In late June, i-Creamy Artisan Gelato relocated from beachy Bondi to the hustle and bustle of the Sydney CBD. Late June saw Sydney’s coldest day in over twenty years, but that didn’t stop D and I, DT and his girlfriend, and a whole bunch of other Sydneysiders from queuing for their gelato.
Many flavours of their gelato wins awards at the Royal Easter Show, so their success is no surprise. The gold and silver awards aren’t the only thing that set them apart from the others in the CBD. Here, they serve gelato in the shape of a rose ($6.90 for two flavours, $8.90 for three flavours).
Each petal is sliced from the tub of gelato using a flat metal spatula before painstakingly assembled to resemble a rose. Sorbet (milk-free) flavours lack the structural integrity for turning into a petal, but you’re still spoiled for choice with their milk-based flavours.
Here, I have Black Sesame (inner) with White Chocolate Miso (outer). The black sesame won silver at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show and is a favourite, with a good nutty flavour and slight grit. D would have preferred the black sesame flavour to be even stronger, although I found it already a lot stronger than the weak iterations at other stores. The white chocolate miso won gold at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show, so I also had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan – the saltiness from the miso lends a strange, almost plastic, taste to the white chocolate, which wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but not a flavour I’m keen to revisit.
Not one for the novelty of a flower gelato, D insteads opts for scoops (from the top) of Lychee & Coconut Sorbet, Snickers and Black Sesame. The lychee & coconut won gold at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show, and is the highlight of the three flavours, with punchy tropical notes of sweet and floral lychee, against a more mellow coconut flavour than I often find in coconut flavoured sorbets. The snickers had flecks of chocolate throughout a peanut butter and caramel gelato base, but fell short of really being a Snickers flavour as lacked the chewy crunch from the caramel and peanuts in a Snickers bar.
With over 20 flavours to choose from, I’ll be back to try them out!
i-Creamy Artisan Gelato is located at Skyview Plaza, Shop 13, 531-551 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000.