Latest news with #GelatoMessina
CNA
22-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Crowd-drawing Gelato Messina in Singapore is probably better than in Australia – here's why
Queues persist at Gelato Messina, the famous brand from Australia that opened two and a half weeks ago at Club Street. 'Wah, what are these people queuing for?', said the driver who picked me up from their doorstep. 'Ice cream ah? Must be at least S$5 for one.' Uncle, it's S$7.50 for a single scoop. But, there's a reason for the price. Not only is every single one of their 40 gelato offerings churned fresh on-site daily, their mix-ins, such as macadamia brittle, cookies and even their chocolates, are made from scratch (with one notable exception, which we'll come back to later). And, wait until you hear about the milk – the sacrosanct base of any gelato. Unsatisfied with unsustainable farming practices in addition to the high prices and lower fat content of the milk available on the market, Messina decided they would simply acquire their own dairy farm and raise Jersey cows, which give milk of up to six per cent fat. The 500-acre (202ha) farm in Australia has just over 600 cows, which are milked in rotation to give them time to rest, shared Alessandro Palumbo, Gelato Messina Singapore's International Operations Manager. According to the same reasoning, Messina also decided to produce their own honey, farm their own hazelnuts of the premium Tonda Gentile variety and grow their own mint. 'Our Mint Chocolate gelato has real mint – it's the only flavour we force people to try before they order it,' Palumbo said, because it doesn't taste like the mint chocolate ice cream many people are used to. 'We're lucky – we're our only customer,' he quipped. So, Messina can, for example, 'do things for the cows' benefit that we think make them happier', resulting in higher quality milk. 'From normal milk to Jersey milk – it's very expensive,' he added. But, 'We look at ourselves as chefs – always self-loathing! 'Nothing is ever perfect. How can we be better?'' Here's how: Raw milk from the farm is air-flown into Singapore within two days of milking, and then pasteurised in Messina's kitchen. That means the gelato is 'actually fresher than in Australia, because we are pasteurising the milk and churning it on site,' Palumbo said. What's more, Singapore has five country-exclusive flavours – Kaya Toast, Teh Tarik, Tau Huay, salted egg yolk with gula Melaka caramel, and coconut gelato with durian jam and durian cake – which Australians have been clamouring for, too, Palumbo divulged. 'Why can't we have Kaya Toast, too, mate?', is the general sentiment Down Under, according to him. So, yay, we win – for now. 'When we decided to open in Singapore, we knew we had to do it properly – staying true to our Gelato Messina identity while also honouring Singapore's status as a nation of serious food lovers. That meant creating flavours that genuinely resonate here. "We were not going to just add a hint of gula melaka or pandan and call it local. Like all our gelato, the local flavours go through the same meticulous process: everything is made from scratch as much as possible, without using flavour pastes or taking shortcuts.' Even things like durian jam and durian cake, for example, are made in-house. In fact, some other local flavours were mooted, but deemed too labour-intensive to make, like an ondeh ondeh gelato and a calamansi sorbet (they may, however, appear as specials). Kaya, though, is one ingredient used that is not made from scratch, as they have not yet been able to grow their own pandan to make it cost-effective. Instead, they use the most expensive kaya available on the market. ''Let's just get the best one',' was the thought process, Palumbo said. Again, that's a for-now thing – in the future, who knows? In crafting the local flavours, 'we even involved many Singaporeans we met – from contractors to delivery drivers – to taste our gelato, as our goal was for locals to instantly connect with the flavours. The most rewarding part is seeing people's reactions; it is a big part of why we love what we do. And, perhaps, we are a little obsessed! These flavours are not watered down or adapted to Australian tastes; they are made for Singapore, with full respect,' Palumbo said. My driver uncle would have been pleased to hear that, I think. OUR TOP 3 MUST-TRY GELATO MESSINA SINGAPORE FLAVOURS 1. TAU HUAY You'd expect this to be quite creamy and cloying, sort of like beancurd pudding, but it is actually light, bright and refreshing, and our favourite flavour. 'We were drawn to the simplicity of soy beancurd and wanted to maintain that purity,' Palumbo explained. So, 'we crafted a lightly sweetened tofu gelato that is smooth and gentle, highlighting the clean flavour of soy. This flavour is more technically challenging due to the delicate nature of silken tofu, but we focused on preserving the comforting simplicity of the original dish.' 2. YOLK'S ON YOU This is the salted egg yolk with gula melaka caramel gelato, ideal for those who like savoury-sweet combinations. "When I tried salted egg yolk chips, I knew it would make a great gelato flavour,' Palumbo said. Actually, we think, this tastes more like mooncake than the chips, thanks to the gula melaka caramel. 'Yolk's On You was a fun experiment. We have explored savoury flavours before in Australia, but combining salted egg yolk with gula melaka caramel was uncharted territory,' Palumbo said. 'We currently use whole salted egg yolks. The rich, custardy taste of the egg yolk, combined with the burnt-toffee sweetness of palm sugar caramel, creates an unexpected but harmonious blend. Salted egg yolk is synonymous with Singaporean cuisine and we wanted to capture that umami twist without it feeling like a gimmick.' 3. PISTACHIO Messina is known for its nutty gelatos and even if you don't like pistachio, give this a go. To make this gelato, Messina uses pistachio paste made from premium nuts grown in the rich, volcanic soil of Mount Etna in Sicily. We tasted the pistachio paste and were taken aback at how unique its flavour was – naturally sweet, almost malty, even with no added sugar. One year, Etna erupted, and there was a pistachio shortage, Palumbo shared. Messina rolled out a Pistachio Praline flavour to take its place, and sold double of what they would usually sell in Pistachio. Pistachio Praline is now a mainstay on the menu and you can try it if you like a sweeter crunch. But, be sure to sample the pure Pistachio, too.
