PUBLISHED August 19th, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED April 21st, 2016 08:18 am
Opened in mid-January at SMU’s Economics and Social Sciences building (90 Stamford Road), Momolato is a petite ice-cream parlour that serves both gourmet gelato and artisan popsicles. The parlour is perfect for diet-conscious patrons with an insatiable appetite for desserts since the products are handmade and low in sugar content. It is also great for the rampant young crowd because of its special discounted student prices. With over 16 gelato and 10 popsicle handcrafted options, along with new weekly flavours, the choices are aplenty.
Those who crave a Singaporean twist in their gelato should definitely try one of the parlour’s best sellers, Mount Mao Mao. Made from handpicked maoshanwang durian flesh rather than durian puree, the gelato retains the strong flavour. Personally, I have never been a fan of the pungent taste but devoted worshippers of the fruit (like my best friend) would definitely take to the Mount Mao Mao. Another popular Singaporean flavour, according to owner Sharon, is the Shiok! that is a coconut gula melaka gelato. Pity I couldn’t try it because it was sold out by late afternoon.
Not being much of a sweet tooth, I ended up opting for a more savoury option: Shiro. Made of white miso (traditional Japanese seasoning made of fermented soy beans), butterscotch and almonds, the Shiro boasts of a taste akin to cheesecake being both salty and creamy. Although ice cream is most commonly enjoyed as a sweet dessert, I would definitely recommend this flavour to patrons who relish a salty tang. I know I loved it!
On the popsicle front, one of the Momolato’s most popular flavours is the Kimelon sorbet pop, a red watermelon sorbet with a kiwi slice. For one, the sorbet pop is aesthetically pleasing to the eye with its bright colours – great for a quick Instagram post. I got to try a modified version of the Kimelon, the Blood Orange Kiwi. The zesty flavour of the orange and the iciness (eat quickly or it’ll melt all over your fingers) was definitely refreshing after the saltier Shiro. My only qualm was that the flavour wasn’t as consistently strong as I hoped it would be.
Momolato is a great addition to a list of local ice cream parlours that appeal to our fusion taste buds, though some may still have reservations if they only like their desserts unendingly sweet. Nevertheless, with its convenient location (it’s in town for god’s sake!) and endless choices, I would absolutely love to drop by again.
Written by Prasanthi Ram