gelatolabo (Jalan Besar)

Piemonte Roasted Hazelnut & Milk Chocolate Shavings and Sakura Smoke, Artichoke & Pear Compote.

Hazelnut was not too sweet unlike all the other hazelnut ice cream I’d tasted lol. It was nutty and reminds me of a hazelnut version of their pistachio gelato. The staff recommended this to me as the pistachio was sold out.

Sakura smoke, artichoke & pear compote tasted different to me? It was more milky and less smoky this time. Not sure if it was because the novelty (of having smoked gelato) had faded or it really tasted different but I did not like it this time.

Hazelnut is really good and the staff said this is his favourite.

The mint flavour was refreshing but not too in-your-face (I usually avoid mint flavours as it feels like I’m eating toothpaste?? does anyone feel that way too?), but for us it kinda overpowered the watermelon taste. The Chia seeds gave some crunch! The texture was slightly different from their other flavours, but still nice and smooth and light :) This flavour is not my thing, but it’s a personal preference - to each their own!

The first flavour I got was the 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐰 & 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐬, which is the MUST-HAVE flavour over at Gelato Labo if you’re an avid coffee fan. With a smooth coffee taste, its well rounded out by bits of cookie butter bits. Even my partner who doesn’t drink coffee loved this flavour! No wonder it was one of their bestsellers. 😍

The next flavour I had was the 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 & 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐦. A stark contrast from the bitter notes of the cold brew, this boasted a light, refreshing taste. The orange was slightly more overpowering than the chrysanthemum, but the ice cream overall still had a creamy texture (which I appreciated as most fruity flavours tend to be more icy sorbet)!

Back again for more of their unconventional flavours, I got to trying @gelatolabo 's Yamanashi Peach & Lemongrass (Premium) as well as Navel Orange & White Chrysanthemum (Classic) in my recent visit.

In a lovely shade of pale pink, the Yamanashi Peach sorbet was really fragrant yet light. Though the flavour of lemongrass was a tad more prominent in my opinion, the fruity number was very refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture of the sorbet was also very smooth and not at all icy.

The Navel Orange & White Chrysanthemum was similarly, very well-balanced with a wonderfully creamy and velvety texture. Great for a brief respite from the sweltering heat, the combination was very unique and palatable. I believe the use of Valencia Naval oranges gave the scoop a beautiful sweetness and tang, which surprisingly complemented the floral notes of the chrysanthemum.

And in time for the spooky season, their signature lavender cone has gone black, coloured by charcoal powder, and will be made available till the end of October.

Total damage: $9/ double scoop

Instagram: @teesfood_
📍 𝐆𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨 🍨 10/10 #teesfoodreviews

Located at Cavan Suites (near Lavender MRT), this hole-in-the-wall gelato shop is SUCH a hidden gem!!!! 🤤 Went there not knowing what to expect (and almost gave up walking there cos the location is not the most accessible), but was truly SO amazed!!! 🤩

Being in Melbourne for the past few years, my tastebuds have definitely been spoilt by the amazing selection of gelato shops available there, with my favourites being Pipapipo and Gelato Messina. Hence, when I heard about this new shop, I knew I HAD to check it out - after all, I’m always super picky about my ice cream (especially gelato)!

Given how Pistachio is a signature flavour for gelatos (and what I use to gauge whether a gelato shop is good), I instinctively went for the 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐨 & 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 (𝐒𝐆𝐃$𝟔 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩) and WOW it truly blew my mind 🤤🤤 Honestly, I liked it better than Melbourne’s Pidapipo’s (which is my ultimate fav) - the pistachio flavour was strong, yet not overpowering; and the sweetness level was just right (really liked that it was not as sweet ,since gelato can get jelak after a while)! 👌🏼 The gelato was also super creamy and rich and just SO PLEASING to my tastebuds - the Himalayan salt in the gelato was definitely noticeable as well, which complemented the whole taste note of the ice cream! 😍

Overall, this was simply PERFECTION - and I’ll definitely be back for more!!! I also tried a bit of the 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄 & 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘀 (𝗦𝗚𝗗$𝟱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽) and 𝟳𝟬% 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗹 (𝗦𝗚𝗗$𝟲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽); which were really good as well! The staff at the store were super friendly as well ☺️ And they also told us that they opened just right before the Circuit Breaker period, so their business was immediately affected when CB was announced... so PLEASE SUPPORT THEM!!! #supportlocal @gelatolabo please keep making more gelato hehe I’ll be super willing to taste all the new flavours! 😛

The weather has been cooler recently but that doesn’t stop me from having ice cream. 🍨Cause it’s actually shiok to eat ice cream even on a cold, rainy day. Here I am at @gelatolabo for the first time and I’m impressed with the selection of unique botanical-themed gelato flavours.

I had the Sicilian Pistachio and Sakura Smoke Artichoke with Pear Compote ($6 for single scoop/ $10 for double scoop as both are premium flavours).

Sicilian Pistachio. Nutty, smooth and milky. You’ll bite into bits of roasted pistachios which makes the gelato so fragrant. Trust me, this is a pretty solid pistachio gelato. It isn’t too sweet and doesn’t have any artificial flavouring.

Sakura Smoke Artichoke. When the counter staff described the flavour profile to me, I was sold straight away. Whoever thought of creating this flavour is a true genius.

It has a three dimensional flavour profile - floral, smoky & savoury and sweet. When you first taste this flavour, you can taste the nuanced floral flavour from the sakura wood. As you continue and start biting into the smoke artichoke heart, that’s when you’ll taste the smoky, slightly salty flavour. Of course, this will end this on a sweet note with the fruity pear compote. It may not to be everyone’s liking but I like exotic flavours, so I’ll have it again.

Add on $1.40 for a Jumbo Lavender Cone. The cone has a very faint taste of lavender. But unfortunately, it gets soggy and loses its crunchiness pretty fast.

Well, the highlight here is the gelato. Not the cone. I’ll be back to try more flavours.