Time Out
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Marrickville won't sit still – now this Sydney suburb has scored its own Harris Farm
Foodies of Marrickville, we've got good news. The Inner West suburb may well be home to one of the best farmers markets in Sydney, but if you're a Marrickville resident keen to forage for fresh produce all through the week, the game has just changed. One of Sydney's favourite green grocers, the family-owned Harris Farm, has just opened its 33rd store, right in the heart of one of Sydney's trendiest neighbourhoods. Marrickville is definitely not sitting still – this new development opens after a Marrickville gem took home the People's Choice Award for Sydney's Best Restaurant (and also ranked on the list of the best steak restaurants in the world); Gelato Messina opened its new HQ and cult-following bagel store Lox in a Box opened not one but two Marrickville locations. The trendy, post-industrial suburb (the beating heart of Sydne's underground music scene) is also home to the gym/"wellness playground" largely regarded as Sydney's very best. The new Harris Farm mecca of fresh produce occupies a 1,800sqm space at Marrickville's new "Wicks Place", which has been under development at 186 Victoria Road, Marrickville – just down the road from the neighbourhood favourite pizza joint Pizza Madre and near the Vic on the Park (home to one of the city's most consistently popping beer gardens). The new development is also home to a branch of Sydney's beloved Chargrill Charlies (one of the best charcoal chicken shops in the city) and 270 apartments (spread across five buildings).Wondering what's in store? Expect Harris Farm's signatures including their affordable, sustainable Imperfect Picks range, freshly-made treats (juice, tiramisu etc) and a huge range of seasonal produce. Plus: fresh bread from Bonfire Bakery, ethically-sourced fish from Fish in the Family, meat from Proper Meat, cold cuts from HFM Delicatessen and more than 500 types of cheese.
Time Out
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gelato Messina Review: Australia's famous gelato chain lands in Singapore
Give a big cheer, Messina is here! Australia's cult-favourite gelato chain just unveiled its first-ever Singapore store at Chinatown, and we couldn't be more excited. Located at 1 Club Street, the shop occupies the ground-floor units of The Working Capitol, with a seating area that fits around 20 people. But let's get down to business – here's the scoop on all the flavours, prices, and all you need to know before visiting Singapore's very first Gelato Messina. The first thing to do is heave a sigh of relief – the brand brings its signature 40-flavour cabinet to our shores, so you won't be missing out on all-time-favourites like the Pistachio Praline, Hokey Pokey, Italian Nougat, or the Panna Cotta with fig jam and amaretti. We're told that everything is freshly churned daily and that all toppings and additions at Messina, down to its chocolate chunks and nut paste, are made with proprietary recipes. The folks here have gotten their Pistachio Praline formula down to a tee. Butter-smooth, rich and nutty, with homemade pistachio paste swirling through the gelato like molten gold, it's a faultless replica of the one we had at Messina's Bondi Beach outlet in Sydney. The only difference is that Singapore's relentless heat means your scoops are reduced to a sweet, sticky mess in no time, so be prepared for that. Apart from the 35 core flavours, many are curious about the five Singapore-exclusives that Messina is debuting at the store. These are: Singapore, How You Durian? – featuring coconut gelato with durian jam and cake; kaya toast – kaya gelato mixed in with dehydrated toast and kaya jam; teh tarik – a simple milk tea gelato; tau huey – lightly sweetened tofu gelato; and Yolk's On You – salted egg yolk gelato with gula melaka caramel. Among the above, our pick is the tau huey, thanks to its velvety texture, simple construction, and how identitical it tastes compared to the beloved local dessert. At the time of our visit, the ondeh ondeh flavour was also available, and these had generous chunks of chewy pandan mochi wedged into each scoop. A word of caution: the durian, kaya, and salted egg yolk are extremely indulgent – and rightfully so – but since they lean sweeter, we found ourselves gravitating towards the tried-and-tested classics. Not to worry though — Messina is known for encouraging over-the-counter tasting, so you're less likely to be pressured into making regretful decisions and having to stick with a flavour you dislike. Or, you can just come back the next day to try again. Happy problems. There are also weekly rotating flavours to look forward to, and the one we sampled was a Cinco de Mayo special, studded with crunchy churro bits. For our lactose-intolerant friends, thankfully, Messina does its dairy-free options well too. There are some eight sorbets to pick from, including refreshing flavours like dragonfruit, raspberry, lemon, passionfruit, mango, and others. But for something different, go for the chocolate sorbet, which is sorely underrated, according to one of the staff members we spoke to. Unlike regular ice cream shops in Singapore where regular and premium flavours are tagged to different prices, each scoop at Messina goes at a standard $7.50. It's not the cheapest in town, but considering the quality of ingredients (hear this: Messina has its very own dairy farm in Victoria supplying fresh Jersey milk to every joint), we say it's well worth the splurge. That said, you can also get more bang for your buck if you order two ($10) or three scoops ($12) – perfect for sharing. And for ardent fans of the chain, you'll also find shelves lined with merchandise like bucket hats, tote bags, and socks plastered with the brand's monogram, so go ham and get that Messina drip. Gelato Messina Singapore is located at 1 Club Street, Singapore 069400. Official opening hours have yet to be confirmed, but according to Google, the store is open from 2pm to 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday, and noon to 10pm from Friday to Sunday.
