The Ice Cream Gallery

By Poon Shumin • UrbanWire
• email reporter • email story • printer friendly

If you seek gratification of the ice cream kind, UrbanWire is pleased to announce that your search ends here.

Nestled in a cosy nook at Eastwood Road, the Ice Cream Gallery might be easy to miss. This treasure chest contains a myriad of home-made ice cream flavours, from Teh Halia (ginger tea) ice cream for the adventurous taste buds, to Cookies and Cream for those who prefer their ice cream more traditional.

Established in June, the Ice Cream Gallery is the brainchild of Ann Yik and her husband. "My husband and I like to eat ice cream, but the ice cream outside is too sweet and creamy," said Ann, a former librarian. Taking matters into their own hands, they decided to develop ice cream that caters to the Asian palate. Finally, after 1½ years of hard work and research, the Ice Cream Gallery was born.

The ice cream fest begins

Peering intently at the more than 16 flavours available, I realised that just deciding on one was a challenge in itself. Could I possibly go out on a limb and dare my taste buds to take on the Black Sesame ice cream? What about Chendol ice cream? That sounded pretty good. Or maybe Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream with a scoop of Yam ice cream? The possibilities were endless. In the name of scientific research, I allowed Ann to pick 7 glorious scoops of heaven for me.

Scoop 1: Rum and Raisin

Though not usually a fan of Rum and Raisin, I was pleasantly surprised by the one at the Ice Cream Gallery. With a slight tinge of rum, it's perfect for those who can't appreciate alcohol. This was definitely one of my favourites.

Scoop 2: Chocolate

It's just chocolate ice cream, right? Chocolate ice cream tastes the same everywhere! I had a spoonful of the Ice Cream Gallery's take on chocolate ice cream. It was pure joy that coursed through my veins. Tasting nothing like the cheap, imitation chocolate ice cream that one is accustomed to these days, the one here is guaranteed to leave you on a high for the rest of the day.

Scoop 3: Chendol

Most of the time, chendol (a coconut-milk and brown sugar dessert) ice cream is only served in its potong [a local ice lolly] incarnation. Before you even get to enjoy your ice cream, it would melt in the sweltering heat. However, this problem is solved at the Gallery. The Chendol ice cream served here was a blast to have, especially since I could enjoy it in cool comfort. Not overly creamy, despite the coconut milk base, it was a refreshing change.

Scoop 4: Strawberry Cheesecake

A must-try is one of their best-sellers, Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream. You can literally taste the mini chunks of strawberry cheesecake in the ice cream. Far more pleasurable than what one might pay for at a fancy, over-priced ice cream boutique, every mouthful of the Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream here is bliss.

Scoop 5: Durian

I must confess. I'm not a fan of the King of fruits at all. But I can safely say that the Durian ice cream served here is no doubt, the real deal. After the first mouthful, the zesty flavour of the durian, to put it mildly, never left my taste buds.

Scoop 6: Black Sesame

Black sesame ice cream has been around in Japanese promotions at malls, and has lost some of its novelty, still, I came, I tasted and I loved it. The texture of the ice cream was unexpectedly smooth. Flavourful and inventive, the Black Sesame ice cream was a definite surprise.

Scoop 7: Yam

Rich and yet not too creamy and sweet, the Yam ice cream was the perfect way to end my ice cream fest. This is great for those who enjoy their ice cream with a touch of local flavour and yet, still want to savour the richness only found in ice cream.

Home-made on its premises with real fruits, fresh ingredients, reduced fat and sugar, the treats of the Ice Cream Gallery are reason enough to head East. The ice cream is priced at $2.30 for a single scoop, to $14.90 for a 1-litre tub (Swensens and Haagen-Dazs cost about $15 for a 500ml tub.)

You don't only have to take ice cream alone either. Waffles with maple syrup are priced at a mere $2.70, while beverages like coffee and milk shakes cost between $1.20 to $3, so the Ice Cream Gallery is guaranteed to give you your fill of all things sweet and not leave a bitter taste when the bill is presented.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Photos by Isaac Low

The Ice Cream Gallery

20 Eastwood Road, Eastwood Centre,
#01-13 (near Cold Storage)

Tel: 6246296

Opening hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-9pm
Sunday: 1pm-9pm
Closed on Mondays.

Getting There
Nearest MRT Station: Tanah Merah
Bus from station: 14