It’s so hot here in Singapore these days that I’m sorely tempted to cut all my hair off and just sit in a tub of ice.
Then I remember I always regret it when I cut my hair off.
I blame this heat for my excitement at hearing about Frostbite, a little shop that makes and sells gourmet/artisanal popsicles.
photo courtesy of Frostbite
It’s a little outlet in Toa Payoh Central and is pretty bare-bones: a simple, barely-decorated store that sells flavoured ice lollies, in distinctive flavours – White Peach with Lavender, Raspberry-Cranberry, Watermelon-Lemon, Grapefruit-Passionfruit, Mango-Lychee, Chocolate-BloodOrange… you get the idea.
My favourite is Calamansi SourPlum.
I don’t know how they make it so the flavour is so full and comes alive in your mouth with each slurp.
It’s not overly sharp, sweet or sour – they’ve managed to get the blend of all three just perfect. The texture of the ice is perfect too – it’s soft, not too crystalline, and the flavours soaked in enough so you get a few good slurps out of it.
It’s fruity, with bits of sour plum through it, and has none of the bottle/store flavour – fake and sickly sweet – that turns me off a potentially lovely flavour combo.
Each lolly is $2.50.
It’s my new favourite thing.
All the flavours I’ve tried so far are punchy and fruity, without being overly sweet. They taste like the best version of homemade fruit popsicles. Flavours are intense, and drenched through each ice crystal!
Surely surely there’ll be some kind of cola lolly, and of course, a gula melaka lolly, soon? A calamansi-cola lolly for me please.
If you buy one to eat they thoughtfully give it to you with a napkin to catch the sticky drips if you’re a slow eater. If you buy in bulk, they give you your lollies in bags of ice. But bring a chill bag anyway, and stock up!
Remembering iceballs of the past – shaved ice on a bit of newspaper with coloured syrups through it – bought from a little shoppy during an afternoon’s play – I realise how sophisticated we’ve become that a neighbourhood store doesn’t sell iceballs, but gourmet popsicles. (by the way, those iceballs were 10 cents, and it wasn’t THAT long ago)
The store is a little hard to find – the address is Blk 178, #01-546 Toa Payoh Central. It’s right behind the HDB Hub, facing Ya Kun and Polar. Look for the flashing fairy lights.
A couple of young entrepreneurs with a great idea and a passion to succeed.
I love that, and I hope it succeeds.
ps: just tried the Mango. It’s very rich and mango-sweet. If you love the intensity of a really ripe mango, this is one for you! Grapefruit-Passionfruit has a lovely, rich bite, tangy but passionfruit-y (!) and Chocolate-Caramel is just delicious – rich and chocolatey, with the texture of a Paddle Pop.
pps: Suntec outlet: facing Carrefour
