It is pretty much a shocker to us to see the now-defunct Ong Lai Gelato being replaced by a new tenant so quickly. Having only visited Ong Lai Gelato previously when they had first opened their doors in April 2022, their space at Blk 3 St George’s Road has since been taken over by the new Tucela Gelato. Taking over the former premises of Ong Lai Gelato, it does seem that Tucela Gelato had not done much to the space which Ong Lai Gelato has vacated — the only visual difference being how they have seemingly repainted the yellow paint on its walls with white paint instead; a pretty welcomed change considering that the yellow and pink colour scheme does messes up with the eyes a little given the contrast. That being said, all else remains pretty much the same; the establishment is lined with the same furniture and fittings which includes a bar counter seating as well as a few dining tables and chairs which would cater for pairs very well. Serving up gelato as their main focus, it is noted that Tucela Gelato’s signature offerings differ from that of their predecessor that used to occupy the same space — gone are the Pineapple Tart and Kaya Toast gelato flavours that we especially loved from Ong Lai Gelato’s selection of gelato flavours; the signature offerings from Tucela Gelato would be the Sakura, Caramelised Banana with Chocolate Chip, Roasted Pistachio and Chrysanthemum with Cacao Nibs gelato flavours. Patrons can opt for their gelato to come in either a cup, or with a waffle, croffle or brownie — we were pretty surprised that they have kept the Pra-ffle (i.e. Prata Waffle) as an option as well; an offering kept from the menu of Ong Lai Gelato. It is also interesting to see Tucela Gelato offering a small menu of sides and light bites — this includes the Nama Chocolate and Nachos with cheese dip; there is also a selection of what they dub as Gelato Creations which seems more of a mini sundae that features petite gelato, housemade brownie, fresh cream, corn flakes, whipped cream, nama chocolate and toppings. The list of beverages available at Tucela Gelato includes iced drinks, specialty coffee, bottled cold brews sourced from Tofflir Cold Brew Co., and a selection of teas.

Intrigued by how the Pra-ffle will be like, we went for the Pra-file alongside two scoops of gelato — our choice of the gelato being the Sakura which was highly-recommended but the staff behind the counter, as well as the Oolong Osmanthus gelato. We were also being asked for our choice of sauce to go along with our waffle; they do offer chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, maple syrup and caramel as options of sauces here, and we found ourselves going for the caramel. Pretty much the same as what Ong Lai Gelato had done with their Pra-ffle (which also should not be too much of a surprise to most), the Pra-ffle is seemingly a commercially-made prata akin to those sold frozen in supermarkets that is being toasted in the waffle maker — this pretty much gave it a toasty and crisp texture with the very same grooves that a waffle would have. The prata comes with a chewy texture as one would expect when one pulls it apart; between the two gelato flavours, we would prefer the Oolong Osmanthus over the Sakura — while the former could have been stored at a more appropriate temperature that would prevent it from going slightly icy as it was for us, there was a distinctive aroma of tea that runs through the entire scoop. The Sakura on the other hand whilst being smooth and creamy fell a little short in terms of taste — there was an evident hint of milkiness from the base of the ice-cream, though the floral notes of Sakura flowers was not quite as obvious. We liked how they were pretty light wit the drizzling of caramel on the Pra-ffle and the gelato; adds a touch of sweetness without it going overly sweet here.

It is a pity that Ong Lai Gelato did not last quite as long as we would have wanted them to be — we were really impressed with their signature flavours of gelato which were pretty much a highlight for us; those local-inspired flavours also gelled well with the Pra-file which they had came up with to create a really local character to their offerings. We were pleasantly surprised with how Tucela Gelato had kept the Pra-ffle on the menu here — perhaps an ode to the former tenant that used to occupy that very same space which they are situated at; that being said, we do feel that the gelato flavours that they carry are a little more generic and uninspiring in comparison, being much of the same they other neighbourhood establishments would serve up as well. The Sakura gelato, despite being a signature, felt that it could do with more punch in terms of its floral notes — we were however pretty satisfied with the Cold Brew White which they have sourced from Tofflir Cold Brew; the bottled cold brew being unsweetened and carries a earthy and nutty note which was a welcome move considering how the patrons would pretty much be having their sweets from the gelato here. Nonetheless, Tucela Gelato would probably be a decent spot for the residents around St George’s Road to hang out — somewhere where neighbours could just chit chat with a cuppa and some gelato at hand.