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Monday, July 18, 2016

i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney

Blue bubblegum and pinky milky flower gelato from i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney

Scoops of gelato? Ptooey. Who wants a boring old hemisphere jammed onto a cone when you can have a lovingly shaped gelato flower instead? Sydneysiders can't get enough of these rose-inspired artworks, judging by the crowds each night at i-Creamy. The gelato itself is serious business too. i-Creamy founder Ben Chitmitrechareon learnt the trade from Gelato Messina legend, Nick Palumbo, at Carpigiani Gelato University. i-Creamy scooped (pun intended) a dozen of gold and silver awards at the 2014 and 2105 Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Show.

Gelato counter and display cabinet at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Gelato counter and display cabinet

The original i-Creamy opened in Bondi Junction in late 2012 but their move to the city - and the new flower gelato offering - has opened up a much wider legion of fans.

The display cabinet holds 24 different flavours, rotated from a total menu of 96 flavour options. You can order by the scoop or pay an extra 30 cents to have them shaped into a rose. The majority of customers choose novelty presentation over the standard scoop.

Gelato prices: 
1 scoop $4.60
2 scoop $6.60
3 scoop $8.60
9 scoop gelato platter $22.90

2 flavour flower gelato $6.90
3 flavour flower gelato $8.90

Beer artisan gelato at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Beer artisan gelato

There's a definite Asian bent to a lot of flavours - hello Thai milk tea, palm sugarblack sesame and durian - but there are plenty of standards you'd find in an Italian gelato cabinet, including hazelnut, tiramisu and pistachio. They're not afraid to raid the supermarket confectionary aisle either, with riffs that include Kit Kat, Tim Tam, Bounty and Milo. Quirkier flavours include popcorn, white chocolate miso and beer.

The sorbets are all dairy- and gluten-free, in flavours that run from lemon lime and bitters to blood orange to mojito.

Green tea gelato flower petals at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Shaping green tea gelato flower petals

Creating a rose out of gelato is mesmerising to watch. A small scoop is wedged into the cone to create a foundation then flattened curls of gelato are carefully pressed and curled over it to create petals. The curls get increasingly larger as the rose extends outwards.

Durian crunchy flower gelato at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Durian crunchy flower gelato

It takes several minutes to complete each one, and then voila! A gelato rose.

Kid waiting for gelato at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Watching and waiting

This does mean a significant wait during peak hours. If you're in a hurry, the plain scoop gelatos seem to get prioritised.

Blue bubblegum and pinky milky flower gelato at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Blue bubblegum and pinky milky flower gelato

A lot of customers also seem to consider not just flavour matching, but also colour combinations when ordering. And it's no surprise that every kid wanted blue bubblegum. Maybe a few big kids too.

Young coconut and durian crunchy flower gelato at i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney
Young coconut and durian crunchy flower gelato

I can vouch that the young coconut gelato is incredibly good, tasting less like coconut cream and more like that young coconut flesh you get in coconut juice drinks. I'm glad that staff were wise enough to put the durian crunchy gelato at its core. By the time you start to hit the durian section, your tastebuds are overwhelmed with its pungency. The durian gelato uses real durian flesh imported from south east Asia. It's unrepentant in its intensity. We love it, although the crunchy bits - smashed up smithereens of durian chips - are a little weird to get used to.

Eating gelato in winter has never been so enticing. And getting a rose has never been so sweet.

i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney


i-Creamy Artisan Gelato Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

i-Creamy Artisan Gelato
Skyview Plaza, Shop 13
537-551 George Street, Sydney

Open daily 11am-10pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
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Gelato - Cow & Moon, Enmore
Gelato - Gelato Franco, Marrickville
Gelato - Gelato Messina HQ, Rosebery
Turkish Ice Cream - Hakiki, Newtown

16 comments:

  1. Um, hello beer gelato. When's the next train to the Junction?

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  2. So, beer gelato. I'll bet that opens up a whole new market for them!

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  3. Beautiful! And I would love to watch them turn an ice cream into a flower. I've also never tried 'beer' flavour - there's always something new to try! xx

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  4. Yesssss I love the durian! Will def have to go back and try that beer flavour

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  5. The Beer flavour looks very strange. I'll order the Durian and young coconut. yes, Durian is an acquired taste.please

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  6. I don't know if I have the patience to wait a few minutes for a flower ice-cream... I'd be curious if the ice-cream starts to melt as soon as you get it?

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  7. I was told some have to wait 30 mins for that flower gelato. I'm curious but not prepared to wait that long!

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  8. I had the white chocolate miso and didn't like it at all - it had a weird, fake flavor. But I liked the pistachio! It also took way too long. I think I'd just get regular scoops next time.

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  9. oh wow beer gelato, that's pretty different, don't think I've seen that anywhere else!

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  10. I was lucky enough to visit during a quiet period so was able to get my flower gelato within a few minutes. The young coconut flavour sounds delicious, will have to try that next time!

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  11. The flower idea actually comes from Amorino in Italy who have been doing it for aeons! Their gelato is very very good if you ever get a chance

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  12. How can it be that I spend my life up at 'The Junction' and have never come across this location - I don't need a reason to eat Ice Cream - so I will add this one to my list - young coconut for me too! xx

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  13. I gotta try this! Will definitely gibe that bubblegum and pink milky flower gelato a go! I also wanna try their Thai Milk Tea and pistachio!

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  14. Wow! Beer flavour sounds interesting. Love how the ice-cream looks like a flower :)

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  15. That is a thing of beauty! I've only seen flower gelatos before at Amorino in Milan - it tasted amazing but no one does gelato like the Italians ;)

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  16. Not sure about the beer gelato, but seriously going to get there over summer!

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