Living in the heartlands of Singapore does not mean artisanal gelato is inaccessible. Barely a year old, Double Scoops is an artisanal gelato cafe situated right in the heartlands of Ang Mo Kio, offering premium low-fat gelato at very reasonable prices, alongside a plethora of desserts.

Gelato is always a good idea, especially with Singapore’s humidity. Gelato is loved for being a healthier option as opposed to ice cream because of the lower fat content and use of better ingredients.

This humble gelato parlour has won us over with their no-frills concept that focuses on serving quality desserts. From now till 31 March 2016, readers of ladyironchef can flash this post or quote “ladyironchef” to enjoy 50% OFF the 2nd Waffle/ Shibuya Toast (of same value or lower) purchased from Mondays to Fridays.

The cafe takes up one shop space along the row of shophouses and is a cosy and modern space amidst the rustic neighbourhood charm. The interior is minimalistic yet comforting – great for a midday or post-meal hang out spot over sweet treats, coffee and light savoury bites.

We love how the cafe is so ideal for photos. Natural sunlight streams in through the glass panels in the day. Every table is evenly spaced out and nobody will feel intruded. Potted plants are placed sporadically. Light music on the loop. The brick wall makes a great backdrop for our desserts.

Among the many, Double Scoops is indeed the best artisanal gelato cafe in Ang Mo Kio.

LOW-FAT GELATO WITH ONLY 8% FAT

Double Scoops makes their own gelato in-house daily. Smooth and fresh, the flavours are aplenty. Some are on rotational basis, but the mainstays that you totally have to try include Thai Milk Tea, Baileys, Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Orh Nee and Speculoos.

If it is your lucky day, you might have a chance with the limited flavours of Salted Egg Yolk and Matcha Kit Kat.

The gelato are good on their own, and can be served in cups or cones. But to up the game, we say go for the waffles and thick toast with ice cream. Double Scoops – but of course, right? No pun intended.

FUN DRINKS

Your regular selection of coffee is available, starting from S$4. Brewed tea ranges from Chamomile to Peppermint. But for some fun, we suggest going right for a Soda Float (S$4.50) or an Ice Cream Shake (S$6 with a choice of 2 scoops).

An Ice Cream Shake is a great to-go option if you are in a little rush to sit down for a scoop of gelato. Talk about best summer treats!

SHIBUYA TOASTS

Everyone’s no stranger to thick toasts, yes? We love ours topped off with ice cream. Double Scoops offers two choices – a classic Shibuya Honey Toast (S$10) and a Nutella Banana Toast (S$11), each with one scoop of gelato of choice.

While honey toasts are evergreen, it was the Nutella one that tugged our heartstrings. But of course, right? Nutella is always wonderful, especially when lavishly drizzled over a thick toast alongside smooth, premium gelato. We had ours with a scoop of Earl Grey Lavender ice cream and the fragrance sure balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.

We do recommend sharing the toast as the serving is really generous!

WAFFLE SELECTIONS

You can have both Charcoal Waffle (S$5.50) and Classic Waffle (S$3.60) here.

With the rise of sexy black desserts, we were initially more drawn to the former. However, we actually preferred the batter on the classic waffle as it was fluffier and more fragrant, with a nice crisp exterior.

That is not to say that the charcoal waffle option is to be overlooked though. If you want something more interestingly-flavoured, this is it. Accompanied with a beautiful rich valrhona white chocolate ganache sauce, the charcoal waffle is also jazzed up with crunchy maple pecan granola and strawberry bits.

You can choose to top up your waffles with a single, double or triple scoop (S$3.30, S$5.80, S$8.80 respectively) of gelato. The more the merrier, of course!

You can also top-up for caramelised bananas and popcorn alongside your gelato. The caramelised bananas were torched well and added a nice textural variation to the classic waffles and ice cream dish.

A premium gelato flavour that we enjoyed our waffles with is the Bailey’s flavour. We have had many Bailey’s ice cream and gelato in our lives, and this by far, took first place for us. The flavour and texture were just right, and the alcohol was generous yet did not overpower.

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE

Need cake?

The Chocolate Lava Cake here at Double Scoops is pretty decent. It comes with a drizzle of raspberry sauce and your pick of gelato. This is best eaten immediately for the nice mixture of warm chocolate fudge and cold ice cream, and when your lava still flows.

