STI: I scream for gelato

May 17, 2009

I scream for gelato

By Tan Hsueh Yun 

 

You would think demolishing goodly amounts of dimsum and drinking glasses of mega strong Hong Kong-style ice milk tea would satisfy a person.

 

But no. After a huge brunch at a down-home dimsum joint at Sunshine Plaza recently, I felt I needed a little something more.

 

Walking around the mall, I chanced upon a gelato shop called O'Divino and decided to sample its wares.

 

The shop, which opened in June last year, is run by Mr Lim Sim Whee, 32, who also has a business dealing in used forklifts, and his friend, Mr Cole Khoo, 29, who sells chicken rice in Tanjong Pagar Complex.

 

The friends decided to team up for the love of frozen desserts and, it would seem, creative gelato names. Among the flavours available are The Dark Lord (dark chocolate), Cookie In The Goo (cookies and melted marshmallows) and DyManSion, described as a 'mango and passionfruit infusion'.

 

I chose from the flavours available that day and was soon digging into cups of pastel-coloured gelato ($3 a scoop).

 

The pale green Cool Peppermint looked underwhelming but turned out to be the best flavour I tried. It really hit the spot after that heavy meal and should be recommended therapy for those who eat too much.

 

I also liked the Forbidden Fruit, a pink grapefruit gelato, despite the fact that it did not have the usual bitterness in the fruit that I like so much.

 

Suitably refreshed, I moved on to more adventurous flavours and was not disappointed either. Berry Cheese, a strawberry cheesecake-inspired gelato made fresh that day, was milky and not too rich.

 

I also liked the intense coffee-flavoured gelato, especially when mixed on a cold stone with bits of Ferrero Rocher chocolate (70 cents per add-on).

 

Before I left, I could not resist a taste of Fragrant Milk Tea gelato.

 

It did not pack as strong a punch as the liquid version in the dimsum place but it made me think I might go back soon to try the other flavours.

 

O'DIVINO

01-54 Sunshine Plaza, 91 Bencoolen Street, tel: 6337-7148

Open: 11am to 8.30pm daily

Rating: ***