City News gets the scoop on ice-cream places for the indulgent, the health-conscious and the adventurous.
Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay
CALORIFIC GOODNESS
Cold Stone Creamery opened its first store on our shores early this year, and ice-cream lovers have taken so well to its offerings that a second store is opening at Far East Square on July 27. Besides being the pioneer of the now-famous frozen slab technique, the American franchise prides itself on its ice-cream, freshly made daily in-store.
We tried the Chocolate Devotion made from chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, brownies and fudge, and the Strawberry Banana Rendezvous made from strawberry ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, white chocolate chips, strawberries and bananas. Both were worth every single calorie. Each scoop is priced at S$5.50.
Cold Stone’s bubbly crew often breaks out in song or a cheer. You can catch your own ice cream with their cup: replacements are free if you miss!
181 Orchard Central Road, #01-09/10,
Singapore 238896, +65 6634 1015
VEGAN ICE-CREAM
Brownice has made it possible for the words “ice-cream” and “healthy” to exist in the same sentence. Created by co-founder Denise Lim, it is the first (and possibly the only) vegan ice-cream store in Singapore according to the Singapore Book of Records. Lim was inspired to create a vegan version when she met a child who couldn’t enjoy ice-cream as he was lactose-intolerant.
Brownice uses organic brown rice milk in its ice cream, making it a healthier alternative since it is low-fat and cholesterol-free. It also contains no artificial flavoring, coloring or stabilizers.
Flavors include Hazelnut Chocolate, Peanut Butter Caramel, Banana Oats, Lemongrass Sorbet and Chendol at S$3.80 per 100 ml. Surprisingly, there is no “raw” taste of brown rice, but a smooth, none-too-cloying concoction that leaves you desiring seconds.
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-52/53,
The Central, Singapore 059817
+65 6536 0882
KOREAN GELATO MASTERS
Founded by a Korean couple that fell in love with Italian gelato on a trip to Italy, the highly successful Gusttimo Di Roma gelato franchise has more than 30 stores in South Korea, and Singapore is their first expansion destination.
Every new concoction goes through stringent quality checks by Gusttimo’s “gelato masters” from Korea. The gelatos, low in fat, with no stabilizers or artificial flavoring, are standardized throughout all branches, with ingredients directly sourced from South Korea. The texture is “chewy and not overly creamy.”
Our top picks are the Panna Cotta (vanilla pudding with macadamia nuts) and Black Rice. There are two sizes available: Piccolo (S$7.20), which allows for a mix of three different flavors and Grande (S$8.40)—you can choose up to four different flavors.
In the pipeline is a new store by year end, offering alternatives to cater to niche customers like diabetics.
2 Orchard Road, #01-17, ION Orchard,
Singapore 238801, +65 6509 9380
PALATE PLEASER
Tom’s Palette is beloved for offering intriguing flavors to its fan base of office executives. This month’s flavor is Sour Plum Sorbet (one time it was Wasabi Lime). Six years since it first set up shop, Tom’s Palette has garnered a loyal following for its traditionally made, stabilizer-free creations.
There are a total of 86 flavors on regular rotation, from Melt & Sizzle (brown sugar with chocolate chunks filled with popping candy), to Cipola (caramelized onion), Gula Melaka and Lou Han Guo, selling at S$2.70 per scoop.
Number one on our list is Granny’s Favorite, comprising malted chocolate and cookie dough, Salted Caramel Cheesecake and Salted Egg Yolk. It strikes a lovely balance, neither too creamy nor too sweet, and the flavors come through nicely. Tom’s Palette also conducts ice-cream making workshops for those who aren’t satisfied to just eat the good stuff.
100 Beach Road #01-25, Shaw Leisure Gallery, Singapore 189702
+65 6296 5239
TAILOR YOUR FLAVOR
Tucked in a cozy little nook along the alleyways of buzzing Haji Lane, The Ice Cream Man serves up gelato-style ice-cream from its staggering inventory of 158 different flavors. Flavors are changed every few days, appealing to customers who are always looking for something new. Popular ones are the Red Bull, Durian and Chicken In A Biscuit (S$3.50/S$4.50 for single/double scoop).
But if you don’t find what you want, call up with your choice of flavor two days in advance, with a minimum double scoop order, and the Ice Cream Man will try to make your dream come true.
Drop in on your birthday, and you’ll be given a free scoop of ice-cream. Customers can also spend their time playing Five Stones, Snakes & Ladders, Old Maid as well as the popular Monopoly Deal and Pictureka, as they enjoy their cold treats.
7 Haji Lane, Singapore 189200
Tel: +65 6398 0919
