IL DOLCE FREDDO (LYGON STREET, CARLTON)

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Rated highly on TripAdvisor

I love ice cream. My quest for specialty ice cream in Singapore has taken me to many places – Fanny Ice Cream, Merely Ice Cream, Daily Scoop, Ice Cream Chefs, Scoopz, the now defunct Nelly’s Ice Cream. Creamier, Udders, Island Creamery, Shrove Tuesday, some ice cream place in Bedok North, and Salted Caramel…amongst which I rate Salted Caramel, Creamier, Fanny, Island Creamery and Daily Scoop as my favourites.

Therefore it is no surprise that my gelato quest/hunt in Melbourne continued with Il Dolce Freddo. It has been rated highly on TripAdvisor and has been named one of the best gelato shops in Melbourne. At this time of writing and posting, it is currently No 1 on TripAdvisor list of restaurants in Melbourne.

I had ordered three scoops of gelato – mango sorbet, tiramisu and rum and raisin. I had also tried the coconut pandan during a taste test. The taste of the coconut and pandan was rather overwhelming, and definitely more defined and pronounced than Gelateria Primavera. However, the bright green can be a bit of a turn off if it is artificial coloured. If you are into exotic flavours (not to exotic if you’re Singaporean), there is the durian gelato available.

Dolce means sweet in Italian and the gelato here did live up to its name – not in a bad way, but it provided a sweet end to a evening on a high note. The rum and raisin gelato was generous with its rum-soaked raisin. The mango sorbet was still creamy without being runny. The tiramisu flavour was decent.

Deciding on which gelato is the best is really subjective. I still like Pidapipo amongst the lot I tried. Not that Il Dolce Freddo doesn’t live up to reviews or hype, it is still one of the better artisan, non-chain gelato shops around. It is still milky without being overly cloying or rich, but I feel it lacks a certain silkiness as compared to Pidapipo. That’s just me. But still, this place is worthy of repeated visits to satisfy one’s gelato craving.

Gelateria Primavera (Spring Street, Melbourne)

Interesting flavours

In my research for the  best Melbourne gelatos in Melbourne, I chanced upon Spring Street Grocer or rather Gelateria Primavera, just located at the Eastern end of the CBD, just opposite Parliament House.

I don’t know about you, but unlike some who faithfully stick to just one flavour no matter which ice cream shop they visit, I like variety. But that’s also my weakness – I would always encounter a difficult time a long and hard struggle in choosing the flavours I want. I am attracted to the novel, but like the tested and traditional…life’s pretty complicated when it comes to choosing ice cream isn’t it? But secretly, I would like to try all the flavours in one go, but even though are no constraints on the wallet, there are constraints on a certain line.

Anyway, my first encounter with Primavera was after a meal at The Imperial. Primavera is just a stone’s throw away from The Imperial. So it made for a good excuse to head for some gelato.

The prices are $5 for one flavour, $7.20 for one to three flavours and $8.20 for one to four flavours…can’t remember. But having overspent on dinner, I had to settle for one flavour, so I opted for something rather novel and unique – the cardamom, saffron and pistachio.

The gelato was milky and smooth, but I felt it lacked something – maybe it could have been milkier. Meanwhile the cardamom, saffron and pistachio blend had a nice spice to it which remained in my mouth for quite a while. There were bits of pistachio embedded in the gelato. I can’t say I like this flavour very much.

My second time at Primavera was on Monday after a night’s out with some classmates at Mamasita (I won’t be blogging on this as I didn’t take photos). I was craving for some gelato and decided to stop by Primavera (since I was already on the east end) on my walk home. I decided to go for a more Asian flavour – coconut pandan. This flavour didn’t disappoint. It was aromatic and tasted like kaya (coconut milk and egg jam scented with pandan leaves). Both the taste of the coconut and kaya was pretty pronounced and I felt I was back in the tropics of Singapore.

My third time at Primavera was last Saturday. I decided to go for three flavours. I had a taste rest of the rose lassi which I didn’t particularly take to. Instead I opted for rice pudding vanilla raisin, hazelnut and the non-dairy dark chocolate orange.

I enjoyed the rice pudding flavour with the speckles of vanilla bean and specks of rice. The dark chocolate orange was fulfilling without being too cloying. The hazelnut was decent.

While Primavera’s gelato may not be as luxurious as Pidapipo, it is certainly one of the more decent artisan gelatos in the CBD area that is worth a visit every now and then. 

Pidapipo, Carlton, Melbourne (now closed)

A pop-up gelato shop. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Adieu...So long…till we meet again in September.

By the time this post is published, Pidapipo would have sold its last scoop of gelato.

Pidapipo was meant to be a “test kitchen”, “test lab” or a pop-up shop. It opened last December along Faraday Street in Carlton.

I was first introduced to this place by Diane when I had dinner with her a few weeks back. And I had wanted to return here ever since, before it shutters down.

According to articles on the internet, the owner, Lisa Valmorbida, who has Italian roots, headed all the way to Italy, spent some number of weeks there to complete in an intensive gelato course at a gelato university, following which she spent some time working in a gelateria. She hopes to bring an authentic Italian gelato experience with traditional Italian flavours and quality ingredients.

So far I have tried four flavours over the two visits – Nutella swirl (which is Nutella drizzled on top of a fior di latte which is really just milk – no additional of vanilla or any other flavouring; peanut butter, Bacio (Hazelnut and chocolate), and Crema, rhubarb and vincotto swirl.

The texture of the gelato was smooth and creamy, but not too overly rich. It also looks natural – and not artificially coloured. I’m not sure if this is close to the real thing in Italy – it has been a while since I had gelato in Italy, but this gelato is definitely one of the better ones around Carlton.

Above: Bacio and Crema, rhubarb and vincotto swirl

I enjoyed all the flavours – particularly the Bacio for the taste of hazelnut, the Nutella swirl, the generous drizzle of Nutella uplifts the fior di latte, where you could really taste the milk and cream and in unadulterated form. I like the Crema, rhubarb and vincotto swirl as the sharp, tart and tangy taste of the rhubarb bits helps to balance the creaminess of the gelato.

Above: Nutella (Nutella over Fior di latte) and Peanut butter

At $4 for a scoop, $6 for two scoops and $7 for three, it is still rather affordable and good value for money, product wise. I would miss you in the meantime. Hope to see you again soon.