Crowd-drawing Gelato Messina in Singapore is probably better than in Australia – here’s why

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.  

Gelato Messina is at 1 Club Street.