Was hesitant about trying their food after the many negative reviews online, but gave their flat white ($6+) a shot. Expected much more from this new concept store by Craftsmen - the coffee was smooth but milky, with a forgettable flavour.
Was feeling a little indulgent at lunch so I ordered the chicken cutlet noodles ($3.50)! Promptly regretted it thereafter - the chicken was crispy but tasted of stale oil, and the noodles were too alkaline for my liking. The traditional wanton noodles look better!
Opted for something unconventional and ordered their signature yuzu shio ramen ($15.90++)! The citrus flavour predominates, with an undercurrent of savoury soup. The noodles were a little hard; the meat and egg mediocre. Much preferred the flavour and texture of the dry ramen with dipping sauce!
Ordered a double scoop ($6.50, + $0.70 per premium flavour). Grape yakult and pistachio both had great flavours, but were too icy. Scoops were also badly done - many air pockets within and the ice cream crumbled due to its icy consistency.
Ordered a double scoop ($6.50, + $0.70 per premium flavour). The hojicha had a strong roasted flavour but it was terribly icy. Valrhona chocolate remains my favourite - thick, rich and creamy!
Finally bit the bullet and joined the long snaking queue! The noodles ($4.30) are springy and coated with a tasty mix of chilli and vinegar. The real highlight, though, is the soup - sweet, filled with lean minced meat and handmade balls. The fishballs are light and bouncy whilst the meatballs have the good bite of real meat.
The genmaicha tea latte ($5.80) was a tad too milky for me - I expected a much richer mouthfeel, even though the roasted tea flavour came through cleanly! The lemon mint sencha ($6.30) was bold with its sour tang and burst of mint.
Passionfruit earl grey ($6.30) had a bright citrus flavour which paired nicely with the mellow bergamot! Will ask for less sugar syrup the next time as I’d prefer it more tart. The melon mint jin xuan ($6.30) was a surprising hit - the oolong is deep and slightly bitter, matched by the grainy sweetness of melon and subtle tinge of mint. Definitely one of my favourites!
This bowl of beef brisket noodles ($4.50) was really large! Soup is thick but a little salty. Beef was very tender!
Here’s another double scoop ($8, + $1 per gourmet flavour / + $2 per alcoholic flavour) - this one features my favourite flavours at gelatolabo thus far. Caribbean rum with charred pineapple packs the heat of alcohol but I especially loved the bright burst of smokey sweetness! Their seasonal Spanish persimmon was also incredible - this one melted quite quickly but it had lots of fruit fibre and the most lovely honeyed sweetness.
Ordered a double scoop ($8, + $1 per gourmet flavour / + $2 per alcoholic flavour) of some of their signature flavours! The dark chocolate with orange peel was rich with a hint bitterness and tinged with citrus. The colombian cold brew was particularly impressive - a strong coffee flavour with a creamy mouth feel! Would be nice to have more cookie bits within.
This store sports perpetual queues! A small bowl of BCM ($3) is hefty, with a substantial portion of noodles and meat. The sauce is a little watery but coats the noodles nicely and is very flavourful!
