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You might have caught wind of the diamond affogato trend on social media, which originated from the historic Vivoli gelateria in Florence, Italy. Gelato is first spooned into a cup and deftly shaped at the edges, before a shot of espresso is dispensed over it – a neat and novel way of enjoying the traditional dessert. The trend then made its way to Korea in cafés like the internet-viral Scooper Gelato in Seoul. And now, you can get a similar experience right here in Singapore.
Aifokato is a Korean-inspired dessert stand that operates out of a small takeaway window beside Song Gye Ok along Telok Ayer Street. The concept is straightforward: pick from four flavours of gelato – vanilla, pistachio, matcha or chocolate – then choose one of the three 'pours', whether it's espresso, matcha or chocolate that you're craving. Each cup is priced at a standard $10, with no additional charges for 'premium' flavours, as is common practice in most ice cream shops. Here's everything we ordered:
- Vanilla gelato with espresso
- Pistachio gelato with chocolate
- Chocolate gelato with matcha
The staff prepares each cup before your eyes, so you'll definitely be able to get your clips for the 'gram. Just make sure to dig in soon after, as the gelato – coupled with the heat from the hot liquid – barely lasts a minute in Singapore's heat. Our top pick is the classic vanilla-espresso combination, which features creamy Madagascar vanilla gelato with a Brazil-Colombia espresso blend. The medium-roast coffee generally works well with flavours like vanilla, chocolate, matcha and pistachio, but we would have preferred a more pronounced bitterness to better contrast the sweetness of the gelato.
Our second favourite pairing is the pistachio gelato with chocolate, though the rich chocolate pour, made with Extra Brute cocoa, slightly overshadows the subtle, nutty notes of the pistachio. If you're a pistachio lover, we'd recommend pairing it with the classic espresso pour instead, which better complements its natural flavours. Those who prefer decadent desserts should go for the chocolate and matcha pairing. Callebaut dark chocolate, which is lower in sugar, is used here, working well with the bittersweet profile of the matcha.
Aifokato also offers a rendition of the popular -86 degree dirty latte ($10), which can also be found in cafés like Slow Boat. We ordered the regular espresso version (matcha and chocolate lattes are also available), but found that the thick creaminess of the milk completely masked the taste of the coffee. Even more concerning – at no point do you get to witness the cup being fetched from an -86 degree chiller, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the trend. Perhaps more interesting are the butter mochi snacks served on the side, which are perfectly fine on their own, but a tad too oily when paired with desserts.
Time Out's rating: 3/5
Aifokato is the kind of spot that scores points for visual appeal and photo-worthy moments, but overall, the experience doesn't quite justify the $10 price tag. The variety of gelato flavours and pours makes for an interesting concept, but the quality itself isn't particularly standout. Factor in the crowds – you're better off swinging by before lunch or dinner, by the way – and it feels like a 'one and done' stop instead of a dessert stand that we'd see ourselves frequenting.
Aifokato is open from Sunday to Friday from 9am to 9pm and Saturday from 9am to 10pm at 111 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068580.
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