Give a big cheer, Messina is here! Australia’s cult-favourite gelato chain just unveiled its first-ever Singapore store at Chinatown, and we couldn’t be more excited. Located at 1 Club Street, the shop occupies the ground-floor units of The Working Capitol, with a seating area that fits around 20 people. But let’s get down to business – here’s the scoop on all the flavours, prices, and everything you need to know before visiting Singapore’s very first Gelato Messina.
The first thing to do is heave a sigh of relief – the brand brings its signature 40-flavour cabinet to our shores, so you won’t be missing out on all-time-favourites like the Pistachio Praline, Hokey Pokey, Italian Nougat, or the Panna Cotta with fig jam and amaretti. We're told that everything is freshly churned daily and that all toppings and additions at Messina, down to its chocolate chunks and nut paste, are made with proprietary recipes.
The folks here have gotten their Pistachio Praline formula down to a tee. Butter-smooth, rich and nutty, with homemade pistachio paste swirling through the gelato like molten gold, it’s a faultless replica of the one we had at Messina’s Bondi Beach outlet in Sydney. The only difference is that Singapore’s relentless heat means your scoops are reduced to a sweet, sticky mess in no time, so be prepared for that.
Apart from the 35 core flavours, many are curious about the five Singapore-exclusives that Messina is debuting at the store. These are: Singapore, How You Durian? – featuring coconut gelato with durian jam and cake; kaya toast – kaya gelato mixed in with dehydrated toast and kaya jam; teh tarik – a simple milk tea gelato; tau huey – lightly sweetened tofu gelato; and Yolk’s On You – salted egg yolk gelato with gula melaka caramel.
Among the above, our pick is the tau huey, thanks to its velvety texture, simple construction, and how identitical it tastes compared to the beloved local dessert. At the time of our visit, the ondeh ondeh flavour was also available, and these had generous chunks of chewy pandan mochi wedged into each scoop. A word of caution: the durian, kaya, and salted egg yolk are extremely indulgent – and rightfully so – but since they lean sweeter, we found ourselves gravitating towards the tried-and-tested classics.
Not to worry though — Messina is known for encouraging over-the-counter tasting, so you’re less likely to be pressured into making regretful decisions and having to stick with a flavour you dislike. Or, you can just come back the next day to try again. Happy problems. There are also weekly rotating flavours to look forward to, and the one we sampled was a Cinco de Mayo special, studded with crunchy churro bits.
For our lactose-intolerant friends, thankfully, Messina does its dairy-free options well too. There are some eight sorbets to pick from, including refreshing flavours like dragonfruit, raspberry, lemon, passionfruit, mango, and others. But for something different, go for the chocolate sorbet, which is sorely underrated, according to one of the staff members we spoke to.
Unlike typical ice cream shops in Singapore where regular and premium flavours are tagged to different prices, each scoop at Messina goes at a standard $7.50. It’s not the cheapest in town, but considering the quality of ingredients (hear this: Messina has its very own dairy farm in Victoria supplying fresh Jersey milk to every joint), we say it’s well worth the splurge. That said, you can also get more bang for your buck if you order two ($10) or three scoops ($12) – perfect for sharing.
And for ardent fans of the chain, you’ll also find shelves lined with merchandise like bucket hats, tote bags, and socks plastered with the brand’s monogram, so go ham and get that Messina drip.
Gelato Messina Singapore is located at 1 Club Street, Singapore 069400. Official opening hours have yet to be confirmed, but according to Google, the store is open from 2pm to 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday, and noon to 10pm from Friday to Sunday.
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