My first ice cream of 2011 was a cup of White Forest and Pear & Brandied Dates from my usual ice cream haunt, Tom's Palette. I really liked the former, which featured a twist on the traditional Black Forest flavor by incorporating sweet Amarena cherry chunks into a smooth cream cheese and almond base. Though it was on the sweeter side, Pear & Brandied Dates was fruity and refreshing.
Easily one of the popular flavors here, Granny's favorite (left) was a pleasing combination of chocolate malt ice cream and cookie dough. Although I'm not a fan of savory desserts, I knew I had to try the truffle ice cream (right) for novelty's sake. And boy, the truffle infusion was strong- I was literally eating mushroom ice cream! This flavor is, however, now out of production due to the cost of its ingredients.
I'm a sucker for peanut butter, but PB ice cream a little boring on it's own in my opinion. Naturally, I was delighted to stumble upon Nuts 'n' Such (left). Mixing swirls of mocha brownie batter into PB ice cream made for a flavor that was oh-so-fabulously sweet, salty, nutty and creamy all at once! And no fan of the classic Italian dessert should skip on Tom's Tiramisu ice cream (right), which is spiked with three different types of alcohol. It's seriously divine!
Nuts 'n' Such (right) isn't always available, so I just had to have it again when I spotted the flavor during another visit. Easily one of my favorite flavors at Tom's, Longan Red Date (left) marries the natural sweetness of red dates- usually found in traditional Chinese desserts- into a silky cream. There're juicy bits of longan embedded inside as well!
You may still be able to catch the Christmas flavors now if you're lucky, or you'll have to wait till this December. Crunchy candy cane bits made an interesting addition to the minty White Christmas (right), but the flavor that stood out to me was Chestnut Brandy, a lightly boozy and lusciously textured ice cream imparted with an intense chestnut flavor.
Another Christmas flavor would be Chocolate pudding (right), a rich chocolate ice cream mixed with chewy marshmallows. Those looking for a healthier ice cream treat should definitely give the light and very refreshing Chrysanthemum (left) ice cream a try. The fragrant infusion of dried chrysanthemum flowers proved so intense, I'm suspect this flavor might well be packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants!
Do note that Tom's Palette will be closed for renovation for the next two weeks, from 10 January to 25 January. There'll be an expanded range of offerings and seating space for 30 customers when it reopens!
Tom's Palette
100 Beach Road
#01-25 Shaw Leisure Gallery
Opening hours: 12pm-9.30pm (Mon-Thu), 12pm-10pm (Fri-Sat), closed on Sundays
Do note that Tom's Palette will be closed for renovation for the next two weeks, from 10 January to 25 January. There'll be an expanded range of offerings and seating space for 30 customers when it reopens!
Tom's Palette
100 Beach Road
#01-25 Shaw Leisure Gallery
Opening hours: 12pm-9.30pm (Mon-Thu), 12pm-10pm (Fri-Sat), closed on Sundays