Attention all Westies. Feels like there is nothing happening in the West of Singapore these few months (in terms of café openings), but hey hey, there is actually a hidden gem within West Coast Community Centre.
Pobo Gelato aims to brings a taste of Italy to Singapore with the gelato they serve.
The humble gelato café was opened by Damian Koh who fell in love with Italian-style gelato while he was studying in Australia (wonder if it is Gelato Messina or RivaReno Gelato which inspired him).
He decided to venture into this business when he realised there wasn’t any “good” gelato shops in the West Coast area. (True?)
And I was surprised to hear that he went all the way to Italy to learn how to make gelato proper.
Pobo Gelato has a very simple space, clean and bright, located on the ground level of West Coast Community Centre.
I went on a weekday afternoon and most of its customers are students from the neighbourhood schools.
All the gelato are handmade from scratch in the shop, churned out fresh by Damian himself.
An interesting feature is that gelato shades are used rather than ice cream scoopers, as the texture is silkier and softer (as compared to American style ice cream) and can easily be scooped out.
Some of the signature Italian flavours include Pistachio, Hazelnut, 70% Dark Chocolate, Fior Di Latte (Milk) and Speculoos. Also available are Asian local-inspired flavours of Pandan, Milo, Matcha, Houjicha and Earl Grey Lavender.
Each scoop goes for $4 per flavour, $7.50 for 2 flavours, additional $1 for waffle cone.
I was instantly impressed by the consistency of the gelato because of how soft it is.
The Pistachio Gelato ($4 for one scoop) had a surprisingly light nutty taste, though however, was slightly sweet for my liking.
The sweetness could prevent an ice cream lover from truly enjoying the nuances of the flavours.
I was also quite surprised by the 70% Dark Chocolate Gelato in Waffle Cone ($5) because of how intense it was.
The chocolatey taste could ‘hit’ you, with a swirl of rich, velvety chocolate in your mouth from the very first bite.
However, the gelato got slightly rich (aka jelak) towards the end, so I would recommend a mix of two flavours if you intend to get this.
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A special shout out to the Sea Salt Lemon Sorbet, which is one of the more refreshing and light flavours they offer.
Its sourness, with that tinge of saltiness was quite invigorating, and could just ‘wake’ you up.
For lactose intolerant friends, you can also consider the seasonal sorbet flavours, such as the current Strawberry and Lychee, which may change to a Melon-flavoured one soon.
Waffles are also available which could be great for sharing, such as the Waffle with Single ($9), or Double Scoop ($12.50).
The Hazelnut flavour was slightly fragrant, with more balanced level of sweetness (compared to other flavours I tried).
If you are a tea lover, I would recommend both their Matcha and Hojicha flavours, with that distinct bitter aftertaste.
You can tell that the Damian has definitely put in a lot of effort into creating his own brand of gelato, insisting of churning out all flavours fresh himself.
While Pobo Gelato is off-the-radar and hasn’t gained bigger fame, the Westies now know where to head to if you need to satisfy those cravings on a cheat day.
Pobo Gelato
2 Clementi West Street 2, Unit 01-02A, Singapore 129605
Tel: +65 9185 4123
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 9:30pm, (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 12:00pm – 10pm (Fri – Sat), Closed Tues
https://www.facebook.com/pobosg/
Other Related Entries
Island Creamery (Holland Village)
Sir Stamford Waffles (Bedok North)
Kooks Creamery (The Cathay)
Aqua S (Orchard Xchange)
Dopa Dopa (South Bridge Road)
* Written by DFD’s Café Correspondent @__sy_g. Songyu is a food and travel blogger whose hobby is uncovering hidden hipster cafes. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
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