GELATO FLOWER POT

The Gelato Flower Pot here may be nothing to shout about, but your kids are definitely going to love it. Your gelato of choice is packed into a mini plastic ‘flower pot’ and topped off with bits of crushed oreo and served with gummy worms.

We like the thoughtful touches of a plastic ‘spade’ spoon and garnishing of a herb as the ‘leaves’ of the plant.

50% OFF DESSERTS AT DOUBLE SCOOPS

From now till 31 March 2016, readers of ladyironchef can flash this post or quote “ladyironchef” to enjoy 50% OFF the 2nd Waffle/ Shibuya Toast (of same value or lower) purchased from Mondays to Fridays.

Double Scoops
Block 226A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-627
Singapore 561226
Tel: +65 6452 0208
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio

This post is brought to you by Double Scoops.

Cafes and dessert shops are always offering the ubiquitous fare – copying one another, following the crowd and what not – so how do you stand out?

How’s it if you can D.I.Y your own coffee and bread buns (like Shibuya toasts) with wooden blocks equipped with RFID tags? Blocs Inc. is one cafe to look out for, and they are making waves in the industry by introducing this unique concept, unlike any that we have seen here in Singapore.

The wooden blocks (or ‘blocs’ as they are called here) are all tagged and you can create your own coffee by placing the wooden blocks through a metal holder. When you are done, simply place your creation on a censor at the counter, pay for your drink and enjoy it once its made.

For the bread buns, you can order directly from the counter itself by choosing your ingredients of choice from the menu.

Some call it gimmicky; we call it a stroke of genius. It is refreshing to see a fun concept like this, and it sure enhances the overall experience.

The prices here are also relatively inexpensive. It is not that common to come across a full portion of a dessert or toast like this for around S$10 or less (depending on your ingredients). Plus point? The portion is definitely good for two to share.

We picked out a ‘The Sweet Toast’ Bread Bun set and proceeded to construct our toast. Butter Toast (S$2.90) for us, with added filling of Apple Fantasty (+S$2). Completed with chocolate sauce (+S$1) and a scoop of Earl Grey Ice Cream (S$3), it brought us to a grand total of S$9.40.

The butter toast itself did no wrong. Butter with crisp toast is a classic combination that always works. Also, the apples were coated with cinnamon and tasted wonderfully sweet with the addition of the rich ice cream and chocolate sauce.

The prices here are nett and you have the add-on option of S$3 for a coffee of choice, and an additional S$1 for an iced version that comes in a lovely glass jar.

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Blocs Inc.
60, Paya Lebar Road, #01-71,
Paya Lebar Square
Singapore 409051
Mon to Fri: 8.30am – 10pm
Saturday: 9.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

For more recommendations, read our guide to the best desserts in Singapore.

We are always on the market for innovative and quirky ice cream flavours. When we stumbled upon Dessert Project at Havelock Road, it was as if all our prayers have been answered. A plethora of colourful flavours greeted us and a handful were so new and intriguing, we can only wonder what they will be whipping up next!

While we have mentioned the Melon & Parma Ham Ice Cream that won our hearts, Dessert Project also offers many other unique flavours that you will find yourself in a dilemma on what choice to make.

Fret not, you can always have a taste before making your decision here. That is not all, their colourful and generous thick toasts are worth the trip down to Havelock Road for sure.

They have many toast options with various toppings. With portions this huge, it is good enough for two to share if you are having this as a post-meal dessert. Otherwise, a portion is just nice for a healthy and fulfilling meal. Beside the Nutella Thick Toast, we also liked the Gula Melaka and Pina Colada (S$14.90, pictured) renditions.

If you prefer something less filling, just go for a scoop or two of their artisanal ice creams that feature flavours that you might be new to you. These flavours include White Truffle and White Rabbit Candy.

The former is an extremely concentrated taste of truffle that diehard fans of this exquisite ingredient will fall in love with immediately. Top it on a freshly made waffle and you are good to go. The latter is a relatively sweet flavour that will transport you back to your childhood days upon first taste.

Dessert Project
22 Havelock Road #01-673
Singapore 160022
Mon, Tue, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 9.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.

If you are clueless about what a Shibuya Toast is, it is basically just a sweeter version of a French toast with a plethora of colourful toppings. Originating from Tokyo itself, the reason why this beautiful thick toast dessert is such a hit in Singapore is simple – they taste as good as they look. Or sometimes even better.

