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Let’s face it, Singapore’s hot weather is just the perfect excuse for us to cool off with ice cream whenever we feel like it.
But if you’re tired of the same ol’ classic flavours, why not spice it up with some unique flavours? Instead of having to travel all over the island to try different flavours, Tom’s Palette in Shaw Tower brings us wacky and innovative flavours all in one place!
The cafe is furnished with long wooden tables and colourfully painted stools. The owner, Chronos, explained that this no-frills cafe is focused on high-quality ice cream in unique flavours, and at affordable prices (S$3.60/small, S$4.60/medium, S$5.80/large).
It has been around since 2005, serving up interesting homemade flavours, including Parmesan Cheese & Crackers, and the recent Chee Cheong Fun flavour that made its rounds on social media.
If you’re a chee cheong fun fan, then you have to try their rendition of this popular breakfast food.
The unique flavour is made with glutinous rice that’s mixed and cooked with rice milk until it reaches the consistency of porridge, and the whole process took over four hours to complete.
It also contained roasted sesame seeds, lending it a nutty, mouth-watering fragrance that’s close to the real dish.
You’ll be happy to know that Tom’s Palette did not forget the most important part: the chee cheong fun sauce.
The sauce was sourced from Kwong Woh Hing Sauce Factory, which makes the authentic Cantonese version that has a hint of sweetness.
We also tried their White Chocolate Nori flavour, which had actual flecks of seaweed in the scoop! I really enjoyed the blend of sweet and savoury flavours, which helped to balance each other out.
Besides the seaweed, there were also roasted sesame seeds to add a bit of crunch and fragrance.
One of my favourite flavours was the Valrhona Chocolate Sorbet. Yes, it’s a dairy-free chocolate ice cream.
When I think of sorbet, what usually comes to mind are refreshing and fruity flavours, not smooth and rich chocolate. But Tom’s Palette has managed to outdo themselves with this bittersweet chocolate sorbet, which is just as rich as any other dark chocolate ice cream, but less jelak.
Psst, keep a lookout for their D24 Durian flavour that’ll be released on their anniversary in September 2018! They only make it once a year, because the entire process is a tedious race against time.
Chronos mentioned that the durians have to reach the store within 24 hours, to preserve its freshness. What’s more, the ice cream is made from pure durian, so you can just imagine how much durian flesh is needed to go into one tub of ice cream!
If you want a warm dessert that’s a little more filling, you can try the Brownie Waffles With Cheese Sauce (S$10, one ice-cream scoop add-on +S$3) from Tom’s Palette.
The cheese sauce is made with three different kinds of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar), to achieve the super stretchy cheese pull.
I really liked how the brownie waffles were crumbly and crispy at the edges. Although the waffles weren’t very dense, the rich flavour of the brownies still came through clearly. One plate of this was definitely too rich for a single person to finish, so it’s best to share this dessert with someone.
The dish also comes with artfully scattered berries and berry sauce, which added a tangy flavour that undercuts the rich cheese and brownie waffles. If you’re still not satisfied, you can even add a scoop of ice cream to the waffles.
Tom’s Palette rotates its flavours pretty often, making only limited tubs of each flavour so there’s always something new to try on your next visit. For some of the more unique flavours, once they’re sold out, you’ll have to wait till they bring it back.
So the next time your taste buds are screaming for ice cream, why not ditch the classics for something more exciting at Tom’s Palette?
Expected Damage: S$3.60 – S$10 per pax
