Monarchs & Milkweed

It has been a while since Monarchs & Milkweed had disappeared from the F&B scene in Singapore ever since they had closed their only location at North Bridge Road some time back — it does seem that the brand had decided that it is time to make their return back to the local F&B scene yet again with the opening at a new location in Jewel Changi Airport. Located at Level 4 of Jewel Changi Airport, Monarchs and Milkweed takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Andersen's of Denmark Ice Cream there — this would be a shop unit that comprises of a kiosk-style area for its food preparation area and counter, whilst also occupying a dine-in area that is situated in the middle of the aisles of the shopping galleria. Monarchs & Milkweed have done quite a bit of work to the entire facade and decor of the shop unit after taking over the premises; there is a good use of geometrical elements that creates a fluidity to the look of the space — the space also sticks to a largely white-coloured design theme with some blue-coloured elements and metallic tables to keep a minimalistic and clean look with almost zero distractions. Monarchs & Milkweed still carries quite a line-up of gelato in its display chiller at the counter; patrons would be able to opt for their gelato to come in cones or cups, or one can also opt to pair their gelato along with a waffle as well. Monarchs & Milkweed also serves up a variety of espresso-based specialty coffee and still / sparkling water to pair up with their gelato.

It is quite difficult to identify the flavours of the gelato that we were wanting to go for when skimming through the entire line-up that Monarchs & Milkweed has to offer — we did eventually find ourselves being intrigued with the Citrus Pistachio Swirl gelato and the Wildflower Honey gelato which we ended up going for during our visit made to Monarchs & Milkweed on the very first day of operations of their Jewel Changi Airport outlet. Whilst Monarchs & Milkweed does not describe the elements that is being included in the Wildflower Honey gelato, they have described the Citrus Pistachio Swirl gelato to feature elements such as orange and lemon zest. Between the two flavours we have opted for, the Citrus Pistachio Swirl gelato would be the one that carries a heavier flavour — this does use a gelato with a milky base note as a foundation to it while the gelato come with swirls of pistachio sauce and crushed pistachio nuts to carry that slight nuttiness that its namesake suggests. One can also find traces of orange pip that is folded into the gelato throughout the entire scoop that was being served — this helps to add a zesty, citrus-y note that rounds off the flavour nicely leaving a pretty refreshing flavour to end things off. The texture of the gelato is smooth and creamy, though we did note that the gelato had a consistency that was difficult to hold up against the climate here especially given how Monarchs & Milkweed is situated in a rather warm section of the shopping centre with direct sunlight pouring in from above. Meanwhile, the Wildflower Honey gelato is the lighter tasting one of the two; a flavour that probably uses the same base as the Citrus Pistachio Swirl, the Wildflower Honey comes with a very light tinge of floral aroma and a very slight sweetness that tickles the tongue in its finish — a very delicate note that would work well with those whom prefer lighter-tasting desserts in general.

We had also went for the Flat White to pair up with our choice of gelatos when we made our visit to Monarchs & Milkweed. The Flat White here does come serve in a takeaway cup by default — whilst it is one of those cuppas that comes without latte art, we did find that the Flat White is pretty well-pulled considering how Monarchs & Milkweed is an establishment that primarily focuses on their gelato offerings. The Flat White does come with a medium body with a nutty and earthy flavour profile — does turn out to be a good perk-me-up to have in the middle of the day.

Monarchs & Milkweed had already established a name for themselves ever since their days being at North Bridge Road — their unique takes on gelato featuring botanical and herbal elements is one that likely earned them a loyal following over the years before its eventual closure. The opening of the Jewel Changi Airport location opens yet another chapter of the brand with a refreshed branding, though the brand does seem to hold on to the same character that it has been shaped from in its early days — this location does prove as a bit of challenge though, considering how Jewel Changi Airport is also home to an outlet of Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique which is also the very first brand in Singapore that centres around the botany-themed gelato here. Prices of the single scoop gelato and double scoop gelato are at $5.90 and $11 respectively, with the flavours listed as a Premium offering requiring a top-up of $1 each; waffles are priced at $6.80, while cones are priced at an additional $1.50. It does seem that there are some challenges done the road that Monarchs & Milkweed would be facing considering the location that they had chosen for their comeback, though we are not exactly certain if this return would be one that sees the brand going for ambitious plans of expansion in the days ahead!