The combination of perfectly buttered and toasted thick toast is decorated with sweet toppings that usually includes maple syrup, various flavours of ice cream or gelato, whipped cream and fruits.

Now, the golden question is – just where do you find the best Shibuya Toasts in Singapore? Read on to find out more.

#1 ASSEMBLY COFFEE

There are many versions and unique renditions of the Shibuya Toast and Assembly Coffee’s Brick Toast (S$12) is one of our favourites. Buttered and toasted cubes of the loaf are nicely crisp on the outside, while still retaining a nice fluffiness on the inside.

It is topped off with vanilla ice cream and comes with a side of greek yogurt and strawberries. The toppings added a nice textural variety to the overall bite and for just S$12, this is definitely one of the cheaper Shibuya Toasts we can find in Singapore.

26 Evans Lodge
Singapore 259367
Tel: +65 6735 5647
Tue to Sun: 8am – 7pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Botanic Gardens

#2 DAZZLING CAFE

You would definitely have seen Dazzling Cafe’s insanely pretty range of Shibuya Toasts on all your social media platforms by now and we agree that they are worth the hype. While we might not be big fans of their savoury mains, their desserts were good enough to make us want to return for more. But be warned – the queue can go beyond an hour.

Our favourite has to be the Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast (S$19.90). The attention to detail is resounding, the cream that sits atop carefully designed and each cube of toast s filled with hazelnut chocolate – sinful goodness!

15 Stamford Road, #01-85
Capitol Piazza
Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 6384 3310
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
(Nearest Station: City Hall)

#3 DESSERT PROJECT

The Nutella Thick Toast (S$14.90) was a hit with every single one of our tastebuds because you know you can never go wrong when there is Nutella involved.

The thick toast is evenly toasted and the melted chocolate topping was a cherry on top of all the goodness. The toast is served warm, setting a contrasting note with the ice cream that is served generously in two scoops on the side.

22 Havelock Road #01-673
Singapore 160022
Mon, Tue, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 9.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

#4 DOUBLE SCOOPS

Double Scoops offers two choices – a classic Shibuya Honey Toast (S$10) and a Nutella Banana Toast (S$11), each with one scoop of gelato of choice.

While honey toasts are evergreen, it was the Nutella one that tugged our heartstrings. But of course, right? Nutella is always wonderful, especially when lavishly drizzled over a thick toast alongside smooth, premium gelato. We had ours with a scoop of Earl Grey Lavender ice cream and the fragrance sure balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.

Block 226A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-627
Singapore 561226
Tel: +65 6452 0208
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio

#5 LOFT CAFE

Moving on from all the chocolatey renditions, we have Loft Cafe’s Natsu Beri Shibuya Toast (S$11.40) that was an absolute delight for us, and certainly makes a great option for berry lovers.

The added acidity of the fruits was a marvelous complement to the toast, and do not be fooled by this photo because it was actually a gigantic serving! But no worries, because desserts are meant to be shared with lovers.

268A South Bridge Road
Singapore 058817
Tue to Sun: 7.30am – 11pm
Tel: +65 6221 2103
Nearest Station: Chinatown

#6 STATELAND CAFE

TAN (S$14.90) is the name of this good-looking plate of toast at Stateland Cafe. A crowd’s favourite, TAN is essentially a charcoal toast with marshmallow filling, salted caramel and coconut ice cream.

They also have a Matcha Honey Toast (S$14.90), which in our opinion is also as beautiful-looking and delicious as its aforementioned counterpart. Stateland is the place to visit for quirky renditions of the Shibuya Toast.

32 Bali Lane
Singapore 189868
Tel: +65 8715 5475
Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Bugis

#7 WA CAFE

Wa Cafe presents a brilliant Honey Toast with Matcha and Orgura Paste (S$16.50) that is probably the closest you can get to a true blue Japanaese Shibuya Toast in Singapore.

Topped off with a mountain of ingredients, expect to see ice cream, azuki (red bean) and a huge dollop of whipped cream. The overall combination of the different elements weaved into each other really well, and is one version of Shibuya Toast that is most definitely worth every cent (and calorie)!

#B1-51, Chinatown Point
133 New Bridge Road
Singapore 059413
Tel: +65 +65 6444 7646
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station Chinatown

For more recommendations, read our guide to the best desserts in Singapore.