ve lined up a bevy of interesting flavours, including white chocolate miso, burnt caramel and corn, as well as a pumpkin-pie-filling inspired pumpkin and cinnamon. The cinnamon in question actually comes from an addition of moreish house-made cookie dough, providing the dessert with some texture. They seem to have taken a leaf out of Birds of Paradise’s book with their lavender-infused ice cream cones. Its location makes it ideal for a short layover while engaging in some retail therapy at Orchard Road – you even have the option of bringing a pint home if you’d like.
B1-46, Wisma Atria.
Image courtesy of Bread and Butterfly.
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Kind Kones’ vegan ice cream concept started out circa 2017 in husband-and-wife duo Ishpal and Serina Bajaj’s barebones home kitchen, though it’s grown over the years (and moved into a proper kitchen). Any and every ice cream flavour at the dessert bar is free from preservatives, additives, dairy, eggs and emulsifiers. All-natural and completely vegan, Kind Kones achieves that signature creamy mouthfeel with nut and coconut milks, which makes it suitable for lactose intolerant individuals to enjoy. Apart from typical flavours, they’ve also got Kampung Snickers: a less-than-faithful recreation of the layered snack bar that’s no less tasty thanks to an enchanting mix of peanut fudge, salted coconut caramel and roasted peanuts atop the vegan ice cream. They’ve also got cones and a slew of other vegan-friendly desserts to pick from.
B1-27, Forum The Shopping Mall. Tel: 9010-8557.
Image courtesy of Kind Kones.
(Related: The most unique ice creams in Singapore)